tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26435529095618955432024-03-19T00:00:33.557-07:00Lili Lost in a BookLilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714327382001931681noreply@blogger.comBlogger2392125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-19557882469785601112024-03-19T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-19T00:00:00.138-07:00Review: The Nightmare Dilemma (The Arkwell Academy #2) by Mindee Arnett<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwfyYy1_MnUyEj7JDIfUhFHCxe61OGBtYDvHy23NrX29RslHIHc4g6i__dzZxLox2GFHljIZyx5etm1564ew9vMEq2rskgf3DeCk0lGNNyu2Lza0GzJGzU4t3hrwrtmfMl8axMwAB4pwhJr2Wz2bIHN7tPcd0iuhUSdXBIF5zpcZx3hU0Nd_qCBMRE02h5=w213-h320" width="213" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> The Nightmare Dilemma
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<b>Series:</b> The Arkwell Academy #2
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<b>Previous book in this series:</b> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-nightmare-affair-arkwell-academy.html" target="_blank">The Nightmare Affair</a>
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<b>Author:</b> by Mindee Arnett
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<b>Publication date:</b> January 2014
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<b>Published by:</b> Tor Teen
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<b>Source:</b> Won paperback ARC in giveaway
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17910091-the-nightmare-dilemma" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Dilemma-Arkwell-Academy-Book-ebook/dp/B00H6E6AX4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zePkLiBv2W2U4WoWnG97dnhe3KabvSLvAK_hzQ6Nh2XvKf-MOAucqiIWnjf983qlprGjqgtXEXTFBI27AOOrpaufto2S0zrvp0BRqwfb1kwFwvLkI-cq9LAOyrU4M01VIyv5E9x6QLHyRxwGogd5W7Grji1DBc225c1pdMMNZwqf-IxEGJQFVlIzFfTKywwwqJQ-dF1svvYDkuL1Bm_HoctvsvKpaafJWnUrKC-QoAE.WNmO8mutxB5U8ITyfHVRKddjBrh0QRlYAVTady2w6dI&qid=1710095460&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nightmare-dilemma-mindee-arnett/1115295547?ean=9781466800687" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-nightmare-dilemma_mindee-arnett/9023024/?resultid=6f72ddde-545c-45f5-88f1-89e49f0abda9#isbn=0765333341" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">Dusty Everhart might be able to predict the future through the dreams of her crush, Eli Booker, but that doesn’t make her life even remotely easy. When one of her mermaid friends is viciously assaulted and left for dead, and the school’s jokester, Lance Rathbone, is accused of the crime, Dusty’s as shocked as everybody else. Lance needs Dusty to prove his innocence by finding the real attacker, but that’s easier asked than done. Eli’s dreams are no help, more nightmares than prophecies.
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To make matters worse, Dusty’s ex-boyfriend has just been acquitted of conspiracy and is now back at school, reminding Dusty of why she fell for him in the first place. The Magi Senate needs Dusty to get close to him, to discover his real motives. But this order infuriates Eli, who has started his own campaign for Dusty’s heart.
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As Dusty takes on both cases, she begins to suspect they’re connected to something bigger. And there’s something very wrong with Eli’s dreams, signs that point to a darker plot than they could have ever imagined.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">It had been a while since I read the first book in this series, I think almost 10 years, but despite that, I decided to not re-read it before going into this book. I love re-reading books but I have actually read <b><i>The Nightmare Affair</i></b> twice, so I thought I would be okay. And I was! I had a vague memory of what went on in the last book, but this book also did a pretty good job of touching on the important things that happened in <i><b>The Nightmare Affair</b></i>, so I was very happy about that.</div>
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I was so glad to be back in this world! I forgot how fun it was! In the last book, the Will was broken so now magic is running rampant. For example, there’s a chair named Buster who is obsessed with Dusty’s friend Selene. Yes, you read that right. A <i>chair</i>.
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I just love the magic in this book. The way inanimate objects basically have a mind of their own... It’s so fun! And I also love that a bunch of different supernatural creatures attend this school. Selene is a siren and Dusty is a literal Nightmare. It’s so cool!
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I also really enjoyed the story because it had a mystery element to it. Dusty is not only trying to figure out who attacked one of her mermaid friends, but she’s also spying on her ex-boyfriend who was recently acquitted after the shenanigans he pulled in the last book. I was hooked! There were attacks and curses and spying...
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I really enjoyed this book! The story and mystery were intriguing, plus the end of the book was action-packed, and you know I loved that! I also really liked the characters and the romance. The sexual tension between Duty and Eli... it was SO good! It was cute and Eli was charming! And I can’t believe I forgot how sassy Dusty was! I love her! There was this bit of information that was revealed to Dusty at the end of the book that gave me strong <b>The Dark Artifices</b> vibes. If you’ve read both this book and that series, you’ll know what I’m talking about. But anyway, the revelation made me sad because I really like these characters! Things worked out for the characters in <b>TDA</b>, so hopefully there’ll be a good solution in <b><i>The Nightmare Charade</i></b>. And I promise it won't take me another 10 years to read that one! 😆 I honestly can’t believe it took me this long to read this because I really enjoyed it! It’s just a fun world with interesting supernatural beings. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this series is going to wrap up!</div>
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDWvmZ0Gsr4/X0vSx5v1N6I/AAAAAAAAQZA/jrELKT_PNlgfDaFyfPZ18S_JJPcW0JBoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-5874081081131495342024-03-18T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-18T00:00:00.136-07:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #360: Diseases, Spies, and Wizards<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUPQTJf6C0ETDR5IpY0RZxr9-Stp0f7xhgZE30N99kKOCnEngemgpbqm0URdJ00fucB7A2dqYsmJkzwHi7CJwVxQgxoDbo50O9SBW9pPqlCvQcivv2yECYFu5-v1l6YMgJkteATZodt-M/s320/It%2527s+Monday+What+Are+You+Reading.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center><i>It's Monday! What Are You Reading?</i> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/">Book Date</a> and <a href="http://www.unleashingreaders.com/">Unleashing Reads</a>.</center>
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<center><b><u>What I read:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56271348-patient-zero" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="1875" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj70R2WaBUcLQGbQw7BP4oeRsuTZU-Z7szREAs58nvnSSvVZrGGCGhYgTP5w_ei2N6YdrQDkSpzOdDioloYkOB9vPI0xcPlKhiaumr7akGweXbDzfvixlblQUo6TyDoIG1Ubgyjyykizsn1mTkcUn_t2SF40vs3VcSRqrAxRpvtFT6HIsZsj7hZwvOf5kgu" width="171" /></a></center>
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<center>I really liked this one! It was very informative and easy to read. I think I like <i><b><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-quackery-kang-pedersen.html" target="_blank">Quackery</a></b></i> by these authors more just because the writing in that one was a little more sassy. Lol. But I get why the writing in <b><i>Patient Zero</i></b> was more serious since it was dealing with, well, serious topics. But it was all very interesting and I enjoyed learning about where certain diseases came from and how these diseases were initially perceived and treated and how medicine and science have evolved over the years.</center>
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<center><b><u>Currently reading:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/154488346-the-spy-and-i" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="1020" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPfHc4OLQPIEYrOMf3sAZPRff_xuKT6y9HQugNIUh5PSblLhVmLY5opRUZ-T5POc3C39SKiG-dTdYYXbUicszNUqYshSQ1daqeLMWA7lJ9SLA4p0T__MzTdh13469PGRj6navSCFHMeK-nbA-fGpyx8ypQuBpCO_s2HBhBUV8rKquUh2twKlO8mewGHwbi" width="155" /></a></div></center>
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<center>This one is pretty good so far! I've read about half of it and I'm enjoying it! The romance is cute and they're actually taking the time to sit down and get to know each other! I could cry 😭 Lol. But we'll see how the second half goes. But so far so good! After this one, though, I think I'm done with contemporary romances for a bit. I want to get back into fantasy and horror. And maybe sci-fi. Lol.</center>
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<center><b><u>Up next:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209419445-the-wizard-s-mark" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggAl12RHnMZvh2yEGQDel_-B_1b5vb0nS_ELINd1fAgKJ1K6wWvChD0JPsz5XDYahmJ9-nUDywsnLs5WbA4hxEnmMLYKk4RVDer5FnjbeKnKg5hF20rCiJywSZzeQ0zcOUDcGEj-tbFPKkp9IysjhVLZIudyMcgIxIzH9S8C6UBr7rpg_o1iGtvDQMfP4f" width="151" /></a></div></center>
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<center>A romantasy from <i><b>Janette Rallison</b></i>? Yes, please! I've been very into high fantasy lately, and I love the cute romances that <b><i>Janette Rallison</i></b> writes, so I am very excited to read this one!</center>
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<center>What are <i>you</i> reading this week?</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-75876131567738513932024-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-17T00:00:00.142-07:00Sunday Post #393: All Sorts of Chaos<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA-iaOc-YTDG3iLtVREKWa6OzzKMTUXeXaQDAdLqzS5UoIr4LCHJOsdqRDOgV0ACXoumnXKOlocyqxjTsN4qtNOsQuGe2rADLoMpNtsSn3aOssC7uwjUswm4CUYjK_-14jNZGToKyrFUb/s320/Sunday+Post.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center>Welcome to <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme">The Sunday Post</a> hosted by <b>Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer</b>, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been doing:</u></b></center>
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<center>This week was ROUGH. The kids were chaos incarnate and the time change certainly didn't help things. I feel like I was exhausted all of Monday and Tuesday. But I think I finally got my sleep schedule under control. Let's just hope the kids are better this coming week because my mental health can only take so much 🫠</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been listening to:</u></b></center>
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<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_P5OpJ6WNK0?si=wNlLqbTGPBmDYZ8e" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center>
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<center><blockquote>"This song is about being all too familiar with being constantly ripped apart to shreds in life. After bad things happen, promise me that we will always put ourselves back together piece by piece, stronger, fiercer, and become the storm they never saw coming :) Don't let them win." <b>-Unlike Pluto</b></blockquote></center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been playing:</u></b></center>
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<center>I feel like my Super Sim save file is going off the rails FAST 😆 So my Sims wanted even more kids and I was like fine! And I even threw her a baby shower which I meant to do with her other three pregnancies but I totally forgot. And actually, I almost forgot again this time and I did it last minute! So last minute, in fact, that she went into labor during the party 😂</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIBJRhOz3NulpQUA84E7aLVDQT-GPuO3C_GXxNMPjW2VPIeROijhAf_FiMQqvL7j23HLq5ioDScaL2cHZTi72yPngO7chRX7Lirgm82dYILy6Bf1U0R-Ks-BBJMiT9wYrCvJm07Vq4a3cuTpN_DgEmzGPcAbKFJiYRrF7TwxRwyVysE5D-9XA0ZDVQVua/s1366/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20173450.png"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1366" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIBJRhOz3NulpQUA84E7aLVDQT-GPuO3C_GXxNMPjW2VPIeROijhAf_FiMQqvL7j23HLq5ioDScaL2cHZTi72yPngO7chRX7Lirgm82dYILy6Bf1U0R-Ks-BBJMiT9wYrCvJm07Vq4a3cuTpN_DgEmzGPcAbKFJiYRrF7TwxRwyVysE5D-9XA0ZDVQVua/w640-h360/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20173450.png" width="640" /></a></div></center>
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<center>And it made me laugh that Caleb Vatore, a vampire (and a good friend of hers, actually!) was the doctor 😂 This game is so weird and I love it! Lol. (And also her husband freaking out in the corner lol).</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnN0GiQipWizb5rFpV7WGehu_3I9RD_C95iAUyRIOs9nN6CJZAxE0IE8xPknGv2yhXdP8MMLTWanhD1XIcPnTY3XcpcbFBzLkJii7ObvvqQuouOQZzsTOThFFMyBDsP9m5Uak7xtg0dCtlGbQZFcJeQZ27vWox9Y2g-X572-42qsjxEUTb2_cBSTNAgOO/s834/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20174145.png"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="834" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnN0GiQipWizb5rFpV7WGehu_3I9RD_C95iAUyRIOs9nN6CJZAxE0IE8xPknGv2yhXdP8MMLTWanhD1XIcPnTY3XcpcbFBzLkJii7ObvvqQuouOQZzsTOThFFMyBDsP9m5Uak7xtg0dCtlGbQZFcJeQZ27vWox9Y2g-X572-42qsjxEUTb2_cBSTNAgOO/w400-h310/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20174145.png" width="400" /></a></div></center>
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<center>And this was her just the day after she had the baby:</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxKsDFz-nChNam0nKTECAqoUs8NNdlMBmIQawXto3DaANnjVuIn6w568wjH-8rZC9DnkPDleX8sI7mkr4jQ-tlhawd-hCKLT8v4wwzc4Af9XKOkD8SpaNE-7xL1DS6YXZasO_20-yht0sQXJPKz9pGROdb6jJGX5Rg4EVW6pno6xMd81cdA14v3tkjAIp/s638/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20181743.png"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="638" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxKsDFz-nChNam0nKTECAqoUs8NNdlMBmIQawXto3DaANnjVuIn6w568wjH-8rZC9DnkPDleX8sI7mkr4jQ-tlhawd-hCKLT8v4wwzc4Af9XKOkD8SpaNE-7xL1DS6YXZasO_20-yht0sQXJPKz9pGROdb6jJGX5Rg4EVW6pno6xMd81cdA14v3tkjAIp/w400-h301/Screenshot%202024-03-10%20181743.png" width="400" /></a></div></center>
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<center>GIRL NO! You JUST had a baby! Besides, THIS happened:</center>
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<center>So my Super Sim is doing all the crystal things for the new pack that came out, and one day she comes home from being out looking for crystals and I find the child OUTSIDE across the street from their house!! Seriously people, get it together! 😂 One sort of mini challenge I made for myself just for funsies is that every time they get the "Try for Baby" bubble BOTH of them at the same time, I'm going to let them try for that baby because it's not like they get it at the same time that often. So when my Sim had the bubble before, the day after she gave birth, it was just her and it luckily went away fast. BUT THEN her husband got it not too long after and I wasn't worried about it because they rarely have that same bubble at the same time. But when I was playing yesterday, she got the bubble again and the husband still had it so guess who's pregnant again? 😭</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLqbbJbojsWjGDqHfoN-UdZwuD2hImtm8cQYf3x1hABB-4L6TwBIc9uZWwAHMHcZ7CVa8aIdQyzA4j4Wxes171Ravp-aBEzXCBo7Wr-3Xoc1VTjaz9dTQHjcAjq-4wb4XD2jeGBvRs97QkNry_K89sTRUk6clkXrL6lWBm2C_v_CPEko5x-vqqknqvOVM/s449/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20171708.png"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLqbbJbojsWjGDqHfoN-UdZwuD2hImtm8cQYf3x1hABB-4L6TwBIc9uZWwAHMHcZ7CVa8aIdQyzA4j4Wxes171Ravp-aBEzXCBo7Wr-3Xoc1VTjaz9dTQHjcAjq-4wb4XD2jeGBvRs97QkNry_K89sTRUk6clkXrL6lWBm2C_v_CPEko5x-vqqknqvOVM/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20171708.png" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC81q8EazMR2WqUxTcaozQh2NjyQSkpgC_Yb3j6vLPz-vYTC-EKp6MZLbpWJUTe1JtKqR3fTfNUUJSujF91LAQa999bmiL8QneiJ5Taeo50HHd6H1Go4MDHjsFWo2PuHR5eF20R-8FHuMDI83fvuz1G717kLmlKG54Oq39p6Vp4tvSS424ep7OzkU1_hxT/s447/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20171741.png" style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC81q8EazMR2WqUxTcaozQh2NjyQSkpgC_Yb3j6vLPz-vYTC-EKp6MZLbpWJUTe1JtKqR3fTfNUUJSujF91LAQa999bmiL8QneiJ5Taeo50HHd6H1Go4MDHjsFWo2PuHR5eF20R-8FHuMDI83fvuz1G717kLmlKG54Oq39p6Vp4tvSS424ep7OzkU1_hxT/s320/Screenshot%202024-03-16%20171741.png" /></a></div></center>
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<center>Yeah, I do this to myself 😂 I'm definitely going to be aging up that infant soon before the other baby is born because yikes! And even though I have that little rule/challenge, I think they're done with kids for a good long while after this. We don't need more kids out on the sidewalk 😅 I don't care what the bubbles say 😆 (Side note: They have four adult kids now and they are all just normal Sims because the mom at the time she had them was also a normal Sim, even though the dad is a vampire. But currently, the mom is a Spellcaster and I think the infant they have now is a Spellcaster too! I'm excited to see what the new baby will be!)</center>
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<center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="color: #200f2b; font-size: x-large;">Online</span></u></b></div>
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<center><b><u>Books reviewed this week:</u></b></center>
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<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-odin-asgardians-1-george-oconnor.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh97-uMl4BNHRxNXYSNmxmYucka-zZKJr23qP8FXuuJUbyuFgE2XPuG3ahYruOF2uiIJpN_U_mBni7LUoGELXXWh_uJ075O9UgWidHoe18ugYD8bc3wG3molZB3-ZpeLXsnNDWW0HJa8tnW_HXtxu1TiU5Vbycy7jkEz2ebUOP4i987YoU8FXFtP3J6HTdC=w150-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-odin-asgardians-1-george-oconnor.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-hephaistos-god-of-fire.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7Lx0tx6We9imSuDa_GbbdWYtuA9jinspC3zWbrLdNvltWxb7ikhVJld2bjuvYhohpgh_EOICjDjiU3SJKEoxQRC8xs_P_cEdx4JL96nIJFdkl0TUtSyvn1IsSv2m9mulKC96q4k4oQSqu4j7O_Imlz6fqeogQo-CKX-fX9g1DEhHAVctjZUFfYJiyDvv-=w151-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-hephaistos-god-of-fire.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-dionysos-the-new-god.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="241" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnJt5XjEVpH4fEq01aMzaRJbYACarIySHJAle1YRZ25Gs1OVXySIqMreqAHEIWZcbsRkxJzT_CelkjMMPYEa7uUcZozYaJ2t0tfTXWKd4advNAYcr_MHcxs7fs7eQ3ssg0SOAEfhVK1eTm-vtlQK_-zSB3FK854T2_F40e6XjXjEgWSvdOk6eswVMpZyVd=w151-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-dionysos-the-new-god.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-ruin-and-rising-shadow-and-bone-3.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="213" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9XitDcYQ9s5G4vsZI_BQdYgubMgJR31GxZFIBue2Yf2saxUgj5q_ApsIZA6GX86om8U5Xse8b4E38aZpQyeuLfN_iaiQrE9d5MQF-CDH9dpblKoR9jcvTeO6P-hZ291uJuz8tL8Ew7_cWSbkqUgs21eLz6uerHRUQdMh16hTgeIzePu6bcvoOza0iPcwO=w133-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-ruin-and-rising-shadow-and-bone-3.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<center><b><u>Other posts from this week:</u></b></center>
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<center><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-359.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhidozmniz5KGOPvzFQdwysGffWPaHopUGSumZ8j2DnhX4ZcG0hKT-YMdeTAQQCBafIBA_L-2GT7i8d8omaGeajX-IaNrRANHoKhNMeEnwRt1QY_rd9FBcc2JE_q5QUuZmfrbzhtuuKESpQbfC5z3TwWFaC7Rp0YQlPxK70VL2ff4kKmHRiA-43V2kk-Tdn" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-359.html" target="_blank">#359: That's Better</a></td></tr></tbody></table></center><br />
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<div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="color: #200f2b; font-size: x-large;"><center>Book Haul</center></span></u></b></div>
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<center><b><u>For Review:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209419445-the-wizard-s-mark" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEit1nL9l4YXlZVjYrz-dnJC_ympfpmYwLQuC9IR51fLAowjnHI7MjY-uGIjVum25UWgur0FQcdin3QFxxHBr3vTE-XJI0rWFvcLuPpxqrlVREmSA28hg-fYlAv7y3ahDm36_pghjCD_Q3oj3u_y92WsmPleB2dUcKvHsvPddKqBqYU1n5Aj29pWLCSKCr-w" width="151" /></a></div></center>
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<center><b><u>Janette Rallison</u></b> has a high fantasy book that just came and I am so excited I got a review copy! I love this author's work!</center>
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<center><b><u>Library Loot:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2681" data-original-width="2236" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiHyCahjlo8gPwMOIz_JTTwKoGcUIPDfTE2YV2oVWazsh-8XsnWaRgPqe-v_FPnPNUiPxo8Ym8pKS6zAP4XNvMant4h5NxFd91z7WOCtFRXD22ooU1WOn-QyksHZlWiRQdZjlUncYcmNxQQemJLq5ygfUdivbyD2KQecIcQ5EdDtZ87StJD_dZrsJKcBH/s320/PXL_20240314_232532293.jpg" width="267" /></div></center>
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<center>And from the library, I got <i><b>The Spy and I</b></i> which is an adventure romance and I am liking it so far! I started it on Friday!</center>
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<center><b><u>Won in a Giveaway:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2883" data-original-width="2081" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iT_YIHXCWoVv3_Yo1BnL7Bjk_5hD9BqYCqx72D0yliB1FOHjT20dwta23KvQwqUxndxCM3lU_faLXB0ft60ixgsqP4pdLNX8A1x5FNhFj3fy7-BQKx7d-X0t8ADStmexPf35w4AFb2C-K44bJhrH-lZjmwruVFdmsVLbSkP3UEVdFrjiAWHo9AoE57dx/s320/PXL_20240314_232524525.jpg" width="231" /></div></center>
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<center>I won one of the <a href="https://feedyourfictionaddiction.com/2023/12/2024-book-blog-discussion-challenge-sign-up.html" target="_blank">Discussion Challenge</a> giveaways and I was so excited! I picked the book <i><b>Caraval</b></i> because I've been in a high fantasy book and this series is next on my list! Thank you so much Nicole!</center>
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<center>How was your guy's week? Get any bookish things? Let me know in the comments below or leave me a link to your post!</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-62934552445938113562024-03-15T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-15T00:00:00.127-07:00Review- Dionysos: The New God (Olympians #12) by George O'Connor<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSlXRU_lP9dOXml9MpPaDafgYV2dLjIMdocp-cGaK7tSMMQt8jR_HLw5efDEGf-uvL0vqJQIQug0Rocjxn_0eWblYsmQ3yQgMv-GNZGfQokGkZvNsYW0eQHbulensLxWolRwb2fCcH9A2bKRzjfVnnorypzV55VxjKQc0wt_eSGePx1O92PeFT4I1ZEGli=w241-h320" width="241" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Dionysos: The New God
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<b>Series:</b> Olympians #12
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<b>Previous books in this series:</b> <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-zeus-king-of-gods-olympians-1.html" target="_blank">Zeus: King of the Gods (#1)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-athena-grey-eyed-goddess.html" target="_blank">Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (#2)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-hera-goddess-and-her-glory.html" target="_blank">Hera: The Goddess and her Glory (#3)</a> | <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-hades-lord-of-dead-olympians-4.html">Hades: Lord of the Dead (#4)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/09/poseidon-earth-shaker.html" target="_blank">Poseidon: Earth Shaker (#5)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (#6)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Ares: Bringer of War (#7)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-apollo-brilliant-one-olympians-8.html" target="_blank">Apollo: The Brilliant One (#8)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-artemis-wild-goddess-of-hunt.html" target="_blank">Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt (#9)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-hermes-tales-of-trickster.html" target="_blank">Hermes: Tales of the Trickster (#10)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-hephaistos-god-of-fire.html" target="_blank">Hephaistos: God of Fire (#11)</a>
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<b>Author:</b> George O'Connor
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<b>Publication date:</b> January 2022
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<b>Published by:</b> First Second
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<b>Source:</b> Purchased paperback
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56978112-dionysos" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NTL6HHK?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_11&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709491460&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/olympians-george-oconnor/1139150513?ean=9781626725317" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://bookoutlet.com/browse?q=Dionysos%3A+The+New+God" target="_blank">Book Outlet</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dionysos_george-oconnor/28371517/" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;"><b>In the final volume of the <i>New York Times</i>–bestselling Olympians graphic novel series, author/artist George O’Connor focuses on Dionysos, the god of wine and madness.</b>
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The <b>Olympians</b> saga draws to a close with the tale of Dionysos, the last Olympian, and maybe, just maybe, the first of a new type of God. His story is told by the first Olympian herself, Hestia, Goddess of the hearth and home. From her seat in the center of Mt. Olympus, Hestia relates the rise of Dionysos, from his birth to a mortal mother, to his discovery of wine, his battles with madness and his conquering of death itself, culminating, finally, in his ascent to Olympus and Godhood.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">You thought Athena’s birth was weird? Wait till you read about Dionysos’s. Let’s just say that Athena wasn’t the only one to be birthed from a weird Zeus body part...</div>
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Lol. But his story was very interesting! We learn about his mother, Princess Semele, and how a jealous Hera tricked her, Dionysus growing up around nymphs and satyrs, and how he became the god of wine. He even got a little bit on the King Mida myth and how he got his golden touch because, yes, Dionysos is heavily involved in that one! And we follow up with Ariadne, who helped Theseus kill the Minotaur. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a happily ever after with the hero. Which is fine because honestly, he was kind of a jerk to her.
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="459" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/43/c2/b3/43c2b3d149e722f77240088bdbe32fa9.gif" /></div></center><br />
This volume also, surprisingly, went into the origin story of Hestia and just talked about her a bit. Hestia is one of the six children of Rhea and Kronos, but you’ll notice she’s not officially an Olympian. Well, in this volume we see why 👀
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But I really liked this! I enjoyed the series overall! They were solid retellings and I loved that they were graphic novels! They were just fun!
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-46368990708307505192024-03-14T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-14T00:00:00.133-07:00Review: Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone #3) by Leigh Bardugo<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRV3_tki7H3AxL_2fWO4Xmd-pvRiRFl3INSRwmTuk8A0tlJ7OHL2_UyHhEsVNuRdAFpx8d26JVuB-FIfc6Jp__HW2UULCAkdbQaTZLCYsKtXRLTTWaNc6AgD6xC5m59qviwKqNTGQNNEtxCZkEd_LHBfllsXVazIJR4ke_B4m6T8FOYGAYAEQAvVQ-NwcO=w213-h320" width="213" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Ruin and Rising
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<b>Series:</b> Shadow and Bone #3 | Grishaverse #3<br /><br />
<b>Previous book in this series:</b> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-shadow-and-bone-by-leigh-bardugo.html" target="_blank">Shadow and Bone (#1)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-siege-and-storm-shadow-and-bone-2.html" target="_blank">Siege and Storm (#2)</a>
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<b>Author:</b> Leigh Bardugo
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<b>Publication date:</b> June 2014
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<b>Published by:</b> Henry Holt and Co.
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<b>Source:</b> Borrowed from library
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40930509-ruin-and-rising" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ruin-Rising-Grisha-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00GVRVEG0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yZkoaXbZz5a23Ur6G0lOcBRzDVrC7bykAI-V4q_4kzwtHN6E5O3plJItEDvf-VPo8wct3BRD0g3ejhr6HDTa0_4krjjWi8Enevpgv1WGm8Zsc7PCrpBwhxuStBZuykMsGBior6SZ3bC6nyu920u8gdWZhnyl1-MB2vllHgw8Mb3IR09If5KtRtcDaTIE-ZdzFIud20p8lwdAHS__BU2Y0tyAa86hJMCU2eHGQOUCZHI.sFoERuBBG1DeZv6s6uoH-DGGtlCEnFLaZfxzfskAy7c&qid=1710093760&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ruin-and-rising-leigh-bardugo/1116970676?ean=9781250063168" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/ruin-and-rising_leigh-bardugo/8858463/?resultid=a42b383a-ab09-477e-aefd-554a2af8c8ea#isbn=080509461X" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;"><i>Soldier. Summoner. <b>Saint</b>.</i> The nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
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The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives.
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As her allies and enemies race toward war, only Alina stands between her country and a rising tide of darkness that could destroy the world. To win this fight, she must seize a legend’s power—but claiming the firebird may be her ruin.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">It’s been two months since Alina last faced off against the Darkling and she is in rough shape.
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Actually, no she is not, Dean. She hasn’t been able to summon light, and even worse, she is basically the Apparat’s prisoner. Like I mentioned in my review of the last book, I just feel like so many things happen <i>to</i> Alina, but she herself doesn’t take action. Not nearly as much as I would like her to, at least. The beginning of the book is one instance where I wanted her to take action and take control of her life again. I was just so annoyed with her being complacent. I understood why, but still. I was glad when we finally got some action because <u><b>Leigh Bardugo</b></u> is really good at writing it!
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There was even more unexpected action in the middle of the book, and I don’t want to go into it in detail because spoilers, but let’s just say I understand why the <b>King of Scars</b> duology is called what it is.
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That entire scene was shocking and stressful! Making me stressed is another thing <b><u>Leigh Bardugo</u></b> is good at 😆 And honestly, I’m okay with it. Lol. The action and tension in this series is probably one of my favorite things about it. I was also really happy to see that this book had more action than the last one. I felt like <i><b>Siege and Storm</b></i> suffered a bit from Second Book Syndrome, unfortunately.
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As for the characters, I can’t say I loved Alina or Mal or their dumb, annoying relationship that much. Alina was power-hungry and picked fights with Mal for no reason. And Mal was... god, I don’t even know. He was just bitter and didn’t try hard to understand what Alina was going through. And the will-they-wont-they of their relationship was SO annoying! In the beginning, of the series, I actually did ship them and was hoping they would end up together, but as the series went on they just seemed to lose the ability to communicate with one another and their relationship became very frustrating. But also I can’t lie, despite being annoyed by them, I still did want them to end up together. Lol.
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I did like some of the side characters though. My favorite was definitely Prince Nikolai! He’s such an interesting and charismatic character! I am really looking forward to reading more about him in <b>King of Scars</b>! I feel like he would make a good ruler because he shows compassion and is very resourceful.
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This series was no <b>Six of Crows</b>, but I still did enjoy it for the most part. There were some very interesting revelations about Morozova and the third amplifier. I really liked this aspect of the book: the story in general, the mythos, and the magic system. That was great! The action was also pretty good. However, I did find the fight in the climax to not be as exciting as I was hoping, despite what happened. But I did enjoy how the book wrapped up! I thought it was a perfect ending for the characters and it made me happy, despite my previous annoyances. Lol. That being said, I love the <b>Grishaverse</b>! It’s such an interesting world and I am really looking forward to reading <b>King of Scars</b>! But at the same time, I don’t want it to end 😭
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDWvmZ0Gsr4/X0vSx5v1N6I/AAAAAAAAQZA/jrELKT_PNlgfDaFyfPZ18S_JJPcW0JBoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-19042526290606799672024-03-13T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-13T00:00:00.235-07:00Review- Hephaistos: God of Fire (Olympians #11) by George O'Connor<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="2228" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWgqdWVXON-1q_tLKcYaxFTVouznqCCpvfiB54QqdbnQ7CiwORhCeTrZXj22qwLWIFwPO6dXgc0BYOq1lgS8nWbQK7DjipBUW1WeWcAS931DgarlLmsoEWhTB46Nx3gDakrkXM1khFB9xgv_gAKU6SoTsZd0_zxfPHc70SlAcMa4BsjgPAqWw4IaM3mOJ0=w240-h320" width="240" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Hephaistos: God of Fire
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<b>Series:</b> Olympians #11
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<b>Previous books in this series:</b> <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-zeus-king-of-gods-olympians-1.html" target="_blank">Zeus: King of the Gods (#1)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-athena-grey-eyed-goddess.html" target="_blank">Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (#2)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-hera-goddess-and-her-glory.html" target="_blank">Hera: The Goddess and her Glory (#3)</a> | <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-hades-lord-of-dead-olympians-4.html">Hades: Lord of the Dead (#4)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/09/poseidon-earth-shaker.html" target="_blank">Poseidon: Earth Shaker (#5)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (#6)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Ares: Bringer of War (#7)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-apollo-brilliant-one-olympians-8.html" target="_blank">Apollo: The Brilliant One (#8)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-artemis-wild-goddess-of-hunt.html" target="_blank">Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt (#9)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-hermes-tales-of-trickster.html" target="_blank">Hermes: Tales of the Trickster (#10)</a>
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<b>Author:</b> George O'Connor
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<b>Publication date:</b> January 2019
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<b>Published by:</b> First Second
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<b>Source:</b> Purchased paperback
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39073397-hephaistos" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MQQ9LHC?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_10&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709491460&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hephaistos-george-oconnor/1130931571?ean=9781626725287" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/olympians-hephaistos-god-of-fire_george-oconnor/18999330/" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">Thrown from Mount Olympus as a newborn and caught by Thetis and Eurynome, who raised him on the island of Lemnos, Hephaistos had an aptitude for creating beautiful objects from a very young age. Despite his rejection from Olympus, he swallowed his anger and spent his days perfecting his craft. His exquisitely forged gifts and weapons earned him back his seat in the heavens, but he was not treated as an equal. His brothers and sisters looked down at him for his lame leg, and even his own wife, Aphrodite, was disloyal, Witness Hephaistos' wrath as he creates a plan that’ll win him the respect he deserves.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">If you are familiar at all with Greek mythology then you know how sad Hephaistos’s life was, especially when he was born. Like most other myths, there are a couple of different versions of his birth. Sometimes he is the son of Hera alone, and sometimes his parents are Hera and Zeus. But it doesn’t matter the version, in every one he is thrown off Mount Olympus by Hera because he was deformed. It’s <i>horrible</i>! Such was the case in this retelling. Here, he is the son of Zeus and Hera, but Hera, of course, did what Hera does, and hurled the poor child off the mountain.</div>
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This volume goes into that, of course, but it also talks about him growing up, crafting beautiful things in a forge, and going back to Olympus where he was continued to be treated horribly. He honestly did not deserve this treatment. One thing, well, <i>another</i> thing that made me sad was how this graphic novel mentioned how the things he made were filled with the beauty he lacked and I just-</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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We also get quite a bit on some myths about Prometheus, which I wasn’t expecting but appreciated. But overall, I really enjoyed this! It just made me so sad how his life on Olympus, the first part of it at least, he was treated terribly. All he wanted was to be accepted 😭 And as always, I really enjoyed reading the author's notes at the end. In this volume, he talked about <b><i>Prometheus Unbound</i></b> which I actually knew nothing about, but it sounds SO intriguing! It’s so sad that the play has been lost over time. I know a little bit about how Prometheus stole the fire from Olympus, Zeus getting mad because he’s petty, and him punishing Prometheus for giving said fire to mortals, but I would’ve loved to know how it all ends.
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-37849142282646620322024-03-12T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-12T00:00:00.227-07:00Review: Odin (Asgardians #1) by George O'Connor<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmNDIXdXAxkk6sbl62aewKohPJPM-bUfr3UMCw7inZGrcVSsZCfZywSXqRmZ5Zj42t23EmclmLDOVERCTEb0u2qAhPieXAwUioMy33KrZTOkKe0eP8pWE7jkjdsCOYCFMx_2W63PA50-MKKl5v_hOZVRDLhDTrD3s0qJq5MbHcSV5MnxkIzjOi02vlCCG8=w240-h320" width="240" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Odin
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<b>Series:</b> Asgardians #1
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<b>Author:</b> George O'Connor
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<b>Publication date:</b> March 26th 2024
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<b>Published by:</b> First Second
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<b>Source:</b> eARC from publishers via Netgalley
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63005155-asgardians" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Asgardians-Odin-George-OConnor-ebook/dp/B0CVFNL9Z7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mx4_qvSG3Io2L5V80dGsf6lzVwTXk0rVf3elbS_GI7NTnZiPywVycNgcrLcG_aABNPHojhQA82MrfxHvK2N8Go2jh99VVDONdJ4Laa8fzCTquIdSOc6YX9uA-SeIkzouBvEfLBW7eTT-dCI8aVO14yLx1PQxsU5W_MUE6Jftt-6CbUg2-Wh1SsRyq9TIUZc77gyQNjNuhoIqlIIv0uQoe1v9Ov68ztWm3OV5vJ_cnuw.2y1Khb-XfotFMU9uIeHfgvUrGajJll5d_nJ0nWxYUaA&qid=1709494754&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/asgardians-george-oconnor/1142526333?ean=9781250760777" target="_blank">B&N</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;"><b>Following his smash-hit the Olympians series, <i>New York Times</i> bestseller George O'Connor embarks on a new saga about the Norse gods. This first volume tells the story of the warrior god Odin!</b>
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Welcome to the Nine Worlds, home of Gods, Valkyries, Dwarves, Jotnar, and more! Travel the burning rainbow bridge to Asgard where Odin, king of the Aesir, surveys his realm. His thirst for knowledge drives him ever onward, but nothing is learned without sacrifice...
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In <b>Asgardians</b>, George O’Connor’s highly kinetic illustrations bring these gritty and astonishing tales of war, betrayal, and the quest for enlightenment at any cost to vivid and startling life and provide the perfect companion to his <b>Olympians </b>series.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I really enjoyed this author’s <b>Olympians</b> graphic novel series, so I was very excited when I found out he was going to be starting a Norse mythology series!</div>
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I love mythology, but Norse mythology is one I’m not super familiar with. And I really enjoyed this retelling! We start off with the myth of creation which, again, I didn’t know. But apparently, Odin and his two brothers killed the giant Ymir and made the world and the first two humans from that. They made Midgar from the giant’s eye...
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I did not know any of this! Most of the myths that were retold in this graphic novel I was severely unfamiliar with, so I really enjoyed reading about them! One thing I noticed though, is that Odin is the type of guy to attack first and ask questions never. This guy would just attack people left and right just because he, idk, didn’t like the look of them. Lol. At the end of the book in the author’s notes section called Norse Code (I love this part of the book by the way! It is so informative!), he mentions xenophobia and I was like yes! The way that Odin is portrayed? Absolutely! It made me not like him very much if I’m honest.
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Another thing I noticed is that these myths seemed choppy, skipping over things and characters just straight up disappearing at times. Well, the myths seemed fragmented because they are!! Unfortunately, a lot of the original material is either missing or lost, and as a lover of mythology, this makes me so sad! These myths are so interesting and it would’ve been nice to get the complete picture. But I guess that’s just the way history is.
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But I very much enjoyed this! I loved learning about Odin and the Norse myths, especially after the Marvel movies totally tainted my knowledge of Norse mythology. The way those movies crammed so much inaccurate information in my head. Lol.
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And one thing I liked about these myths is how hard they go! In Greek mythology, more often than not, it’s about Zeus romancing anything and everything that passes him by and him just having a bunch of kids. Lol. But this one had a lot of action and fighting, which I enjoyed. Even if Odin was the one to always initiate it, which honestly made me question his sanity 👀😂
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-20165468341278361942024-03-11T00:00:00.000-07:002024-03-11T00:00:00.135-07:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #359: That's Better<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUPQTJf6C0ETDR5IpY0RZxr9-Stp0f7xhgZE30N99kKOCnEngemgpbqm0URdJ00fucB7A2dqYsmJkzwHi7CJwVxQgxoDbo50O9SBW9pPqlCvQcivv2yECYFu5-v1l6YMgJkteATZodt-M/s320/It%2527s+Monday+What+Are+You+Reading.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center><i>It's Monday! What Are You Reading?</i> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/">Book Date</a> and <a href="http://www.unleashingreaders.com/">Unleashing Reads</a>.</center>
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<center><b><u>What I read:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63291997-with-a-little-luck" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9iy5IHtLmMUuBTiZI8DzwKYLMu8jW94aNW-cOK6z--6_9VwCv_dt-Zo_rjW-9zQtcihgIvcclGTBwZ_WlWlUiGxb-Cv6k1ie2UP-MlpBgw8fFQih82vO_Q-ZHfTrtVIbXYLW1DbZb5vN3mw3hrUgZaoibtObupfC0fWvAP62voNjgwhByEvc54N9fMj3b" width="165" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23168765-the-nightmare-charade" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAUgEzzlmFoS0YwzCn8Pj0X08HDn8CRwqoP-ny6XLWSIQesn6vOkVzvKWs-ApWVUDzDvpBl0O9Hiyjsy-wv9o_RqY9IHuBHbdFCiLl4KJ0GUo9-QN4uTRPBqMBgeSn-hBscP-uNt8oNjHgzrBfEwYzuDkL82eEQke6EQ2KWk8fpq2N8nD7D0tJb-Yy7fac" width="161" /></a><br /></center>
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<center>I loved <i><b>With a Little Luck</b></i>! It was such a nice palette cleanser after <i><b>Raiders of the Lost Heart</b></i> (still mad about that one). But this is <u><b>Marissa Meyer</b></u> so I knew I was going to like it. It was really fun and cute and I loved how geeky it was! I also enjoyed <i><b>The Nightmare Affair.</b></i> I started this series ELEVEN years ago, and I'm only just finishing the series now 😂 But I liked it! It was really fun! I liked the mysteries, the characters, the world, and all the mythos!</center>
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<center><b><u>Currently reading:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56271348-patient-zero" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="1875" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj70R2WaBUcLQGbQw7BP4oeRsuTZU-Z7szREAs58nvnSSvVZrGGCGhYgTP5w_ei2N6YdrQDkSpzOdDioloYkOB9vPI0xcPlKhiaumr7akGweXbDzfvixlblQUo6TyDoIG1Ubgyjyykizsn1mTkcUn_t2SF40vs3VcSRqrAxRpvtFT6HIsZsj7hZwvOf5kgu" width="171" /></a></center>
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<center>And for this one, I am about 120 pages into it and I'm still enjoying it. It's very informative. But I just got to the covid section and honestly, it's too soon 😩</center>
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<center><b><u>Up next:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58419108-mr-wrong-number" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="4950" data-original-width="3300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBSd7Yt5dM0LEhn_fw5E5IRCgPCSxUO65Hl_iL7-d34KxYTwV5MD5pWmEM8GkqRqLY0vBx1hjYcAClPyyONUiJ3UwkINP-BJnh-9MOtkTeUxx0mpkcO9ryDoCTCetBtCNDJgmOTUZVsUsVfkTiUro4Wgba4UYXTQcv4bno9SagYE9VJSjVYBTKFTJxeNCA" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36307634-king-of-scars?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=LNJRNA2xWx&rank=5" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDfwZP3Z0VStUn_A3CRsXSUHJXBRZTVRN4lRiHaVzdLW-Y7rHCEBDSlrs-qePZceZIMLFUZx_WPkeElQol-rE5c3nvmX4S0D3H72LL9lWJ6CX3vvWoNXlTnuXEx5M5QjHzc0u9CxmUSWyje7kPho58Rx_Yk_i6IYAvHMlSHDM1_9-MWJmi1HqLIWJdysCr" width="159" /></a></div></center>
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<center>Up next I really want to read some <u><b>Lynn Painter</b></u>! I am in the rare mood for some romance, and I love the romances she writes! But I still have not received it from the library. I hope it gets here soon before my mood changes on me 😩 Meanwhile, I honestly don't even know what I want to read. I was thinking <i><b>Cursed</b></i> by <u><b>Marissa Meyer</b></u>, but most likely I think I'm going to start <i><b>King of Scars</b></i>. I don't know. We'll see what mood I wake up in this morning. Lol.</center>
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<center>What are <i>you</i> reading this week?</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-69245691114457181882024-03-10T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-10T00:00:00.131-08:00Sunday Post #392: Crystal Creations and The Boys! (Not the TV Show... I Haven't Seen That Yet Lol)<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA-iaOc-YTDG3iLtVREKWa6OzzKMTUXeXaQDAdLqzS5UoIr4LCHJOsdqRDOgV0ACXoumnXKOlocyqxjTsN4qtNOsQuGe2rADLoMpNtsSn3aOssC7uwjUswm4CUYjK_-14jNZGToKyrFUb/s320/Sunday+Post.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center>Welcome to <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme">The Sunday Post</a> hosted by <b>Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer</b>, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been doing:</u></b></center>
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<center>Just another week of work and reading. If you ever wonder why my weeks are boring and my weekends are no more exciting, it's because I'm antisocial 😆 The kids at work zap my social battery and I literally need the entire weekend to recharge. Lol. Which is fine with me. I like being home and I don't like people, so it works out for me 😆</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been watching:</u></b></center>
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<center>I haven't really been watching anything lately, though I think some TV shows I watch are coming back on, so that's exciting. I also want to catch up on some horror movies I've been wanting to see. We'll see when that happens. Lol.</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been listening to:</u></b></center>
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<center>I've been listening to A LOT of <b>Ice Nine Kills</b> 😅 They're music inspired by horror movies is just so good!! I have also been listening to <b>IDKHow's</b> new album and trying to decide whether I like it or not. It has a different vibe from their last album, which is fine. I just don't quite know if it's MY vibe, you know?</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAwzasBDdc6cr0c4IuW5MiBucTlBkGbphQOFcnTgEBy0Yj8NQ6IPuTaaIn88IaIBtituV3bm1e2mf9NTSnIsZ3I9AZ-U5aEMWkwNDYNQJTM0cdVKE6VKscw_9dxkgcS0xZGTTVTgF18G__1a8Y-8FlVzIm4m-q7QaYfV_5LGmJFYPVRXOO5Cfj1tO0W1eA=w320-h320" width="320" /></div></center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been playing:</u></b></center>
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<center>I have been playing with the new Crystal Creations pack in <b>The Sims 4</b> and I love it so much! And it could not have come at a better time! My Super Sim, which is the main (and my favorite lol) save file I play is currently a Spellcaster, and this new pack has all the witchy vibes! I've been really enjoying collecting all the crystals and making jewelry. Plus, the build/buy items are SO nice!</center>
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<center>In other news, my Super Sim's husband kept getting the 'Try for Baby' want bubble, and then SHE got it too ! I was like FINE! You want another baby? Why not make things more complicated 🙃 I do love chaos though, soooo... As long as it's not twins again 😭 I don't want THAT kind of chaos again. Lol.</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="555" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKCttuVMlUDLR2mO9160WdaBL1ElZ8ZQ-v4IHbxtdRWWmj90NCMFUgFW0jxEAIZAlJTGj0wL9TNNea3U50ltjt1HwA73lPz6csP6fp2lEGKcFCM9nfHKGEHEW2DSIhyphenhyphenCRbhlhXj_l20ZiHdP2F68v08DZJgA7Jb71e9y4cJfBQWWaDuB3UlPcmgocm9ucX/w396-h400/Screenshot%202024-03-09%20162343.png" width="396" /></div></center>
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<center>Oh! And I completed the Every Lot Challenge/24 while 24 Sims 4 challenge! It was so much fun! I loved the chaos of having all the lot challenges on! It was indeed challenging. Lol.</center>
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<center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="color: #200f2b; font-size: x-large;">Online</span></u></b></div>
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<center><b><u>Books reviewed this week:</u></b></center>
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<center><table><tbody>
<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-shadow-and-bone-by-leigh-bardugo.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6MK0f9yNvOrnlxVKWakouCQVxGoyD1Kwrs96BJr3Q9xOmSYppQVnrwi4m2u_4cNnjMnV3ZpZEfOMNOIJKQWTcMuHE6185m1p5TpTwPgttWiZkZ7WqHkVHYAH-uUlOSR7jnt6PwIGqYfDATNUtIypfJxoadw77njPq_sr5Se-ZlGCTg-tMdeu2PEfpuIP9=w133-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-shadow-and-bone-by-leigh-bardugo.html" target="_blank">★★★★★</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-siege-and-storm-shadow-and-bone-2.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikSMDIETyTUUIJQW5YgZ38tHzK6iZ_MfrJSd9dkylvCArzKFV_6tu0FeEAwgshp1EhMPotR_F_BRUF1aq-Jl4V4Yo26Zpo4AHfetXTUziWtlPdqh7AUWcqee1Sd96mz0jnfEBVELs64t98uxl5oB4EQRYL2mgfPW_wm73e9z81OI25g92navldz4aHjxqC=w133-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-siege-and-storm-shadow-and-bone-2.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-artemis-wild-goddess-of-hunt.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZlrGLzUFIORf3yw1Mv7Vr4a5uprdTtHsk5JEswk2zib24zLHSwoov4TM_n0uTX65af3iLTzfEeEmP5KkP1dk1AcbbeszrJNnsL16U8kyaAo8Y2X_RRUhjZNIXCF9VOiF3YTR7_lpD-rXeYu1ZWDSg6UpDAzoRD5cXvOTdorMj23IpSbQuQ1wi1JKizCjB=w150-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-artemis-wild-goddess-of-hunt.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-hermes-tales-of-trickster.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX1YtquRjmTYZrrHtNL_HoAIIUlgJuKlfpy6hTetZg8Oc9wCcFoApAapROQJgKBI17z1VooXKGXPQelesBHy6z05uBlNAXq7kgVh0KEnvsxN-VW1j8ifJ_JCnkC6RHJvuf1vMPDHdtfuuR4CWmDQnP0rQ2SDrSzo1oYGtxh6vBjm5qCSuEGrrprnXjpHMC=w150-h200" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-hermes-tales-of-trickster.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<center><b><u>Other posts from this week:</u></b></center>
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<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-358.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnR4gSl4XiLv2a7p5Uqiew6hKqVT6EDhjMmFGHuUtfF7P1-P_u764ktk6KRgEwWcm23-EJDZYvoCLMvbtEkF7Vva9_D7T3baNPyAcRufDMBAUvaRH_-fUj8_jxbEMuGxEZAtWED07zjEZ_tmsL9JxtpHyPCx7pOkeShZsr2DktwIb7cf-sQz6CcmpQwyJK" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-358.html" target="_blank">#358: Worst Book of 2024 Already?</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/finish-series-30-two-solid-series.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFN1VjLsz9jbWE2DCH-rAPz2W9ZZO8mX9f3c2WIcgijLjeDAxls7xgvV9eB4glQFttNxqog_CS2yeSwBnZKyiWLVe8B_IzGFDH7rXVzOE2Y64YPDiy66m_orA3dAHCDVg7wu353z9O9zX2mqnbUfZZimwy-5ihejqIdWMJ0wWPnyuYXqC00JuncdNiUQTe" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/finish-series-30-two-solid-series.html" target="_blank">#30: Two Solid Series Finished</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="color: #200f2b; font-size: x-large;"><center>Book Haul</center></span></u></b></div>
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<center><b><u>Pre-order Incentive:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_G05xq3NEE6D5lhADkRWHu6tH0X02CaEv8pwbU0YXD2ySso6p86D-RW_mMbXYXmD-6hKBsIxxYQM17aXVSOuDN8vEe1wpBKIxEyBfSPl4RxUdPd5cBymWvgJOVe2sbNnj3Qw4BzlKpTKc986EF6zB0TeC09sHGF_ZN5AfLdlmoT-nOLL-bcg0CuafRxD/w400-h301/PXL_20240307_235309720.jpg" width="400" /></div></center>
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<center>The <b><u>Marissa Meyer</u></b> boys!! 😭 I love this so much! And it's actually bigger than I expected. To the left, you'll find an eyelash curler for reference 😆 Why an eyelash curler? Because it was what was within reach 😂 Thank you so much Macmillian!</center>
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<center>How was your guy's week? Get any bookish things? Let me know in the comments below or leave me a link to your post!</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-40488295628347940502024-03-09T11:08:00.000-08:002024-03-09T11:08:53.365-08:00Finish the Series #30: Two Solid Series Finished<center><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M0Ivd3bUlb0/X_IUmjqrjTI/AAAAAAAATJk/widCumhF6iQkJNRhDpMDprv2JbfVRwBFACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Finish%2Bthe%2BSeries.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center>Within the last month, I have finished TWO series and I am honestly shocked 😱 That means I am already a third of the way done with my challenge of finishing at least 9 series this year! I'm impressed with myself. Lol.</center>
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<center><b><u>What I finished:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/69714-the-shadow-and-bone-trilogy" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBdctm-UT7SKEYB_ITSNop_EmHmP_ymRpoCnormG0n012Ve_ZL2g_HaSqCXf7YbsnQDj6Piivxk_cT7eTvHYytA0zYdwIQhSCi2BbXk8oF2_Vb_DyYcExdV-L6ApAHX9jNUziEGnZw46t-h4CvimKvGImq621Bw3pNqSmVOE8fRcXevSE3IwJ_kX9Nc8DY" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23168765-the-nightmare-charade" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3Le_VKvHhdOoDfgrPJpY1B3840t5CRNCanq43jO5q1tA0D-nQvBw8_hvSi2duYXtA-Bg0eSxh8LWJNaSFRmtvONgwSyHUHGlDSFAOBCKQBtFEfstvTE-5A6lvxnpcIVVz7MmgExcA5uC2G_5N0cnStx4krpybB8aasUxyS7yBfEt0YzsTvIdlKcUOASB8" width="161" /></a><br /></center>
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<center>The first series I finished was the <b>Shadow and Bone</b> trilogy. I did start the series this year, but I also finished it! So I'll take it! The next series I FINALLY finished was the <b>Arkwell Academy</b> series which I started over TEN YEARS AGO!! Yeah, it's been a while. Lol. But I really enjoyed both of these series. I liked the Shadow and Bone series less than <b>Six of Crows</b>, but it was still an okay read. And the <b>Arkwell Academy</b> was another one that wasn't amazing, but it was still pretty fun and I enjoyed it overall. I think these are both pretty solid 4-star series.</center>
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<center><u><b>Up next:</b></u></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36307634-king-of-scars" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-lzuN1IS5ENlLCvnKxt8HH9k8ZP9hxI678AxUK1PF1UxwOyuQ8rj75NagV-HXcLaHDPBIiZwqfZ6R9eEeQ6-PHBsWQEYjeXGXa_pQRCPVHtEp8ibuTyvGRaLArFnobn7wXuVOjtvhP6qzUJmuc1OKL0nB7Yz2dLNbMiC1uRp8O36GadIKlk7omqRPzGIi" width="159" /></a></center>
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<center>Up next in the <b>Grishaverse</b> is the <b>King of Scars</b> duology! I am SO excited! I have been taking breaks between series in the <b>Grishaverse</b>, just so I don't get burnt out. And I think I am finally ready to dive back in! But I'm also not ready for it to end because I have really enjoyed exploring this world 😭</center>
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<center><u><b>Series finished so far in 2023:</b></u> 3/9</center>
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<center>Let me know if you've read any of these series or if there is a series you are working on finishing right now 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDWvmZ0Gsr4/X0vSx5v1N6I/AAAAAAAAQZA/jrELKT_PNlgfDaFyfPZ18S_JJPcW0JBoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-81965285395990333202024-03-08T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-08T00:00:00.141-08:00Review- Hermes: Tales of the Trickster (Olympians #10) by George O'Connor<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqaMt-wz6-U579gnn2lGTW7Wq3sSOWrfnmjJNKFc5rFs19K4WyV4fAk-EnF7ehmKhPZZ_SY3OUG7iO2S7ivCDb2j9eD5xrabG1J3ImfCaq5rs3agABwqtB6a9vQjCt85svzD2CAkM9XIasHk3k2UhUm69jjzBXDXFmGaVXfBZ6TizwKo57v_Me-Oi1wPti=w240-h320" width="240" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Hermes: Tales of the Trickster
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<b>Series:</b> Olympians #10
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<b>Previous books in this series:</b> <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-zeus-king-of-gods-olympians-1.html" target="_blank">Zeus: King of the Gods (#1)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-athena-grey-eyed-goddess.html" target="_blank">Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (#2)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-hera-goddess-and-her-glory.html" target="_blank">Hera: The Goddess and her Glory (#3)</a> | <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-hades-lord-of-dead-olympians-4.html">Hades: Lord of the Dead (#4)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/09/poseidon-earth-shaker.html" target="_blank">Poseidon: Earth Shaker (#5)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (#6)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Ares: Bringer of War (#7)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-apollo-brilliant-one-olympians-8.html" target="_blank">Apollo: The Brilliant One (#8)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-artemis-wild-goddess-of-hunt.html" target="_blank">Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt (#9)</a>
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<b>Author:</b> George O'Connor
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<b>Publication date:</b> January 2018
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<b>Published by:</b> First Second
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<b>Source:</b> Purchased paperback
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34506917-hermes" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
<br /><br />
<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078X25VDJ?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_9&storeType=ebooks&qid=1709491460&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hermes-george-oconnor/1125855904?ean=9781626725256" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/hermes-tales-of-the-trickster_george-oconnor/13893913/" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">In volume ten of <b>Olympians</b>, <b>George O’Connor</b> delves into the myth of Hermes, the trickster god. From his infancy, when he bewitches animals and bends them to his will (stealing a herd of Apollo’s prize cattle in the bargain), to his adolescence and adulthood when he becomes father to the equally mischievous Pan, Hermes’s story is wildly entertaining as he brings a little bit of chaos to everything he touches or creates. This volume is sure to be a fan favorite with its wit, charm, and storytelling.
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I have loved Hermes’s quips throughout the series, so I was very excited to finally get to this volume! And it was just as fun as I was anticipating!</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Hermes has some of the more fun myths because being the god of mischief, he gets up to some wild things. Lol. As a newborn, he was already sneaking away from his mother and stealing cattle from his big brother Apollo! It was hilarious!
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Baby Hermes was so cute! I just could not get over it! And he was so charming that not even Hera could hate him. And if you know Hera and that Hermes is a son of Zeus, you know that that is shocking.
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This volume goes into the creation of the lyre, how Hermes got the caduceus that is seen all over the medical field, the myth of Io and Argus, and it touches on some of his more unusual children like Hermaphrodite and Pan, among other things.
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Hermes is the god of MANY things: mischief, travelers, thieves, and he’s also the messenger of the gods and a psychopomp (aka he leads the dead to the underworld). He’s a jack of all trades. And this graphic novel said that the reason why he has so many jobs is to stave off his more mischievous tendencies.
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The way that makes sense 😂 Anyway, I loved this! And I loved Hermes! He’s just so fun and charming in the series and I really like this iteration of him!
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-86635972282080133792024-03-07T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-07T00:00:00.134-08:00Review: Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL0NwpIrkDawMQUl1OLNnCOLJa2zYnYhy5ag2nfXUS9q-2kGFf9cTVMSvmXXJXYRYoK8ai3CyV-Q_ax8OMxwK_ER_k317ub4yetTDFcQtw88wkPdddRblltZuI76ENF300iW3gjVoQBXKxKFxAk44o3ezLSlvQZDSYsxmk-EoiBfRtH22agrwE6d4eCiL4=w213-h320" width="213" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Siege and Storm
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<b>Series:</b> Shadow and Bone #2 | Grishaverse #2
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<b>Previous book in this series:</b> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-shadow-and-bone-by-leigh-bardugo.html" target="_blank">Shadow and Bone</a>
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<b>Author:</b> Leigh Bardugo
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<b>Publication date:</b> June 2013
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<b>Published by:</b> Henry Holt and Co.
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<b>Source:</b> Borrowed from library
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40930303-siege-and-storm" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
<br /><br />
<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Siege-Storm-Grisha-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00AAYF8TY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ThGiNI2Fec9ioxyXh-G3mpTvv9gO7bT4ZdtH5EjOzlEAw-0Ac8er6jgkyCaoNQLrZWHjM2TVbgVtEDQrSbxb8WTj4Pdy-jLB2nXI9-At2BF526yQPbjdAK42poQSji59bz_KPtkK9VryQ8kWjTuqo5oIxp_yy-GD6hBcZ4GDZh89Fu3Zogy1_w6uINpEh8z-z8Z-ESAz2W-xUKrdpIW8HGGKZW-8QwUBvx8LZDwijcg.qyjZZHNi3jvwU5zugoqVOzUg7jjAILs1B1uXESV9qeE&qid=1709780177&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/siege-and-storm-leigh-bardugo/1113106676?ean=9781250044433" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/siege-and-storm_leigh-bardugo/633735/?resultid=95efbc6f-79ba-410a-a90a-4d31994f600a#isbn=125004443X" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner—hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.
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The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.
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But as the truth of Alina's destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice—and only she can face the oncoming storm.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I really enjoyed this first part of the book. The ending of the last book was STRESSFUL with Alina and Mal managing to get away from the Darkling. This book picks up where that book left off, with them in hiding and being super cute together.</div>
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But their peace only lasts for like two chapters before they’re thrown into another stressful situation. I was not okay.
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Thank you, Cas 🫠 But I actually really enjoyed this because it was so action-packed and I just didn’t know how they were going to get out of this bleak situation. During this part, we also meet Sturmhond, who I already knew about from the <b>Six of Crows</b> duology, so everything around him didn’t come as a surprise, BUT I didn’t mind because loved him! He’s so charming and clever and I was glad to see his origin because he definitely piqued my interest in <b>Six of Crows</b>.
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But yeah, this part was great! There were pirates, the Darkling may or may have not made a return 👀, hunting of a potential second amplifier for Alina, and just action all around! I loved it! But once they got to court, things kinda got... uninteresting? No, that’s not the right word. Things wound down and I wasn’t as into it as the beginning of the book. There was just a lot of political stuff and war strategy in the middle of the book. It was fine, it was mildly interesting, but honestly, I missed the action. And I was missing the crew from <b>Six of Crows</b> because I was not loving the characters in this series as much.
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Mal and Alina’s relationship I liked in the beginning, but once they got to court it got annoying. I hated how Alina kept things from him and I hated how Mal was acting. It was just so annoying! I missed it when they were being cute in the beginning of the book 😭 Oh, and you know what? I didn’t appreciate the threat of a love triangle. We all know how I feel about those...
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<i>However</i>, we did meet Prince Nikolai in this part and I loved him! And I love how much he cares about his country and how he’s trying to unite Ravka and make it a better place.
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I also really enjoyed continuing to learn more about the Darkling and the Fold he created. For some reason, finding this out in the first book shocked me. I don’t know why because when you think about it, it seemed pretty obvious that he was the villain 😂 Anyway, all that stuff and Morozova’s journals, all that was super interesting! I just really love this world and how rich it is with its magic and mythology.
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After the slump in the middle, the action picked back up in the third act and I was SO happy! I mean, I was stressed again, but we had action again! Yay! I actually really liked the interesting way Alina used her powers to face off the Darkling. I was not expecting it. And it’s probably not without repercussions, so we’ll see how things turn out for her in the next book. Especially because everything is a mess when this book ends.
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Overall, I liked this less than the previous book. It was very slow in the middle with a lot of politics and war strategy, which was interesting for the most part, but I would've preferred action. It's been very cool seeing Alina come into her own and seeing her powers evolve. I'm very curious to see where this goes next because that ending was... ooof.
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I have one other complaint that had absolutely nothing to do with the book, <i>per se</i>, more so with a decision by the publishers. I borrowed the ebook from the library and, I kid you not, the actual book ended at like 60%!!!
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-v_4YuoRKiOanEKJAYEriGFsjQ-v2akF-0HASk30iebY7zr7p8_3hl3Xb6x9PBpazZKBL-GVOSiATwA0OnIqP_Gzo0Ikrhz88V_WGeYVWNpP2NF98tlWfnLzEvblcq1jMLnfBcHuwvHvVF-dV1YoWUC4ck-QKYdZAT5ouwWSV0Dqhi_VTq4VyXYgu9Tw/s1913/426156216_914915239942803_8262540273731559357_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1913" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-v_4YuoRKiOanEKJAYEriGFsjQ-v2akF-0HASk30iebY7zr7p8_3hl3Xb6x9PBpazZKBL-GVOSiATwA0OnIqP_Gzo0Ikrhz88V_WGeYVWNpP2NF98tlWfnLzEvblcq1jMLnfBcHuwvHvVF-dV1YoWUC4ck-QKYdZAT5ouwWSV0Dqhi_VTq4VyXYgu9Tw/w301-h400/426156216_914915239942803_8262540273731559357_n.jpg" width="301" /></a></div></center>
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It was WILD! You’re telling me that a THIRD of this ebook was nothing but excerpts??? NO! This actually really skewed my perception of the book because I was expecting there to be more to the story even after the actual book had ended. I’ve had excerpts at the end of books before, obviously, but the amount this one had was crazy!! Can we maybe NOT do that?? Thanks 🙃
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Anyway, I like the book for the most part and I’m looking forward to finishing off the series 😆</div>
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDWvmZ0Gsr4/X0vSx5v1N6I/AAAAAAAAQZA/jrELKT_PNlgfDaFyfPZ18S_JJPcW0JBoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-3172972280263053882024-03-06T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-06T00:00:00.157-08:00Review- Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt (Olympians #9) by George O'Connor<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidUgA9fUm3lYujmTPHv8FfLb1fmjImFWgG-JMXnmb7Z4O6r3hnJ8Zlpq86lBL2-VP3J7spdIfKuVv1RHhm3dEaRBipQL7-alnHHfCd2Dsbpd-BzhPhagQ4hRblREHopMqlp5-_zXEHg12PQPqzNSVmtErI6PsD5jsTmMAGI4uobzFszBXmrmmxESgpjIIO=w240-h320" width="240" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Artemis: Wild Goddess of the Hunt
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<b>Series:</b> Olympians #9
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<b>Previous books in this series:</b> <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-zeus-king-of-gods-olympians-1.html" target="_blank">Zeus: King of the Gods (#1)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-athena-grey-eyed-goddess.html" target="_blank">Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (#2)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-hera-goddess-and-her-glory.html" target="_blank">Hera: The Goddess and her Glory (#3)</a> | <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-hades-lord-of-dead-olympians-4.html">Hades: Lord of the Dead (#4)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/09/poseidon-earth-shaker.html" target="_blank">Poseidon: Earth Shaker (#5)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (#6)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Ares: Bringer of War (#7)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-apollo-brilliant-one-olympians-8.html" target="_blank">Apollo: The Brilliant One (#8)</a>
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<b>Author:</b> George O'Connor
<br /><br />
<b>Publication date:</b> January 2017
<br /><br />
<b>Published by:</b> First Second
<br /><br />
<b>Source:</b> Purchased paperback
<br /><br />
<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29102903-artemis?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=n5raVOShnN&rank=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Olympians-Artemis-Wild-Goddess-Hunt-ebook/dp/B01NCTNCVS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.YW8l2NBPAskOrvgubk2L58YpS6If7RhBj-XcN3CFTt0dWLARGlo_CkgTDl-pTEEBRCfBHbceZnZ7uF1sXw5kBh14ZiPdH3sXrnrBk8DRpzlEYfb9dr1lJOjXM4l8vOtr5zmtBzG-n9qx2hluTG8GieYoZi45SlLELO2E6K6hJIE37pIFTF6xHw45V2BCp-bY96JsuToQLLwssYN8dIZKaT6sjwW_OOJXKAYw4Yekif0.WKkGVpKmSzAYeiDphGZ3FzdNOVaqKI8o3_WQwM_BhEM&qid=1709491460&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/artemis-george-oconnor/1123909544?ean=9781626725225" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://bookoutlet.com/browse?q=Artemis%3A+Wild+Goddess+of+the+Hunt" target="_blank">Book Outlet</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/artemis-wild-goddess-of-the-hunt_george-oconnor/11266297/?resultid=3f60da73-5bac-4f04-b7d0-a022f6b574b9#isbn=1626725225" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">Shunned even before she was born and destined to live a life of solitude, Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, finds power through her skilled hunting ability and mighty bow. She slays those who wish to do harm to the innocent and takes care of the young and helpless. She protects women and young girls, helps in childbirth, soothes, and is unrivaled in her hunting abilities.
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In the latest volume of <b>Olympians</b>, <i>New York Times</i>–bestselling author <b>George O'Connor</b> continues to turn his extensive knowledge of the original Greek myths into rip-roaring graphic novel storytelling.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">This volume focuses on Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, hunt, wild animals, protector of girls, and so many other things. This goddess has had a very interesting life, even her birth was interesting. She is the twin sister of Apollo and she actually helped her mother deliver Apollo minutes after she was born! It’s insane! But hey, her mother was in a tough predicament because of Hera, of course.</div>
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This volume also goes into the myth of Niobe and how she insulted Leto, the mother of Artemis and Apollo, and how the twins retaliated. I was familiar with this myth, but I didn’t know that Tantalos was her father!! That guy was insane!! I also didn’t know that there’s a mountain in Turkey called “The Weeping Rock” that’s named after her because it looks like Niobe weeping over her children!! It’s so cool!
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We also see the myth about Actaeon, the hunter who spied on Artemis and the nymphs while they bathed and things did not end well for him.
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This volume also touches on the myth about Atalanta, the Aloadai twins, and Orion. The Orion myth has a couple of versions, but every single one doesn’t end well for Orion and it just makes me sad for Artemis. Orion was a hunter friend of Artemis, a good friend who sometimes, depending on the version, wanted to be more than friends with Artemis. But Artemis is a virgin goddess who vowed to remain chaste and unmarried, soooo yeah. In some versions, her brother Apollo gets jealous and kills him, in other versions Apollo tricks Artemis into killing him, but the outcome is the same for Orion. In the author’s notes, he mentioned that the version he went with, he wanted Artemis to have agency of her own, and I love that! I actually really liked the way he retold the myth and had Artemis make her own decisions about this so-called friend. I really enjoyed it. And I liked the entirety of the graphic novel overall! It was so well done! And I learned some new things, which I always appreciate because I love Greek mythology!</div>
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-3909008328160369782024-03-05T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-05T00:00:00.137-08:00Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsHXyy3wKh5-4z-lWFsxOxGQJIr-3TNdRuXQyN2jusumy0Vg8Bp-fdaeqal7v2_rj4AFOhLOTZjRewA20yXDIXrLKgVwP_V6l53J1DPFckB86mXp3JFCNbVkZqOz2UAPSk3m5osa2IMDs58Pb7ZODAdtyzS-PRrMciQyKdPO-d0Oa2zP-voNtsZ2r73I0Z=w213-h320" width="213" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Shadow and Bone
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<b>Series:</b> Shadow and Bone #1 | Grishaverse #1
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<b>Author:</b> Leigh Bardugo
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<b>Publication date:</b> June 2012
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<b>Published by:</b> Henry Holt and Co.
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<b>Source:</b> Borrowed from library
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36315977-shadow-and-bone" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Bone-Grisha-Book-1-ebook/dp/B007NKMQGQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9cQ-HPGZz3GpuLhKorg3FoFxBa4pdQVXoax68N-OpMzbKKc5Yvm_vYwDSSQ9y9iI17ZW3XlpHoA9KKJ2j7fBwgTN0T-Z2E_ZVr6oDiKSxu9i5s4nJghyqDeDOyTOoxCHb3pEURHQcqTPDw3ceOLIuUnblc6-pr3mRNrejptH-qxIGGhIU2LsNnG5arCzuX_FGMNkD1f5zGP-F_117vRFxvBNtSptNsk63boV6BBx8bk.2K8P1VyndpFAB6B5M7hA3-XgbosWdqZUxFLNzhvlzLw&qid=1709600224&sr=8-4" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-and-bone-leigh-bardugo/1105622727?ean=9781250027436" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/shadow-and-bone_leigh-bardugo/313051/?resultid=cb36cc72-fb87-471b-bb17-73dc67f93946#isbn=1250777887" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
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Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
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Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha... and the secrets of her heart.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★★</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I’ve mentioned this many times, but I’ve never really been into high fantasy... until recently. I would read a book or two a year, but I think I have officially entered my high fantasy era and I’m honestly having a great time! I read the <b>Six of Crows</b> duology in January because I was wanting an action-packed high fantasy and I had heard that <b><i>Six of Crows</i></b> had a heist, so I obviously had to read it 😆 Well, I ended up LOVING it so much that I decided to come back and read the original series too! Going into <b><i>Six of Crows</i></b>, I had zero intentions of reading anything else in the <b>Grishaverse</b>—I just wanted the heist, to be honest. But I loved the world so much that I just needed more! And I’m glad I decided to continue on with the <b>Grishaverse</b> because I ended up enjoying this book too. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t love it nearly as much as I did <b>Six of Crows</b>, but it was still good!</div>
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One thing about <b>Six of Crows</b> that I found intriguing, the thing that made me come back and read this, is the magic system and just the Grisha in general. I found them and their abilities very interesting, and I am so glad I came back and read this because this series, being the first series in the <b>Grishaverse</b>, really lays down the rules of the magic system and explains how everything works. This did not deter my enjoyment of <b>Six of Crows</b>—I feel like I understood how the world and magic worked pretty well without having read this series first. But it was really nice to dive into this book and have all that information expounded upon. It’s just such a cool world and the abilities the Grisha possess are very interesting.
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And even more interesting were the Darkling, Alina’s mysterious power, the Fold, and the Volcra that lurked in the Fold. I loved the setup of this book with the world, the magic, and the story in general. The Darkling was a very intriguing character, as was the creation of the Fold.
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I think that was my favorite part of the book—learning about the world and the Darkling. I really liked him in the beginning! He had this dark sense of humor that I liked, but he was also kinda scary at the same time. Lol. Mal, Alina’s best friend, I also liked in the beginning. He was charming and I loved the banter between him and Alina. I also liked Alina—she was sassy, I enjoyed
and I really felt for everything she went through... especially that one plot twist... if you know, you know 👀
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I also appreciated how action-packed it was! The action was one of my favorite things about <b>Six of Crows</b>, and the action in this book did not disappoint! Not even 30 pages into the book and the characters were already heading into the Fold and getting attacked by Volcra! 😧
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This book was tense and stressed me out! Especially in the end where everything went wrong and I seriously thought there was no saving these poor characters.
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I did feel like a lot of things happened <i>to</i> Alina, as opposed to her taking charge, so I hope we get less of that in the next books. Boy did I miss Kaz and his scheming face 😩
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But overall, I enjoyed this! I was a little nervous there at the end because since reading <b>Six of Crows</b>, I know this author isn't afraid to kill off characters 😭 I literally released a breath I didn't know I was holding or whatever 😆 But I really liked this! It was interesting and I enjoyed learning more about the magic system! So far I still like <b>Six of Crows</b> more, but this wasn’t bad at all. I, of course, plan on reading the rest of the series, immediately in fact. But not only that, I’m also really looking forward to watching the TV show! That’s another thing I didn’t plan on watching, but since I’m now addicted to this world, I obviously have to watch it now 😆
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDWvmZ0Gsr4/X0vSx5v1N6I/AAAAAAAAQZA/jrELKT_PNlgfDaFyfPZ18S_JJPcW0JBoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-39182778608400274352024-03-04T16:48:00.000-08:002024-03-04T16:48:30.236-08:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #358: Worst Book of 2024 Already?<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUPQTJf6C0ETDR5IpY0RZxr9-Stp0f7xhgZE30N99kKOCnEngemgpbqm0URdJ00fucB7A2dqYsmJkzwHi7CJwVxQgxoDbo50O9SBW9pPqlCvQcivv2yECYFu5-v1l6YMgJkteATZodt-M/s320/It%2527s+Monday+What+Are+You+Reading.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center><i>It's Monday! What Are You Reading?</i> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/">Book Date</a> and <a href="http://www.unleashingreaders.com/">Unleashing Reads</a>.</center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123211121-raiders-of-the-lost-heart" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLTe09k7NKfs3Klpt7VHkG-MKJaDTl2xF9krY23bDpqi-5tIqCX5vUQU2eNoyVshAkh1pwnOFZU6MkPB_0x0t9GV8NMV_Kp_kH4FzpqCzMCHK0nIMKVg1xpau6vneRDrA3sUfzpi6ZXacpvRDdCqoJDzuUhM1jpJIpBSOPYNcDpuLofWeEaWtsWOLAIa1o" width="156" /></a></center>
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<center>This book made me so irrationally angry 😡 No, you know what? It wasn't irrational because this book was just plain awful! I liked the premise and was very excited for all the Aztec stuff, but the romance and objectification of the characters drove me insane! It was CONSTANT!! I nearly DNFd it but I pushed through because I'm stubborn and a completionist. Lol. But good god was this book bad. The relationship had absolutely no substance... It was nothing but physical attraction between these two, and even <i>that</i> felt forced! Every time I think about this book it just makes me mad. So let's move on 😅</center>
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<center><b><u>Currently reading:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56271348-patient-zero" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="1875" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj70R2WaBUcLQGbQw7BP4oeRsuTZU-Z7szREAs58nvnSSvVZrGGCGhYgTP5w_ei2N6YdrQDkSpzOdDioloYkOB9vPI0xcPlKhiaumr7akGweXbDzfvixlblQUo6TyDoIG1Ubgyjyykizsn1mTkcUn_t2SF40vs3VcSRqrAxRpvtFT6HIsZsj7hZwvOf5kgu" width="171" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63291997-with-a-little-luck" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9iy5IHtLmMUuBTiZI8DzwKYLMu8jW94aNW-cOK6z--6_9VwCv_dt-Zo_rjW-9zQtcihgIvcclGTBwZ_WlWlUiGxb-Cv6k1ie2UP-MlpBgw8fFQih82vO_Q-ZHfTrtVIbXYLW1DbZb5vN3mw3hrUgZaoibtObupfC0fWvAP62voNjgwhByEvc54N9fMj3b" width="165" /></a><br /></center>
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<center>I'm about 60 pages into <b><i>Patient Zero</i></b> and it's very interesting so far. And then immediately after finishing the terrible book above, I started <b><i>With a Little Luck</i></b> because I needed something to make me forget about the awfulness of the last book. I love <b><u>Marissa Meyer</u></b> and <b><i><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2021/04/review-instant-karma-by-marissa-meyer.html" target="_blank">Instant Karma</a></i></b> was SO freaking cute, so I knew I would love this book. And I am not kidding you, I was 3 pages into <b><i>With a Little Luck</i></b> when I almost started crying with relief because this book was so much better 😭 At this point I'm about halfway done with it and I am loving it! It's cute, it's nerdy, and I am just having a great time reading it!</center>
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<center><b><u>Up next:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23168765-the-nightmare-charade" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVsL5VSraxjXQkNnqMSDfyCMcTDtcmGztVwVi6Lvsj4vDSCFHTZqNuzdW7MlJ45jRk_EDOeZ_NNwErE3FPWpjm-q1AUJyjOBTMCc5P0lnrVIbdKPdibqiNsBWCtkhk9cYQXgIcTTf6QbrDSeiLQmDeyDduOV2FoiKUb_GEN4WSe5RBwG9rnK4zM2froNbE" width="161" /></a></div></center>
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<center>This is another book I know I'll like, and another series that is very cute. I'm just going to continue on picking up books I know I'll love after the atrocities I experienced with The Book That Shall Not Be Named. Am I being dramatic? Absolutely! 😆 But that book is still pretty fresh in my mind and I am trying to distance myself from it as fast as possible. Lol.</center>
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<center>What are <i>you</i> reading this week?</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-11895129216464211512024-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-03T00:00:00.141-08:00Sunday Post #391: How Lucky<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA-iaOc-YTDG3iLtVREKWa6OzzKMTUXeXaQDAdLqzS5UoIr4LCHJOsdqRDOgV0ACXoumnXKOlocyqxjTsN4qtNOsQuGe2rADLoMpNtsSn3aOssC7uwjUswm4CUYjK_-14jNZGToKyrFUb/s320/Sunday+Post.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center>Welcome to <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme">The Sunday Post</a> hosted by <b>Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer</b>, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been doing:</u></b></center>
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<center>Another calm week. I mean, the kids were chaotic, but what else is new 🙃 But aside from work, I haven't been doing much.</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been listening to:</u></b></center>
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<center>So I finally listened to <b>The Silver Scream</b> and I really like it! This is the other horror movie-inspired album by <b>Ice Nine Kills</b>. I love these albums!</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg97n99Hao3TIfCZGcyHpkuZbLl63xqp10neaJ5sHZFRQFwK9UPu8tVpRa48InbxKAlUSXk5p2XEU1ZAf9yGaorsL3HBOg7I4qjaA9s9TwQ-4-gxFn-zgnb76geSiwfvYoFWjNtZRYFAhj_K1YkI5QCDF1D_czFSD-Eo6raqvbeLQ41BFdUNjVXrRBIgDL8" width="240" /></div></center>
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<center>And of course, we've got amazing new music from <b>Unlike Pluto</b> 🥰</center>
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<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9OWClcnWXvc?si=2THmQywHZuNp16pn" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center>
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<center><blockquote>"<i>Sentimental</i> is about how my life's most significant and successful moments often come from random, spontaneous decisions. Celebrate the unexpected turns, instead of trying to control EVERYTHING, just roll with the punches and do your best :)" <b>-Unlike Pluto</b></blockquote></center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been playing:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/sunday-post-390-horrorwood.html" target="_blank">Last week I was saying</a> how I took away all of my Super Sim's money because the game wasn't as challenging since she had all the money in the world. Well, guess what happened the day that post went live...</center>
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<center><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="283" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKCPklIKWMzPj65pQzzH8eQw4WJb42Dtc8huWhYhCmva0OC6K4IcFREx7v7tWeYD6pUeOLi9Pxt-4dQYJDuLiECgnX1M-XKTw81KdKDquCL5n0LVW81z_mbUuqDVwezTt8zvJdsEA9vIdvy9XZGSk9VGn16JTWIvxjjsIX3MLXgB7Z0s6qJSWRGr1F8uX/s1600/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20093556.png" width="283" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="264" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJLNVNX6YZiOwVy4utWCXUoTGGkKfltLQXyPCC6bbohrRn5WmBjemvFmSaPpATKFo2peCELdUOy54mX7RKMsspLdebvpt7sDtzh35FP57EBZllwNB7azUktMkZAjunJ4yapzFeLXGgGM43poU79U_lo0-Rd3fenzdBGgrVZMipHbkH1BcPO7d0CTitNc0/s1600/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20093524.png" width="264" /></center>
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<center>She won the freaking lottery (again! She's won it in the past!) and now she has over a million Simoleons again 😭 Will I take that money away? Honestly, I'm thinking about it. Lol. And then this happened soon after she won:</center>
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<center><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="245" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAQ2z21SBY0Q08MWluFEayEfuwAkIi97GGdle2s89q7h8zaaM4lNH_4zsMwXqueDclaT7vtj2HBscEgbBCzsJCPzAf0yCa6et9f9QlxGKLMfNNNaO6hb9jZVWzP7cZKjfpmcvSIN84C7gTCrBNa35sOkwkEBuIeAVG3-smToqyUv5yjE25fMkJa5k8KIb/s1600/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20093712.png" width="245" /></center>
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<center>Yeah, okay, Sara. Not suspicious at all 👀😂</center>
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<center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="color: #200f2b; font-size: x-large;">Online</span></u></b></div>
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<center><b><u>Books reviewed this week:</u></b></center>
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<center><table><tbody>
<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-im-glad-my-mom-died-by-jennette-mccurdy.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="213" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcN5AyEzs-AM9UVWUGaUE6TUIltOInjcFfQbvntTuM6vYpzGTCjLLH6bsMCoHzOojXlr2exiGE_k0zED1_P_L_ctuRtH-3pOyPM7s_Cp9ZuiQGC7dxVENoqcdVDk60Dy2vrgwbJcqd4lHwqMtXK2eTZnkyh1udUwUh3Dd54Fs-WWuxwgICaRtiv4ShGD-l" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="160" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-im-glad-my-mom-died-by-jennette-mccurdy.html" target="_blank">★★★★★</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-15th-of-december-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjc2Rhx8gSaWPdkiyejdcZxp1Gtl6Tws9akyB7wnNO7_qyxluA2LhBde4_jhoyxkxtGE7BbUVukl06a0WVEVQ35ZRTNZqk14AZxludTWtAfHUGKEcI4Av2dPLB7_wP1_5Y0-4Pkokg63C7mhkeTANijeU_5NKlxxg_TtLm6zn6RLH_-ox7sBaHbyjReaqSE" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-15th-of-december-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">★★★★★</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-apollo-brilliant-one-olympians-8.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="241" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3LZ5IDeEIQXUr7NrFu4RMRtdaJkWsPTg1qCDsI5T28Vb1aF8lNSoSjRRJuFW3S3lvoUbNzVAbcz0UgWIFc19sU5dU25YtM-YMBKuR8iAFnEjGKbdT_ZrZPL_6kKJTujb5K-vKjUeQ8Lcla3wiIpuiPcvxVyHc3c9t23ng1I8DIvrTgBmseHYYBLuFoSlt" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="181" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/03/review-apollo-brilliant-one-olympians-8.html" target="_blank">★★★★☆</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<center><b><u>Other posts from this week:</u></b></center>
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<center><table><tbody>
<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-357-i.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1_5O83K6H83mdKKCTEDYsI-b0K9JJq-sPbEjNM1L7xKyG0LosUCMvuVMoxRUjMSJwuFgWSyykGUneCc1-69plxfnFmlaTzkkcRwcfLbiz4_vu5svowJUkMAX1p3LkPg6DvEhz1gxE0aCclWDEYOIX1KwBJ6yUuGoVdMht0yt0Ij8Q9qau2q0eOMVRwndX" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-357-i.html" target="_blank">#357: I Don't Know What My Mood is Doing</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/monthly-wrap-up-february-2024.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8HnzT7DL0qH1XdZ1ssra5j08XYPJgIkrFpUGrV0_0BTmFP7nFnmKz_WcYCH_tcaQNsURlNb9Yd1rYx3B8eqqkt6Yp9XAcjEe9Zocb0wFiffhmyxj0L_pWOk8fO837F-d68N_749YXvkOnhUOCeR415krhwDKtlSnQsQS8h-omwlJRluP5wq_JpVFFWkbC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/monthly-wrap-up-february-2024.html" target="_blank">February 2024</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table></center>
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<div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="color: #200f2b; font-size: x-large;"><center>Book Haul</center></span></u></b></div>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="500" height="169" src="https://tanyascreams.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/got-nothing.gif?w=750" width="400" /></div></center>
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<center>How was your guy's week? Get any bookish things? Let me know in the comments below or leave me a link to your post!</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-61747857376393034412024-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:002024-03-03T10:39:34.558-08:00Review- Apollo: The Brilliant One (Olympians #8) by George O'Connor<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEja6WmNOTZRnNOovF777gqxRh16PQ6ywYc5epuRmfvc9tu3vXnM4DAX_IN5kr1YbqaO1osScWavyrfeL2uxS1O-3ww0bo7IqeBw8GYCyJLVACrhRfNTQnvIjXqGAH60Gz8V3wAeR2niaHX4YKrfo9dOqQAZb75oB-mBm1itWZjNeoYeyzaTmU2PA41w_UNq=w241-h320" width="241" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Apollo: The Brilliant One
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<b>Series:</b> Olympians #8
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<b>Previous books in this series:</b> <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-zeus-king-of-gods-olympians-1.html" target="_blank">Zeus: King of the Gods (#1)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-athena-grey-eyed-goddess.html" target="_blank">Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess (#2)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-hera-goddess-and-her-glory.html" target="_blank">Hera: The Goddess and her Glory (#3)</a> | <a href="http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/04/review-hades-lord-of-dead-olympians-4.html">Hades: Lord of the Dead (#4)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/09/poseidon-earth-shaker.html" target="_blank">Poseidon: Earth Shaker (#5)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (#6)</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-ares-bringer-of-war-olympians-7.html" target="_blank">Ares: Bringer of War (#7)</a>
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<b>Author:</b> George O'Connor
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<b>Publication date:</b> January 2016
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<b>Published by:</b> First Second
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<b>Source:</b> Purchased hardcover
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25332016-apollo" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /><br />
<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Olympians-Apollo-Brilliant-George-OConnor-ebook/dp/B01AGF8VWW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CrtNcfprgH4IHGzU_NrIUWh8ddUd4HThVALts9i4HQwkdizyXajF8RtUREFt3HHW-Dkkojk1RKDdV3RDwEOk2UFTDZQWJRsJ_tcFwuKpB5WfIY5q1h6TihJ80BcgrOqW8QJEcyV8Hu4THoeOVpWiv413xok0BY0GNGwyuo5KFHKetiEEbNKp-w4AwEpKw4EwwxxE0NwCxRIeYy5-wN7g2X87upqANJDOITa1QJri4yY.AcwyFb_rf6CfSHcYiWxoBNIpyiz8cQCisCWMURjNF2U&qid=1709271256&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/apollo-george-oconnor/1121270541?ean=9781626720152" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/apollo-the-brilliant-one_george-oconnor/10252663/?resultid=f9c5610d-9e80-468f-95bc-64d55696cd9c#isbn=1626720150" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">From high atop Olympus, the nine Muses, or Mousai, recount the story of the powerful and quick-tempered Apollo, the Brilliant One. Born of a she-wolf and Zeus, King of Gods, Apollo is destined fro the greatest of victories and most devastating of failures as his temper, privilege, and pride take him into battle with a serpent, in pursuit of a beautiful but unattainable nymph, and into deadly competition with his beloved. Watch closely as Apollo navigates the tumultuous world in which he lives. Will he rise above the rest and fulfill his destiny as the son of Zeus, or will he falter, consumed by his flaws, and destroy all that he touches?
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite his faults, or perhaps because of them, the most divine god is also the most human.</div></div>
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Apollo is one of my favorite Greek gods, so I was very excited about this volume! And I really liked it!
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The narrators of this volume are the Muses, which is very appropriate for a god of many of the arts. Lol. Each Muse told a different story that featured the god, such as the birth of him and his twin sister Artemis, him defeating the python, Delphi and the oracle, the sad story of Daphne, the satyr Mrsyas, Hyacinth, and even his son Asklepios!
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The myth of Asklepios is one of my favorites! Asklepios was an amazing healer, rivaling his father, the god of medicine. And I loved how proud Apollo was of his son for everything he accomplished. Unfortunately, Zeus wasn’t as impressed with what he could do and put a stop to him.
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="250" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/8b2fd4c13d2feceb607e235ef328bffc/0a9f78bcdc9d2019-66/s250x400/4729f657c8fbbdfc7784adfeef468fa8227d5e11.gif" width="320" /></div></center><br />
Apollo retaliated and Zeus punished him in return. Did you know that Apollo spent time as a human running errands for a king and building a wall for him? Yeah, that was his punishment.
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Anyway, I really enjoyed this! I loved that we got a little bit of a lot of myths. It was just nice and concise.
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-7097870396412768702024-02-29T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-29T22:10:06.317-08:00Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2024<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNFoo6yWypMmxtfaW2okc7rgcppBSQcOcvVvG-Wdsi8uBEgEUiCCCTxxVhhukJrpIrpFolIftQcQwLDBuz9FbbkI40MoIFzI45CfUnk8V5Ajnvhv6g7SvALn7iOPYJKkxhqQ3NtyAshRx/s320/Monthly+Wrap-Up.png" width="320" /></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I swear, this month went by SO fast! This month my reading was a little all over the place because my mood didn't know what it wanted. Lol. But I ended up reading 5 books, for a total of 2057 pages (which is about 100 pages less than last month).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li>3 were part of a series and 2 were standalones</li><li>All 5 were finished copies</li><li>3 were physical books, and 2 ebooks</li><li>1 was a 5-star read, 2 were 4-star reads, 1 was a 3-star read, and 1 was a 2-star read</li><li>All 5 were traditionally published</li><li>3 were by authors I've previously read and 2 by new-to-me authors</li><li>2 were adult books and 3 YA</li><li>All 5 were fiction</li><li>3 were high fantasy, 1 was horror, and 1 was a contemporary romance</li></ul></div>
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<div style="border-bottom: 7px double rgb(144, 105, 182);"></div><center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Books read this month:</span></u></b></div></center><div style="border-bottom: 7px double rgb(144, 105, 182);"></div>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36315977-shadow-and-bone" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwXxt6dStkoGnEyDMt8rg1jHAR8iSj10Z6cYxdLUghDe9fJFCkmfjiKFlpwpul_10KvAEuVBPlOmle1zRXM0tXD3qOmRqtugL47zfLy2p_ODgFNLb9BrgBLggMn_0TB_RXxEzb8TQHose5oTev19Ojb9MKbkQV0N8bRYpyYDhSi9NWdKlAgMKAFwBQBOAM" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40930303-siege-and-storm" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgttzC0NUfr-_Ji9xKfRuNDTRiSHFjsjEgOKLOwhsthmBr3U8lIDspFptsh0EQyHv_WGgBYlXgqDzgMRGe4ECgcOqSmCC1bH3iPsT42nhUuBhyPrJpL54183mYi1H_mBJLslM_c9lLlsovtVyv7K73Zt41Ms3fo6kVFa9IYre8fXq_ZErSk_yRx0yPEZM1E" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40930509-ruin-and-rising" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiADc_g2AmuWABhxvL1FDjT6mjz0FQwhNnbUO5yh8VLt7q0sSxvl4SMVaYSabRZr2QTRHCg-ja3lYgtbJXgY4VLSNdoRzEcaYD0sIsDb2_uiTmjhgyOV0hcCokYlhzgLHnTw_nycxi7RAi8AlwBCpkBx816b47u-by34HAc_fPdiuSGWwGSOF_pEdl9DdUH" width="160" /></a></div></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Compared to <b>Six of Crows</b>, I didn't love <b>Shadow and Bone</b> as much as I was hoping I would like it. It was still a solid series—I liked the world, the magic, and the overall story—but it just didn't hit like <b>Six of Crows</b> did. I didn't love the characters, the relationship between Mal and Alina was annoying, there was a lot more political and war strategy star than I was anticipating, and not enough action.</div>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58830202-from-below" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-PzF-eTVVXCnbdhhvvCqmCzVVU6cOLH3Wqoa8Pm6p0EtqSsktkv89un8qeDZxjIMs5kOk9ayrU-WBwcoovtJQKW4-aH213-Dfng_c23qmnWrrWgp94z3eNlw9a8vuV_SX956JKDazXuirN73bwZU9GJhBeZpJbOI-JTwS5yilPM0LgS-5N-cESwpnvJHw" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123211121-raiders-of-the-lost-heart" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMNjhrkm08hf2BK_U6wc8E_w97wWkr5N3aD98ZfzKrYUeeSpxhibUQz-qqqpn_0U7ywODy_uVHkhmcAgOkLFEuJqZlBUMgQ-JBeqzysPLyMdVxgtEWVqHVJOlCZEcCnRsdFJOHp2So35dtfJ3rM6XwC3peSzX8luXBAUd7Ae5DEUAEJE0wjwikc7268pAf" width="156" /></a></div></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>From Below</i></b> was an okay horror novel. I liked the overall story, and I really liked the setting! But I just didn't really connect with any of the characters. And <b><i>Raiders of the Lost Heart</i></b>... good god I almost DNF'd it. This was pitched as this sort of romantic adventure... NO!! It's just a romance and not a good one at that. I have said this many times, but romances where the relationships have no substance and rely heavily on physical attraction... I HATE. This book was that. I liked the idea of the premise and was very excited for all the Aztec stuff, but the romance and over-sexualization of the characters drove me insane! And it's not me being a hater, I like contemporary romances from time to time. I mean, see below! I reviewed a ton of contemporaries in February that <i>I actually liked</i>! Please someone hand me a <b><u>Lynn Painter</u></b> romance because this one was not it 😭</div>
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<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(144, 105, 182);"></div><center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Favorite book of the month:</u></b></span></div></center><div style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(144, 105, 182);"></div>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36315977-shadow-and-bone" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwXxt6dStkoGnEyDMt8rg1jHAR8iSj10Z6cYxdLUghDe9fJFCkmfjiKFlpwpul_10KvAEuVBPlOmle1zRXM0tXD3qOmRqtugL47zfLy2p_ODgFNLb9BrgBLggMn_0TB_RXxEzb8TQHose5oTev19Ojb9MKbkQV0N8bRYpyYDhSi9NWdKlAgMKAFwBQBOAM" width="160" /></a></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Of the trilogy, the first book was my favorite! I really liked the world and the set up of the magic system. It's just so interesting!</div>
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<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(144, 105, 182);"></div><center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Least favorite book of the month:</u></b></span></div></center><div style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(125, 54, 152);"></div>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123211121-raiders-of-the-lost-heart" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMNjhrkm08hf2BK_U6wc8E_w97wWkr5N3aD98ZfzKrYUeeSpxhibUQz-qqqpn_0U7ywODy_uVHkhmcAgOkLFEuJqZlBUMgQ-JBeqzysPLyMdVxgtEWVqHVJOlCZEcCnRsdFJOHp2So35dtfJ3rM6XwC3peSzX8luXBAUd7Ae5DEUAEJE0wjwikc7268pAf" width="156" /></a></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">No 🙃</div>
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<div style="border-bottom: 7px double rgb(144, 105, 182);"></div><center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Books reviewed this month:</u></b></span></div></center><div style="border-bottom: 7px double rgb(144, 105, 182);"></div>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-movies-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="212" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP5bvV4xVv-S1HiSevsMTE-Wg1dgfISkfQO28-hi_kxeLsKKs3DRDY64At8sBn3zx0xvHbtL0ha2yk-YWb1nV8VGH1kBdvXR2AKmGwiQeU2JL4dEqkfxIYJYKpCyFhRJWPV2LNw7rqwhlGONL82WkkGoSUrJEcxOe4QX6pnKL5ea8cm9hZ7eqsiIwIZlP7" width="159" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-prom-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="212" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhro9tc2q0BV97Yd239_GWCbpIXCvigmSOErNI3D5A_Aqv4SKUgIzChDzYdVXTLQI0GvTRrz-rUm1TMu56uZFVuPErpjuubLXDPt-TXM68FFHaYBkvBeBIa0hh_Z5WVApoH63Cgica19hvOCft2OsUHKwj_jurif6XL9ZLuGfW5NX-94Lof5rWkEdTUOOWG" width="159" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-before-lynn-painter.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPfOIGGVx6o0uM_8t0FuXOafWSUJNWxahC-pCTIbDISCpz8DxwCWUu7NE8iLC4B3rJg9SbcpQdkDEkZAZ2yHIHyjLSlPEPsHhzioJlqjvjBgDQT4e5y_E_lxCdQJkoNmKy0H_QTqOyeDv1_I63aLP1LtDmRhB1Q8OUYgu-e65sjfCLyLpwGeTwJ0yE-xw6" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-the-movies-extras.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="247" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGnoBhZhVJrOa3LpALz6lSUQOaDhySCYAtnTdiPCc6GdDU4xTDYAx1068Mklcf99DQTNU8p70zwQgwffMayQLsk3tNIXSZOSF6XNgIAf0EgDSc9Pbu2rFcR068n5cSdlmpFcVh1BBCaiOreHhmuEf1NYrSTa9DpHUrBJFOBLn8aaImBSFOBt3VR3zGPQ2j" width="186" /></a></center>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-movies-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★★</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-prom-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">Better Than The Prom (Better Than The Movies #1.5) by Lynn Painter</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-before-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">Better Than Before (Better Than The Movies #0.5, Betting on You #0.5) by Lynn Painter</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-the-movies-extras.html" target="_blank">Better Than The Movies (Extras) by Lynn Painter</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★★</span></center>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-15th-of-december-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="831" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftfV3W8wF6CT4vMqvo9sx6xUznMTMM9Oxaqpec3tIggyxGm6cRo6-bpRcRsuaLFGlTNMRW9uufONo6eXZ2wYolMT1uYsd4-edTYEZQqnXemeKmoxZqUsFO6Gw0rPZkZklY-8h1K4tbYHjx5gm8LgecnDDTnvSw5EFIoOAOcf3YCtqYWe5_Ua_zn_0cnrj/s320/203844364.jpg" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-only-hard-problems-galactic-bonds-3.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="207" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhx_9P9Ut90pAs2tLyUIoXml_Xt3ojZBPILL2YdTj7Ij7XpURsOledXrzxAwstGV5LBU5tzRSgrX2UQvb2Xhrf7XaZ_orK8CjwR0A-Q7l3RSL0zlkahwN0yOkZQ3ywUTQINul35gweGA2n3MUgj7ictNMYqpXmqjirnYWQD0-z20FaH7Ra-ynMH5bWS9uO8" width="155" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-flirting-with-fate-by-jc-cervantes.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMbj6WWgIL0lxUguvVIFLRQGoK9QvAYGeKaoOjVbCPUzJcTJqQMLeTvPeM9R9vu5ky_hBRCTuqI4tKTjIQnnWiDCCACzGvU54TQ2QVJ1U7mL75JWW0ta6Kjs0dSrExscivx9OK571I_X6KTKe-XGyl7WZ8o8xtpBc6CRzo847tFgJ3lQa_-m1UZRYMVx_I" width="160" /></a></center>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-15th-of-december-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">The 15th of December by Lynn Painter</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★★</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-only-hard-problems-galactic-bonds-3.html" target="_blank">Only Hard Problems (Galactic Bonds #3) by Jennifer Estep</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★★</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-flirting-with-fate-by-jc-cervantes.html" target="_blank">Flirting with Fate by J.C. Cervantes</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-aphrodite-goddess-of-love.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="241" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinBUJF9sdmuT22lBVMCDn08hGsG69SevjpJfAapTwxhMcHLHHhew-gEq_2vFsE8UT4adNTzT1g7l-zWcx_MYPWSRXFcKcpIkFdmdBTS6RZMtCnWsc_unT37Nyj2h3YBa7Kxk34KcFLriyAIsMmtgIBHW7P4ms2hi1ftenaM5v1sYXMyOLM2kGb94zJulVF" width="181" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-woman-in-me-by-britney-spears.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="207" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq7Rz-7wsqD-5bhg7NuT2XA8A1euzm24h_aiRS4Wd4PWCGb_I72OV1XbM-cYhw23nN1mEkQarETtdCsFTkAJazMlNXRwexGUwQajpd9PzkTqzRUj_XGUOgHM6mP65IFMCA6GwpsAosVrb5B7ikg0a4soPAqmo2z5tABZnA8QIO6ASytjLMxJyENFFyIVCY" width="155" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-covert-kisses-by-janette-rallison.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibm2dlKxk38tKwPLn7yJiDjMA3CDztcVMfJYubmyajgMwoqPUNxEmSiAXf6pG0BGO9QQYFCcxO6uUlVxArlrsPmqMRrcl_qlnaVbx4iEM5a8TJpqt5DJS_CTyuQMCq8s_n5K1E74BHtEelnZxh0rpBcmqpsyZxW53QiLR4dE_YqAv-VD27HqF75IbpMKaG" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-im-glad-my-mom-died-by-jennette-mccurdy.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="213" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7M9w7rKpeNXVxw4z4-jX7hEbmAzeaKgEsNyJJb3PR55sygUncG8LZ7f_6J7R9Y_EH2DyVevEW2Yo1hu616VKHm4LPa2h38FTyTy2-gQ2h1VHjlO79pFI6xvJ4Rmv9a60xqQ__nbLx7GrVVVa0lvWggnsQDZo6F68torQbMlk8vuxN69FIZX411zSvT8PF" width="160" /></a></center>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-aphrodite-goddess-of-love.html" target="_blank">Aphrodite: Goddess of Love (Olympians #6) by George O'Connor</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★☆</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-woman-in-me-by-britney-spears.html" target="_blank">The Woman in Me by Britney Spears</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★★</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-covert-kisses-by-janette-rallison.html" target="_blank">Covert Kisses by Janette Rallison</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★★</span></center>
<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-im-glad-my-mom-died-by-jennette-mccurdy.html" target="_blank">I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy</a> | <span style="background-color: white; color: #7d3698; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , "freeserif" , serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 18.48px;">★★★★★</span></center>
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<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(125, 54, 152);"></div><center><div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Other posts:</u></b></span></div></center><div style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(125, 54, 152);"></div>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/search/label/sunday%20post" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUGfg-FaKsupeomsw4w1Ob-9gP8gvhdLhDtKIPsiVqeMPYmErgx4DFh998NeQyOyu8Mo_WdY8Qt5B49bZiAU7ZTvdgnKaQSxXsg0Jz17Fi_jP2yTwsA-XjCgIUWA3hJ-qsLtPAf7sfsPUhj-mJdipBEEZj4KOevV1Zv2nJrmoVqfftHtHvin56I8FKGSdY" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/search/label/its%20monday%20what%20are%20you%20reading" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7ZjHjKjxGgRhGC_54TFGG-js3Herbql9OSio14QpCulzifvZ51U7XkzzfvZFN0aQo1IzHogC8Eg-vZOnuqlMbn1-x63zjaV3sEfX4gmFMX8hlNm2W5Kcqt6M11XQMuX4Cs9I11v1Yw3mpokhMf_4I-PNkPg-62TMvTtAQf-zzzDPszrBLJEBhsu_wXf-2" width="320" /></a></center>
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<center><table><tbody>
<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/literary-nails-books-and-plants.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvHPu021rdcEIZ95r8kanW2w9PvLkM5ysGSWKGqneHAXQSx21dhuyHKntSRLHdn1i9XuwQ5lqqABxifJkI7k-1dVbZOjWycBsds7C5-JKxLRjlNmiJjyevo-VpSDEb0Yyez8ljReDXjvtD8QfKm1I8dwD1u3BcQdCcNIKbR2wIb_-0tZewZiHy2cvDBVfi" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/literary-nails-books-and-plants.html" target="_blank">Books and Plants</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/finish-series-29-not-the-series-i-wanted-to-finish.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtyvfl0RH1Rm-ZV23maeP1jq6ITZvjHXDLPjm80Qxcz5mObOzbtWoAD0_DtSlvgTGpNTCkoQ5MeEa032e8utsLl6Ku8ocn2lQhcrxrpWqWDERRrV9ablq3vfU9ddHEe7fmbVZnKSfOu_l5UW4HbsbN67JttxZEfZZGKBSdij-Z6mvXEs6ogcehWsD4E7RF" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/finish-series-29-not-the-series-i-wanted-to-finish.html" target="_blank">#29: Not the Series I Wanted to Finish, But I'll Take It</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<center><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/anti-valentines-day-book-tag.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRGRjDC-fT_B_wV40-6lOsdoOTVKXmI-vduU4Gp1NmI5utpoO-FsSDbylaKoqxHI4PDnbNOd2p4wWOzZS0jGlNd6hsvOI-howytd8_6wVcLIYE0Du4-Y_WpAoF9bkNdz-Gk4tJXiwsbBfiXnCDERLkdcnUlcyp21K7DxNoAT41W1Giu0aztbo-50BLyWBO" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/end-of-winter-tbr.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4ao-uE33aejgCalCe4UlaUvhW18o16I2JE7m5-fKUMka5CaphtUHiUdELgqwwDUYXbdG7V4G1sYkJCFs66aDPOPISrGgiswb-NQA6ujkdWoncgLnN87gJEtr0cfoTaUvRGHN_ivfZGSuVk8abp3pUjUEiNwOvs0K-aYKZ9pI1KFfvUqrxYt-jA5EkHRSu" width="320" /></a></center>
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<center><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/2024-bookish-prediction-tag.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYznfGPSRhcvX1Nggw1OwM_XrXayckeG4XWlSA0zkTkaOaXr2q-a4RCyZO6IezMj9n7Xh7pD3qXCh3eWXVwh2Ip1u3PjhXf6vux3co3BHdW9oq8Yfax12fCjxdvcgV8_VKrPuWfXGX5i156RY2Y3BPwwIq2CB5WIv9zpslA8jgLrcPu8fHwKEJoNHHjdZo" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/2024-bookish-prediction-tag.html" target="_blank">2024 Bookish Prediction Tag</a></td></tr></tbody></table></center>
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<center>Let me know what your favorite read this month was and what you are looking forward to reading next month!</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-63303352623876790222024-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-28T00:00:00.142-08:00Review: The 15th of December by Lynn Painter<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="1244" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrj9ByZuFtC3LqdoRE9fHqBLu1PD1O9aBqD3v6_hcm5ymUhpFOgHt6dRjwMFLUWQrnwwbIqjTXJwJ0C6hI3Owq0_z-WtuXzTGCHRQU_Ccc_IhZLKN0LexVNUOJmWjmbgvp8Qp_bkCI_6v-jIbN7hMVBtCeHduqhSaspgMDfwCnvaV80xWk7KzlZEaJ5FZp=w320-h320" width="320" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> The 15th of December: A WesLizNickEmilieBaileyCharlie Christmas
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<b>Crossover sequel novella of:</b> <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-movies-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">Better Than The Movies</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2022/12/review-the-do-over-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">The Do-Over</a> | <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2023/12/review-betting-on-you-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">Betting on You</a>
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<b>Author:</b> Lynn Painter
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<b>Publication date:</b> December 15th 2023
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<b>Published by:</b> Lynn Painter
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<b>Source:</b> Read online
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203844364-the-15th-of-december" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Read it</b> <a href="https://lynnpainter.com/misc-content" target="_blank">for FREE here</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">Wes and Liz and Nick and Emilie and Charlie and Bailey - the whole gang - are out doing holiday things in Omaha TONIGHT - December 15th!!
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★★</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I was so excited to read this novella! A crossover between all of <u><b>Lynn Painter’s</b></u> YA characters?! Yes, please!
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<div style="text-align: justify;">It starts off with Wes and Liz from <b><i>Better Than The Movies</i></b> at a ballet and omg they were so freaking cute! I can’t-
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The cute game they play and them just being silly... I love them! After that, Wes and Liz were supposed to meet Bailey and Charlie, Wes’s cousin, from <i><b>Betting on You</b></i>. And they were going to meet at an ice cream place called Ted and Wally’s which I have been to before! It’s always so cool when a book is set in a place you’ve been to or are familiar with. <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2022/07/sunday-post-309.html" target="_blank">I went to Omaha a couple years ago</a> and I loved it more than I thought I would! And Ted and Wally’s? Top Tier ice cream.
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One thing I liked about this novella, besides literally everything 😆 is that each character got a POV. I loved that! So after starting off with Wes and Liz, we move on to Emilie and Nick from <i><b>The Do-Over</b></i>. I have loved all of the books I have read by <u><b>Lynn Painter</b></u> (which at this point is only her YA books, but her adult books are on my tbr too!), but this one has a special place in my heart because it is the first book I read by her. Plus the time loop aspect of it was the cherry on top! Anyway, these two omg. So Emilie lost a bet to Nick and now... she might be getting a tattoo 👀
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In one of her many loops in the book, she actually got a tattoo, so this is a little bit of a throwback to that. But anyway, things happen, tattoos are possibly had, and... these two are just the freaking cutest! They are so perfect for one another! I just loved how in love they were with one another. And Nick is the absolute sweetest! I literally almost cried at how cute they were. Lol.
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And last but not least, we move on to our most recent couple from <i><b>Betting on You</b></i>, Charlie and Bailey! Like I mentioned earlier, these guys were supposed to meet Wes and Liz at the ballet, but Charlie couldn’t make it because he was away visiting his dad. But, omg here is another part where I almost cried because Charlie is so sweet! So Charlie came back early and decided to surprise Bailey—it was the sweetest thing EVER! He got her something and it was the most thoughtful thing ever... and also the most ridiculous thing I have read! 😆 I loved it! My heart imploded from all the cuteness 🥹
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(Listen, I don‘t usually do cutesy unless it’s apparently a <u><b>Lynn Painter</b></u> book lol, so you’re getting <b>Supernatural</b> gifs and you’re going to like it 😆 Be grateful I didn’t include the entirety of this gif where the guy is so infatuated his heart literally exploded out of his chest and splatters all over his date 🤣 Classic <b>Supernatural</b> episode 😂)
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Charlie is honestly amazing. ALL of these guys are amazing! <b><u>Lynn Painter</u></b> writes great male characters! And I just absolutely loved this novella! It was so cute! And that ending was also ridiculous but in the best way possible! Lol. I hope we get more of these stories where the characters interact with one another. I was actually very curious to see how Nick and Emelie were going to be introduced to the group—I mean, Charlie and Wes are cousins, so that’s how those four know each other, but I was wondering how the other two characters were going to fit into the picture. And honestly, it was a bit underwhelming. Like, I loved how they were introduced to the group, but that happened off page so it made me a little sad. But aside from that, this was a perfect holiday read! Especially if you’re a fan of <u><b>Lynn Painter’s</b></u> books!</div>
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-68718664105002576782024-02-27T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-27T00:00:00.126-08:00Review: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlhz_CXTF2S18dYVoe9zuTccn_ip9GM_wHdkZvMcIlOn2z9QTYcMaIu2LnyQ_T42Zpa2EJtFDCKLnPlGScRv0TIVqt1EOxa1yc0NI3Q30LamIpMSbkuz4MyC5yitZEiPem0q5ZiAHhkmBOBWTH62wtw9oMfH6IFnDTxxnq86uNPaNj4ewkNpCxGgg0TFZM=w213-h320" width="213" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> I'm Glad My Mom Died
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<b>Author and Narrator:</b> Jennette McCurdy
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<b>Publication date:</b> August 2022
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<b>Published by:</b> Simon & Schuster
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<b>Source:</b> Borrowed from library
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59364173-i-m-glad-my-mom-died" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
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<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Im-Glad-My-Mom-Died-ebook/dp/B09JPJ833S/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vTL64mViMe_usQPbvz5l9grFfxhD9IO_H4OM1ztcxjVAE3Q3nxgek1GGUX6oo3YTNYlc8w90GqwqO8Kw444cF6JQmrioECfAZemitLF_jEgpMy8zGtkE9xneTEkLGT-h7njqB6YcjfkmfvvKC-eOJ-2PcNVXq945pxZNY6hDSxMRxMQSCEh8fHmRHZjEaw1ZLzFMb3d0ixTqppdXYWaVZF3d1Szyut-XeQjBd3WWYkw.HnxWu5U9Da4O6SRH_9e1y-A8bPs45VZpWzlN6dGYtk8&qid=1708379312&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/im-glad-my-mom-died-jennette-mccurdy/1140377015?ean=9781982185824" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/im-glad-my-mom-died_jennette-mccurdy/31399306/?resultid=6fe7dad7-e994-4503-b940-c51f4b72ecff#isbn=1982185821" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;"><b>A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by <i>iCarly</i> and <i>Sam & Cat</i> star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.</b>
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Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.
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In I’m Glad My Mom Died , Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called <b>iCarly</b> , she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the <b>iCarly</b> spinoff <b>Sam & Cat</b> alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.
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<b>Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, <i>I’m Glad My Mom Died</i> is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.</b></span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★★</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I have been intrigued by this book since it came out. I mean, with a title like that you can’t help but pause and go, “<i>What</i>?” But after reading this book and realizing how emotionally manipulative Jennette’s mother was, you understand why it’s called what it is. It’s terrible that her mom had cancer—it’s an awful disease and something no one should go through— but the way she threw that around to get her way was astounding. And that also did not give her the right to treat her family the way she did. Forcing Jennette into acting because that’s something she wanted to do growing up was not okay. Her mom telling her that she just wanted what was best for her and essentially manipulating her into acting... that was rough.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">What was even worse was the way her mother taught Jennette about calorie restrictions at such a young age, aiding and even encouraging in the eating disorders she later developed. That was horrifying. Any sort of abuse you could imagine, and this poor girl suffered it at the hands of her mother, and at such a young age too. While I liked learning about someone’s life, this was also a really hard read. The book is broken down into two parts: Before and After. It follows Jennette McCurdy’s life since she was a kid and was thrown into the life of acting, all the way until the death of her mother and what followed after. It was told in a very linear way, which I appreciated.
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I actually grew up watching <b>iCarly</b>—it was one of my favorite shows! And I still have very fond memories of it. But as I grew older and people started speaking out, we all came to realize that Nickelodeon wasn’t the happy place we all thought it to be. So to realize that not only did Jennette suffer at the hands of her mother, but also at the hands of The Creator of the show that shot her to fame, is despairing. At this point, we all know what a fucking creep The Creator was with the stars of the various Nickelodeon shows, and I am just glad that Jennette spoke up about her time on Nickelodeon because what went on behind the scenes was absolutely NOT okay. The way the industry treats kids is appalling and something needs to be done. So I am glad more light is being shed on the issue as the years go on. As for Jennette, she thought that by landing this leading role in the show that her mom’s dreams will have finally come true. But at the cost of what?
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<div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Fame has put a wedge between Mom and me that I didn’t think was possible. She wanted this. And I wanted her to have it. I wanted her to be happy. But now that I have it, I realize that she’s happy and I’m not. Her happiness came at the cost of mine. I feel robbed and exploited.</div></div>
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And after all of this, Jennette didn’t even like acting. It made her uncomfortable, and the fame gave her anxiety. She doesn’t even like people, which is something I relate to heavily. Lol. But she would have these thoughts and then immediately feel guilty telling herself that she’s being ungrateful and that just made me so sad! I hate that she wasn’t allowed to live the life she wanted and instead was forced to live the life her mother wanted for herself but couldn’t have.
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<div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">So much of my life has felt so out of my control for so long. And I’m done with that being my reality. I want my life to be in my hands. Not an eating disorder’s or a casting director’s or an agent’s or my mom’s. Mine.</div></div>
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This book was heavy. It was heartbreaking, infuriating, and raw. I really appreciated how open Jennette was about every single struggle in her life. Like I said previously, I grew up watching her on <b>iCarly</b>, and I just can't believe all the trauma she went through at that time. But I was so glad to hear that her friendship with Miranda was genuine and pure. I loved that.
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I really appreciated her sharing her story in this memoir. And like I said in my review of <a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-woman-in-me-by-britney-spears.html" target="_blank">Britney Spears’s memoir</a>, I don't want to say I enjoyed this because that feels icky given everything she went through. But I was invested in the story from the start and appreciated how real Jennette was about her life. I’m sure Jennette had help writing this book, but regardless, it was very well written and she is a good storyteller. And this was one of the rare times where I alternated between reading the book and listening to the audiobook. I’m not a big audio person because my mind tends to wanders, but I knew I had to give this one a shot because the author narrates it herself. And it was well done! Not that I know much about audiobooks, but I liked it. Lol.
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All that being said, I am so ready to return to my fluffy fictional worlds where all the hurt the characters go through is not real, even though it might feel like it.
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-60821842651891554342024-02-26T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T00:00:00.131-08:00It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #357: I Don't Know What My Mood is Doing<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUPQTJf6C0ETDR5IpY0RZxr9-Stp0f7xhgZE30N99kKOCnEngemgpbqm0URdJ00fucB7A2dqYsmJkzwHi7CJwVxQgxoDbo50O9SBW9pPqlCvQcivv2yECYFu5-v1l6YMgJkteATZodt-M/s320/It%2527s+Monday+What+Are+You+Reading.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center><i>It's Monday! What Are You Reading?</i> is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="https://thebookdate.wordpress.com/">Book Date</a> and <a href="http://www.unleashingreaders.com/">Unleashing Reads</a>.</center>
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<center><b><u>What I read:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58830202-from-below" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0TKtkmdyi4PgNe2aVx8soI6-cGMHHJ4kBE9V4EVk8l_ZwwhKWLuq5fwLYwSIpRwYefSyXC432m_dGrWAqDFjZH_TzBMkzX1wt2Ci9X_0OtAH5IfXrtdsC9cONwe3-F-gvNnoEPtfjhfRKmJpLf-9Cqxi2xEAt-kTbOCCWYvTawr66nj8VWErr-iqzETC2" width="160" /></a></center>
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<center>This aquatic horror was an okay read. I liked the mystery and I really enjoyed the horror element. However, I just didn't connect with the characters. But it was good for what it was. I was wanting horror, and it definitely delivered.</center>
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<center><b><u>Currently reading:</u></b></center>
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<center><b><u>Up next:</u></b></center>
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<center><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123211121-raiders-of-the-lost-heart" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLTe09k7NKfs3Klpt7VHkG-MKJaDTl2xF9krY23bDpqi-5tIqCX5vUQU2eNoyVshAkh1pwnOFZU6MkPB_0x0t9GV8NMV_Kp_kH4FzpqCzMCHK0nIMKVg1xpau6vneRDrA3sUfzpi6ZXacpvRDdCqoJDzuUhM1jpJIpBSOPYNcDpuLofWeEaWtsWOLAIa1o" width="156" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56271348-patient-zero" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="1875" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj70R2WaBUcLQGbQw7BP4oeRsuTZU-Z7szREAs58nvnSSvVZrGGCGhYgTP5w_ei2N6YdrQDkSpzOdDioloYkOB9vPI0xcPlKhiaumr7akGweXbDzfvixlblQUo6TyDoIG1Ubgyjyykizsn1mTkcUn_t2SF40vs3VcSRqrAxRpvtFT6HIsZsj7hZwvOf5kgu" width="171" /></a></center>
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<center>I really don't know what my mood wants. Last week I was wanting horror, but this week? I think I want to get into some contemporary romance? I also have some nonfiction I've been eyeballing lately, so 👀 I don't know. We'll see what my mood decides on. Lol.</center>
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<center>What are <i>you</i> reading this week?</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-542767442479840242024-02-25T08:45:00.000-08:002024-02-25T08:45:34.378-08:00Sunday Post #390: Horrorwood<center><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRA-iaOc-YTDG3iLtVREKWa6OzzKMTUXeXaQDAdLqzS5UoIr4LCHJOsdqRDOgV0ACXoumnXKOlocyqxjTsN4qtNOsQuGe2rADLoMpNtsSn3aOssC7uwjUswm4CUYjK_-14jNZGToKyrFUb/s320/Sunday+Post.png" width="320" /></center>
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<center>Welcome to <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme">The Sunday Post</a> hosted by <b>Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer</b>, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been doing:</u></b></center>
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<center>My patient was sick this week, but luckily it was only a mild cold so she was still pretty stable. We only missed two days of school and honestly, it was nice not being surrounded by so many kids those days. But my patient loves school (she's in 4th grade so I find that shocking! 😆) so I'm glad she's feeling better and is back. But aside from that, not much has been going on.</center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been listening to:</u></b></center>
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<center>I finally listened to <b>Ice Nine Kills's</b> horror movie-inspired album and it was SO good!! I know it's not new, but I've been meaning to actually sit down and listen to it and I finally got around to it this weekend. Lol. AND upon searching for the image below, I realized that this is a sort of sequel? They have another album, an older one, that is also inspired by horror movies! AND skimming the wiki on the front page of Google, apparently, their other albums are inspired by novels??? Omg I need to listen to <b>everything</b>!</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="316" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGaGN37qrHPuteiCde5Dkh8MZe_RQGSjSPMjxwpoASJSQBMCvQ8wjT694xahddZh1_fwmWCrK-NqXl-eqpWqk1AxLK2cfndJ3T7gS6qAiWmzhIVIriogvbe51_3Dir9dixV3tuASPtpKC3oqLLm_B_22G232ep4KmwA0x4Vsf7yKQFcg5tvEdbY9mLPMjj=w320-h319" width="320" /></div></center>
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<center>And <b>Unlike Pluto</b> is back with the weekly songs! Yay!</center>
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<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLmrxbJTee0?si=UbbjhXSUO8urGLJ-" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center>
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<center><blockquote>"This song is about a relationship with one person that has no emotion, and the other that has too much emotion." <b>-Unlike Pluto</b></blockquote></center>
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<center><b><u>What I've been playing:</u></b></center>
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<center>I actually haven't played that much <b>TS4</b> this week, not until yesterday. Yesterday I went back and played my Super Sim save file where I was working on the Spellcaster aspirations. She's completed one and has another one to do. I was going around the worlds and just collecting ingredients because she needs to make potions. Today I think I'm gonna sit and finally do that! I'm excited! I love the Spellcaster sims! Also, I was finding this save to not be as challenging anymore because they have so much money, money that I did not cheat to get. It's just been accumulating. So because it wasn't challenging anymore, I got rid of it 😆</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="259" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3paPwDfS62wUCzyuETe2qugVOINY93l7qhEScCC-5NO_EQxBCmI0BRv8jhTv3c-2SXoHU96U3Zbn0DdoCx4EdThrvNWp7GCuY5mhGJHnYEtuqrVD7uytfmUHptn9pSK27BeJcFVBOOVSumFVmOIy7qOoAoolcWZz19VrezcGEI13nHHM6CdAkS7LsQz6/s1600/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20130229.png" width="259" /> <img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="266" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8FEXQRPsCb9nGjnxoW49w8myHPcBX3WMUBtMF9Ihtssbv4t5nXVnJ7v9YUQkc1eXY7CGuU5I8DT50Yqb7SnKZ_mnxU6pQjKJb5QGHWX63CFebwwBjIAP_DTWWlGmNgTENUouYqgtK090chD7Nm4pdCK63ng9HeJNgUB9eiguljUrJT3D7pFut-YWNytG/s1600/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20131749.png" width="266" /></div></center>
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<center>I got rid of the money and it's still not very challenging. I mean, she's a Super Sim so all her skills are maxed out. Her paintings sell for a lot of money, and she also has some plants that produce a lot of money. Yesterday I needed a total of <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;">§</span><span style="text-align: left;">11,000 to pay the bills, and all I had to do was sell some of the things she was growing in the greenhouse. I tried 🤷♀️😂</span></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="331" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmnneXqQVZDaLYimwBrY0YdY7y1dmCzSjMHauVJibjq4RbsMs6zdHeLYbm6aQSgItgWlikySn_evmnoPKeX3dKiKzW2nCKy2FZwewa9XKQINSvQR0IkS-Oq-pYb1fb3vWeZN9h4lzrGBtZL7LUEx_zu43qZM9EWqZX4rm5xvRsuN2rzxrbOSMqh8AfqyQ/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20161140.png" width="320" /></div></center>
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<center>Along with working on the Spellcaster things, she was working on the Medium skill and has the Paranormal Investigator job (which omg it's hard! I was not expecting it to be 😩 lol). Using the Medium table I accidentally turned her into a ghost temporarily 😂 And she and her husband are so sickeningly cute. They do that ☝️ autonomously all the time 😂</center>
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<center><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="737" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiSkvuWONTAHwhRQ5N_5sHsrx21zSPHUkfrGLSsrAbST7EzNkYFwmxqPBPxscg4Jd5jw4QatYOcwczGhcclP11dO3IPkEYTWL8U6D0lPN-pMc-tUujGSTolwSq6LNzbzacNRMyTDCc6Z0Cn7xTNgPSgURSjsCbZRnXe9S_qazKsvBcL639inLQmLrAhunl/w640-h590/Screenshot%202024-02-24%20200753.png" width="640" /></center>
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<center>And this made me laugh because it's so relatable. She was hungry so I clicked on the fridge to get leftovers. She has entire meals in there that she could've chosen from, but what does she choose to eat for breakfast? Cookie dough 😂 I'm not gonna lie, I didn't even know Sims could eat the cookie dough straight. But I shouldn't be surprised. Cookie dough is good 🤤</center>
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<center><b><u>Books reviewed this week:</u></b></center>
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<center><table><tbody>
<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-woman-in-me-by-britney-spears.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="207" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDRxLJU1B5r3P3PTcSyW3kcXqU1JmF8OO0e-in3ELVrzR62wvh0m7egGqBIurw9g1TBqjDjkMu300SBLK13mEDn84lvA3eW8x1mmkwUXrtQ5EU_MnZOwFDmTVkxsBFpPaBZZMH_6c0RDfMF7tKv_Ko2f7-18JKoeDLaFYOSfYuaW3E-5A8a5Zq-bOsflee" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="155" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-woman-in-me-by-britney-spears.html" target="_blank">★★★★★</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-covert-kisses-by-janette-rallison.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigzvcvjASH3QzzsFrR_OWkOuVPbDLpOKReF4o_2MhKzsCju6fnGgLnxXkUJBlRy2t6VMBK9yqo9QTNuWupurIu8VsIqiVK2ge5wzGgoUbR4kEpankMYX_AJnBl6XvmaqRtCqGAgUmJSzVDArxJQL2yxKM9m6_dvYth_sJZMUdrid4Q0hwZSO6-VuKRt94b" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-covert-kisses-by-janette-rallison.html" target="_blank">★★★★★</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-the-movies-extras.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="247" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGV4HAGBtFaiM76dP5tfeE_eAB943-paFM-pw4oek7EQ0Tzk5RK9VZ0XVoHg8d-moS-LcI-zs-pDoSxM4eKtNxuj4lpqatoxmPcCES69Nx_mb3bxnuZ_cENc877iFf2EfI9Gt78wEgDA-4pnLcrt71MLJ0kVirTo6rJvjc9f_sKrElmOVF6-s2WF7Vdn9j" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="186" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-the-movies-extras.html" target="_blank">★★★★★</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<center><b><u>Other posts from this week:</u></b></center>
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<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-356.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6LuUFzLtiLaMrAu-TzxrOiWRL-ZWMUz18E5ur8MIrOV1v7j1-KBNvgdaZOB-nnNte9FPwKs0NU_9TI59gsDBe8IMbkLjFFu_cgNQKrgyL6N2FlKG5xYnp0mdYynJLKmI58cwwLo_FQdabyLIZjpevpBOeUuc389Y2mC_stubEe-FBnzG1azd79tcaDJJv" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-356.html" target="_blank">#356: Give Me More Sci-Fi Horror</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/end-of-winter-tbr.html" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj80xE7KeiRVZbrmAZG7S_llW4OM7ZQoMRkNRAdmWvLAjm9799gE1BTyPUdpJ2uEKGuUVxKnQUoQO2-mu_lBA-HbTPbKXT8rf6Lu-zTUkKoAO8rgp8-DXi5xk2nIPwprL1Uq1-ZRVoXnhRb1rq-C-akKw2YdqfZrfdAalDYwP65ai2GhVeeecZKgrnC5xh-" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/end-of-winter-tbr.html" target="_blank">End of Winter TBR</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><b><u><span style="color: #200f2b; font-size: x-large;"><center>Book Haul</center></span></u></b></div>
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<center><b><u>Library Loot:</u></b></center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="3477" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCG9-MpGLpDZuTJSbt__U_ZbJanZoxmmbCP1SelYTZQC_Wn9lhfQu1L0n_06kBibSNIV1zwL9gpDOhNIZqiiGxqGuaTiO8tboBHyJuVhubJDCl7cDLKqrMvEuAzmFIcNRKIIdy-hZDZXrB2Xy6pXELnhYF044vZR8EkKs9KijVsGinKCwu397gxpkRqHJ/w400-h354/PXL_20240224_210508585.jpg" width="400" /></div></center>
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<center>If this doesn't tell you that my reading is eclectic, than idk what does 😂</center>
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<center>How was your guy's week? Get any bookish things? Let me know in the comments below or leave me a link to your post!</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-88151291305523599002024-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-24T00:00:00.133-08:00End of Winter TBR<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjU6sSZ_yX4zVq7JvDQXDvHy_PoJPr8bSa0FumWIeg6Qog5XYmA0BEvZuISfq53wpKP5SjC2gfC7OEdHF0rhZTUlpPrnmS6qBv1oGyNFhmr_KYh53JBeeHVJClMPf8F0Vh0R1D-UUPIVQjza1q0_51_G6OLKynM0V3U2YilNZ79MdsLV6cRkJA_woVU9kp/s320/Posts.png" width="320" /></div></center>
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<center style="text-align: justify;">Lately, I've been feeling like putting together a TBR, which if you know me, you know that's rare. Lol. But let's give it a shot! I have been doing pretty well reading-wise so far this year, but right now I'm starting to get into that weird mood where it's not really a slump, but I just don't know what I want to read. But at the same time, I want to read ALL the things all at once! 😆 Does that make sense? Probably not. Lol. Anyway, I'm hoping this list will help focus my mood. I know I won't read all of these before winter is over, but I need options. Especially because idk what my mood is doing right now. Lol.</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23168765-the-nightmare-charade" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW0lTnlABqqc-VHpNE2I_vR1nZcaMJ9ijXy09iGkKr9bTaLjs5oX4p4NJGPF1lParIu4ARQvSwPcllOfO-tDNIZhM8dC_wFoK9SS_Hieg_kFMJsUoaTNkGe3hFtx5FeZmgGYIRsNbA9S6LlVq9P-3sal7bcdD8kJ6RMuCOlhKiBMLsFmUTVb3cHVxNByNP" width="161" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63291997-with-a-little-luck" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHtnhzdyzXwvJJCHcAuiNJy3a2JqZ8duLv28u9cCnAJ7gcR_sBD98u3zhcUEDQxMXIyB8zYcbHyix3aab48gbaNk8Wm51xej11cYOXDDx-gzvMuELoh-sXcG7xEA0z_rYJD0YS-krN5ekHHPuFPMpNfFuTfwuGdCyuDAADY7XxyVIBQFwkW1CQI17vneyv" width="165" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59251223-cursed" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZO2xP72FXxNnjs0lM4Ze-MbTE9W0fiHrJykXTXjPWszm5EBlF-E0jWYgdbBf0aFcOyKYUqZvfqS3Csat9tlIIFZUag8S3-hlU29RrbnNbuxe0BxQUtB8QkOYzMcNyHTDmynHjtxHlc_QKToZBiFgtftzSjiAx2exVo5KKP_4iuPe7cgVsiguvOv8eA6zr" width="158" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63109001-shadows-of-truth" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2457" data-original-width="1630" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg53cFqJgYHzUhZRSPvDBPfnKkxmYE1p1ec1plMUjKJXJfo4pKUfpbCjElQVatnh9rIuOYP6D59zK-Pdv6As-vIkis1-RBLOaNd8ajhWRLFNLN0Id6Z2gCTxBOs55e57vM032ngZAsdYrVh0zzxzqsdPaCUZnHV10AsM-jK_dQ1x6Arx5Vr3ViQQJAv52uA" width="159" /></a></div></center>
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<center style="text-align: justify;">Starting off with some YA, I've been meaning to read <i><b>The Nighmate Charade</b></i> since last year 😂 We will see. And I have also been meaning to finally read <i><b>Cursed</b></i>! And now there's a new <u><b>Marissa Meyer</b></u> book that just came out this month that I also cannot wait to read! AND as I was putting this post together, I realized that <i><b>Shadows of Truth</b></i> will be coming out THIS coming week! I have really been looking forward to this one as well!</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36307634-king-of-scars" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-lzuN1IS5ENlLCvnKxt8HH9k8ZP9hxI678AxUK1PF1UxwOyuQ8rj75NagV-HXcLaHDPBIiZwqfZ6R9eEeQ6-PHBsWQEYjeXGXa_pQRCPVHtEp8ibuTyvGRaLArFnobn7wXuVOjtvhP6qzUJmuc1OKL0nB7Yz2dLNbMiC1uRp8O36GadIKlk7omqRPzGIi" width="159" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36307674-rule-of-wolves" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEguSGGq_s4XOe7SgHMpNi24y_zgdEGMdi8zyQ0UfoqcfiPbDH_x3v-fDA78QGbZhO0i8IR1xvh8jE1hxnOlY1BLo41YQX7OqacQpO37f9IqSmo2d6x3jOYyLigP-YFhwu-DBhsRg5yn4qoQpGbiNaRL-r_UKF5HqhouA5zl9H7TffPGPOVYejPK-1hYyudC" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13641105-parasite" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxnkXq0pScF29CcePEaSE4jRVTr5aCZgec44Xhv3LjDLSKgTdYXd_VtK0P-HQDj9jJy3QZvCV3n4CJPeEBdfDVYdH96SATia6-aSft8FPV9510u2sSzOlm7QsTf8_ADx4cVbMNCaWDfiEJ8X3AriImOyBLn1TlAmkMLVAxRwn_6j7HAYKq0oZk58me6is3" width="156" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31370230-parasite" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSoqvaHe2_X7_N9tAd9I0Hid99eDpWhfyQPvqnbW4aXSA5YGcm1tdH2kef8IoZDWhqmZjqgPvn395L-fvBdmxFlmjq05VllN4gLrmGo8KA4RQqBpS3Zc2u5KaXU0CAWxeYXmQzXjBH9tt-RUYs0Qp3_71UhpHhNylCo5zdLhGd1LZq0Ti6yu7tmdLPc2kH" width="150" /></a></div></center>
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<center style="text-align: justify;">I have been binge reading the <b>Grishaverse</b> but taking breaks between series. Right now I'm on my last break before I dive into <b>King of Scars</b>, and I'm excited! I adored <b>Six of Crows</b> (<b>Shadow and Bone</b> not as much 😬), so I'm VERY excited to read this duology! And then two different books titled <i><b>Parasite</b></i> 😆 This last week or so I was feeling in the mood for some sci-fi horror, so that's why these two are on the list.</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54985741-dead-space" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi_WhTloHEDew4CnryMcG-JXVaokkv3U6pzq8FL5FgntMR6fV7Ps1AtfR-utHLWWlMQwC06uiC_K11C25IAcKtugLvX8FOzgWz35Uz3z-tzTeHqxlxWnFQGPCUl708Voa16S6b58cXSZAPLKOf6KHKL2ZspbCfWVkFxN3Uv-lDuX-fuBepYpgU5zWBwldY" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58419108-mr-wrong-number" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="4950" data-original-width="3300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgK6WgV-EsH7YUwpvlHD8RYZguoFI3S5mqYuc0AiMgcR0X2GLyMPLOl33woN21mrbetgogbdzS0QLqFHZnQwnGoRU6nkaJVFoqg5BhIv12cCMQ82Wia2Gqc4cEqKDHyp_1PzCYg9zRBAB-NRyFxLz8I0Be8Ft3ycO1qGpl-EBjvWJ5wI7BbA4JVJKDG5yUT" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60487511-the-love-wager" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ2k6vZsLOJ-XQHFGs8pMYUlODOFbj3Q7i-lje1yirOGw6f6RZPOwY2yItrBnHaayiQ8CmHb9EoDYtaf_Sw8F-Z4d04oJbqbqDImgAFXCxhoSdEMwrIAZz2taGIH6vW5ES6EkjENQrwOTGfRoBtDJKanGAGMEoaxjBRrerLw2bs5YSeRjXuVTv6QZjAvjW" width="160" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123211121-raiders-of-the-lost-heart" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLTe09k7NKfs3Klpt7VHkG-MKJaDTl2xF9krY23bDpqi-5tIqCX5vUQU2eNoyVshAkh1pwnOFZU6MkPB_0x0t9GV8NMV_Kp_kH4FzpqCzMCHK0nIMKVg1xpau6vneRDrA3sUfzpi6ZXacpvRDdCqoJDzuUhM1jpJIpBSOPYNcDpuLofWeEaWtsWOLAIa1o" width="156" /></a></div></center>
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<center style="text-align: justify;">Same with <i><b>Dead Space</b></i>. But now, I don't really know if I'm still in the mood for that genre?? Maybe I want some romance?? Idk 😭 But I do know that I want to read more <u><b>Lynn Painter</b></u>! Maybe I'll read some of her adult romance before her new one comes out next month? We'll see! And <i><b>Raiders of the Lost Heart</b></i> I kept seeing at my library and now I kinda want to read it! It looks like a fun and cute adventure with romance! I'm going to the library again this weekend to pick up one of the <i><b>Parasite</b></i> books from above lol, so if I see this book again, I think I'm gonna grab it!</center>
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56271348-patient-zero" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="2625" data-original-width="1875" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj70R2WaBUcLQGbQw7BP4oeRsuTZU-Z7szREAs58nvnSSvVZrGGCGhYgTP5w_ei2N6YdrQDkSpzOdDioloYkOB9vPI0xcPlKhiaumr7akGweXbDzfvixlblQUo6TyDoIG1Ubgyjyykizsn1mTkcUn_t2SF40vs3VcSRqrAxRpvtFT6HIsZsj7hZwvOf5kgu" width="171" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50188782-gory-details" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="272" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgxjmVLvvfIoidDk_cMPU8dqMgGCM3iNAUGh3RQ-33LBp-9sd7l_zJl-I9uGS4OQBMfSnfI-7Yt9mOeFD7M7Z7NsnKKXsYqPXmtHPgl_nF_Bp3BzuRDKJCe6z7jEJvIBf-7EkGsqKIhax2mqHK1lGm1vKQY_x7_qOnOAqwqFnrS-zARW-_Uj8I7f7xRdb6" width="163" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50403464-dark-archives" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmIe-Um-SET8gsQJQbOJXJX_ce6i2jmC-Vz8aPOhyKQjY0p7SfHpISpQ5LShF51rXn9FkouwYEVoCs_7qGZSiZwi7NYcFdzTNA5RK3E4FeeR7D4iZFTm3sD_huNxaZDEnvpt6RFStee22eE6tlSv5hXOG24gj0j3fueaVEeSF3unAifqwJWF9lF3itPFQL" width="160" /></a></div></center>
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<center>And last we got some nonfiction! The first two are more science-y in nature, and <i><b>Dark Archives</b></i> talks about the history of books bound in human skin 😰</center>
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<center>Let me know if you've read any of these books or what is on your TBR list right now!</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-55206666918122419052024-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-23T00:00:00.435-08:00Review: Better Than The Movies (Extras) by Lynn Painter<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi40lfDGO1hIWUPrzQCjV9j0m1i7TaXWCtn_kMB3mxEdXOaX_g1-3fuG2Km6GtDSVT6dmFARgdGj-teOA-WeWBV5Y9KKd9yqqD-ooUk5ML7HN3eua-iGeVjNqeUNRdwCiIh0-JGDL6imFZFTvmBfe4WDUxRTnONmCKlBtAJ0pyIXw3Ks-RjVEH529EAaNIL=w247-h320" width="247" /></div><br /></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Better Than The Movies (Extras)
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<b>Author:</b> Lynn Painter
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<b>Publication date:</b>
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<b>Published by:</b> Lynn Painter
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<b>Source:</b> Read online
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<b>Add them on Goodreads:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204145410-liz-s-proposal" target="_blank">Liz's Proposal</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/133126470-the-party" target="_blank">The Party</a>
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<b>Read them</b> <a href="https://lynnpainter.com/misc-content" target="_blank">for FREE here</a>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;">Scenes in Wes's POV from <b><i>Better Than The Movies</i></b>.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★★</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I love these Wes POV scenes! Once I started reading them I couldn’t stop! They are just so cute!
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="500" height="196" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/623e7a6bff0d86cbeec12e542f301ada/tumblr_ni8bcilkmq1sr0pqfo1_500.gif" width="400" /></div></center></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><center><b><u>Liz’s Proposal</u></b></center><br />
This scene was toward the beginning of <b><i><a href="https://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2024/02/review-better-than-movies-by-lynn-painter.html" target="_blank">Better Than The Movies</a></i></b> when Liz goes to Wes with a proposal: Wes helps her get to know Michael better, and Wes gets The Spot. The way Wes was torn about helping Liz though. Poor Wes! He obviously doesn’t want her to get together with Michael, but also this is the chance for him to get closer to her, sooo...
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<div style="background-color: #d9b1e1; padding: 15px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I was a fool for my neighbor.</div></div>
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This was so freaking cute! I love a Wes POV! Being inside his head is so interesting because we get to see why he did the things he did in <i><b>Better Than The Movies</b></i>, things that Liz thought were just to annoy her. But no, there’s more to his actions than just that.
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<center><b><u>The Party</u></b></center><br />
This Wes POV scene is the one where Wes agrees to take Liz to the party so she can get to know Michael better. I loved this! Even though these two had more of an enemy relationship in the past, they really had each other's backs during this party. Liz telling Ashley that she and Wes are dating (omg fake dating trope, my favorite!), and then Wes saving Liz after Ashley threw up on her...
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He swept her out of that room and then lent her some of his clothes 😭 I love Wes. He is SO sweet! And I enjoyed getting his POV on this scene because I was so curious to see what he was thinking. And what he was thinking was that Liz looked incredible in his clothes 😂 The way it made him crazy, it was so cute! I am loving these extra scenes from Wes’s POV. But I’ve been reading so many of them that at this point I just want to re-read <b><i>Better Than The Movies</i></b> 😆
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<center><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="500" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/d18714a6d55f398e9eca484376f442f9/tumblr_pcrtqsISJS1v1p15bo1_500.gif" width="320" /></div></center>
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<center><i>Have you read these shorts? If so, what did you think of them? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2643552909561895543.post-4808761679326376152024-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-21T00:00:00.416-08:00Review: Covert Kisses by Janette Rallison<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHLVzjH-H0s70Nl_uRTjejiEkoKtkRw3iRa_BBfQhZnC5hs7UK121dHY4i2VHvz6n6fhHi37u_LRaC5miTe4P5TR9ime3OB9n870TONjewagYImQ_ArhkyKqqIWaLr8ldgMlbaLEaUfcRvb7x2i9dfXIDszqDuDoUS8ZU7kfyzYXYa3IOWQX1HHzM5cg2s=w200-h320" width="200" /></div></div>
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<blockquote><b>Title:</b> Covert Kisses
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<b>Author:</b> Janette Rallison
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<b>Publication date:</b> March 2022
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<b>Published by:</b> Janette Rallison
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<b>Source:</b> Purchased ebook with gift card
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<b>Add it</b> on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60689488-covert-kisses-trilogy?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_13" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br /><br />
<b>Buy it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Covert-Kisses-Trilogy-romantic-suspense-ebook/dp/B09WH2922X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YO2JAVF19DVV&keywords=covert+kisses+janette+rallison&qid=1707587517&sprefix=covert+kiss%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis:</b> <span style="color: #7d3698;"><b><i>Hot policemen? Yes, please.</i></b>
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If you like romantic suspense with a twist of humor, these three novellas are for you!
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<b>Paisley Spencer's</b> phone dies at the worst time—right when she's lost in a bad part of Phoenix. She ventures into an all-night liquor store to ask for directions, and when she returns to her car, three thugs are waiting for her. She has to rely on the mercy of a handsome stranger to escape, but he's keeping secrets that will lead her into even more trouble.
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Lydia Robinson</b> is an undercover cop posing as a prostitute in a sting operation. It's not a horrible job. Well, at least not until her ex-boyfriend from high school shows up. Yeah, there are certain times when you don't want to be spotted on a street corner in hooker clothes, especially if you can't explain yourself.
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What's worse, her ex wants to save her from a life of crime, and he's willing to kidnap her to do it.
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Bethany Smith</b> didn't mean to become a criminal. She especially didn't mean to break into anyone's house wearing only her underwear. Long story. Worst Valentine's Day ever.
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But the arresting officer is so handsome, well, maybe it won't be the worst Valentine's Day after all.</span></div></blockquote></div>
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<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">My rating:</span> <span style="color: #7d3698; font-size: 40px;">★★★★★</span></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">I love the contemporary romances that <b><u>Janette Rallison</u></b> writes, so I was very excited about the three romantic suspense novellas in this book! They all featured someone who was in law enforcement, and the stories were all so cute!</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><center><b><u>Covertly Yours</u></b></center><br />
In this first novella, we have Paisley who suddenly finds herself in a bad part of town when a handsome stranger comes swooping in to rescue her from some guys trying to start trouble with her. Right from the start I loved this because aside from the sweet romances that <b><u>Janette Rallison</u></b> writes, her writing is also hilarious! She puts her characters through some really awkward situations and I love it! It’s so fun! Plus, I love the banter between the characters as well. And this story was quite suspenseful because poor Paisley kept finding herself in bad situations after bad situations. Luckily, Ice, a very handsome stranger helps her out... though he seems to be keeping some secrets...
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<center><b><u>Job Hazards</u></b></center><br />
This next story, omg I could not stop laughing! So Lydia is an undercover cop whose cover is that of a sex worker, and one night while she’s out working the streets an old flame finds her and is absolutely shocked to see what’s become of her. Well, he then tries to “save” her and things go all sorts of wrong! Poor Harrison 😂 It was actually really sweet how much he still cared for Lydia and how worried he was about her well-being. I loved the whole second chance romance trope, and it was just so sweet it almost made me cry.
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<center><b><u>A Brush with the Law</u></b></center><br />
And of the three novellas, this one was my absolute favorite!! So we have Bethany who is painting a house for a client, and long story short, she locks herself out and has to break back into the house... while in her underwear...
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It sounds insane because it is! 😂 I’m telling you, the situations <b><u>Janette</u></b> puts her characters through suck for them! But I loved it! The way we got to that point, it sounds insane, but it made sense. And the authorities were called on her, poor Bethany. Lol. And on top of everything, it’s Valentine’s Day and she has a date! Oof. But let me tell you, the way this story came together, from her breaking and entering to her date... it was SO good! The cop who has to deal with her, uh, <i>situation</i> was so sweet! I loved him! And I loved the banter! It was cute and it was awkward and it just made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
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These were just so much fun! They were short and sweet, I loved the romance and the banter, plus the added bit of suspense was a bonus! I almost wish they were longer, they were that good! But I definitely recommend this (and all of <b><u>Janette Rallison’s</u></b> other books as well 😆)!</div>
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<center><i>Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below!</i> 😊</center>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq5KTAY15Q4rE5uT4LiqPQC-Eu54hh_LQ1XkLcWkdNGwGAW_d4mkhW8go7iOsIswyjYvqyVIHnJZJbh1RY9VFKPiSibDIUd6yDMKqeE-VLy3acXhSlJnd8hKbcJp2lULu4sb-N9nPYlmbH/s1600/Liliana.png" />Lilianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10943616728668795725noreply@blogger.com0