tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79143548979620188002024-02-20T23:02:35.398-08:00Insomniac StationGive me something to believe in. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-19470957986635887022013-11-27T05:43:00.000-08:002013-11-27T06:02:25.136-08:00Disillusioned<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of these days you read a book, you watch a movie, or even a phrase you may have heard somewhere that can affect you deeply. I read Solanin a while ago and it took a while to wrap my head around it. It's so bittersweet and has grasped the reality around us so well. Each character has a flaw you can relate to. You fall in love with them and then wish you hadn't.<br />
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Here are a couple of quotes from it:<br /><br />
<i>"When you feel the tiniest bit of warmth and that disappears...do you know how that feels?"</i><br />
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<i>"The fear that comes with facing something serious...the fear of losing your way back to how things were before. As time passes, your options dwindle to fewer and fewer."</i><br />
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<i>That's the problem with life. You never get enough time to stare at your ceiling and try to figure out what's going on.</i><br />
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<i>Fireworks are so beautiful, but that same gunpowder can kill people. </i><br />
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<i>The monster who whispered, "set yourself free" in my ear...was it freedom itself?</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-43174021372800712382013-02-28T06:35:00.003-08:002013-02-28T06:35:59.937-08:00On rishta aunties and the odd servings of tea.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /><br />It's been very very long since I last posted here. I'd blame it on university, but since you all know how much I actually study let's just blame it on twitter. Okay? Okay.<br /><br />So, I wrote this speech on rishta aunties & the tea-trolley system for class. Was supposed to be in urdu. Thought I'd share it here. Much love to Maryam for all the help ♥.<br /><br />"Humaray maashray main jab shaadi honi hoti hai, tou larkay walay pehle larki walon k yahan rishta ley k jaatay hain, khaas kar k agar arranged hoti hai. Arrange karwata kaun hai aakhir? Humaray maashray main ek rishtay wali aunty ka <i>keera </i>hota hai. Jin ka kaam sirf aur sirf sab ki shaadi karana hota hai. Har waqt apnay purse main ek photo album le ke ghoomti hain aur aisay gharon ki talaash main rehti hain jahan ke bachay bachay nahi rehtay. Shaadiyon main, dawaton main, harr jaga ley k jaayein gi yeh tasveerein, aur phir aap ki ammi k kaan main khusar phusar karna shuru kardein gi. Larkiyon ko dhoondtay huay sab ki khwaishein bohat hoti hain. Larki ki rangat gori, kamar patli, qadd acha, aur umer choti honi chahiye. Larki parhi likhi honi chahiye, magar woh uss parhai likhai ka istimaal nahin kar sakti. Larka jaisa bhi ho. Larkay k kirdaar k baaray main sawal karein ge tou woh loug naraz hojatay hain. Iss baat ko woh loug bura samajhtay hain. Larki k liye sab kuch chalta hai. Rishtay wali aunty aati hain aur aap ko batayein gi k "client ko doctor bahu chahiye, jo k shaadi k baad kaam nahin karay." Dawaton main jaa k har 16 saal ki larki ya 20 saal k larkay se kahein gi "Beta, kitne baray hogaye ho. Shaadi karne ka socha hai ab tak?". Sab ki umer nikli jaa rahi hoti hai tou bus sab parhai likhai chor k shadi karna shuru kardein. Kya aap se kabhi kisi ne yeh sawal kiya hai? Kya aap kisi rishtay wali aunty ko jaantay hain?<br /><br />Iss maashray main ek nizam bana hua hai rishton ka. Larkay walay larki walon k ghar atay hain, larki ek trolley pe chai ley k aati hai aur un logon ko serve karti hai. Gaanon main bhi aap ko yeh bataya jaata hai, jaise k “Shayad meri shaadi ka khayal dil main aaya hai, isi liye mummy ne meri tumhe chai pe bulaya hai.” Phir uss ek chai pilanay ki mulaqaat k baad ya tou rishta aata hai ya nahin aata. Iss hi saqafat k upar tv pe ishtihaar bhi aatay hain. Jaise k ek ishtihaar aaya tha Tapal ki chai ki patti ka, uss main ek larki apne imtihaanon main position ley k aayi thi. Uss k baad woh ghar pohnchti hai aur uskay sar pe dupatta daala jaata hai aur uskay haath main ek chai ki tray pakrayi jaati hai.<br /><br />Jab aap in cheezon ko farogh dein ge tou aakhir humara kya hoga? Aagay ki naslon ka kya hoga? Zara sochiye. "<div>
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Feedback would be appreciated!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-6787014633796790722012-04-25T11:48:00.004-07:002012-04-25T11:51:38.801-07:00Procrastination<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="text-align: center;">Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. - Mark Twain</span></i><div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://sharonwritesromance.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/procrastination.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://sharonwritesromance.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/procrastination.jpg" /></a></div>
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So as some of you may know, my A Level exams are coming up in the next 3 weeks. And how much have I studied? Not. a. fucking. page. <br /><br />And who's fault is that? Procrastination's. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002248575/1326230679_avoiding_procrastination_xlarge.jpeg"><img border="0" src="http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002248575/1326230679_avoiding_procrastination_xlarge.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Procrastination is not my friend. It is my worst enemy right now. It has been holding me and hasn't let go for the past year. Someone please arrest it. Kill it. Burn it. Kill it with fire. Gauge it's eyes out. <br /><br />See the effect on me?<br /><br />Anyways. This post on procrastination was due to said procrastination. Said procrastination which will cause me to fail. That and Facebook and Twitter. <br /><br />I'll finish this later. Too lazy. Bye. (That and I think I hear my mother's footsteps)</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-6715213847439094372012-03-01T10:59:00.000-08:002012-03-01T10:59:16.172-08:00Images of the Week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-49222129201876186902012-02-09T12:28:00.001-08:002012-02-09T12:28:10.199-08:00Fight Club Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5759.Fight_Club" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Fight Club" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327866948m/5759.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5759.Fight_Club">Fight Club</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2546.Chuck_Palahniuk">Chuck Palahniuk</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/274850300">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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1. This review is based on my reading of the first few chapters, and of watching the movie.<br />
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2. I saw the movie around a month or two ago. Movie Over Book, hands down.<br />
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3. You do NOT talk about Fight Club.<br />
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So I watched the movie of this a while ago, and LOVED it. Even though it's a guy-oriented movie. It may not be for all kinds of girls though since I seem to sympathize with guys a lot. Anyways, I knew it was based on a book but was too lazy to read hence watched the movie and now picked up the book. Can I just say how amazingly the movie captures what the book says? When I started reading this, every single scene I read played vividly in my mind, the quotes, the narration, the acting. Kudos to the actors and director.<br />
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It was actually the scenes playing in my head which forced me to put this down. I couldn't concentrate on the book without thinking of the movie. The same scenes seemed bland in a way the way they read off the pages. Had I read the book first, I may not have enjoyed the movie as much, nor would I have enjoyed the book as much as I enjoyed the movie.<br />
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I didn't really like the writing of Chuck Palahniuk. The quotes, yes. But I recommend you to watch the movie instead. Full of awesomeness.<br />
<br />
<em>I am Jack's broken heart.</em>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-77664466870715621932012-02-09T12:26:00.001-08:002012-02-09T12:26:28.476-08:00The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2429135.The_Girl_With_the_Dragon_Tattoo" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327868566m/2429135.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2429135.The_Girl_With_the_Dragon_Tattoo">The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/706255.Stieg_Larsson">Stieg Larsson</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/255404820">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<em>Eighteen percent of the women in Sweden have at one time been threatened by a man.</em>
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One thing I'd like to say first. The title of this book is quite misleading. This book has much to do with a girl - but not quite much to do with the girl who has the dragon tattoo. The tattoo is mentioned once, I believe, and the topic is let alone. The mysteries of this book are not completely wrapped up, and so there are sequels. There were a few things I misunderstood about this book when I picked it up and I'd like to clear those up:
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1. I thought it'd have much to do with the girl with the dragon tattoo (Salandar, her name is.), as I said above.
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2. That it was Young-Adult. Trust me, this is NOT young adult. I'd suggest this for you if you're 16+ at least, there are some very disturbing visuals in this.
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<br />
<strong>So, the beginning...</strong>
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The narration in the beginning was quite hard to get into. After a few chapters, the story picks up though.
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<br />
<strong>The Story...</strong>
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So, Mikael Blomkvist is a journalist. He's hired to find out a mystery. A 36 year old mystery about a missing girl. With complications and other mysteries surrounding this, he tries to work out this historical mystery. What comes out of this mystery comes out as a surprise to many, and I'm sure it'll be a surprise to you too.
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<strong>The characters...</strong>
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Mikael. A financial journalist whose reputation has fallen, and so he takes the offer he's given (big bucks involved in that as well) to write a book containing the chronicles of the Vanger family, and (the real objective) to find out what happened to Harriet Vanger in 1966 when she disappeared. Not much to say about him, he wasn't a bore or incredibly exciting to read about...he was okay.
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Salandar. Lisbeth Salandar. The girl with the dragon tattoo She's a mystery on her own until the end, hence the sequels I believe. Annoying at times, but mostly just full of secrets waiting to be revealed in the next book...
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<strong>The mystery...</strong>
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The mystery was...actually a mystery. It keeps you in suspense until the very end, and the things revealed are quite a surprise.
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<strong>The Name and the Main Topic...</strong>
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The original name of this book was supposed to be <em>Män som hatar kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women)</em> which is a MUCH more fitting title, in my opinion. Sad to say that the insane treatment of women that happened in this novel does occur in real life, still. Rape is still a big issue. I know of a girl who got raped a few years ago, and she reported it. Yet, no action was taken much to my dismay. At times, society and culture are still male dominant. And it's very trying for women then.
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The narration got tedious at times, and Salandar gets aggravating, and GOD, the relationships were so...dysfunctional. Erika and Mikael's relationship...I won't even comment on that. *shakes head thinking about it*
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Overall, a great mystery though. Much recommended to fans of mystery. Getting through the first part is hard, but the rest is a breeze.
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-29613675075120816732012-01-16T11:09:00.000-08:002012-01-16T11:09:43.420-08:00Small Update...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I haven't posted for a while, I shall have rants and reviews up sometime this week. Coming soon...<br />
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Till then, ta-ta. *pops out*</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-10944594548134406442011-12-23T04:05:00.000-08:002011-12-23T04:48:05.220-08:00Random stuff this week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So for lack of a catchy title, bear with that as a name. Although the contents of this post will be exactly as stated in the name. SO. What's happened this week so far?<br />
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1. Karachiites might know a Facebook group by the name of KarachiTips. Recently, this showed up on their page.<br />
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I applied, of course. And a few days ago, I found an email from them saying I am now a part of their group. Like all good news, I had checked this right before I was going to sleep. I didn't sleep so early that day after that. The internet addict that I am, I've actually joined plenty of groups online before. And honestly, KarachiTips Blog Team has been the most fun group I've been so far. The people there are awesome (of course.). It's been bucket-loads of fun so far. Meetup is tomorrow, which I'll hopefully *crosses fingers* be able to attend. Anyways, more on this later.</div>
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2. I won a book giveaway! Thanks to <a href="http://thenocturnallibrary.blogspot.com/">The Nocturnal Library</a>. Thanks Maja and Lisa for hosting awesome international giveaways! :D<br />
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<i>Currently reading: </i><br />
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<b>Little Women</b><br />
I first read a manga which is kind of a spin off of this. So I got interested in this. It's okay so far, hasn't really touched me so far in the book yet.<br />
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<i>Just finished: </i><br />
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<b>Pride and Prejudice</b><br />
This was like the 10th or 15th time I'm reading this. I still love it just as much. Elizabeth and Darcy ♥.<br />
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<i>Currently watching: </i><br />
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<b>The Big Bang Theory</b><br />
Onto Season 03. Sheldon remains awesome as ever.<br />
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<i>Movies to watch:</i><br />
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Breakfast at Tiffany's, Shawshank Redemption, Heathers, The Pianist. Hopefully in this following week...<br />
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<i>Recently watched: </i><br />
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<b>Hangover 2</b><br />
Not as good as the first movie, but good enough for a few laughs.<br />
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<i>Song for the week:</i><br />
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<b>Closing Time - Semisonic</b><br />
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<i>"I know who I want to take me home."</i><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-36827489547782252892011-12-10T14:29:00.001-08:002011-12-10T14:29:48.495-08:00Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6527740-last-sacrifice" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, #6)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319850978m/6527740.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6527740-last-sacrifice">Last Sacrifice</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137902.Richelle_Mead">Richelle Mead</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62099677">2 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<strong>2.5 stars</strong>
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I started this series in December 2008. I finished it in December 2011. It feels like such a whirlwind, but I'm not all that sad to see it end. It was time.
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<br />
By the time this ended, I can't say I remain overly fond of any of the characters. For me, the best books in the series were the first 3 (and I can't say for sure that I'll like them if I read them now), and the 4th and 5th were the worst, and this one was just...okay.
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For the first half of this book I felt that nothing was happening. They weren't getting any closer to solving the mystery or even in the romantic aspect. It picked up once they started finding stuff out, which turned out to be surprising. One good thing about Richelle Mead is the element of surprise she has in her books. Despite the roundabout way they reach it in the end.
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<br />
I feel that Richelle Mead has potential to write good books, and she DID, but they seem to be getting worse over time, with the huge number of series she picks up and having a book published every 3 months or so. So, Richelle Mead, only one thing I'd like to say to you...
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<img class="escapedImg" src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3965371/Editing/35gm8r.jpg" />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-83388271531874122692011-12-07T09:13:00.001-08:002011-12-07T10:25:11.939-08:00Some random facts about me + RTW #108: How far would you go?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Let's start with some obvious ones...<br />
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1. I confess, I am a social network addict. As you can see by the buttons on the side ~><br />
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2. Apparently, I read 450-500 Words Per Minute. According to some test whose link I have now lost.<br />
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3. I barely ever talk unless someone else makes the first step. Those socially awkward penguin memes? They all apply to me.<br />
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4. I've read the whole Harry Potter series around 20 times, give or take a few.<br />
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5. I scanlate. If you've read manga online, you probably know what that is. <a href="http://www.evilflowers.com/">Here's</a> my group. Apply if you're interested in Photoshop. We love people who love Photoshop ;)<br />
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Enough random facts for now, let's keep some more for later.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">RTW #108: How Far Would You Go?</span><br />
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<i>Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the <a href="http://www.yahighway.com/2011/11/road-trip-wednesday-107-best-book-of.html">comments</a>, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.</i><div>
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<b>How Far Would You go to Get Published?</b></div>
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Okay, so first of all...I'm not aiming to be an author. I may be in the minority for that, because I've seen loads of fellow bloggers who write, and aim to be published. Me - I got interested in writing a few years ago, simply because I was good at English. I told my parents I wanted to be a writer, that idea got slammed down fast enough. The real reason I wanted to be an author? I love staying at home. I loved the idea of being able to work from home. And then I found Photoshop. Graphic designing, I'm quite interested in. Sadly, that idea was slammed down as well, though I still have a tiny bit of hope for it.</div>
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Anyways, onto the real topic. How far? Sometimes authors have to bend a bit to break into the publishing world. There are trends going on, popular genres, so what will you do?</div>
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Me...there's one thing I like to consider whenever I write. Would I read it? I like very little of the popular books nowadays, it's like, Why The Hype? I prefer issues. REAL issues. Not deciding which species of monsters I like more (*ahem* Vampires, werewolves...etc.); So no, in my opinion, I don't think I'd ever go even until first base. Writing is my hobby, I write when I feel like it, and I want to <i>enjoy</i> it. I don't want to think about how I'll have to add in this type of story-line, or that type of story-line so the readers will like it more. When I start writing, I just either keep going or I stop. I don't exactly think much along the way.</div>
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That's it for today...and in other news...</div>
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My review got published at <a href="http://www.ideasevolved.com/reality-romanticized-november-11/">Reality Romanticized</a>, in the November '11 issue. Yayz!</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-60974497255521319512011-12-06T13:02:00.001-08:002011-12-06T13:12:20.084-08:00Images of the Week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Oh London...the Death Eaters are coming for you...</div>
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Cute...and wrinkly.</div>
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OMNOMNOM.</div>
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WHY DO YOUR PREDICTIONS HAVE TO COME TRUE, TRELAWNEY, <i><b>WHY?</b></i></div>
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Disney taught me all I know~ Look good, or gtfo. :) Teehee~</div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-31314706327132197402011-12-06T12:55:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:55:32.163-08:00Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10558533-heart-of-steel" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Heart of Steel (Iron Seas, #2)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1307582794m/10558533.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10558533-heart-of-steel">Heart of Steel</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24009.Meljean_Brook">Meljean Brook</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/181770643">2 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I expected to like this more than the first book because Yasmeen and Archimedes Fox were such interesting side characters in the first book. When you're in their head though...not so interesting.
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It starts off well enough. It begins with an adventure. Yasmeen and Archimedes team up to search for a very valuable sketch someone stole from them. And so, they go into Horde-occupied Morocco - to the enemy.
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So this is my 2nd steampunk book. And I think I just got more confused than ever. The world-building in this is...not quite complex, they just give too little details concerning it. Ok, so this is the 2nd book of the series, but I felt the same in the first book. Is it a steampunk thing that I obviously don't know about? I can't say until I read other books from this genre.
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I had a lot of questions. I feel that the author just 'mentions' things, and gives vague meanings or answers. For example, Archimedes Fox's story about his father, and Yasmeen killing him - it all just flew over my head. I mean, explain, please? And then there's the Horde...I'm not even going to get started on that. First of all, WHO is the Horde? I have a very vague understanding of all this, and really don't remember very much from the first book aside from the romance. And then there's Yasmeen's origins...that flew over my head as well.
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And the romance...pretty typical. Guy goes after unattainable girl, attains her by heroic performance, being different from all other guys, etc. Authors, please...try something new, would you? Hard-to-get, strong heroines are very nice and all...but at least make it enjoyable if you can't make it unique. So to say, I didn't find their interactions entertaining at all. I HAD in the first book, so that was a big disappointment.
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Anywho, it was an ok read, the only parts I really liked were in the beginning, with Zenobia and Yasmeen. I was sad to see that Zenobia doesn't play a bigger role. Not a memorable read overall.
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-14125516852070849352011-12-06T07:31:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:56:52.242-08:00Top Ten Tuesday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So...another meme!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNf3htXLt8wz-1JKC4EcsxxRYd1lYr7AaXZ-v9yJyZS0fSwraIS9iJWcPMS8FeRwQjUzR3l66DOr56s0_epXn77y6NC4OVU45R49E7BRuQJqL9oLKFM8Zo2H_xaPvj47pYWCsPtHlbJF4/s320/TTT3W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNf3htXLt8wz-1JKC4EcsxxRYd1lYr7AaXZ-v9yJyZS0fSwraIS9iJWcPMS8FeRwQjUzR3l66DOr56s0_epXn77y6NC4OVU45R49E7BRuQJqL9oLKFM8Zo2H_xaPvj47pYWCsPtHlbJF4/s320/TTT3W.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by <a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">The Broke and the Bookish</a><a href="http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/">.</a> It was created because of their love of lists, and I myself love lists as well. Everyone is welcome to join in, and don't worry if you can't think of 10 - just do as many as you can. And of course, be sure to link back to TBATB (and leave me a link here too!) on your post!<br />
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This week's topic is~<br />
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<b><i>Top Ten Childhood Favorites:</i></b><br />
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<i>1. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein</i><br />
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I <i>adore </i>Shel Silverstein's poems and had an amazing school that made us read this book in Grade 1. (Thank you, school)</div>
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<i>2. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder</i></div>
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I loooved this series in Grade 3. These were very interesting stories, about the pioneer times. I *think* I was learning about pioneers those days, or maybe this book just got me interested. This is the type of book I would recommend to younger girls these days.</div>
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<i>3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl</i></div>
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Who HASN'T watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? It came on tv sooo many times when I was a kid (OOMPA LOOMPAS FTW!). The new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (while still good) has got nothing on the old movie. Anywho, I read the book sometime in Grade 4 or so? And it really is great, I loved the descriptions of the inside of the factory, 'twas quite fascinating :D</div>
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<i>4. Goosebumps by R.L. Stine</i></div>
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GOOSEBUMPS ♥. Ok, so I never got any goosebumps while reading this series, but they're still awesomeee. And just a liiiittle bit creepy if you're a kid, and never-ever predictable. I guess my demands for unpredictableness come from reading this series. Awesome series.</div>
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<i>5. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner</i></div>
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The Boxcar Children is a great adventure series. It's an incredibly long series though, despite reading over 30 books in it, that's not even halfway in D; It's a fun read for kids interested in mysteries though, or those who have many siblings ;) (I am one of both~)</div>
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<i>6. Superfudge by Judy Blume</i></div>
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Superfuuuudge to the rescue! My 5th Grade year mostly consisted of me reading and rereading Superfudge. It's superfun! Judy Blume's children books are just great, Fudge is one of the most annoying brothers you will read about. :D</div>
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<i>7. The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin</i></div>
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*sigh* This was one of the bestest series of my childhood. The Babysitters Club taught me so much. I miss Kristy, Mary Ann, Stacy, Claudia, and Dawn. :( This series actually made me WANT to babysit. </div>
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<i>8. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt</i></div>
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Tucktucktucktuck. <3 So I read this in Grade 6. I remember almost crying, but not, because I was reading this during break in class. It's a beautiful story, and I really need to watch it's movie/reread it.</div>
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<i>9. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine</i></div>
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Where do I start with this! Ella Enchanted is a MUST-READ for fairy-tale lovers out there. Ella's such a great character, and there are OGRES in this!</div>
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<i>10. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling</i></div>
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Last but definitely not least, HARRY-FREAKING-POTTER! I'm not even going to say anything about this, just, everyone, read the series. Awesome, amazing, fantastic...no words that can do it justice. I plan to read it to my kids, whenever I have 'em. They have got to be HP fans or I'll disown them. </div>
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That is it for today, until next time!</div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-28994515256459683722011-12-02T13:21:00.001-08:002011-12-02T13:27:30.349-08:00Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere #2) Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10165727-froi-of-the-exiles" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere Chronicles, #2)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1306866851m/10165727.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10165727-froi-of-the-exiles">Froi of the Exiles</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47104.Melina_Marchetta">Melina Marchetta</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/196146921">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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<strong>4.5 stars</strong>
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<em>“If we forget who we lost, then we forget who we once were, and if we forget who we once were, we lose sight of who we are now.”</em>
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<strong>Warning: Gushing may occur.</strong>
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First of all, I want to thank Melina Marchetta for writing all the wonderful books she does. Her books seem to get better each year. I don't know how she does it, but thank you, Melina Marchetta, for this amazing experience.
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Now Froi...you all remember him from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4932435.Finnikin_of_the_Rock_Lumatere_Chronicles_1_" title="Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1) by Melina Marchetta">Finnikin of the Rock</a>, don't you? The thief. This story is about a kingdom, of people. 3 years have passed since the curse was lifted from Lumatere, and now Froi has got a mission to complete in Charyn, the enemy country. There he meets people whose lives he will change, and who will change his lives. And he learns the meaning of family.
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When I was reading this book, I wasn't sitting in my room with my eyes of my laptop's screen. I was in Charyn. I was in Lumatere. I was Froi. I was Quintana. This book absorbed me. Some books, you absorb in a frenzy. This one...I took my time letting the story sink in, letting the song that seeps in Froi's blood to seep in mine. And sometimes during it...I fell in love with it. I couldn't say the same for Finnikin but I loved Froi, I loved Charyn and I loved all of the other characters as minor they may be.
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The characters were so vulnerable, so flawed, I should've hated them. This book depicts a half-mad princess, how is that lovable? But she is. If I knew someone like that realistically, yes I would hate them. But Melina Marchetta draws you to the characters. I loved them unconditionally, with all their flaws and insecurities.
<br />
<br />
I especially loved the parts with Froi, Quintana, Arjuro, Gargarin and Lirah. <spoiler>Such a strange family they make, yet there's word. Family. </spoiler>I won't say much about the book aside from that, I feel like I might ruin it for you. Each page in it is a pleasure to read, more so if it remains a surprise to you or fairly unknown, and I'm so glad I got the chance to read this. <b>Thank You, Netgalley.</b><br />
<br />
And god, I hate cliffhangers and I just absolutely have GOT to know what happens next. I'll be desperately waiting until October...10 months to go.
<br />
<br />
On another note, to anyone reading this who HAS NOT read Melina Marchetta yet, <strong>READ HER</strong> (or more precisely, her books). Just give her a chance. There's the slightest of slightest chances that you may not like her, and even if you don't, I guarantee that her books are better than most of the generic YA being produced lately (I may sound a bit forceful, but I just feel enough people don't know about her, the amazing author that she is).
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-9613807086248441822011-12-02T01:48:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:50:21.097-08:00A-Z Questionnaire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So one thing you all might not know about me. I love talking about myself. If I actually talked more, then I'd reveal all those gossipy, juicy family secrets which stay in my stomach (I blame it on the secrets whenever I lose weight). So, ANYWAYS, I'm doing a questionnaire to get it allll out. Me gots this from <a href="http://aleezarauf.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-which-i-talk-about-myself-lot.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Age: 17 going on 18. Can't wait till February (My birthday, of course)!<br />
<br />
Bed Size: Medium? Not big enough for me and my sister though... (No bed is big enough for my sister, she lies ALL OVER the place)<br />
<br />
Chore that you hate: All of them? Unless that chore consists of anything Internet/Laptop-related.<br />
<br />
Dogs: Scary. I've always been scared of them. When I was 5, this dog stepped into the elevator with my family and I went onto my dad's shoulders because I was so scared. Frankly, my parents and the rest of my family are scared as well, so that was one scary moment in our lives. And the dog was big. I think it was a German Shepherd?<br />
<br />
Essential Start to your Day: TEA. I'm unwilling to do any work without it, whether I get it at 10 am, or 3 pm, or 7 pm.<br />
<br />
Favorite Colors: Umm...black and purple. I don't particularly care though as long as something looks appealing.<br />
<br />
Gold or Silver: Silver.<br />
<br />
Height: 5'1", much to my despair.<br />
<br />
Instruments you play: The recorder! Does that count? And I learned how to play the keyboard in Grade 6...hopefully I remember?<br />
<br />
Job Title: Drop-out? Procrastinator? The Daughter Who Does Not Work? Any of those would work.<br />
<br />
Kids: Um, no, thank you. Not right now.<br />
<br />
Lives: Karachiiii, Pakistan. The City of Lights (and load-shedding and poverty, and yadayadayada)<br />
<br />
Overnight hospital stays: Don't think so, aside from the time I was born.<br />
<br />
Pet Peeves: Too many to name here.<br />
<br />
Quote from a movie: "You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else." - Fight Club<br />
<br />
Right or Left-handed: Right.<br />
<br />
Siblings: One younger sister, two younger brothers. An annoying bunch altogether, really.<br />
<br />
Time you wake up: It varies from 11 am to 2 pm. Mostly 1 pm though, with my mom shouting at me.<br />
<br />
Underwear: I...am not going to answer that.<br />
<br />
Vegetable you hate: Uhm...I wouldn't know, I generally don't try vegetables aside from the ones used in food at home.<br />
<br />
What makes you run late: Internet!<br />
<br />
X-rays you've had: Don't think I've had any.<br />
<br />
Yummy food that you make: Butter Chicken! Pizza! Lasagna! ...and ehm...Biryani? It's been over a year since I made that though.<br />
<br />
Zoo animal: Pandaaaaaaa!<br />
<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-7276638251443720352011-11-30T12:59:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:50:21.091-08:00RTW: Best book of the month<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the <a href="http://www.yahighway.com/2011/11/road-trip-wednesday-107-best-book-of.html">comments</a>, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>This week's topic:</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #1f1f1f; font-family: Arial, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<b><i>What's the best book you read in November?</i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Can I choose more than one? I read 3 books in November that I really enjoyed, all for different purposes.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://insomniacstation.blogspot.com/2011/11/graffiti-moon-by-cath-crowley-my-rating.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320129868l/7863274.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="http://insomniacstation.blogspot.com/2011/11/flat-out-love-by-jessica-park-my-rating.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302831167l/11096647.jpg" width="130" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/229839697" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312050504l/8041873.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The images link to my reviews. I'd recommend all 3 :)</div>
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<div>
Stay tuned for a review of <u>Froi of the Exiles</u> soon. </div>
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</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-53844502384039317062011-11-27T13:39:00.001-08:002011-11-27T13:40:02.319-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248482.Enna_Burning" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Enna Burning (The Books of Bayern, #2)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1319489228m/248482.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248482.Enna_Burning">Enna Burning</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49177.Shannon_Hale">Shannon Hale</a><br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/168612907">2 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
<strong>2.5 stars</strong>
<br />
<br />
After the adventure that <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179064.The_Goose_Girl_The_Books_of_Bayern_1_" title="The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1) by Shannon Hale">The Goose Girl</a> was, Enna Burning was quite a disappointment.
<br />
<br />
So from the last book, you've got Enna, Isi's friend who has returned to the Forest and lived with her brother for around 2 [?] years, before returning to the palace when there's a threat of war. In those years, Enna has changed. She is now a fire wielder. She believes she can use that fire to help out Bayern, and so she goes on raids, but sometime during her raids...something goes wrong, and Enna is captured by the enemy. Can Enna keep control of her fire, before it consumes her and everyone else?
<br />
<br />
I didn't like Enna. After The Goose Girl, Enna seems lackluster compared to Isi. Isi seemed so strong, intelligent and capable of making good decisions, while Enna seems to be the opposite to me. She fell into traps, trusted the wrong people, and didn't see what was right in front of her. Of course, she was rid of those bad habits by the end, through anti-climatic means, so to have a happy ending.
<br />
<br />
The romance like in the first book did not play a very big part in this, though it did play a part indirectly. Sileph to a reader would seem very obnoxious, though of course he wouldn't to Enna, but it still annoyed me how clueless she was.
<br />
<br />
The high point I found were the interactions between Isi and Enna. They were fun, and Isi comes off in this as she did in the first book, just a bit...helpless, but even that is accounted for. I admired Isi's character, and that reminds me, I need to reread Goose Girl. I'd recommend The Goose Girl to everyone, this one, not so much, but I still look forward to reading the third, Razo's in it!
<br />
<br />
<u>Time taken to read book:</u> A bit over half a year (it was very dull in the beginning)
<br />
<u>Time taken to write review:</u> 10 minutes
<br />
<u>Number of books left in the series:</u> 2
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-40869232026143288902011-11-27T12:22:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:51:00.565-08:00Brr, cold!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
December is coming! That usually means winter break, cuddling up with a book/movie with hot chocolate [insert your choice of warm drink], no? Sadly, not so for me. Classes have <i>just </i>started, so busy me trying to figure out the complicated world of Maths. But then again, I am a world-class procrastinator, so you should definitely expect less than that from me.<br />
<br />
<u>On schedule for this week:</u><br />
<br />
<b>Finish reading: </b><br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10165727-froi-of-the-exiles">Froi of the Exiles (Lumatere #2)</a> by Melina Marchetta (a goddess, might I add?)</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;"><br /></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span">I'm finding this to be better than Finnikin, much to my pleasure. Finnikin was a good read, but Melina Marchetta just seems to get better with every single book she writes, and has the ability to touch people's heart. Froi is on this week's list of books for me to finish up. Might take my time with this though, seeing as I'm enjoying the pacing of the story so far, and I want to take my time savoring each bit of the story as I go.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;"><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10947600-saving-june">Saving June</a> by Hannah Harrington</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><br />
Haven't read much of this so far, so can't say. Have read reviews saying this is better than Amy & Roger's Epic Detour which I found short of my expectations, so I look forward to it still.<br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13496.A_Game_of_Thrones">A Game of Thrones</a> by George R.R. Martin</span></i><br />
<br />
Have been reading this for a month, yet am 3/4s into book. Still, that's <i>600 </i>pages in. Have I mentioned how I detest lengthy books? No? Well, you'll hear me mention this whenever I pick one up. Still, story is interesting so far. Show is good as well, although is that much nudity <i>really </i>necessary?<br />
<br />
<b>Finish watching:</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
Have <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054698/">Breakfast at Tiffany's</a> to-watch for this week. Have heard it mentioned too many times in books/movies for me to not watch it. A few decades late in watching, yes, but blame my generation. Also, really like the song, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ClCpfeIELw&ob=av3e">Breakfast at Tiffany's</a>, despite the annoyance of constantly repeating lyrics...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898266/">The Big Bang Theory</a> Season 02. Season 01 just started airing on tv here, but am too impatient to wait for Season 02 to air. I like Sheldon's character.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv92c0I7zx1r4x6r1o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv92c0I7zx1r4x6r1o1_500.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>Family:</b><br />
<br />
If you're Muslim, then you know that our New Year has started. If you're Shia, you know it's Muharram, and what does that mean? Time to bring out all the black clothes! (To non-muslims: No, we're not gothic, we're in mourning of our ancestors). As for that, many majlises (gatherings) to attend, much to hear, much to learn...and then there's all that food. *ahem* But don't forget to listen as well! (Especially to all that gossip *cough* I am so going to hell)<br />
<br />
That's it for today, folks, see you all next time!<br />
<br />
PS: If you're actually reading this, I love you! *blows kiss*</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-78101917620542434672011-11-25T10:43:00.000-08:002011-11-25T10:43:58.497-08:00Fight Club<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So, I just watched Fight Club. Epic, might I say? It was full of sheer awesomeness. I just love Brad Pitt and Edward Norton's character[s]. It may be a mainly dude-orientated movie, but me, being a 17 year old girl, still found it grrr-reat!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv4f3wi1yq1qesadyo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv4f3wi1yq1qesadyo1_500.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">'nuff said.</div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-89955805795596701722011-11-25T10:20:00.000-08:002011-11-25T10:25:46.397-08:00Gossip Girl Season 5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Any gossip girl haters/lovers around? I'm kind of a bit of both. Gossip girl really is a terrible show that you shouldn't start watching unless you're already hooked. It's <i>so </i>superficial. It deals with teenage socialites living in Upper East Side, New York, having every step of their lives broadcasted to teenagers all around by a character called Gossip Girl. Who is she? No one knows.<br />
<br />
So originally, they're based on the books. I've read the books and it's kind of sad to say that the show is better than them. Which doesn't say all that much at all, really.<br />
<br />
What propels me to watch Gossip Girl? A) Drama. B) Blair Waldorf. I find Blair a very intriguing character. As Leighton Meester (The actress who plays Blair) said upon her casting: <i>"They were like, 'Be bitchy and nice, ugly and pretty, young and old, stupid and smart, innocent and slutty, blond and brunette. Can you be all those things?'"</i><br />
<br />
Oh, the drama will never end. Seriously, I'd pity anyone who had to deal with that much drama in their lives. And sometimes they take it too far. Your boyfriend's father has a son with your mother, so you two share a half brother? Oops. Said boyfriend later becomes stepbrother? Double oops. Said stepbrother's sister has sex with your adopted brother? Oops, I did it again. How incestuous can you get?<br />
<br />
So that's the gist of it. Never a dull moment. And now it's in season 5, rumored to be the last season thankfully (Oh, joy!). In season 5, you've got Serena, who's actually become a working girl (who would have thought?). There's Chuck, dangerous as ever. There's Dan, lonely as ever. There's Nate, gorgeous but boring as ever. And then there's Blair...pregnant as ever. But who's the father? That's one secret I'll never tell.<br />
<br />
xoxo Gossip Girl</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-85448312313681787472011-11-24T15:03:00.001-08:002011-11-24T15:03:15.237-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1314332.Before_I_Die" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Before I Die" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182697372m/1314332.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1314332.Before_I_Die">Before I Die</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/628636.Jenny_Downham">Jenny Downham</a><br />
<br />
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/68002409">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
Books where people die are very hard for me to read about. But those are also the ones that touch me the most.<br />
<br />
Tessa has cancer. She has been fighting cancer for the past 4 years, and now only has months to live. She wants to make the most of the time she has, and so she makes a "Before I Die" list, a list of all the things she wants to do before she dies.<br />
<br />
<img class="escapedImg" src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3965371/PS%207%20Instructions/tumblr_lv08lajP2N1r4lo6uo1_500.jpg" /><br />
<br />
What would you do? I for one, would probably want to spend all my time with loved ones, although I don’t think you can assume what a person would want in such a time unless it’s actually happening (God forbid).<br />
<br />
Tessa doesn’t play a weepy, whiny character who thinks the world should revolve around her since she’s about to die. In fact, she’s kind of a bitch. She’s blunt, honest, knows what she wants and does anything possible to get it, because, well, life is short. First up is sex, then drugs, shoplifting, fame, love, etc.<br />
<br />
So you all know what will happen in the end. She’ll die. The end, right? What you don’t know is that it’ll break your heart along the way. There are quite a few heartbreaking quotes, but this one touched me the most:<br />
<br />
Tessa’s words to her dad: <em>‘No, then you’ll die. Before me. The way it’s supposed to be.’</em><br />
<br />
Whenever I hear of a child dying anywhere in the world, it always hurts. It’s so sad to think of someone dying before they get to see how wonderful life could be, had they had the time to enjoy it. Tessa tries her best to enjoy whatever time is left. But there’s only so much you can do. She can’t finish school, she can never go to university, so many things that normal teenagers look forward to. She’s just not given a chance. That’s the worst part. When reading, and growing to know Tessa better and liking her, you realize that there’s nothing you can do for her. You’re not going to get a happy ending. <br />
<br />
<img class="escapedImg" src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3965371/PS%207%20Instructions/tumblr_lv3jxdsB1V1r0on9vo1_250.gif" /><br />
<br />
...and live.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-80845987670958761082011-11-24T14:49:00.000-08:002011-11-24T14:49:08.157-08:00Images of the Week<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv4segYePg1qb6t6wo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv4segYePg1qb6t6wo1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv3qmrOHDB1qf70r5o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv3qmrOHDB1qf70r5o1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luz8f6BTZj1qeyue8o1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_luz8f6BTZj1qeyue8o1_400.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu6sy20oR01qe3ublo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lu6sy20oR01qe3ublo1_500.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/nutella-450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/nutella-450.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That last image is simply torture...are you as hungry as I am?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-7904054460819593642011-11-24T14:23:00.000-08:002011-12-06T12:51:42.389-08:00Welcome!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">'tis the week I started A2 classes. Maths. Calculus. Horrifying.<br />
<br />
'tis also the week I give attention to my blog. Coincidence? Not really. Procrastination would be the correct word. (:<br />
<br />
So this is a welcome to you all who read this, I'm honored, TRULY.<br />
<br />
Note to self: Remember to update blog along with all other social networks. Remember to forget Maths homework instead, you lovely brain.<br />
<br />
Anywho *pushes all the weirdness aside*, WELCOME! I hope you enjoy your stay at the freaky, creepy, and strangely amusing world of Hira, the insomniac, book reviewer, movie/tv show watcher, food monster, image appreciator, and stalker.<br />
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PS: Blog layout will change soon, whenever I get into a designing mood.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-14489132415359423682011-11-21T15:24:00.001-08:002011-11-24T14:07:43.175-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7488244-unearthly" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Unearthly (Unearthly #1)" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qCOvlcJPL._SX106_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7488244-unearthly">Unearthly</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3290920.Cynthia_Hand">Cynthia Hand</a><br />
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<strong>3.5 Stars</strong><br />
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I have <strong>got</strong> to be one of the last people to be reading this book. So many updates I saw about Hallowed a while ago, I just couldn't resist.<br />
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Despite my not-so-high rating, this is <em>still</em> the <strong>best</strong> Angel YA PNR book I've read so far. <em>That's</em> how bad the others are (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6339664.Hush_Hush_Hush_Hush_1_" title="Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1) by Becca Fitzpatrick">Hush, Hush</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6487308.Fallen_Fallen_1_" title="Fallen (Fallen, #1) by Lauren Kate">Fallen</a>, to name a few).<br />
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Clara is 1/4 angel, and 3/4 human. Angel blood allows her to be stronger, faster and smarter than humans. It also means she has a <em>purpose</em>, the reason why she's on earth. To fulfill the purpose might mean moving to another city, dying her hair orange, saving unknown boys from fires. On the way, she discovers many things, what it means to be an angel, the dangers among them, and she also finds love.<br />
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<strong>What I didn't like:</strong><br />
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- I wanted it to be more paranormal than romance...the mythology fell short of my expectations.<br />
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- The slow beginning. It could've had a faster pace.<br />
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- The "best friend" fights and jealousy that came up. It seemed a bit...unrealistic [?] as it seemed like she had <em>just</em> moved and they became such quick best friends! (Not so sure on how long they had actually lived there when those occurred, so might just be me)<br />
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- Some parts seemed kind of meaningless. Or I just don't care for it, such as all the scenes that occurred in school/were supposed to be like daily life, chatting with friends about boys, clothes, etc.<br />
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- The purpose seemed...not very purpose-like? Although I guess we learn more about that in the next book? I hope?<br />
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- I wasn't really rushing to finish this, the story didn't hold that much interest to me.<br />
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<strong>What I did like:</strong><br />
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- No incessant whining from the heroine.<br />
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- While being extraordinary, she was still fairly ordinary (for an angel). Worrying about normal things, still being a klutz in a way. (A klutzy angel~) She just seemed to do angelic things in front of Tucker (oh, the things girls do to get a guy's attention).<br />
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- Tucker!<br />
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- The little angel mythology that is there, I like that. The mentions of God, Black Wings and all. The book seemed to pick up for me a bit after Angela appeared. I suppose I might have been feeling as lost as Clara did.<br />
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That being said, I will definitely read Hallowed! ...as soon as my request is accepted, that is.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7914354897962018800.post-44374051835481680382011-11-20T05:13:00.000-08:002011-11-24T14:07:43.175-08:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11096647-flat-out-love" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Flat-Out Love" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302831167m/11096647.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11096647-flat-out-love">Flat-Out Love</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22159.Jessica_Park">Jessica Park</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/207112348">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This was just the pick-me-up I needed. Dysfunctional families, drama and a weird romance.<br />
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Julie has moved to Boston from Ohio to begin college, and start life anew. Just one problem, the apartment she was supposed to move into turned out to be a burrito shop! And so, Julie moves in with a family friend instead. They turn out to be quite dysfunctional indeed, parents who are never around, their eldest son travelling around the world for some time and hasn't come home, a genius for their second son who loves wearing geeky shirts, and a quirky teenage daughter who carries around a cardboard cutout of her eldest brother. And there's something they're hiding from Julie, a trauma, a past incident which is why they are this way. And Julie's determined to find out what it is, and to 'fix' them.<br />
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This book had me laughing at times, and had me completely invested in the story, wanting to see what will happen. I read this in 2 sittings. The interactions and relationships were very nicely done, and I loved reading the scenes with Celeste. I couldn't help but like all her quirkiness.<br />
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I figured out the mystery before it was revealed in the book, it was just...a way to wrap things up for this book, it seemed to me, and while making sense, it was just terribly awkward if you think about it. And some things weren't wrapped up properly in the end, I felt, such as Julie's relationship with her dad and all. <spoiler>And then there was the whole Julie/Matt/Finn thing going on. Matt/Finn seemed like 2 different people to me, and they didn't really 'merge' when the secret was revealed.</spoiler><br />
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All in all, a good read, an example of self-publishing gone right. I'd recommend to those who like reading family books/romance fans.<br />
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Oh, and the whole connection to Facebook was really fun too! I especially liked this status: <br />
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<em>"I hope that someday they invent a car that runs on inappropriate thoughts."</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2485544-hira">View all my reviews</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03444776511505645296noreply@blogger.com1