tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64939630690093881772024-03-28T14:21:28.178-07:00Nonbinary Knight Reads and ReviewsBeware of book spoilers in my reviews!Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.comBlogger394125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-45503302166802099492024-03-15T08:49:00.000-07:002024-03-15T08:49:00.134-07:00Book Tour: THE GIRL, THE RING, & THE BASEBALL BAT review<p> </p>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: The Girl, The Ring, & The Baseball Bat </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Camille Gomera-Tavarez </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Levine Querido</span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: February 6, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Young Adult, Contemporary </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 390 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 3 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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Thank you so much to <a href="https://www.hearourvoices.me/">Hear Our Voices</a> tour for allowing me to take part in the tour for this book. If you want to check out the tour schedule and follow the other hosts, you can click the banner at the top or click <a href="https://www.hearourvoices.me/blog/girlringbaseballbat-m56ea-9nb6g">here</a>.
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I'm not too sure what it was that drew me to this book, but something compelled me to read it. It was hard at first because I struggled a lot to get into the book. I don't know if the writing didn't click with me or if it was because I just wasn't in the mood for a book like this at the time. Either way it was a struggle for a while. Eventually I did find a rhythm and I began to enjoy the writing style of the author, if nothing else.
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Our main characters in this book are Rosie, Caro, and Zeke. I quite enjoyed them as characters. They all felt well-developed and authentic. They felt like people you would expect to meet in real life, in good and bad ways. Even though this book has some magical aspects of it, the characters and plots never felt out-of-place or like it was trying to be something that it wasn't. It wasn't trying to be a full-fledged fantasy book, it was just a contemporary book with some magic in it.
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I always try to be honest in my reviews, even when I'm taking part in a tour. That said, this book was kinda just "eh" to me. It wasn't a bad book, there were several parts of it that I found myself really enjoying. But there were also parts of it that I didn't enjoy. I also struggled with the voices at times because it was just...not something I always enjoy in a book. It's hit-or-miss and this time it just happened to be a miss. I was also a bit taken aback by the cursing in the book. Cursing isn't something I'm against, I've got a mouth like a sailor at times, but it's also not something I often see used in excess in books. I'm not sure how I feel about it.
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Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-23493768058503200922024-03-13T09:00:00.000-07:002024-03-13T09:00:00.143-07:00Interview with Tori Anne Martin, author of THIS SPELLS DISASTER<style>
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Hey all! A little late with this interview but I'm very excited about it! Today's interviewee is Tori Anne Martin, author of This Spells Disaster. I read and thoroughly enjoyed that magical book, so I loved getting to pick her mind about the book. We talked about Tori's writing process, her favorite scene in the book, and some of her favorite tropes in novels. Hope you enjoy! As always links to follow Tori and buy her book will be at the end of the interview.
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What does your writing process look like?
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I'm a big time plotter, so my writing always begins with an outline. Those can get pretty long and are kind of like a very rough draft. I figure out a lot about my characters and their world as I put the outline together, and the plot evolves as I make those discoveries, so it's an iterative process. How much I end up sticking to the outline varies a lot with each book, but I need that roadmap before I can start.
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Wow that's impressive! I've never been great at just sitting down and mapping out where I want a story to go.
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What did you figure out first - the plot or the characters?
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As I mentioned, I tend to figure out the characters along with the plot, but I always have a premise that comes first. Sometimes I also have characters in my head that interest me, and I can fit them to the premise, but usually I end up needing to create new characters.
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Ooh, solid! I like that it's pretty plot-based and you have to create characters that fit well within the story.
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How did you come up with the idea for <b><i>This Spells Disaster</i></b>?
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It was a combination of things. I really wanted to write a witchy romance, and my background is in psychology, looking at issues of consent. When I was thinking of ideas for a witch romance, the concept of love potions and how those could be abused and the potential harm were just so obvious to me, and it was a topic I hadn't seen explored. Then the challenge became-how do I do that in a rom-com?
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That makes a lot of sense actually. It's a bit weird that not many people have explored the darker side of love potions, but guess that left you a nice opening to step in.
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How long did it take you to write this book?
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I have no idea at this point! It usually takes me about 5-6 months from idea to a final draft.
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Cool!
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Why did you choose to include content warnings in your book?
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I greatly appreciate it when authors provide content warnings. I need to be in the right headspace to deal with certain topics that might come up. Like, there was a book I really wanted to read right after my father died, but someone warned me that the main character's father dies in the book, and I'm super grateful to that person. I couldn't have dealt with that then, and it would have ruined the book. For <b><i>This Spells Disaster</i></b>, it seemed necessary to let readers know that the book was going to touch on issues about consent and assault. If you pick up a rom-com, that could catch you off guard, even if the book is about a love potion.
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Solid reasoning! I've had to not read certain books because of some of the issues that were talked about in the book, so I appreciate when I can get a warning beforehand and not be surprised by the topic.
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How did you come up with the magic system in this book?
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Honestly, just a lot of brainstorming for ideas that hadn't been done. I knew I wanted to make magic a normal part of the world, though, and not something hidden.
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That's fair!
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Do you have a favorite scene?
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I think the scene where Morgan and Rory have their practice kiss might be my favorite. Either that, or the scavenger hunt scene where Morgan keeps trying (and completely failing) to show Rory why they would be a bad match.
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Haha, yeah that's solid! Good choices.
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What are some of your favorite books that you've read?
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This is always the hardest question! I'll cheat and say some recent favs are anything by Ali Hazelwood, Ashley Herring Blake's Bright Falls series, <b><i>Nettle and Bone</i></b> by T. Kingfisher, and <b><i>Wild and Wicked Things</i></b> by Francesca May.
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Ooh those books are on my TBR pile but I haven't got to them yet!
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What are some of your favorite tropes in novels?
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In romance, I'm a sucker for enemies/rivals to lovers and fake dating. More generally, I love stories about found family.
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Oh I love a good fake dating book! And found family is always one of the best!
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Are you currently writing any other books?
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Yes! For more sapphic witches, I have a book-I-can't-talk-about-yet that will be coming. I also have a couple of queer romantasy stories that I'm working on.
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Ooh yes! I'm looking forward to seeing what other information you can reveal in the future.
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Thank you so much to Tori Anne Martin for joining me today for this interview! It was fun to learn more about her approach to writing and her thoughts about This Spells Disaster! If you want to support her, the links to buy her book are a bit lower down. If you want to follow her, those links are below as well. I hope everyone has a good day!
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You can follow Tori Anne Martin on her <a href="https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/180867/68170377564522202/share">Newsletter</a> and follow her on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tamartinauthor/"> Instagram</a>.
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You can buy Tori Anne Martin's books from <a href = "https://www.bookerymht.com/">Bookery Manchester</a> and <a href="https://www.waterstreetbooks.com/"> Water Street Bookstore</a>.
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If you can't buy her books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-1521785368802007822024-03-08T07:47:00.000-08:002024-03-08T07:48:52.105-08:00Review: SO LET THEM BURN by Kamilah Cole<p> </p>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: So Let Them Burn </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Kamilah Cole </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Little, Brown Young Readers </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: January 16, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Young Adult, LGBT, Fantasy, Romance </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 400 </span>
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<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780316534635">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780316534635</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"> "It was a country like any otjer, where the people in power devoured others whole just to gain more of it, while the people underneath lived and worked and laughed and loved." </span>
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I’ve been on a fantasy kick recently so I was looking forward to reading this book whenever I could get my hands on it. I am beyond happy that I was able to.
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Kamilah Cole has knocked it out of the park with her debut novel. It’s full of gorgeous prose and beautifully written action scenes. The characters are amazingly in-depth and the worldbuilding was layered and enticing. Kamilah did a wonderful job of writing a book that had me on the edge of my seat and constantly waiting for the next scene to happen. I never wanted to put the book down. I applaud Kamilah’s writing style because it has a way of dragging people into the story and keeping them there. A blend of intriguing plotlines, engaging worldbuilding, and likeable characters created a gorgeous story.
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This story has two main characters and a couple of other secondary characters. The sisters, Faron and Elara, are the main stars of the show.
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Personally I found Elara to be a very likeable character. I immediately loved her and wanted the best from her. She is so determined to not be buried in her sister’s shadow and to be of use. It’s heartbreaking but it also makes sense. Elara is thrust into a new country and surrounded by new people that she used to consider her enemies. It’s a difficult experience for her but she grows and learns while there. It’s a beautiful thing to witness and I loved it! One of my favorite scenes in this entire book (which I will not include because of spoilers) is tied to Elara. It had me giddy for days.
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Faron was a more complicated character for me to like. I didn’t dislike her by any means, but between the two characters she was the one who had to make some very difficult choices. And maybe she didn’t always make the best choice. But she was desperate and she had already been through so much that it made sense. The decisions made it hard for me to love her, because I couldn’t back all of her choices. She also got rightfully called out for some of her behaviors during the book though, so it made it easier for me to see her as a character that I didn’t have to completely love. I could like her with her flaws.
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I am absolutely obsessed with the world in this book. I want more information about everything involved in it. More information about the Iryan and their summoning magic, about the Langlish and their dragons. Information about Faron and her past as the Child Emperor. There was so much history hinted at and briefly described in this book and I just want it all. If Kamilah released a history book on this world, I would read every page of it.
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I think my favorite quote, mentioned above, illustrates what I really enjoyed about this book. This book did not shy away from the brutal reality of war and desperation and what people are willing to do for power. It doesn’t shy away from discussing the effects of one country taking over many and practically eradicating their cultures. But it also has moments where one character in particular realizes that even though the rulers are bad, the people may not be. The country is vast and the people have varied opinions on what their leaders are doing.
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This book was a beautiful read. Kamilah Cole absolutely knocked it out of the park with this book. I wish I could read the sequel right now, but I’m willing to wait for it. I have high hopes for it!
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-16689431109433061522024-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:002024-03-01T09:00:00.252-08:00Review: TO CAGE A GOD by Elizabeth May<p> </p>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: To Cage a God </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Elizabeth May </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: DAW Books </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: February 20, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Adult, LGBT, Fantasy, Romance </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 384 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780756418816">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780756418816</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"> "I've decided you're always welcome in my bedchamber.Anytime, day or night." </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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I am very thankful to DAW Books for sending me an advance copy of this book to read and review. My opinions are my own and have not been influenced by this. I’ve not read a book by Elizabeth May before, so I had a little bit of hesitance going into this book. Fantasy can be hit-or-miss with me, especially when I don’t know the author’s writing style. But the plot sounded really interesting so I was more than happy to give it a shot. I am very happy that I did.<br><br>
This book was brimming with everything that I love. There was romance and amazing world-building. The characters have various motivations and problems and their actions are consistent with what they believe. There are dragons and villains with complex backstories. The story was brimming with action and chaos in the best sort of way. There was even a hint of a “fated mates” sort of romance.<br><br>
The characters in this book are probably the strongest part of May’s writing. Each character has a very distinctive personality and at times that personality clashes with some of the other characters. They mainly act in accordance with their beliefs unless given good reason not to. The bond between Sera and Galina is beautifully written. The two sisters have struggled through life together for years and that has built an almost unshakeable bond between them. They would raze the world to the ground if it meant protecting each other. <br><br>
The side characters are also very…interesting. I can’t say they are all likeable because I have a strained relationship with Vitaly, but they are all definitely interesting. I absolutely adore Katya and I find Vitaly to be compelling because of his thought processes. But Princess Vasilisa is probably my favorite! She suffers from a degenerative illness due to being bonded with her dragon and her mother isn’t willing to help her. Vasilisa has a lot of complex thoughts and feelings regarding her illness that I don’t think I can succinctly explain, so I’m trying not to make blanket statements. But I love that Vasilisa tries to help. She has her plants and she will do what she can.<br><br>
The romance in this book isn’t necessarily the main focus. Both Sera and Galina have romantic interests who fit their personalities. I wish the romance had been a bit more thoroughly fleshed out, but that’s mainly due to my own love of Galina’s romance. The romance we did get was good though. The characters were given time to bond (or re-bond, in Sera’s case) and get to know each other. <br><br>
One of the more interesting parts of this book to me were the POV chapters. The book is written in third person POV, but the chapters are labeled to let you know who the main character you are following during that chapter is. I quite like when that’s part of a book. It just works very well for me, especially because Elizabeth May didn’t just focus on the main two characters but three of the side characters as well. It allowed additional depth to May’s worldbuilding and character development without feeling like a cop-out. No one was given a chapter just because they needed additional development, all of the chapters added to the story.
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I really enjoyed the world-building in this book, especially when it involved learning more about the history of some of the side characters. May creates a sprawling country that is both beautiful and harsh. The opulence of the Empress’s castle is set against memories of children scrounging for food on the street. The author doesn’t necessarily take a deep dive into the history of the world, but there’s little snippets of information given at times. Political discussions, memories from the characters, information they’ve learned throughout their life. It isn’t a world where you need to know everything that happened in its past, but you’re given the information that allows the current circumstances to make sense.
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I had only one minor issue with this book and that was the languages. I really enjoyed the random snippets of Zverti and I loved that it was done it italics. I just wish there had been more of an indicator when regular dialogue also had the characters speaking in Zverti too. It’s a minor issue, but I was never positive of when they would switch to and from Zverti.
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This book was teeming with amazing characters and beautiful world-building. The world Elizabeth May created was one that I would love to see in a movie. I wouldn’t want to live there, but I think it would be gorgeous to see it illustrated and put to screen. The characters shone in this book. Elizabeth May gave them personalities and beliefs that befitted the trauma that they had experienced throughout their life. The characters have distinctive voices and the actions they take match their belief systems really well. I thought that this book was stunningly well-written. It had me on edge several times and I constantly found myself reading just one more chapter to determine what was going to happen. I am already very excited for the next book (according to the blurb this is the first in a new duology) and I cannot wait to get more information about the sequel!
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-3710690051115836342024-02-28T08:35:00.000-08:002024-02-28T08:35:00.251-08:00Interview with Christen Randall, author of upcoming YA romance THE NO-GIRLFRIEND RULE<style>
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Today I am beyond excited to present to you my interview with Christen Randall. Christen's debut book, The No-Girlfriend Rule is releasing on March 5, 2024! I personally loved this book when I read it! It made me want to get involved in a TTRPG. The No-Girlfriend Rule is a queer romance between a teen and the bard she meets when she joins an all-female game of Secrets & Sorcery.
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What did your writing process look like while writing The No-Girlfriend Rule?
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Messy, honestly! I have ADHD, so my writing process is kind of all over. This was also the first novel I ever really wrote, so there was a learning curve as I figured out how to do this thing. But loosely: I made an outline including chapter and scene breakdowns, because it helps keep me on track as I draft. Then I drafted, which took me about a month and a half of working a little bit every day. After I finished, I let it rest--an important part of the process for me so I can be less precious about the next step, which is revising. I did what felt like a million rounds of revision, on my own or after beta reader feedback or with my mentor during a mentorship program. I wish it was more exciting! It was just a very "keep doing the next thing" process for me.
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Sounds like this writing process worked well for you though. It doesn't have to be an exciting process as long as it gets the work done!
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Are there certain items/snacks that you like to have around you while you write?
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I love a little snack plate. I call them my Author Snacks. When I'm really focused in on writing, I can sometimes forget to take breaks to eat, so I'll make myself a mini charcuterie tray with cheese (mimolette is my favorite) and crackers and veggies and fruits and chocolate. That way I can make sure I snack as I work. As far as little desk trinkets, I've recently gotten a lot of Aaron's Thinking Putty (they have a <a href="https://crazyaarons.com/products/lost-treasure-guardians-single-2-tin-assorted-for-retail-store-web">Lost Treasure Guardians</a> line that's Big TTRPG Energy) to fidget with while I'm noodling things. Also, always a picture of my cat, Spaghetti.
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Yesss! I personally feel like snack boards are a very useful thing if you can sometimes forget to eat. I try to have a tray of snacks next to me if I'm ever going ot be sucked into an hours-long video game marathon...or a readathon for that matter. I'm personally not a huge fan of putty but I may have to order some of those putties at some point because the charms look super cute
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I'm insanely curious. How did you come up with the characters in this book? And, if you're willing to expand, their S&S characters?
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Characters always come first for me, but they always show up in different ways. Hollis and Aini were just kind of there one day, honestly, fully ready to jump into the story. Everyone else came in bits and pieces, inspired by parts of people I know or media I like or the kinds of folks I would love to play games with. For their S&S characters, I tried to think of the sort of characters my characters might like to play if they were actual people, but also what served the story. Hollis is a paladin because a large part of her story is bravely stepping into her truth, for example, but Fran is a barbarian just because of course she is, she's Fran. It was a lot of fun figuring out not only the real world characters, but how they might choose to express themselves in their game world.
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Oh I love that. You're right though, Fran would 100% be a barbarian because well...it's Fran. I think the S&S characters lined up really well with the characters in the book. They just make sense.
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The main character Hollis is a fat girl with anxiety, both her fatness and her anxiety are acknowledged and given space within the book. Why was it important to you to include those scenes?
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I'm fat and anxious, and I've always been both. When I was Hollis's age, I never saw either of those things represented in media in a loving way. It was important to me with this book-and anything I write, really-to represent those parts of my identity on the page in ways that feel real to me so other people out there who look or feel like I do, like Hollis does, can see that we're worthy of our own stories, not just being relegated to the funny fat friend sidekick or the anxious cautionary tale.
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YES! I love that. I didn't really get to read books with anxious characters in them growing up, at least not without it being something that had to be fixed. Now I'm getting more and more books with charactrs that I can relate to or who have aspects that I see in myself. It's so important and comforting to get to read about those characters!
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Do you have a favorite scene or line in this book?
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No spoilers, but the bangs cutting scene is my absolute favorite. It makes me laugh and tear up every time I read it.
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OMG! Yes!!!! The bangs scene was so good!!!!
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If I'm not wrong, this is your debut release, what has that experience been like for you?
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It is my debut! Honestly, it's been a wild ride. There's been a lot of learning as I go. I'm very lucky to have wonderful people on all sides. My agent and editor are like, my dream team. I've also made some really great author pals along the way. Thankfully when I have random debut questions like "what is trade advertising?" and "is it normal to feel this anxious before debut?" I can ask them. But being an author has always been my dream, so as corny as it is, this is literally my dream come true.
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I'm super glad for you! Being able to achieve your dreams is amazing and I wish the abslute best for you in the future. I'm also really glad that you got to find a team of people to help you through this! Sounds like you've got a wonderful support system.
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What are three words you would use to describe The No-Girlfriend Rule?
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Nerdy, queer, hug-in-book-form.
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Yeah, solid! Hug-in-book-form is probably the best way to describe how I felt while reading that book.
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What are some of your favorite games to play (video games, TTRPG, anything)?
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I play Dungeons and Dragons (imagine that!) and have recently gotten into the Kids on Bikes system, which is so much fun. Honestly, I'll give any TTRPG a try! Same goes for board games. I'm newer to those, but have become obsessed with Wingspan, which is all about attracting the coolest birds to various habitats. I'm a big bird nerd, so it's entirely my kind of thing. For video games, I've always been a Nintendo person. I'm equally as likely to get lost in Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley on my Switch as I am to sink a day into Donkey Kong Country on my old Super Nintendo.
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Okay, Wingspan sounds amazing and now I need to play it. I love Nintendo games!!!! Also, Stardew Valley is one of the most relaxing games I've ever played and I love it so much!
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Are you working on any other books currently? Is there anything you can share about them? I'm very much looking forward to seeing what other books and stories you may put out in the future.
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Aw, thank you! And yes, I am! I can't say too much yet, but I am working on my second contracted novel. It's not a sequel to The No-Girlfriend Rule, but it's in the same Covington where Hollis lives, which I jokingly think of as the Christen Randall Cinematic Universe. It's a queer, neurodivergent love story about two kids with ADHD finding their place. I'm just terribly excited about it. I've also got an itch to write some middle grade, so I may dive into that world soon.
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Ooh, the Christen Randall Cinematic Universe! I'm excited! I am actually really excited to read that book when it comes out. I'll keep my eyes peeled for any more information!
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Do you have any advice to anyone who may want to get into playing a game like D&D but, like Hollis, is a bit anxious about it?
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Dive in. I fully get that it can be intimidating to get started, but playing a TTRPG is such a wonderful experience that it's worth being brave for. If you're looking for a gentle place to get started, grab some friends or family, or check in at your local library to see if they have a game night. Something I suggest, too, is to talk about the sort of game you want to play with people at your table before you get started. I always like to start games I DM off by asking players what sort of story they want to tell together-do they want a serious, RP-heavy game? One that is more combat and collecting cool loot? Shenanigans and with a sprinkling of mystery? Making sure everyone is on the same page makes sure everyone gets to be part of the adventure.
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Also, seriously-play. One of my nerdy author dreams when I was writing this book was that someone might read it and find their way to a gaming table. It would make this author Gloria-levels of proud of you if you picked up the dice and rolled up a character.
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I love that advice. It's solid if a bit scary to put into action. I need to find me a D&D group to play with. This is starting to become a serious goal of mine this year! I totally missed the free oneshot that the local card game store hosts once a month. I'll have to try and schedule better next month!
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What are some of your favorite (queer and/or nerdy preferred but all options available) books?
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If you want some more girl powered nerdy goodness, check out Jamie Pacton's <i>The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetley</i>. It's one of my all-time favorites. If you're looking for books with big feelings and impeccable vibes, Jonny Garza Villa is the author you want! Their newest is <i>Canto Contigo</i>. For more fat-positive queer vibes, check out Jenna Miller-her debut, <i>Out of Character</i>, is about online roleplay, and her newest, <i>We Got the Beat</i>, follows the drama of a high school newspaper.
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Oh I loved <i>Kit Sweetly</i> and <i>Out of Character</i>!!! The other two are definitely on my TBR list!
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Thank you so much to Christen Randall for taking part in this interbview and for everyone who reads it! I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye out for any future writing by Christen and I strongly encourage everyone to read her debut. <i>The No-Girlfriend Rule</i> releases on March 5th and it is chockful of nerdy gloriousness! As always links to buy Christen's book as well as follow her on social media will be included below. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this interview and I hope you have an amazing week!
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You can find Christen Randall on her <a href="https://www.bychristenrandall.com/"> website</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bycrandall/"> Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bycrandall"> TikTok</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/bycrandall"> Twitter</a>.
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You can buy Christen Randall's books from most major retailers. If you want a signed/personalized copy, you can order one from <a href = "https://www.josephbeth.com/event/christen-randall-discussing-and-signing-no-girlfriend-rule">Joseph-Beth</a>. For any UK readers, or anyone who wants a UK cover, you can order from <a href="https://pushkinpress.com/books/the-no-girlfriend-rule/#:~:text=Additional%20information-,Description,all%2Dgirls%20game%20of%20S%26S">Pushkin Press</a>.
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If you can't buy her books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-50479784797657095672024-02-06T14:42:00.000-08:002024-02-06T14:42:19.395-08:00Book Tour: A VICIOUS GAME by Melissa Blair review + favorite quotes<p> </p>
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<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/12/29/tour-schedule-a-vicious-game-the-halfling-saga-3-by-melissa-blair/" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "322" data-original-width = "780" height = "264" src = "https://uc661b15e291e0dec95f3fdec837.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/ACIj-BdvlWvLMRG7wmDY6cMAsVCztRIhQ9KEM3xQRTqiMvMhHRYh8J1hGD_LHze_JPdgQ9-nrUlhzAq8N9KpA909FKdCbvBE9aB2s9HteYv5M8c49YFlga0HFyHoKqgiy14PnbaZGabB4QUNlzYQrXLZ6CfyVKH_BSZEEtGCk1djnd6rlpHCcRpI33B3r6RbFHgJL2s_i8UznMR89vaUQ6d2k_8PFTPhbMAAywK5INz67mG3LzXYNpltUys1rG1FnNbBH0HLo-G3-lhYy-k4mn90GgUF1iONl9L5oHLoPDfXorwoVoHNv35C8MbTi4LYinpqy80sAXAKwJ1d3TQjj96ZlSwD_Pinzh3NOpHJO-MQyg/p.png" width = "640"/></a></div>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: A Vicious Game </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Melissa Blair </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: February 6, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Young Adult, LGBT, Fantasy </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5 </span>
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Welcome to my stop on TBR and Beyond's Tour for <b><i>A Vicious Game</i></b> by Melissa Blair! I am beyond excited to be able to take part in talking about this amazing book! I hope you click the banner at the top to follow along with the tour.
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I was super excited to hear about this book and get accepted into this tour because I have really enjoyed this series thus far. And this book was no different!<br><br>
Melissa Blair just has an amazing way of writing a beautifully chaotic book that draws you into the story and holds you there until the final page. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions with each other. It was a fun ride from the first page to the last one.
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Quotes</b>:</span>
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"When it comes to healing you're as dull as a pair of rusted scissors."
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"Elvish ships are fast but even they cannot make the journey that quickly."
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"I know we're in a rush, but a warning would have been nice."
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"I was thinking about our last dance."
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Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-55200791754243493422024-02-02T09:00:00.000-08:002024-02-02T09:00:00.151-08:00Review: FALLS FROM GRACE by Ruby Landers<p> </p>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Falls From Grace </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Ruby Landers </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Self-Published </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: March 14, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Adult, LGBT, Romance, Contemporary </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 276 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780648640202">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780648640202</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Finish Date</b>: November 4, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Representation</b>: Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender SC, Nonbinary SC </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Trigger/Content Warnings</b>: Light mentions of alcoholism, mention of past suicide attempt , light mention of emotional abuse</span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"> "It felt like a small cyclone had run through, blasting open doors in her mind she'd never even known were there." </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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This author was seeking beta readers for her work and I was intrigued. I honestly think doing that ranks as one of the best decisions I’ve made. I absolutely loved this book and I’m kinda hooked on the author’s writing style at this point. I straight up think I have a crush on this writer’s writing and I personally think it should win the Pulitzer prize, or at least the lesbian fiction alternative to a Pulitzer. I will give you a fair warning that my review is written based off the beta version of this, so names or details may be different. I will read through the book again when it’s published and make any necessary changes.
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The characters in this book are some of my favorites I’ve read because they feel so authentic and realistic. Savannah and Brynn are very likeable characters. They’re both sweethearts and they mesh together so well. It was fascinating to read their romance. They have obstacles to overcome and they don’t always make the best choices, but it never stops you from understanding why they make the choices they made. I absolutely adored both of them. Brynn specifically stole my heart because of how insecure she could be at times. It was just heart wrenching and made it even more sweeter when she was able to overcome her fears and succeed.
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Even the side characters like Noah, Lane, and Savannah’s bandmates are just amazing. I would love to learn more about Savannah’s bandmates and I would happily read a story with Noah at the lead of it too. No one felt forced in. They felt like they fit there, even if their time in the book was minimal.
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Savannah also happens to have a kid in this book. I’ll admit, kids can be hit or miss for me. I struggle with them at times, but when written well I tend to love them. Thankfully Ruby did an excellent job at writing Tucker. He was just this soft and sweet kid who was so much fun to read. I loved his scenes, especially his scenes with Brynn!
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I also want to mention the setting of this book. Quite a bit of it is set in Savannah’s house in Tennessee. This place was written beautifully and I would absolutely sell my soul to someone to get to live somewhere like that. The place just seemed idyllic and relaxing!
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I’m a huge fan of this book and of this author. I just fell in love with her writing style when I was reading through Falls from Grace. I thought the characters that she wrote were interesting and realistic. I loved all of them and just wanted more of them. I would have happily read another 100 pages about Brynn and Savannah’s relationship. There was enough drama to keep me hooked into the story but not too much that I felt overwhelmed or annoyed by any of it. The drama was also romance realistic (like might not happen in real life, but definitely in romance books) and when starting the book I was eagerly waiting to see how it was going to shake out. The setting was beautiful and I want to spend a month, or a lifetime, living somewhere like that. I really hope you pick up this book and enjoy it as much as I do. At the very least, I just hope you give it a chance.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-71333946787754850652024-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:002024-01-29T12:58:54.650-08:00Cover Reveal: FALLS FROM GRACE by Ruby Landers<p></p>
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Today on my blog I am thrilled to be hosting the cover reveal of <b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203883298-falls-from-grace?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7dgtUyNL4J&rank=4">Falls From Grace</a></i></b> by Ruby Landers. <b><i>Falls From Grace</i></b> is an adult romance book releasing in March! I was lucky enough to get to beta read this book and I thought it was absolutely wonderful! Getting to do a cover reveal for this book is an absolute dream come true for me!
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Here is the summary of the book:
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Savannah Grace is a huge star in Nashville. At least, she was. Her hit band Twice Struck topped the country music charts for almost a decade until her high profile marriage to her bandmate and co-writer publicly exploded. Now she’s fading from the spotlight and her own life and just trying to keep her head above water.
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Brynn Marshall is a little lost. Dropping out of med school made her the black sheep of the family and now she’s floating around LA trying to find a sense of purpose. When she falls down on her luck, her best friend - indie musician Noah Lyman - refuses to let her wallow. After all, he’s just got his big break: co-writing with a megastar!
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When Savannah enlists Noah to help her break out of country music and make a name for herself for once and for all, what better way to do it than to spend the Winter in her secluded vacation home in the woods of Vermont? And what better way for Noah to help out a friend than to pretend he’s bringing along his wife?
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After all, what could possibly go wrong?
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And here is the gorgeous cover, brought to this world by <a href="https://www.cathgracedesigns.com/">Cath Grace</a>.
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204937105-two-tickets" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGU70m9MAIRnfyVexwqlAJYatVlClWTBPzpepNn47MQoiiDjvtz6z-OxlR6se886BZs5FUMTSVfEN15_1jhsnXKjX1syoli83ke-aFW5LyYztw8DSpXKg8hB_TNIEzBrwn3aGicrwdYlwiA6SaS9V_nbEpT4OAm36h4zMay_hOhYxQrosF4LrLLQAKy9oI/s320/Falls%20Official%20Cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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Pre-order it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Falls-Grace-Notes-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0CQG6B8RQ?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nWwFMfMAdJz00VhH1ybWJR0UA_5Jl-otD9dO63XrQnI.DiKzdl7NVQtq37bu9DOVS1eeDhQvegwpqWw8gfwLICk&dib_tag=AUTHOR">Amazon</a>.
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<b><u>Author Bio:</u></b>
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Ruby Landers lives in Meanjin (Brisbane) Australia. As you’re reading this, she is either typing a million daydreamy words a minute, giving someone a thousand-yard stare while secretly working out a plot twist, having a deep conversation with anyone four-legged, bargaining with an expert toddler negotiator, or dreaming of quitting her day job. Either way, there’ll be coffee.
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You can find her on her <a href="https://rubylandersbooks.com/">website</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rubylandersauthor">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ruby.landers.books">TikTok</a>, and <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/rubylanders.bsky.social">BlueSky</a>.
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Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-50274457095493481772024-01-28T09:56:00.000-08:002024-01-28T09:56:00.246-08:00Book Tour: SO LET THEM BURN review & favorite quotes<p> </p>
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<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/11/22/tour-schedule-so-let-them-burn-by-kamillah-cole/" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "322" data-original-width = "780" height = "264" src = "https://tbrandbeyondtours.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/386541358_10161420615186204_5491346457691258843_n.jpg" width = "640"/></a></div>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: So Let Them Burn </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Kamilah Cole </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Little, Brown Young Readers </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: January 16, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Young Adult, LGBT, Fantasy </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 400 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780316534635">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780316534635</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Representation</b>: Demisexual, Lesbian </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Trigger/Content Warnings</b>: PTSD, War, Racism, Death </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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Welcome to my stop on TBR and Beyond's Tour for <b><i>So Let Them Burn</i></b> by Kamilah Cole! I am beyond excited to be able to take part in talking about this amazing book! I hope you click the banner at the top to follow along with the tour.
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I’ve been on a fantasy kick recently so I was looking forward to reading this book whenever I could get my hands on it. I am beyond happy that I was able to.
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Kamilah Cole has knocked it out of the park with her debut novel. It’s full of gorgeous prose and beautifully written action scenes. The characters are amazingly in-depth and the worldbuilding was layered and enticing. Kamilah did a wonderful job of writing a book that had me on the edge of my seat and constantly waiting for the next scene to happen. I never wanted to put the book down. I applaud Kamilah’s writing style because it has a way of dragging people into the story and keeping them there. A blend of intriguing plotlines, engaging worldbuilding, and likeable characters created a gorgeous story.
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This book was a beautiful read. Kamilah Cole absolutely knocked it out of the park with this book. I wish I could read the sequel right now, but I’m willing to wait for it. I have high hopes for it!
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Quotes</b>:</span>
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"Being forced to learn the language of your oppressors is an oppression of the mind."
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"If this was what a bond was supposed to be like, maybe it wasn't so bad after all."
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"I'll lie to everyone else, but never to her."
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"It was a country like any other, where the people in power devoured others whole just to gain more of it, while the people underneath them lived and worked and laughed and loved."
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"I trust you."
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"These dragons aren't here for you."
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-86771659702041958952024-01-08T08:00:00.000-08:002024-03-01T18:21:26.895-08:00Review: TWO TICKETS by Ruby Landers<p> </p>
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<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204937105-two-tickets" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "400" data-original-width = "265" height = "240" src = "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1709101698i/209248223.jpg" width = "159"/></a></div>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Two Tickets </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Ruby Landers </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Self-Published </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 77 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Finish Date</b>: January 2, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Format</b>: Digital </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"> "She was barely able to function as they measured out the last of the rooms, <i>cute cute cute</i> echoing in her eardrums." </span>
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This is a really cute little novella prequel to Falls From Grace. I absolutely loved that story so I was very excited to get to beta-read this story as well.
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I think Ruby did a great job at writing a novella that should, hopefully, intrigue people to read Savannah’s romance story. The main couple in this novella are absolutely adorable and I loved them. They have a very sweet and cute romance. It’s just so cute. I keep using that word but in all honesty that’s because it is. The romance is cute and adorable and it just made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when I was reading it.
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I also felt very represented by Maggie. She’s an anxious, chaotic, gay mess at times and yeah…same. I also don’t know if other people are gay or hitting on me. I get nervous talking to people I think are cute. I just GET Maggie.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-31832746767959725742024-01-03T08:00:00.000-08:002024-01-03T08:00:00.140-08:00Interview with Kamilah Cole, author of debut novel SO LET THEM BURN<style>
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Happy New Year! Welcome to the first interview of the year and we are starting off with an exciting one! This is an interview that I honestly did not think I would be able to do and I am beyond thrilled that the author agreed. Today's interviewwee is Kamilah Cole! Her debut novel, <b><i>So Let Them Burn</i></b> will be releasing on January 16th and believe me when I say that it is worth reading! This book was stunning, absolutely breathtaking, and I am so glad that I was able to pick Cole's brain about the world she created.
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When did you know that you wanted to write?
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<div class="other">
I've known I wanted to write since I learned how to read, to be honest. My parents bought me Hooked on Phonics, and I loved reading the little stories. I would steal paper out of the printer, staple it together, and write and illustrate a story long enough to fill those pages. I bought books about publishing, a directory of agents, and practiced writing query letters for books I never ended up finishing. It was never enough for me to just tell stories; I wanted them published. Hilariously, though, I never wanted to share my stories with anyone I knew-only with strangers!
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<div class="me">
I think this is the first time I've ever heard of someone practicing writing query letters and I love it so much! Seems like your love for writing runs deep. I'm glad that you were able to fulfill that dream.
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Where did you get the idea for this book from? I know it says that the book is a Jamaican=inspired fantasy, but was there more to it?
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<div class="other">
This story came together over years by combining several things: Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett, Pacific Rim, and, of course, Zendaya's 2018 Met Gala outfit, where she came dressed as Joan of Arc. I went from wanting to write a story about giant metal dragons, to considering a world in which giant metal dragons fought real dragons, to finally coming up with the plot of a Joan of Arc figure at the heart of it all. And I wanted her to be Black, so that's where the Jamaican inspiration comes in, since I was born in Jamaica and, as such, that's all I know.
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<div class="me">
That's awesome! I love how the world seemed to develop over time! I need to make time to read Havemercy at some point, especially knowing it influenced anything about this book.
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What was it like world-building for a book like this? How much world-building did you do?
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<div class="other">
Worldbuilding is my favorite part of the process, so I have an entire Series Bible. It contains the name of all the countries and continents (even ones that don't appear on the map), their royal families and major locations throughout, detailed information pages on the drakes (the giant metal dragons) and the dragons-including listed pilots and riders, whether I mention them in the book or not-and more. It's lowkey my dream to get to do an encyclopedia like George R.R. Martin's The World of Ice and Fire, and I will be VERY prepared if any publisher ever lets me, haha.
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<div class="me">
I love the idea of worldbuilding. It sounds time-consuming, but also like one of the most fun things when writing fantasy! I would totally read an encyclopedia about this book if given the chance. I'm pretty sure I wrote that in my review before even sending you these interview questions. So if they ever let you do that, I will 100% be buying it.
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Did you have to do any other research when writing this book? I personally really enjoyed the way that you showcased the way both countries thought about and were affected by the war.
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<div class="other">
Oh, definitely. I only lived in Jamaica for five years and returned every other summer. Things I remembered from my childhood had to be double checked with the family that still live there. For example, I once had a line in the book that there were crocodiles in the gully of Deadegg-which is based on Old Harbour, where my grandmother lived and where I was largely raised-only for my father to tell me that was absolutely not true. As it turned out, that was a prank my cousins had played on me that I believed to this day. I also read a combination of fiction and nonfiction books, like <b><i>A Brief History of Seven Killings: A Novel</i></b> and <b><i>Out of Many</i></b>, <b><i>One People: The Historical Archaeology of Colonial Jamaica</i></b>, <b><i>Drumblair: Memories of a Jamaican Childhood</i></b>, and <b><i>Hurricane Summer</i></b>.
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<div class="me">
Solid! I'm glad you had family you could check with, that definitely helps make the process a bit easier and more accurate. Books also make for a really good resource and I'm glad that they helped you.
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I am admittedly a little obsessed with this book now. So definitely a personal question, but did you have a favorite scene to write?
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<div class="other">
I loved writing the scene on the beach with Faron and Reeve. Things are shifting between them, and Faron is at a loss for how or why, so trying to balance showing that shift with how confused she was by all of it was a fun challenge, and I spent a lot of time trying to get that right. I also loved the scene in the dean's office with Elara and Signey. In my mind, sitcom music was playing, even though it's very serious.
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<div class="me">
I absolutely loved both of those scenes! The dean's office scene was a more fun than I was expecting considering I was worried about Elara at that time! And how you wrote Faron feeling that shift was so good!
<br /><br />
When you were writing this book, did you originally plan for it to be part of a series?
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<div class="other">
When I queried SO LET THEM BURN, it was a standalone! I dreamed of it being part of a series, but I had read that those were hard to get agented for, so I tried to write the book in a way that would wrap up all the loose ends-even if I had to rush it. My agent was like, "Kamilah, this is a duology. You need at least two books." And who was I to argue with her?
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<div class="me">
Can't argue with your agent! I'm very glad though! It definitely gives you the time to flesh out and wrap up all the loose ends.
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If you had to describe So Let Them Burn in three words, what words would you choose?
</div>
<div class="other">
Sapphics, sisterhood, and dragons.
</div>
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<div class="me">
Yep! That's it in a nutshell!
<br /><br />
Was there any part of this book that was difficult to write?
</div>
<div class="other">
The reflections on war were very difficult to write, as well as the different ways that Faron and Elara's PTSD displayed themselves and affected their current lives. I had to do a lot of research for this and pull from some very personal places, but hopefully it connects with people and makes them feel less alone.
</div>
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<div class="me">
That's fair. I hope it connects with people too.
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Are there any hints or teasers you can give about the second book? I'm already anxiously awaiting its release after that ending!
</div>
<div class="other">
Oh, I ruin these kids' lives. But a vague teaser is that one of my favorite scenes is when two characters reunite for the first time in a long time. It's raw and emotional and affectionate and intimate, and it shows how important friendships are to the narrative of both books.
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<div class="me">
Oh I am looking forward to it! I feel bad for these kids 😂 but I am so excited to see how it all goes. I love the forcus on friendships. It's such an amazing things and I love books that manage to bring that to the forefront.
<br /><br />
Thank you so much to Kamilah Cole for taking part in this interview and to everyone who read this! This was truly an absolute pleasure and I feel beyond grateful to have conducted this interview. I highly encourage everyone to add <b><i>So Let Them Burn</i></b> to their TBR piles and either preorder it or request it at their local library. I am fully planning on keeping a close eye on Cole's writing to see how she grows and develops as a writer. If this is just the beginning, I can only see her career going higher!
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You can find Kamilah Cole on her <a href="https://www.kamilah-cole.com/"> website</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wordsiren/"> Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/wordsiren">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/wordsiren.bsky.social">BlueSky</a>, and <a href="https://www.threads.net/@wordsiren">Threads.
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Kamilah Cole has a </a><a href="https://linktr.ee/kamilahcole">LinkTree</a> set up with links to preorder the book. She also has launch events linked there in case you want to catch one of those!
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If you can't buy her books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive! Have an amazing new year! May this one be better than the last (even if your last was amazing)!
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-35695207883064767012023-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:002023-12-20T08:00:00.137-08:00Blog Tour: WINTER THRILLS, HOLIDAY CHILLS by Vault Comics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ioITbUGhYB9_5hjG97KMd_pie7aqwEVqplquFeFN2OZYXN2zjvftJOMNhYdJ5HwPUGk_L7JGtCOj0NI9Umh7CAN3K_JicnsuNfnUZRMtcWgBtbIX9b5xD-7cnGQ9TxPP5ULsVI4PXcUiiapfzOGW7MGF650PBDiywG5pubnXOHZfgNWIW6V_Ogobog_M/s615/Winter%20Thrills%20Holiday%20Chills%20Virtual%20Vault%20Rockstar%20tour%202023.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="615" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ioITbUGhYB9_5hjG97KMd_pie7aqwEVqplquFeFN2OZYXN2zjvftJOMNhYdJ5HwPUGk_L7JGtCOj0NI9Umh7CAN3K_JicnsuNfnUZRMtcWgBtbIX9b5xD-7cnGQ9TxPP5ULsVI4PXcUiiapfzOGW7MGF650PBDiywG5pubnXOHZfgNWIW6V_Ogobog_M/w400-h156/Winter%20Thrills%20Holiday%20Chills%20Virtual%20Vault%20Rockstar%20tour%202023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WINTER THRILLS, HOLIDAY CHILLS!
from VAULT Blog Tour hosted by </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rockstar Book Tours</span></a></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><a name="_Hlk121052248"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WINTER is the second scariest time of year. And it’s not just
because of the terror of last-minute gift buying, frightening crowds, and
haunting memories of holiday gatherings past. Specters cast dark shadows in
snow, frost covers every inch of your sanctuary, and a variety of monsters from
world legend and lore stalk your dreams from the child-eating Icelandic Yule
Cat, to Northern Europe’s icy wielder of justice Frau Hölle and her Wild Hunt,
to Germany’s devilish anti-Santa, Krampus, the Kallikantzaros </span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk121052248;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">evil goblins from Greece, and the Alpine witch Frau Perchta and
her Kraumpus-like minions, the Perchten.</span></span></a></p>
<p><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk121052248;"></span><a href="https://www.vaultcomics.com/"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk121052248;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">VAULT
Comics</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk121052248;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> knows this terror,
feels your pain, and wants to share the horror…</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk121052248;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enter VAULT’s bone-chilling list of most popular horror,
fantasy, and science fiction titles, with the best talent in SFFH comics with a
WINTER THRILLS, HOLIDAY CHILLS!, Holiday Special!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Winter, slay/sleigh those demons of
indecision with the best in creator-owned Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here’s a list of all of
the titles & authors participating in the tour! Check out each individual
blog/Instagram/or booktok (schedule below) for more details on each book!</span></p><p></p>
<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/Xsd1AKf4XQw?si=aGhJ1RX_bZuvdL2N" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><p><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70054911-dark-one-book-1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DARK ONE</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Brandon Sanderson</span></p><p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62918993-end-after-end-vol-1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">END
AFTER END</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by David “DB” Andry, Tim Daniel, Sunando C (Illustrator)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MINDSET</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Zack Kaplan & John J. Pearson
(Illustrator)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><br /></p><p><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/323800-money-shot"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MONEY SHOT
Volumes 1-3</span></b></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> by Tim
Seeley,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sarah Beattie, Rebekah Isaacs
(Illustrator)</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48944728-money-shot-vol-1"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MONEY SHOT VOL 1</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55238716-money-shot-vol-2"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MONEY SHOT VOL 2</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58532633-money-shot-vol-3"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MONEY SHOT VOL 3</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><br /></p><p><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60320688-the-blue-flame"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE
BLUE FLAME</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Christopher Cantwell & Adam Gorham (Illustrator)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/351045-west-of-sundown"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WEST OF SUNDOWN
Volumes 1 & 2</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Tim Seeley & Aaron
Campbell, Jim Terry (Illustrations) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61272955-west-of-sundown-vol-1"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WEST OF SUNDOWN VOL. 1: Out Beyond the Dust N' Dark</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62918996-west-of-sundown-vol-2"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WEST OF SUNDOWN VOL. 2: Youthful Blasphemy</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58532635-witchblood"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">WITCHBLOOD</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Matthew Erman & Lisa Sterle (Illustrator)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62918995-heart-eyes"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">HEART EYES</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Dennis Hopeless & Víctor Ibáñez
(Illustrator)</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">YA Crossover</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>Dark One</u></span></h2>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781939424761" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598836149i/49798827.jpg"width="200"/></a></div>
<div style = "font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; width: 675px;">
<b>Rating: </b>5/5
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Thoughts: </b>
Something about this graphic novel just hit me exactly where I wanted it! It was pretty much anything I could have wanted and I blew through the graphic novel like it was a short story! Definitely worth a read.
</div>
<br/>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>End After End</u></span></h2>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781638491699" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681060837i/62918993.jpg" width="200"/></a></div>
<div style = "font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; width: 675px;">
<b>Rating: </b>3/5
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Thoughts: </b>
I definitely want to give this book another shot at some point. I just didn't care for the story at the time, but I think it had a lot to do with when I read it. Otherwise, I think I would have enjoyed it more. It's definitely an interesting setup if nothing else.
</div>
<br/>
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<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>Mindset</u></span></h2>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781638491590" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681060787i/61272957.jpg"width="200"/></a></div>
<div style = "font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; width: 675px;">
<b>Rating: </b>4/5
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Thoughts: </b>
I'm still a bit confused by this book, but in a good way. I became thoroughly invested in the story once I started reading it and it was worth it! It was just a lot of fun, even when parts of it had me a bit confused.
</div>
<br/>
<br/><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>The Blue Flame</u></span></h2>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781638491064" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1680659695i/60320688.jpg" width="200"/></a></div>
<div style = "font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; width: 675px;">
<b>Rating: </b>4/5
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Thoughts: </b>
This was an interesting story. I thought Sam was a very intriguing character and the book asked some interesting questions. I enjoyed most of it!
</div>
<br/>
<br/><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>Witchblood</u></span></h2>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781638490845" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1645385512i/58532635.jpg"width="200"/></a></div>
<div style = "font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; width: 675px;">
<b>Rating: </b>5/5
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Thoughts: </b>
This graphic novel was vivid and chaotic in all of the best ways. I thought it was a truly interesting story and the characters were a lot of fun.
</div>
<br/>
<br/><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>Money Shot Vol. 1-3</u></span></h2>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781939424600" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576619081i/48944728.jpg" width="200"/></a></div>
<div style = "font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; width: 675px;">
<b>Rating: </b>4/5
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Thoughts: </b>
I thought this was a fun set of comics. I don't know what it was about it, but it just hit me right were I wanted at the time. I think it was the strange humor throughout the books.
</div>
<br/>
<br/><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u>West of Sundown Vol. 1-2</u></span></h2>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781638491552" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1674683408i/61272955.jpg"width="200"/></a></div>
<div style = "font-size: 0.9em; text-align: left; width: 675px;">
<b>Rating: </b>3/5
<br/>
<br/>
<b>Thoughts: </b>
I wanted to like this graphic novel, and on another day I might, but it just didn't sit right for me. I just didn't find myself overly invested in the story.
</div>
<br/>
<br/><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p><b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Giveaway Details:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><a name="_Hlk120893699"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 winner will win finished copies of every book featured in the CHILLING
HOLIDAYS from VAULT tour, US Only.</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 winner will win eBooks
of every book featured in the CHILLING HOLIDAYS from VAULT tour, International.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ends January
6<sup>th</sup>, midnight EST.</span></p></div>
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e2389ba21769" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21769/" id="rcwidget_bdom8wsg" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tour Schedule:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Week One:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/1/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.ladyhawkeye.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Lady
Hawkeye</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">FEATURE- WEST OF SUNDOWN<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/2/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://bookreviewvirginialee.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">FEATURE- END AFTER END<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Week Two:</span></u></b></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/3/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.comicbookyeti.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Comic
Book Yeti</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">FEATURE- HEART EYES<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/4/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Two Chicks on Books</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">FEATURE- MONEY SHOT<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/5/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://kountrygirlbookaholic.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Kountry Girl Bookaholic</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">FEATURE- THE BLUE FLAME<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/6/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://kimberlybartosch.wixsite.com/blog"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">FEATURE- WITCHBLOOD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/7/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebookviewblog/"><span style="color: blue;">The Book View</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/8/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://darkfantasyreviews.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: blue;">@darkfantasyreviews</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/9/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/dreaminginpages"><span style="color: #1155cc;">@dreaminginpages</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Week Three:</span></u></b></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/10/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/celiamcmahonreads"><span style="color: blue;">celiamcmahonreads</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/11/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.elisquared.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Eli
to the nth</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Review/IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/12/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://countrymamaswithkids.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Country Mamas With Kids</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Review/IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/13/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd"><span style="color: blue;">GryffindorBookishnerd</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/14/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ablueboxfullofbooks/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">A Blue Box Full of Books </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/15/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/book.reviews.letters.and.recs/"><span style="color: blue;">@book.reviews.letters.and.recs</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/16/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/enthuse_reader"><span style="color: #1155cc;">@enthuse_reader</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review/TikTok Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Week Four:</span></u></b></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/17/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/pagesforpaige"><span style="color: blue;">@pagesforpaige</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/18/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jaimes_mystical_library/"><span style="color: blue;">Jaimes_mystical_library</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/19/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://nonbinaryknight-reads.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Nonbinary Knight Reads</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Review/IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/20/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.bookswithachance.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Books With a Chance</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Review/IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/21/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.onemoreexclamation.com/"><span style="color: blue;">One More Exclamation </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/22/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ohyouread"><span style="color: blue;">@ohyouread</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/23/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/travelersguidetobooks"><span style="color: blue;">travelersguidetobooks </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Week Five:</span></u></b></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/24/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lfl_onhst/"><span style="color: blue;">@lfl_onhst</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/25/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://instagram.com/jlreadstoperpetuity?igshid=OTk0YzhjMDVlZA=="><span style="color: #1155cc;">jlreadstoperpetuity </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review/TikTok Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/26/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://sadiesspotlight.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Sadie's
Spotlight</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Feature- DARK ONE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/27/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://bookgirlbrownreviews.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: blue;">bookgirlbrown_reviews</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">FEATURE- MINDSET/Review/IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/28/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://themommaspot.home.blog/"><span style="color: #1155cc;">The Momma Spot</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Review <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/29/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.herestohappyendings.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Here's to Happy Endings</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Review/IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/30/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/ashe_and_ink"><span style="color: blue;">@ashe_and_ink</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">IG Review<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Week Six:</span></u></b></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">12/31/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: blue; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://adestinyspath.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: blue;">Destiny's Direction</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Review/IG Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><br /></div>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-24319828716768632922023-12-03T08:17:00.000-08:002023-12-03T08:17:12.772-08:00Book Tour: TIMID review + author interview<style>
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font-size: large;
font-weight: bold;
color: #9c59d1;
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.other {
font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;
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<p> </p>
<!--COVER--->
<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59365069-timid?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=XHvy0RYyyn&rank=1" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "322" data-original-width = "780" height = "264" src = "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjz6JTbQK-i280GvF_53uERgpl7evGDGlayxu9fag7DL1RxjI8KNali4YRqVnuLEDH3PNjWaKqZVsfGHlF8b_OnLAujH7H5GJmEv8RS2bufX7Cnikm4jDlV40ALUaeuVQyd7gnxNvcW9MZJZL1PrQla5U-uuPCKNPkwgxKh8uoJp0DCW3t06TGGqZHkKWG21Bfk22vaeHZNrcn1Eq7itKgzDYaCaQ=s0-d-e1-ft" width = "640"/></a></div>
<br/>
<p></p>
<!--BOOK INFORMATION--->
<div style = "text-align: center; background-color: #89cdcf; border: 6.25px solid black; border-radius: 15px; color: black; padding: 12px;">
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Timid </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Harry Woodgate </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Little Bee Books </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Childrens, LGBT, Picture Book </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 32 </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Format</b>: Physical </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Representation</b>: Nonbinary </span>
</div>
<br>
<div style = "text-align: center;">
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: red;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: orange;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: yellow;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: green;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: blue;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: purple;">⚜ </span>
</div>
<br>
<!--REVIEW--->
<div style = "text-align: center; background-color: #ec8d93; border: 6.25px solid black; border-radius: 15px; color: black; padding: 12px;">
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
<br>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Quote/Scene: </b></span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Meeting Nia</span>
<br>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">
Thank you so, so much for Hear Our Voices Tours for allowing me to take part in this book tour!! I love Harry Woodgate's books and I especially love a book with a nonbinary main character! Make sure to check out the <a href="https://www.hearourvoices.me/blog/timid">tour schedule</a> to see what other wonderful tours and hosts were a part of this tour!
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This is a beautiful book! I'm starting to expect that from Harry Woodgate's books. They are colorful and gorgeous and very well-written.
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This book has a nice story with a strong impact to me! Especially considering the main character is nonbinary which isn't something we typically get in picture books.
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The character's journey throughout the book is actually pretty great! It's not a permanent answer to that fear and anxiety, but it's definitely a better approach then just trying to ignore it or sink into it!
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I loved this book! It was exactly what I had hoped for!
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How did you get the idea for this book?
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<div class="other">
I came up with the idea for Timid in early 2020, a few weeks before the first lockdown here in the UK. I was sat in a local coffee shop with my sketchbook, and I drew a lion with a multicoloured mane. I liked the character, so as the world shut down over the next few months, I began to explore what their story might be.
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The themes of shyness and anxiety I drew from my own childhood. They're feelings many kids struggle with, and whether it's taking part in a school performance, playing a sport, making new friends or speaking in front of your class, these experiences can feel really daunting, so I wanted to create a story which spoke to and encouraged those readers in a gentle and reassuring way.
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<div class="me">
Why use a lion to showcase the fear?
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<div class="other">
There are quite a few books that use big cats as metaphors for worry and fear, but the main reason I chose to include the lion alongside Timmy was because it allowed me to create a playful visual relationship between the two characters, mirroring and contrasting the different emotions Timmy feels throughout the story in the illustrations. I also liked the idea that perhaps this bold, colourful lion was not just representative of Timmy's shyness but also of their vibrant imagination and inner world: sometimes these things can be two sides of the same coin.
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The second reason is that one of my favourite soft toys when I was small was a lion called George, so it felt like a fitting tribute!
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<div class="me">
As a nonbinary reader, I loved that the main character used they/them pronouns. Why did you choose to have it that way?
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<div class="other">
That means a lot to hear, thank you. I chose to include a non-binary character because there are still relatively few picture books that feature non-binary identities, though there will certainly be young readers who are either beginning to explore their own relationship to gender, or who may have non-binary or gender non-conforming people in their life.
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Picture books are excellent tools for building empathy, as well as equipping children and caregivers with the language and space to safely navigate important topics together. Hopefully Timid achieves this whilst most importantly being an enjoyable story.
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<div class="me">
What do you like to do to overcome nervousness or shyness?
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<div class="other">
I think more than anything, I've learnt the importance of nurturing those friendships where you become bolder, brighter, more authentic versions of yourselves in each other's company - and the importance of understanding and respecting your own boundaries. Whilst it's good to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and face your fears, doing so with kindness and allowing yourself the space to process your emotions is far better than just trying to power through.
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<div class="me">
How did you come up with Timmy and Nia's names?</div>
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Timmy's name is a bit of a pun on the book's title, Timid. I'm not entirely sure where Nia's name came from: I think it just sounded friendly, which suits her personality.
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<div class="me">
Do you have a favorite illustration in this book?
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<div class="other">
I'm really happy with the playground bench scene where Timmy, Nia and the lion are surrounded by colourful macaws, as well as the final illustration where Timmy and Nia put on their costumes and take to the stage. Both are anticipatory moments - the beginnings of a new friendship, or the start of a performance - and I think I'm drawn to the latent emotion within those situations.
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<div class="me">
What's your favorite part of your job?
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<div class="other">
I love doing events, meeting readers and seeing the books I've made out in the world, but, perhaps necessarily, I think my favourite part of the job is the physical process of writing and illustrating: the routine of it; the passing of time; the many small decisions, reflections and conversations that go into creating each story.
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Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-68391898424892101122023-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:002023-12-01T08:00:00.148-08:00Book Tour: WE ARE THE CRISIS review + 15 thoughts while reading<p> </p>
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<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124053855-we-are-the-crisis?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=mFViIUYSqh&rank=1" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "322" data-original-width = "780" height = "264" src = "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEj5tsTo1kiZiN-iDm7dlV7reTSh06IRgJ4q7s7M_SL01Vlw8iir5PbccyNTH4sd95eZIT7R9USOxXtcXIj3kSJoLqEA5l7uO4c5_GXUot2VpzUCBceNhtgwAHHmuinK5w1tSkfIgzPSeu5KYS4Q-S_nDjDgMJde7sLHiNYamLw6q0zdkV9gkmKZZLBLtq7mpOcCx4C4-Du68MUpss2gHHFL1Y_btnTV36ZjsZeCj02qxfYIMNpfc69wj3xS8eQJzZqBar4zDqPqFFZCuhTF=s0-d-e1-ft" width = "640"/></a></div>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: We Are the Crisis </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Cadwell Turnbull </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Blackstone Publishing </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: November 7, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Adult, Horror, Paranormal, Fantasy </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 338 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781982603755">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781982603755</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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My absolute thanks to Hear Our Voices Tours, Blackstone Publishing, and Cadwell Turnbull for allowing me to take part in this tour and read this amazing book! Make sure to check out the other tour hosts <a href="https://www.hearourvoices.me/blog/wearethecrisis">here</a> and see what they've got in store during this tour!
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I'll be real with you, when I started this book (well more specifically when I started No Gods, No Monsters) I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I found that this book had a very strange voice to it and that was off-putting at first. However, after a bit of time I grew used to it and loved it!
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This book was enthralling! I found myself on-edge and invested in everything that was going on. At times I got confused, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story! The writing was well-done and it kept me thoroughly involved!
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One of the things that I really liked the best about this book was the characters! They were all written in such a unique way that it was easy for me to keep track of them and keep them apart. They were also just plain interesting characters.
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It's hard to review this book without spoiling it. But I did really enjoy reading the book! I thought it was an interesting time (fun isn't quite the right word, but it wasn't <i>not</i> fun either).
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>15 Thoughts While Reading: </b></span>
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-Pronouns!!! (Just picture me as an excited puppy who gets pumped whenever books have someone introducing themselves with their pronouns!)
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-Ooh yes! Run!!!
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-I cannot pronounce that.
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-I trust no one!
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-Chills!!!
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-Sad state of life, but not entirely wrong.
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-"He remembers" is beautifully well-written.
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-I love the names in this book!
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-That meeting!!!
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-The new section pages are gorgeous!
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-Cute!
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-Ooohhh fuuuccckkk!!!
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-Ouch! I get it, but ouch!
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-Love the answer "I'm dangerous"
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-Oh no!!!
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-34028461100866482392023-11-30T10:56:00.000-08:002023-11-30T10:58:56.140-08:00Cover Reveal: KEY LIME SKY by Al Hess<p> </p>
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<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200786771-key-lime-sky?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=sDxpAGBGJx&rank=1" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "400" data-original-width = "265" height = "240" src = "https://fanfiaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Key-Lime-Sky-Cover-640x1024.jpg" width = "159"/></a></div>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Key Lime Sky </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Al Hess </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Angry Robot Books </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: August 13, 2024 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Cover Artist</b>: Al Hess </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Cover Designer</b>: Karen Smith </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Preorder Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/https://angryrobotbooks.my.canva.site/key-lime-sky">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/https://angryrobotbooks.my.canva.site/key-lime-sky</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Synopsis: </b></span>
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Denver Bryant’s passion for pie has sent him across Wyoming searching for the best slices, but his food blog is a failure and its trickling income isn’t enough to pay his rent next month.
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Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, he seems to be the only one to care that the residents’ strange behavior and a shower of hail-that-isn’t-hail could be evidence of something extraterrestrial. Frustrated that his reputation as town eccentric is impeding his quest for answers, he details the events on his failing blog, and his online popularity skyrockets, driving him to search for answers.
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The only person in town who takes him seriously is handsome bartender, Ezra. They investigate over pie and the possibility of romance, but when people start vanishing and reality folds in on itself, it’s suddenly a race against time to find the extraterrestrial source and destroy it before it consumes not only Muddy Gap but everything beyond. Denver’s always been more outsider than hero, but he’s determined to ensure that a world with Ezra – and with pie – still exists tomorrow.
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>About the Author: </b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">
Al Hess is the author of <i>World Running Down</i> (“Hess satisfyingly explores the complexity of building your identity in a world of winners and losers” <i>Washington Post</i>), <i>Yours Celestially</i>, and the award-winning <i>Hep Cats of Boise</i> series. When not hunched before a computer screen, Al can be found at his art desk. He does portraits in both pencil and oil paint, and loves drawing fellow authors’ characters nearly as much as his own. He writes cozy and uplifting stories with queer, trans, and neurodiverse representation.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-23365264913922612532023-11-27T07:14:00.000-08:002023-11-27T08:02:12.747-08:00Blog Tour: THE QUEER GIRL IS GOING TO BE OKAY<p> </p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123204569-the-queer-girl-is-going-to-be-okay?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=M72P6u6HtM&rank=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="240" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684785086i/123204569.jpg" width="159" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Synopsis: </b></span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">
Thank you to Hear Our Voices tour for allowing me to take part in this! Make sure to check out the <a href="https://www.hearourvoices.me/blog/queergirlisokay-t6tns">schedule</a> to follow all the amazing hosts!
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Queer Love. Something Dawn wants, desperately, but does not have. But maybe, if she can capture it, film it, interview the people who have it, queer love will be hers someday. Or, at least, she'll have made a documentary about it. A documentary that, hopefully, will win Dawn a scholarship to film school. Many obstacles stand in the way of completing her film, but her best friends Edie and Georgia are there to help her reach her goal, no matter what it takes.
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A touching and joyous story of queer friendship and girlhood set in the vibrant city of Houston, THE QUEER GIRL IS GOING TO BE OKAY will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you believe that eventually, everything will be okay.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-31932274943450262382023-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:002023-11-22T07:00:00.132-08:00Review: A RIVER OF GOLDEN BONES by A.K. Mulford<p> </p>
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<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123239368-a-river-of-golden-bones?" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "400" data-original-width = "265" height = "240" src = "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681790985i/123239368.jpg" width = "159"/></a></div>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: A River of Golden Bones </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Series</b>: The Golden Court, Book #1 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: A.K. Mulford </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Harper Voyager </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: December 5, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Adult, LGBT, Fantasy, Romance </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 400 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780063291423">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780063291423</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Finish Date</b>: November 21, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Format</b>: Physical ARC </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Representation</b>: Genderfluid, Sapphic, Nonbinary </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Trigger/Content Warnings</b>: Violence, Death, Transphobia </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Quote/Scene: </b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"> "No. No more packs. To the Golden Court. To our family." </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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<b>Note: Calla uses she/they pronouns. I will be alternating between these two during my review.</b>
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I am very thankful that I was able to receive a copy of this book! It’s a shifter romantasy (romance/fantasy) book with a genderfluid main character. Add in some fated mates, and I was absolutely feral to get my hands on a copy! The author very kindly gifted me a copy and I started reading it the day that I got it.
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I found Calla to be a very compelling main character. She is full of heart and fueled by anger. They will burn down anything standing between them and their revenge, but she's also fairly level-headed and cunning. They think through what consequences their actions might have, but sometimes her stubbornness means that she stills go through with her plans. Throughout the book, as they grow, they become smarter and more resourceful.
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I absolutely love Calla as a character but it’s the side cast that really stole my heart from me. I loved them all, but one really stood out to me. Ora is probably my newest book crush and I love them so deeply. I am mildly terrified to read any sequels of this book because of what might happen to them. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there were something certain they did that just amazed me. Grae makes for a very interesting love interest. He's sweet and scarred and troubled. Beyond those two there are assorted other characters. I don't want to name them all because I truly don't want to spoil this book for anyone.
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One of the things that I think worked really well in this book was the intricacies of everyone involved. From Calla to the travelers that she meets along the way to the primary villain of the story. They are all crafted so well. They have dreams and hopes and wants and you can understand why they’ve done the things they’ve done. And Mulford also wrote a compelling villain without writing someone that you wanted to have sympathy for which can be a fine line to tread at times.
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The only thing I had a minor issue with was the sex scenes. And it’s not because they were poorly written or anything, but rather because I just wasn’t feeling them at the time so they made me a bit uncomfortable. It wasn’t worth a deduction in my rating though.
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I thought that this was an incredible book. From the depth of the characters to the beautifully described scenery. The sense of mild humor even when things are tough and the overarching sense of loyalty. This is a found family book and it shows in their interactions. I didn’t want this book to end and, now that it has, I can’t wait to read the next one.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-91624452264070478532023-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:002023-11-21T16:29:28.669-08:00Review: SIR CALLIE AND THE DRAGON'S ROOST by Esme Symes-Smith<p> </p>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Sir Callie and the Dragon's Roost </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Series</b>: Sir Callie, Book #2</span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Esme Symes-Smith </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Labyrinth Road </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: November 7, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Middle Grade, LGBT, Fantasy </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 400 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780593485828">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780593485828</a></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Finish Date</b>: November 4, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Format</b>: Physical </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Representation</b>: Nonbinary, Gay, Sapphic, Queer, Questioning </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Scene: </b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">The conversation about words!</span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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I have raved about Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston since I finished it the first time. And I’ll be doing much the same with this book as well. I’ve got a minor obsession with this series and I adored being allowed to receive an advance copy of the book and being accepted onto a tour for this book.
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I struggle very hard to put all my thoughts together for this book. This book gave me so many emotions and thoughts that it was very hard to remember them all. I’m sure there are things that I’m going to forget in this review and I apologize. Because I want everyone to know all the amazing thoughts I have about this book. Especially since, unlike many other books I’ve read, I really don’t remember any negatives from this book. I adored every second of it, even the parts that left me emotional and with a tight chest.
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One of Esme’s greatest strengths is that they write the characters so well. These characters are learning a lot of new information and are confronted with a lot of difficult choices. They keep doing what they believe is the best option but they are also (I hesitate to use the word children when referring to them) young so there are limits to their knowledge and what they can accomplish. They are young and they’ve been traumatized and lied to by the people they were supposed to be able to trust. So they struggle to consider all choices and to realize what all can and cannot be done. They are strong though and determined to fix the mess made by the adults.
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The characters that I loved so much from the first book are even more amazing in this book! They all get more depth to their characters and stories and we get introduced to Teo (xe/xem)! These characters grow and develop in this book much the same way many of them did in the first. They are fully fleshed-out characters who are trying to heal from their traumatic experiences while also trying to stop a war and figure out who they are as well. It’s a lot for them to handle but they have people who love them and want the best for them, even if they don’t fully believe that. Which is understandable considering what they’ve been through. I worry about one in particular because I worry that they are too sunken into a feeling and that it will be one hell of a journey to get them to realize that.
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The settings in this book are absolutely marvelous!!! Helston is…a place. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone so I won’t say much, but we do get some more information about what Helston is like post-Peran. We also travel outside of Helston in this book into the Roost. The Roost honestly sounds like an absolutely gorgeous place and I want to move in there. The people we are introduced to in there are even better, for the most part!
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There are a few messages that carry through from the previous book into this one. One being that family isn’t necessarily who you are born to. Another message is that winning doesn’t necessarily look the way you may expect it to. And that people and situations aren’t exactly black-and-white. One of the things that is repeated throughout (not 100% sure whether it should be referred to as a message, but probably) is that the children should have a say in what is going on because it involves them too. And when not taken into consideration, they are willing to fight to have their voices and opinions heard. This is a very, very rough wording of what I’m trying to get across, but I think it gets the idea. They want to be involved because it concerns them. Even if that means that they have to fight for themselves when no one else appears to be willing too.
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Esme writes gut-wrenching emotions very well. They’ve made me cry with both of their books. The sheer emotions that are in this book is astronomical. There were so many moments where I was on the edge of my seat because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next or if everything was going to be okay. The shock I got from some of these scenes was unreal and I absolutely loved every twist and turn of this story!
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Marking as a spoiler, because I’m pretty sure it is. I absolutely adore Kensa in this book. Xe just appears to be trying very hard to keep xyr people safe. Xe is struggling but is still trying! I don’t know if this is true or not, I’ll admit I trust very few adults in this book, but I want to believe that it is. I want to believe that xyr has Callie and their friends’ best interests at heart.
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I was also glad to discover that the magic system got a little more depth to it in this book as well! I’m not one who needs a full magical system, but I like little notes and information when possible. Slight spoiler warning so tagging it here. We learn that magic needs (rough paraphrasing here) light and air and freedom to grow and be accessible. I really liked that fact! Plus it feels a little like what you would expect from any hobby. It needs room and freedom and nourishment to properly grow, it can’t thrive in darkness.
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I love this series! Book 1 did a great job at starting to establish the characters and show what they were fighting for. Book 2 then showed the aftermath of book 1 as well as what happened after the start of Book 2. Esme didn’t shy away from the nitty gritty details of the war between Helston and Dumoor. The way people change when confronted with a situation where they feel like they are losing control of everything. I adore these books and I cannot wait until I get the chance to read book 3! Labyrinth Road, Penguin Random House, please send me a copy!
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-22718910863738489632023-11-10T09:04:00.054-08:002023-11-19T21:59:40.263-08:00Blog Tour: SIR CALLIE AND THE DRAGON'S ROOST review<p> </p>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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I have a full 1,000+ word review written out for this book, but I definitely don't want to overwhelm anyone during this tour. Firstly: all of my thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours, Labyrinth Road, and Penguin Random House for allowing me to take part in this tour! It is truly an honor! Make sure to check out <a href="https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/09/27/tour-schedule-sir-callie-and-the-dragons-roost-by-esme-symes-smith/">the other tour stops</a> and see what else the hosts have to say! Secondly: if you've been following me since last year you might remember my obsession with the first book in this series. I am no less obsessed with this book! Thirdly: while I love this book deeply, it does contain triggering content so I strongly recommend checking the content warnings before reading.
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I find Esme to be a very strong writer but I think where she truly excels is in her writing of the main characters. Callie, Elowen, Willow, and Edwyn are some of the most three-dimensional characters that I've ever met in a fantasy novel! They all have intricacies that allow them to work together but also cause them to argue at times. They're struggling from the traumas they have been through, but they also want to help the others through their struggles. These characters are brilliant and I adore them with every part of my heart.
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Esme also does a really, really good job at exploring the intricacies in this world. The many sides of a war and the truths that aren't always the truths. The people who are caught in the crossfire and suffer the most. The people who wind other's around their fingers to get the results they want. This is a tough topic to approach, especially in a middle-grade novel, but I think they do a very good job.
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The settings in this book are also amazing, even if they aren't positive settings! Helston is written wonderfully and the Dragon's Roost is something that I would love to see illustrations of. I'm pretty sure I said it after the first book and I'll say it again: I really want a movie or TV show to be made from these books.
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The emotional hold that this book and the first book have on me is indelible! I have such a deep love for these books and such an earnest admiration for Esme that it's hard to be matched. I am eagerly anticipating the third book, especially after how this book ended.
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Synopsis: </b></span>
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The battle is won, but the war is far from over. In this thrilling sequel, a twelve-year-old nonbinary
hopeful knight fights for the heart of their kingdom in a magical medieval world filled with dragons, shape-shifters, and witches.
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Thanks to Callie and their friends, Helston seems to be changing for the better: Boys are allowed to explore their magic, and girls are permitted to train as warriors. Callie is an official Helston page, Willow in on track to become king, and Elowen and Edwyn are finally safe and free of their father. Everything is...perfect.
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Except it isn’t.
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Not in Helston, where every step forward is accompanied by a storm of opposition. Even Queen Ewella and Sir Nick are struggling against the wave of fear and anti-magical sentiment growing daily, while the encroaching threat from across the bridge looms.
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Callie isn’t foolish; they notice the suspicious glances thrown Neal’s way and hear the doubtful murmurs following Willow. They know what people think about them, too. Tolerance is not the same as acceptance, and when the fragile peace finally shatters, Callie and their friends have no choice but to leave their home and run.
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On the other side of the bridge, old secrets are revealed and new allegiances are formed that will throw into question everything Callie thought they knew about their world. Including what it means to be a hero.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-30178068173623516742023-11-09T08:34:00.002-08:002023-11-09T08:34:06.520-08:00Book Tour: EMMETT by L.C. Rosen<p> </p>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Emmett </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: L.C. Rosen </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: November 7, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Young Adult, LGBT, Romance, Contemporary </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 272 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780316524773">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780316524773</a></span>
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A modern-day gay YA Emma, with the spikey social critique of Austen plus the lush over-the-top romance of Bridgerton.
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Emmett Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence and had lived nearly eighteen years in the world with very little to distress or vex him.
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Emmett knows he’s blessed. And because of that, he tries to give back: from charity work to letting the often irritating Georgia sit at his table at lunch, he knows it’s important to be nice. And recently, he’s found a new way of giving matchmaking. He set up his best friend Taylor with her new boyfriend and it’s gone perfectly. So when his occasional friend-with-benefits Harrison starts saying he wants a boyfriend (something Emmett definitely does NOT want to be), he decides to try and find Harrison the perfect man at Highbury Academy, the candy-colored private school they attend just outside Los Angeles.
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Emmett’s childhood friend, Miles, thinks finding a boyfriend for a guy you sleep with is a bad idea. But Miles is straight, and Emmett says this is gay life – your friends, your lovers, your boyfriends – they all come from the same very small pool. That’s why Emmett doesn’t date – to keep things clean. He knows the human brain isn’t done developing until twenty-five, so any relationship he enters into before then would inevitably end in a breakup, in loss. And he’s seen what loss can do. His mother died four years ago and his dad hasn’t been the same since.
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But the lines Emmett tries to draw are more porous than he thinks, and as he tries to find Harrison the perfect match, he learns that gifted as he may be, maybe he has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to love.
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Modern and very gay, with a charmingly conceited lead who is convinced he knows it all, and the occasional reference to the classic movie Clueless, Emmett brings you lush romance all while exploring the complexities of queer culture—where your lovers and friends are sometimes the same person, but the person you fall in love with might be a total surprise.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-28692402627733644412023-09-30T09:00:00.109-07:002023-09-30T09:00:00.140-07:00Interview with Claudie Arseneault, author of the CITY OF SPIRES series<style>
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Hi, everyone! It's great to be back and posting interviews again. Thank you for your understanding while I dealt with some mental issues and a couple of bouts with sickness.
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Today I am thrilled to present my interview with Claudie Arseneault (she/her)! If you've ever searched for books with asexual representation, you've likely seen some of her books listed. <b><i>Baker's Thief</i></b> is one of the ones that I saw the most when I was searching around but I also saw a lot about the series we're talking about today: the <b><i>City of Spires</i></b> series!
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In this interview I got to ask Claudie about how she got started with writing, how the <b><i>City of Spires</i></b> series came to be, and what sort of changes happened between conception and publication. This was an excellent interview and I was so excited to get to pick Claudie's brain about her work.
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How did you first start writing?
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I started with D&D roleplaying online! First with groups in online forums, but pretty quickly I was DMing an extensive game for a single player, and I started wanting to write small scenes between characters that the player wouldn't be privy to. A couple scenes soon became thousands of words of backstories, and from there I went into novels.
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Ooh, yeah I can definitely see how DMing a game could lead to a lot of writing. D&D definitely sounds amazing and I can totally understand how DMing and building that world could spiral into backstories and more. Add in any sort of interest in writing and soon you've got a novel, or at least the ideas for a novel.
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What does your writing process look like?
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I am an outliner. Every time I've gone into a draft without enough plans for it, I've hit wall after wall and wound up having to do a lot of rewrites. So the first step is to get good "tent posts" in my outline, so I always have key moments to shoot for, and a few bullet points of how I get there. <br /> <br /> The second thing I've found out is that I want to get to the end before I go back and do large scale edits. And in the case of series, that means get to the end of the series. There is so much I discover about themes and character arcs doing this, and having that knowledge becomes integral to the edits-which tend to be almost full rewrites, by that point.
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<div class="me">
The "tent poles" sounds like a very good system. Reasonable and allows you to get a brief outline down without necessarily having to fully flesh out everything. I'm intrigued by your second point. It makes sense but also causes me some mild anxiety at the same time. I definitely see the appeal in that though. It gets you to the point of knowing all the things about your characters and allows you to go back and make sure that is present in all the books.
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How did you get the idea for the City of Spires series?
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All that roleplaying online I mentioned? It went on for years, and even once the original game was over, I reused these characters in countless other universes and storylines with other friends. City of Spires happened when I wanted to write them a "real" canon, with a city-setting closer to their original game, using the best story arcs I'd put them through over the years. At the time I had been working on my debut Viral Airwaves a lot, and I needed something new and familiar to have fun with.
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<div class="me">
I do love the idea that these books came to be because you wrote backstories and such for D&D characters and then you wanted to write a world and canon around them. Sounds exactly like what I would expect to happen when a writer is told to run a creative project like a D&D campaign.
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How much world-building went into the creation of this series?
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A lot! The very start of it was a tiny paragraph in the Forgotten Realms' Campaign Setting, with barely any info at all. Most of it happened over the years of roleplay, filling out the city as I needed, but when I decided to make it all mine, I had to build the rest of the world, too. That's also when the queerness shot through the roof, because I had freedom to really integrate it in the world itself.
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<div class="me">
That makes sense. Some things already existed but other aspects had to be added in as you created the world. I'm sure it was a fun project to work on.
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What was the process like to come up with the titles and covers for these books?
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<div class="other">
I, huh, am lucky to have great friends and family, haha. Some of those titles come from an early beta throwing ideas around, and I took the structure "City of ______", which already matched the city's nickname, and filled it out. The hardest was City of Deceit, because I was supposed to have only three books, not four, and none of what I came up with had the right feel. It took me months! <br /><br /> The cover is almost exclusively the genius of my sister, who has done all four of them. She came up with the original towers and sky, and I loved it right away. We worked out we wanted to cycle through the day with them, and added a dramatic green one for the finale.
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<div class="me">
Oh, nice! I love a series that has a title structure like that, it just makes it easier for me to remember them and recognize the series. And I absolutely love that your sister did the covers! That is so awesome! I love that! The covers are stunning and they look so good next to one another. I wouldn't have realized the cycle of the day aspect if it wasn't for you mentioning it but then when I look at the covers I can see it!
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What was something that changed from the initial conception of this series to the final result?
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<div class="other">
Oh, man, so much changed, especially with the two latter books. I had a lot of unexpected relationships or characters I wanted to dig into more. Yultes and Garith becoming close was not one I expected; most of my early notes have more focus on Yultes and Jaeger, for example. I also let Mia Allastam take a lot more room when I chose to expand the last book into two, and I was really excited for that opportunity. <br /><br /> The biggest, however, [City of Betrayal spoilers ahead, you're warned!] (Click on the text if you're okay being spoiled.) <span class="spoiler"> is that there is nowhere in my early outline where Diel and Garith return from the first Golden Table, their titles lost, to find their tower taken over by Hellion. I got that idea while drafting, explored some of the immediate consequences and emotional heft of it, and I loved everything about the complication so much I decided to roll with it. It took a life of its own, and is probably why the rest of the story took much longer than anticipated.</span>
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<div class="me">
I figured there were things that had changed, but I'm surprised by relationships being one of them. It just never occurred to me, but I love it! Also, that spoiler is golden! Love that that wsan't something you originally intended. But that description sounds so perfect!
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So this series, or at the very least the first book, features an all-queer cast. Why was that important for you to not only include but mention?
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<div class="other">
Part of it is just "because I could", a little way to spite people who think the queerness needs purpose. I had a secret rule when writing that only queer characters got to narrate, which is why despite seemingly everyone getting a turn, Kellian Dathirii never does. Another is that having so many queer characters avoids putting the burden of representation on only one of them. It also became important to me to have and mention because a lot of the queer books you could find online, especially at the time, were classified/marketed as romance, along the f/f and m/m lines. It really felt as if you couldn't have queer stories and adventures without having a queer romance paired with it.
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<div class="me">
I LOVE the "because I could" part of adding queer characters. But the other reasons you included are also amazing! Getting representation can be hard sometimes, but it's so good to have the representation. I also just so happen to take the belief that queer characters should exist everywhere and I love books with majority queer casts.
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Can you describe either City of Exile or the City of Spires series in 5 words or less?
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<div class="other">
That's hard. Not counting connecting words I'd go with "Tapestry (of) Queer (and) Platonic Love (and) Intrigue".
</div>
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<div class="me">
Love it! If I wasn't already sold on reading this series, that would do it for me.
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Are there any specific messages that you want readers to take away after reading this series?
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<div class="other">
Two, I'd think. The first is something Diel says in City of Betrayal about fighting, that "Some battles need to be fought whether you want to or not-whether they can be won or not". The world's not in a good state right now, and it's easy to feel like nothing you do about it matters, but that's not true. Every little bit counts, and we need everyone. <br /><br /> The second is to show up for those you love (romantic and platonic) and love them for who they are. Conversely, you can be loved wrong, and it's OK to stop giving these people more chances and leave. It's very prominent in the second half of the series that there are wrong ways to love-thinking in particular of Brune, Hellion, and Lord Allastam here.
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<div class="me">
Wow! Yeah that's a good quote and I love it, especially with the state of the world right now. Just packs a punch! That second message is also really good. Both of them are very good and very important messages!
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Now that that series is finished, what else are you working on?
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<div class="other">
Novellas! I'm working on a series of novellas inspired by my love of JRPGs and other video games. It has a magical wagon, a bit of an episodic feel, and is much more straightforward plot-wise, so it's a fun change of pace!
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<div class="me">
Ooh, nice! I love video games! Also, I'm sold just from the concept of a magical wagon, something about that just speaks to me.
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All my thanks to Claudie for taking part in this interview and for everyone who read it! This was an amazing interview and I've heard absolutely fantastic things about Claudie's books. I strongly recommend that people take a look at her books and see whether they seem right up your alley. Links to follow Claudie on social media or buy one of her books will be included a bit lower.
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Thank yoou! I'm hoping to get back onto a regular posting schedule soon. If you like what I do, consider giving me a follow on my <a href="https://beacons.ai/nonbinaryknight_reads">social media</a> or donating to my <a href="https://ko-fi.com/nonbinaryknightreads">Ko-fi</a>. I greatly appreciate any donations I get and it helps me get and read more queer books. Thank you for reading and I hope you have an amazing weekend!!
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You can find Claudie Arseneault on <a href="https://wandering.shop/@ClH2OArs">Mastodon</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/claudiearseneault/"> Instagram</a>, and<a href="https://twitter.com/ClH2OArs/"> Twitter</a>.
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Claudie Arseneault has a <a href="https://books2read.com/ap/8PY6Ox/Claudie-Arseneault">Books2Read Link</a> that lists where you can purchase.
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If you can't buy her books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-85344252250318476502023-09-21T09:00:00.002-07:002023-09-21T09:05:29.084-07:00Book Tour: ALEX WISE VS. THE END OF THE WORLD review<p> </p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75500824-alex-wise-vs-the-end-of-the-world?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=xdLl3xclg5&rank=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="240" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684817273i/75500824.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Alex Wise vs. the End of the World </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Terry J. Benton-Walker </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Labyrinth Road </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: September 26, 2023 </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Middle Grade, LGBT, Fantasy </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 404 </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780593564295">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9780593564295</a></span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Finish Date</b>: September 15, 2023 </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Representation</b>: Gay </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Quote/Scene: </b></span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"> "That's definitely old news for me. But I'm glad you finally felt comfortable enough to tell me." </span>
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<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe class="BLOG_video_class" allowfullscreen="" youtube-src-id="-uA11Cr8yAg" width="400" height="322" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-uA11Cr8yAg"></iframe></div>
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I've wanted to read this book, at least somewhat, since I first saw the cover for it. It coming from the same publisher that gave me Sir Callie was just a nice bonus because right now I trust them to put out good works that can hold my interest and keep me invested. Luckily, that held true!
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What I do want to note is that it did take me a few chapters to get really invested in the story but I was also in the middle of a huge reading slump at the time and don't think that it was the fault of the book. It just wasn't happening for me at the time.
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Once I got hooked into the story though, I was an absolute goner. I was obssesed with the story in all of the amazing ways that I like to be!
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The author has a way of writing emotions. I adored the way they showed Alex's fluctuating emotions because he's a teen that has a lot going on at the moment. His emotions are deep and complex and you understand why he's feeling the way that he's feeling.
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Also, just as a quick endnote. I need this to become a movie or TV show solely so I can see the designs of the Horsemen! I absolutely loved the way they were described and I would love to see them recreated at some point. (Not going to lie, the description of Death and her powers kinda made me want to root for the Horsemen. It just sounded so awesome.)
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All in all, this book was absolutely fantastic. The author did a great job at writing an interesting story that had my attention and also had me on the edge of my seat. The author also did a remarkable job at writing the characters emotions and the actions that they take. It's the apocalypse during this book so everything is a hot mess and I thought the authro did a great job at describing the absolute chaos that was going on.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
</div>Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-22869883195833888452023-09-18T08:11:00.003-07:002023-09-18T08:11:34.672-07:00Book Tour: DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER review + favorite quotes<p> </p>
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<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58646008-don-t-want-to-be-your-monster?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hnUCFRNUpt&rank=3" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "400" data-original-width = "265" height = "240" src = "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668704770i/58646008.jpg" width = "159"/></a></div>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Don't Want to Be Your Monster </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Deke Moulton </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: Tundra Books </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: August 1, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Paranormal </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 291 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">
Thank you so much to Hear Our Voices Tours for allowing me to take part in this wonderful tour! Make sure to check out the <a href="https://www.hearourvoices.me/blog/dontwantmonster">schedule</a> so that you don't miss any of the other wonderful hosts! I loved this book and I look forward to seeing what the other hosts thought of it!
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I've been interested in this book for a while and getting to read it was honestly a pleasure! It seemed to line up perfectly with what I was currently in the mood for and I found that it hit all the sweet spots for me!
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Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. Every chapter was filled with something that drew me in whether it was family drama or a mystery that needed to be solved. I loved it all.
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I have a soft spot for all of these characters! I especially love Adam and Victor, which isn't hard, but the other characters were just as amazing. Their mothers were so sweet and their new friends were amazing. I have an especially soft spot for their sibling Sung. I want a book about them! But all of these characters are amazing and Adam and Victor are very, very likeable characters for me. They're struggling with their bond a bit, but not because either of them doesn't love the other. The relationship between Adam and Victor is beautifully written.
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I loved this book! I can't really say much more or less than that. The characters were amazing and sweet. The drama and action were well-written and had me eagerly waiting to see what would happen next. Deke did a great job at describing locations and situaitons, such as Adam and Victor traversing the town as vampires. I don't think there was a single second in this book that I wasn't hooked to the page.
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Quotes: </b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">
"So...charisma failed."
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"You really went full Mom-mode on me."
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"Big-brother-mode."
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"That is so convincing, yet so wrong."
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"What are you trying to do, anyway?"
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"Make you think I turned into a bat."
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"You and Victor and Sung? You bring so much light into my life."
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Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-56343169222682238142023-08-29T12:55:00.000-07:002023-08-29T12:55:18.348-07:00Blog Tour: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND PITTSBURGH exercpt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="615" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8oJ2BkcZcsugxXe7MCPbGTdnSaLE-MYLZjJ5oNiuwOwh2_Np1EiI9E2oZIj6IL4kRzrtQ_ucW0lKDEgcL8dddvPZaaymBvYY8L2HOmtTyl2fvJqeIFf-9evbyIpGZ8czdJxon9iSfXpSc9MwQRO2JU_tTICCA422yPawBC6v1kSmHOi95-bgoSKSJcP-/w400-h156/PRIDE%20AND%20PREJUDICE%20AND%20PITTSBURGH.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I
am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PRIDE & PREJUDICE & PITTSBURGH by
Rachael Lippincott Blog Tour hosted by </span><a href="http://www.rockstarbooktours.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Rockstar
Book Tours</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">. Check out my post and make sure to
enter the giveaway!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">About
The Book:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://books2read.com/PRIDE-PREJUDICE-PITTSBURGH" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1681" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzf7vt5Jlx9PdwNdQTZJU593l2LBufJKT4586ZhBlr1h0x6tjRFw87S3dpTp_59-lXjbvV5nGiAQLA405j5qDEtHAuCReuDDrrWm4progqRfQ_tj2IniRD-en05o6ZmkszdIBuKG3mf6qRSlWZ2pg-6iB7illAjFnix-AAPjp67ZoStyCW7UMyfY-iptqU/w264-h400/P&P&P%20cover.jpg" width="264" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Title:</span></b><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> PRIDE &
PREJUDICE & PITTSBURGH<o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Authors: </span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Rachael Lippincott<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Pub. Date:</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> August 29, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Publisher: </span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Formats:</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Pages:</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> 336<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Find it:</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101141137-pride-and-prejudice-and-pittsburgh"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Goodreads</span></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">, </span></span><a name="_Hlk50283462"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"></span></a><a href="https://books2read.com/PRIDE-PREJUDICE-PITTSBURGH"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk50283462;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">https://books2read.com/PRIDE-PREJUDICE-PITTSBURGH</span></span></span></a></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk50283462;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">From the <i>New York Times</i> bestselling
coauthor of <i>Five Feet Apart </i>and <i>She Gets the
Girl </i>comes a fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that’s <i>What
If It’s Us</i> meets <i>Bridgerton.</i></span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
<br />
What if you found a once-in-a-lifetime love…just not in <i>your</i> lifetime?<br />
<br />
Audrey Cameron has lost her spark. But after getting dumped by her first love
and waitlisted at her dream art school all in one week, she has no intention of
putting her heart on the line again to get it back. So when local curmudgeon
Mr. Montgomery walks into her family’s Pittsburgh convenience store saying he
can help her, Audrey doesn’t know what she’s expecting…but it’s definitely not
that she’ll be transported back to 1812 to become a Regency romance heroine.<br />
<br />
Lucy Sinclair isn’t expecting to find an oddly dressed girl claiming to be from
two hundred years in the future on her family’s estate. But she has to admit
it’s a welcome distraction from being courted by a man her father expects her
to marry—who offers a future she couldn’t be less interested in. Not that
anyone has cared about what or who she’s interested in since her mother died, taking
Lucy’s spark with her.<br />
<br />
While the two girls try to understand what’s happening and how to send Audrey
home, their sparks make a comeback in a most unexpected way. Because as they
both try over and over to fall for their suitors and the happily-ever-afters
everyone expects of them, they find instead they don’t have to try at all to
fall for each other.<br />
<br />
But can a most unexpected love story survive even more impossible
circumstances?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk143859441;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><b><u>Excerpt:</u></b>
<br>
I watch as she searches in the grass around where she was lying, looking for something. “Where am I?” she asks again.<br><br>
“On my family’s estate. Radcliffe.”<br><br>
An amused smile grows on her face, like I’ve just said something funny. “And what year is it on this ‘estate’?”<br><br>
“It’s 1812.”<br><br>
She barks out a laugh, shaking her head as she finds what she’s looking for, a rectangular box that’s now clutched in her hand. “It’s 1812 . . . ,” she mutters to herself. “You’re good. Really committed to this whole acting thing.”<br><br>
“What do you mean ‘acting thing’?” I ask as I stand and we face each other for the first time. She is a head taller than me, and I crane my neck to meet her gaze, crossing my arms over my chest as I start to get annoyed. She’s trespassing on my land, in this scandalous outfit, interrupting my first moments of sweet freedom, and she’s making every indication that I’m the one who’s strange?<br><br>
She raises an eyebrow as she motions at me. “The costume, the accent, the ‘Radcliffe, my family’s estate’ bit,” she says, mimicking my voice.<br><br>
“I don’t understand your meaning. Nor do I appreciate you using that tone with—”<br><br>
“Mm-hmm,” she says, cutting me off as she lifts the rectangular box toward the sky and begins wandering around in circles.<br><br>
Maybe she’s . . . unwell? I mean, she’s wearing trousers and a chemise in public.<br><br>
I inspect her face as she paces around and around, muttering to herself. Then I see the box she’s holding is almost . . . glowing. There’s a painted picture on the front of a dog that looks remarkably realistic.<br><br>
“No service,” she mutters to herself, coming to a stop in front of me. “Do you have a phone at your house?”<br><br>
I frown. “A phone?”<br><br>
“You know”—she holds up the rectangular box, and the glow is bright enough to make me squint—“a phone?”<br><br>
When I don’t show any sign of recognition, she narrows her eyes at me. “Are you Amish?”<br><br>
“Am I what?”<br><br>
“I don’t know! You don’t know what a phone is, you swallowed my gum, you’re dressed like this, and you think it’s 1812.”<br><br>
“It is 1812,” I say firmly, and she laughs again, but this time it doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “Why is that so amusing to you?”<br><br>
“Because it’s not possible.”<br><br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">About
Rachael Lippincott:</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.rachaellippincott.com/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLly1jPGaa-YaCggf_5dayUQsfMAzs7WfIwbKbhG7SRYJuIPuW3z_HLZVaoCxXrn6zPGq4JWYG-rigYqDPbiPXeoBUUE6hR9aZ2lYvIU_VdacLCOoodW3cBQBsKw-I_p4R8kd69FCLJ3F2Gel6QskPQOD7e9cfbcP3xqMvvSx2NVAeRW6n7uh3tOFf2Vu/s320/Rachael%20Lippincott_%20Photograph%20by%20Alyson%20Derrick.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Rachael Lippincott is the #1 New York Times
bestselling author of Five Feet Apart. She holds a BA in English writing from
the University of Pittsburgh. Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, she
currently resides in Pittsburgh with her wife and their dog, Hank.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.rachaellippincott.com/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Website</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> | </span><a href="https://twitter.com/rchllipp"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Twitter</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> | </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rachaellippincott/"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> | </span><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@alysonandrachael?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow%2FCc7BJ59VFf8Lk2%2Bb90r4JZAidAxmpwz5nSqYeA%2BNpcx3upfEl1n4RS0qi2gwVS3GgA%3D&language=en&sec_uid=MS4wLjABAAAA39cGJjvuKXFo10guTtO-aAt8F-ZqFFSc1xvIXa2KCoh_KKe_63QFOu82aTqnlUyg&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA39cGJjvuKXFo10guTtO-aAt8F-ZqFFSc1xvIXa2KCoh_KKe_63QFOu82aTqnlUyg&share_author_id=6934816970768827397&share_link_id=DE02A4B1-E1F8-4B25-8781-BF584EED4366&tt_from=copy&u_code=dha6acca130ce5&user_id=6934816970768827397&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy&source=h5_m&_r=1"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">TikTok</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> | </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17977608.Rachael_Lippincott"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Goodreads</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="windowtext" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> | </span></span><a href="https://amzn.to/3uYUlgN"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Amazon</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Giveaway Details:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">1 lucky winner will win a finished copy of
PRIDE & PREJUDICE & PITTSBURGH, US Only.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Ends September 12<sup>th</sup>, midnight
EST.</span></p><p></p>
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e2389ba21736" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21736/" id="rcwidget_06pfjiv4" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
<div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tour
Schedule:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Week
One:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8/28/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://yabookscentral.com/">YA Boks Central</a><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Excerpt/IG
Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8/28/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/">Lisa Loves Literature</a><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Review/IG
Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8/29/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://hollymbryan.tumblr.com/">Book-Keeping </a><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Excerpt/IG
Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 15.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">8/29/2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://nonbinaryknight-reads.blogspot.com/">Nonbinary Knight Reads </a><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p>
</td>
<td nowrap="" style="height: 15.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="bottom">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Review/IG
Post<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6493963069009388177.post-86691487839945301112023-08-10T08:30:00.001-07:002023-08-10T08:30:09.125-07:00Book Review: UNTIL I LOVE MYSELF, VOL. 1 by Poppy Pesuyama<p> </p>
<!--COVER--->
<div class = "separator" style = "clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62976858-until-i-love-myself-vol-1" style = "margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target = "_blank"><img alt = "" data-original-height = "400" data-original-width = "265" height = "240" src = "https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1678900326i/62976858.jpg" width = "159"/></a></div>
<br/>
<p></p>
<!--BOOK INFORMATION--->
<div style = "text-align: center; background-color: #5abee5; border: 6.25px solid black; border-radius: 15px; color: black; padding: 12px;">
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Book Details</u></b></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Title</b>: Until I Love Myself, Vol. 1 </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Author</b>: Poppy Pesuyama </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publisher</b>: VIZ Media </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Publication Date</b>: June 20, 2023 </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre(s)</b>: Nonfiction, Manga, LGBT, Memoir </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages</b>: 192 </span>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Bookshop Purchase Link</b>:
<a href="https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781974738847">https://bookshop.org/a/67041/9781974738847</a></span>
</div>
<span><span><a name='more'></a></span> </span>
<br>
<div style = "text-align: center;">
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: red;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: orange;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: yellow;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: green;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: blue;">⚜ </span>
<span style = "font-size: 30px; color: purple;">⚜ </span>
</div>
<br>
<!--READING INFORMATION--->
<div style = "text-align: center; background-color: #e8bcc6; border: 6.25px solid black; border-radius: 15px; color: black; padding: 12px;">
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: large;"><b><u>Reading Details</u></b></span>
<br>
<br>
<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Finish Date</b>: June 20, 2023 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Format</b>: Physical </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Representation</b>: Nonbinary </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Trigger/Content Warnings</b>: Sexual harrassment, gender dysphoria, bullying, eating disorders </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Rating</b>: 5/5 </span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Favorite Quote/Scene: </b></span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Pesuyama meeting Chill-Bayashi</span>
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<span style = "font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>Review: </b></span>
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This manga is a deeply personal story about Poppy Pesuyama’s own life experiences. This includes their experience with gender identity and dysphoria but it also primarily focuses on their experience with sexual harassment and the PTSD and trauma that follows. This is not necessarily a happy story, but I did find it to be hopeful.
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The art in this manga is unique to me. I don’t have the words to describe the art style but I was very pleased that the characters were drawn so uniquely that I never struggled to tell them apart. I thought the artwork worked really well with the story that was being told.
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The story of Pesuyama’s experiences hurt to read at times. There were a lot of emotions involved in this and it was heartbreaking to read about how the experiences affected them. But I also never found a second where I didn’t want to keep reading. I was invested in the story and seeing how things developed for Pesuyama. It got rough, but I was still engaged.
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I am trying very hard in this review to not let my words seem like I’m downplaying the author’s experiences. They were very upfront and honest about how the experiences made them feel and I am very impressed by their ability to do such. I don’t want to use words that make this book sound like a typical fiction novel, that doesn’t do justice to this autobiographical manga. It was a lot to take in at times, but I thought that this manga was very well-written and the art helped it come across.
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<p style="font-size: 10pt;"> Disclaimer: I am a bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a commision on books bought using the link on my page. </p>
Nonbinary Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12463831690962781491noreply@blogger.com0