September 27, 2013

Thin Space Review

I was given the chance to read Thin Space by Jody Casella by Beyond Words publishing on NetGalley and I really enjoyed it. It was a compelling read about grief and learning to forgive yourself. Read on for my honest review.

Ever since the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends, to right his wrongs and set things right. He must find a Thin Space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side.

But, when a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets.

As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—Marsh must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

 
Plot:
Thin spaces are places where the barrier between worlds is thin. A place where the living and dead can talk. Thin spaces are rare because they only occur where a soul enters the world and leaves the world. The soul enters the world when the mother first feels her baby kick and a soul leaves the world in death. Marsh and Maddie are in search of such a rare place to speak to the dead. Marsh is looking for his twin brother Austin who died when a drunk driver hit them while Marsh was driving. Maddie is looking for her father who died of cancer when she was young.

While Marsh is looking for a place of death, he must also deal with the world of living and Maddie must adjust to a new town. Marsh slowly begins to leave his fog and learn to live again, with Maddie's help. There are school counselors, fights, and long-overdue relationship discussions.

The end of the book has a nice twist that I had guessed a while ago but a casual reader may be taken completely surprised by. I enjoyed the ending and I was left with a sense of hope for the characters and that Marsh was finally learning to forgive himself and believe the accident wasn't his fault. 

Characters:
Thin Space follows Marsh as he searches for a thin space so he can cross into the world of the dead to talk to his twin brother. Marsh is a compelling character. He is consumed with guilt after a passing thought that maybe he doesn't want to always be a twin. Marsh has been walking around in a fog for the past three months after a drunk driver hits their car and his twin brother Austin dies. Marsh has moments he tunes out and is consumed with the events of the night of the accident. The story is a mix of Marsh's flashback thoughts and the present where he is searching for thin spaces. Marsh is determined to find a thin place and fix what happened to his brother. He walks around barefoot in the hopes that he will step into a thin space. I felt for Marsh and found myself liking him. He is a messed up high school junior who has gone from being MarshandAustin to only Marsh who is missing his twin.

Maddie is the other main character of Thin Space. She is the new girl in town- fresh from Nashville. She has a sweet southern drawl and seems to have her own history she is trying to deal with. She seems a bit too accepting when Marsh explains thin spaces but she has her own reasons for wanting to find a thin space. Maddie quickly becomes consumed with the thoughts of thin spaces and researches where people have died so she and Marsh can explore there barefoot.Maddie is a sweet girl and I found myself liking her openness and honest acceptance of Marsh.

My favorite secondary character was Chuck for being such a good friend to Marsh even when Marsh wasn't giving him a very good reason to be so loyal. 

Overall, this was a solid young adult read. I thought the writing flowed well and the characters were developed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys young adult reads, supernatural elements, and coming of age stories. You can read more about the book at thinspacebook.com and the author has a mix of bonus materials on her blog. You can find a playlist, a teacher's guide, and other reviews.

What do you think about supernatural stories? Do you find books about death interesting or depressing? Do you like flashbacks in books or not? Leave me a comment and let me know!

September 26, 2013

Burned Out

 

I noticed the other day that the books I was checking out were predominately in one genre. I was so excited to read them but now I look at them and don't feel the burning need to pick them up that I usually do. The books were mostly young adult dystopian reads and I think I'm burned out on this genre right now.

Have you ever been caught up in a genre and then suddenly crave something different to read? No matter how amazing and original a society an author can create, at their core most dystopian novels are the same. The same applies to any genre really. Once you've read enough of a genre you can predict with some reliability the plot track of the book. The individual elements may be a surprise but the general plot is the same. And I was ok with this predictability before because I enjoy dystopias and the originality in some of the elements some authors throw into the plot track.

So I'm going to take a break in this genre and return to some of these books later. When my appetite for dystopia returns. I know some of these books are amazing and I do plan on returning to them later but right now my mind craves something new to read. The best way I could explain this to a non-reader is to think of their favorite food. That food is amazing and they would love to eat it for a day or two. Maybe even a week if they love the food that much. But sooner or later they crave something new to eat. They want something savory or sweet or softer or tougher to eat. This is the same with books. I love dystopian novels. I can read a group of them at any given time. But now my mind craves something different to "eat".

I have agreed to read a dystopian from NetGalley with a fellow group member from GoodReads next week and I'm in the middle of Wither which seems to be a pretty quick read but after those reviews, I think I'm going to leave dystopian novels alone for a few weeks and search for some other genre. Or perhaps I'll pick books at random from a variety of genres. Who knows?

Have you ever gotten on a genre kick? Did you eventually get burned out? Which genre? How long before you returned to that genre? Leave me a comment and let me know!

September 24, 2013

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros

This is a meme I found as I was visiting other members of the Teaser Tuesday meme. In the future I hope to combine the memes but since I posted about The Testing for Teaser Tuesday I'm going to post about the other book I'm reading now.

First Chapter/First Paragraph is hosted by Bibliophile By the Sea, and in this meme you post the first (few) chapters from your current read.


In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer. 


Sarah 
8:00 AM

Today is the day I've been waiting for my entire life- the beginning of normal.
    I reach for the latest Seventeen and flip through its glossy pages until I find the perfect face. The girl is pretty, with wide green eyes, hollow cheekbones, and full, pouty lips. But what I notice most is her smooth, unblemished skin. It's perfect. I cut photo out and stick it above my bed, in the last of the space. Now I can't even see the sunlight yellow of my walls- but the confidence that shines in these faces is even brighter. And today I'm going to get so much closer to that. I don't care how much the treatments hurt; it'll be worth it. It can't hurt as much as the stares and rude comments I get everyday. 

What do you think about books about bullying? What do you think of the synopsis and opening paragraphs of Stained? Would you keep reading? Leave me a comment and let me know!

*This is an uncorrected galley from NetGalley so it might still change. 

Teaser Tuesday

 Teaser Tuesdays is a meme from Should Be Reading. Each week we take our current read and flip to a random page. Then we get to post two non-spoiler sentences from that page to whet your curiosity.

Today I'm reading The Testing by Joelle Charboneau.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.


Random.org decided that I should share from page 32.

"That night I started having dreams. I'd wake up sweating, heart racing, not knowing why. Not a night would pass uninterrupted."
"A few minutes later he yells he's found something. Then the world explodes." 
I know I posted a few sentences more than I was supposed to but I wanted to provide SOME context for the quotes. So far I'm 71 pages in The Testing and I'm enjoying it. I hope to post a review later this week.

What do you think of book memes? Do you think they're interesting or a waste of blog space? Do you think the quotes above are interesting? Are you interested in the book now? Leave me a comment and let me know!

September 23, 2013

Spirit and Dust Review

I stayed up late last night reading Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore. This is the second book in the Goodnight Family series. The author informed me on twitter that each book is an independent novel based off one family- the Goodnights.
 
Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.
Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Setting:
This book is set in modern day America with no obvious distinctions. The FBI is still here and people still go to school. A large portion of the story happens at  The Field Museum in Chicago- the one with Sue the T. Rex. 

The characters: 
I really liked Daisy- she was tough and spunky and didn't mind telling a guy he was being a jerk- the actual term she uses isn't as kid friendly. Daisy is matter of fact about her talent- she was raised in a family where everyone was a witch or psychic. She was just born this way and she can see remnants of people's souls and help them pass on beyond the Veil. I love how Daisy tries to convince herself and everyone around her she is a tough-as-nails psychic but her thoughts show her as the typical almost 18 year old girl. 

I thought Agent Tasty- I mean Taylor was a great part of the book. Agent Taylor is a young FBI agent who is Daisy's handler. He works to support Daisy as they work through their cases and doesn't question whether or not she can speak to the dead. Rather he questions how she can interact with the dead. They have a very clear non-relationship with the understanding that something might happen after Daisy turns 18. She won't call him by his first name until she's legal and until then he calls her Jailbait. 

Carson played a main role in the book and I found myself liking him more and more as the book goes on. He played the typical brooding male in a love triangle but he played it well. He had moments of humor and he wasn't overwhelmingly arrogant or prideful. In fact, Daisy does a good job of beating him up at one point and he handles it with humor and without an overabundance of wounded male pride. During the course of the book you realize Carson has his secrets but he would do whatever it takes to protect Daisy. I liked him and was cheering for him during the book.

Plot:
The book held my attention- it actually kept me up- the entire time I was reading it. I was rooting for the characters and following along with the mystery. There was a lot of action that propelled the book forward. I liked the concept of the Goodnight family and how close they are and their talents. 

The book follows Daisy and Carson as they look for Alexis Maquire- daughter of a crime lord- who has been kidnapped. Maquire coerces Daisy to do everything possible to find his daughter- he's not above using magic or blackmail to get what he wants. They quickly realize Alexis was kidnapped by a mysterious cult looking for the Oosterhouse Jackal- what that is they have no idea. So begins an epic quest to find the Jackal before the cult can; save Alexis; and perhaps, save the world.

A good amount of supernatural events unfold in the course of the story but Clement-Moore does a good job of explaining what is going on without overwhelming the reader. 

Series:
 I will definitely be looking for the other books about the Goodnight family. I hope Daisy will pop up again in later books.

Overall, the story held my attention all night and I couldn't put it down once I started. I liked the main characters and while the love triangle wasn't the main point of the story, I could understand why Daisy was torn between the two men. Usually when there is a love triangle I lean toward one man over the other almost immediately but I felt drawn to both Carson and Taylor. The writing was solid and drew the reader on. The book was action-packed but not in such a way that the characters weren't developed. This was a solid read that I really enjoyed. I'd definitely recommend this to people who like a strong heroine and supernatural reads. As long as you're willing to give bad boys a try and stay open minded about psychic talents.

This book was pretty amazing. Have you read Spirit and Dust or another Goodnight Family book? What did you think? Are you interested in supernatural books? Leave me a comment and let me know!

September 22, 2013

Cover Characteristic- Blue

Today I discovered a new meme- Cover Characteristic! This meme is hosted by Sugar and Snark.

Each week Sugar and Snark posts a characteristic and everyone picks 5 favorite covers with that characteristic. I love how it gives us permission to judge a book by its cover. All book covers link to the GoodReads page.
 This week's characteristic is: BLUE. 

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker- I love how serene she looks under the water.

Fallen by Lauren Kate- I love how the colors and pose convey a sense of despair

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel- This cover just seems so mysterious yet magical

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain- I love how striking this cover is without giving away any hint of the contents inside

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson- I love the icy sea glass blue on this cover and how you can't clearly see the girl's face on the cover

I think these are all amazing covers and when I saw them they made me want to know what the book is about. What do you think of these covers? Have you ever picked a book simply because of the cover? Leave me a comment and let me know!

ARC Reading Challenge


   



I know it's a bit late to join a reading challenge for the year but I have a few books in my ARC TBR pile and hopefully this will push me into reading and reviewing them. Also, I love the satisfaction of checking off a book in a challenge.


This challenge is hosted by So Many Precious Books, So Little Time. The goal is to read through the books authors or publishers have sent you for a review. I'm going to sign up at the bronze level- read 12- 23 ARCs because at this time I only have a few ARCs in my pile. When I lost the internet and my computer died I lost a lot of the connections I had with blog tour companies and the books I was going to read on NetGalley have been archived. But no matter, each day is a new beginning.

As of today, I have been approved for:
 

      
                         




As I read I'll update this list with my current ARCs and links to my reviews of the ARCs. 

What do you think of reading challenges? Do they give you the push you need to read? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Delirium Review

I just finished Delirium by Lauren Oliver and I quite enjoyed it. It didn't jump to my favorites list but it is a world I look forward to visiting again.

Summary:

 Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.


Setting: 
Delirium is a dystopian novel set in America in the future (how far in the future isn't mentioned) in Portland. The setting was a recognizable America with skyscrapers, money, and schools. It felt like you could have turned the corner in any city and ended up on Lena's block. This made the dystopian element all the more chilling- this wasn't some war torn country somewhere. This was happening at home.

Characters:
I have mixed about the main character Lena. I like her because everyone can see themselves in Lena- in other words, like Lena, we all think we're "nothing special". Lena shows her bravery several times in the novel but not unbelievably so and she isn't so self-confident that it is unbelievable. One thing I didn't like about Lena is that she tends to be whiny and self-absorbed at times during the book. She also seems like she needs someone to push her to do what's right or to be brave and at times she can have a horrible sense of self-worth. In spite of this, I found myself hoping the best for her.

I liked her relationship with Alex- they seem to fall together a little fast but they have a legitimate period of dating and experimenting with each other and their relationship. I think Alex was a strong male character who pushed Lena when necessary and supported her when needed.

I think my two favorite characters were Grace and Hana. Grace turns out to be crucial and she shows how strong she is. Hana is that friend we all have (or we might be that friend) who speaks a little too loud sometimes, who decides to go off on a wild idea, and who is there no matter what.

Plot:
The idea that love is a disease that should be cured is an interesting one and I liked how the author showed the society's ideas on it. The book was interesting but it wasn't un-put-down-able for me. I put it down and picked it back up several times over the past few days. The book had several action-packed moments interspersed between relationship development.

In conclusion, this book was rather amazing. I felt sad for Lena at times and cheered for her through the book. I loved Alex. He was strong and his back story made him just tragic enough. The supporting characters were developed and made the book a better read. I'll definitely be reading the sequel Pandemonium.

Have you read Delirium? What did you think about it? How do you feel about Lena and Alex? How do you feel about a society without love? Leave me a comment and let me know!
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September 21, 2013

Is Dystopia Possible?



The newest trend in books seem to be dystopian societies that rise up after this one crumbles. Anything could have been the source of the collapse- disease, war, global warming- but in every one society forms anew and sets up a new standard of living and preaches about the dangers of the past societies.

Why are we as readers so interested in dystopia? Is it because everything seems faintly ridiculous and curled up in our favorite reading spot we know it could never happen? Or is it because we get a faint chill when we read these books, we curl up tighter in our reading chairs and wonder if we're on our way to this type of future?

I think my draw to dystopian novels lies in the latter. We want to pretend our way of life could never fail, we want to believe our society is perfect and our own government could never do anything like the ones in the books we read.

But is this the truth? While watching the news can we truly think that our society is built to last?

 I'm speaking of America now- and I love America. I'm so proud I live here and I'd defend my country and her troops till my dying day. America does have some dark spots in her history though.

For instance, after 9/11 they considered adding wire taps to people's phones to search for terrorists. Is this so different from Delirium where everyone's calls are randomly monitored for suspicious activity? People today would rather watch football than listen to the President's Address to the Nation. And the government is ok with that. Is this any different from Hunger Games where the government makes citizens watch the fight? In Partials anyone who chose to stay outside the safety of the city is automatically crazy and subhuman for rejecting the safety the city offers. The Invalids in Delirium are to be feared and reviled because they live off the grid and chose not to accept "the cure" society offers. Is this any different from how people treat Preppers who are concerned that society is going to fall and decide to prepare for this situation? The government doesn't punish these people but society does shake their head and tsk at these "alarmists" and think their preparations and stockpiles are vaguely funny because how could our society crumble?

I'm not trying to convince everyone that THE END is coming and that we all need to go out and buy a gun and wait for the end of society as we know it. But I am hoping for an honest discussion of why we enjoy dystopian novels. And if we think any of these situations could happen in real life.

Leave me a comment and lets talk about this! Do you like reading dystopian novels? Why? What do you think people would blame if our society were to crumble? Would the media be blamed? The internet with its free stream of information? Religion?
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Goodreads definiton of Dystopia and lists of dystopian novels
Survivalist Magazine

September 20, 2013

Friday Finds


To start back regularly posting, I've decided to join  Should Be Reading in the weekly meme Friday Finds.
 The purpose of Friday Finds is to share what books you've "found" over the past week and that are now on your TBR list. These can be books you've found at the library, online, or at the bookcase. You don't have to physically have the books to add them!

This week I've found a couple books from the library and from fellow bloggers posts. These could be books I just "found" at the library, books I've been wanting to read that I finally "found" at the library, or books that I "found" online that sound interesting. All covers, link, and summaries are from Goodreads.

From the library I've checked out:

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey- This one is new to me.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

  Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

The Testing byJoelle Charbonneau- This was a new one I picked up


Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.


Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore- Another new one that I found

Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.

Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.


Delirium by Lauren Oliver- It was finally checked in and I grabbed it

Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky- I finally found a copy


   Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.
 
Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Matched by Ally Condie- I picked it up and decided to give it a try

 Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.


The Kill Order by James Dashner-  I loved the series so when I saw the prequel I picked it up too

The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.


From online:
The Singing River by R. K. Ryals after reading Jess Resides Here

  In Mississippi, there's a legend about a Singing River, a tragic love story that ended with an entire Indian tribe singing a death chant as they marched stoically into the Pascagoula River to die ...

At eighteen, Haven Ambrose isn't just a high school graduate. In her head, she's an aspiring writer, a traveler, a chef, a slayer of injustice, an astronomer, an archaeologist, and the love child of a famous, rich musician. But reality is harsher. Reality is overdue bills, a crumbling trailer, an absent father, an old addiction, and a hot, crushing summer that may end in disappointment.

For twenty year-old River Brayden, life seems good, but appearances can be deceiving. The oldest son of a wealthy family, he has finished his first year at Harvard to return home for the summer only to discover his younger brother headed down an unforgiving road.

They will be drawn together by a song. For during the late summer, they say the Pascagoula death chant can still be heard near the Singing River. Its call is haunting, its chant a testament of love and sacrifice. It calls to some ... beckoning.

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason

 Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.

Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.


Edit: After reading What Comes Next's Friday Finds I'm adding The Painted Girls to my TBR list! 

Paris. 1878. Following their father’s sudden death, the van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction from their lodgings seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris Opéra, where for a scant seventy francs a month, she will be trained to enter the famous ballet. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds work—and the love of a dangerous young man—as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola’s naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir.

Marie throws herself into dance and is soon modelling in the studio of Edgar Degas, where her image will forever be immortalized as Little Dancer Aged Fourteen. Antoinette, meanwhile, descends lower and lower in society, and must make the choice between a life of honest labor and the more profitable avenues open to a young woman of the Parisian demimonde—that is, unless her love affair derails her completely.

Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of “civilized society.”


What books have you added to your TBR list this week? Have you read any of the books on mine? What did you think about them? Are you interested in any of the books on my list? Leave me a comment and let me know!
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September 19, 2013

My 101 in 1001

 For the first time I've made a 101 in 1001 list to keep up with! 
In case you haven't heard of 101 in 1001, it's a combination to-do list and bucket list. The time spans 1001 days- approximately 2.75 years and contains 101 tasks that must be completed before this date. It might seem easy to come up with 101 things you want to do- but I've been working on mine for weeks and I haven't finished the list!
I'll try to update this list as I go. 
Here are my 101 tasks in 1001 days I'd like to accomplish:
  1. Get engaged
  2. Graduate college
  3. Get my first real job- Worked seasonal at Hot Topic. Here's hoping for a professional job!
  4. See a Broadway play
  5. Go on a trip with Daryl (my boyfriend of 4 years)
  6. Go camping
  7. Go to a football game
  8. Go to the drive-in theater (there's one in NJ, not too far from where Daryl lives!)
  9. Go to an arcade
  10. Reread the Harry Potter series 5 times
  11. Reread the Hunger Games trilogy 3 times
  12. Reread the Divergent trilogy 3 times
  13. Complete 5 series: I finished the Newsflesh trilogy this month!
  14. Try 10 new recipes- 2/10
  15. Write a fanfic
  16. Make a scrapbook
  17. Finish an afghan
  18. Put $5 in savings for every goal completed
  19. Start saving for the wedding
  20. Cook dinner every night for 2 weeks
  21. Write 50 letters/notes/cards/postcards and send them
  22. Donate to locks of love again
  23. Have a picnic
  24. Throw Daryl a birthday party
  25. Drop at least 2 pants sizes and take a picture in my old pants
  26. Go skydiving (this is where the bucket list comes in!)
  27. Ride a ferris wheel
  28. Get a manicure or pedicure
  29. Run a 3 or 5k
  30. Get a tattoo
  31. Do at least 5 Random Acts of Kindness
  32. Donate at least 2 food items to a food pantry a month for a year
  33. Beat David at Magic (Daryl's brother is a beast at Magic the Gathering)
  34. Watch 10 zombie movies: 3/10
  35. Buy a song every month or week for a year- at the end of the year listen to a playlist of the songs
  36.  Spend a day in pajamas doing nothing important
  37. Take a drive only going straight or making left turns (or right. We'll pick one) and see where we end up
  38. Get a record player
  39. Take a class for fun
  40. Go to every class for a month
  41. Learn 10 phrases in a new language
  42. Bring Papa flowers (he passed away June 11, 2012)
  43. Stand barefoot in the snow (I know it's crazy)
  44. Get a new camera
  45. Give Daryl an anniversary present (I know tomorrow is our 4 year anniversary but I think I've only ever gotten him an anniversary present once)
  46. Make a bug-out bag
  47. Collect all my change until the end of the 1001 days- I've already failed this. I love paying with exact change and so I've spent all my change. 
  48.  Get professional photos of Daryl and me together
  49. Complete 3 Learning to Love Yourself assignments
  50. Read 5 books off 10 different Goodreads lists- 
  51. Meet Daryl's parents (we live 14 hours apart so I've never met them)
  52. Start a charm bracelet
  53. Come up with an exercise routine and stick to it for 2 months
  54. Get film for my polaroid camera and take pictures
  55. Have a snowball fight
  56. Have a bonfire and roast marshmallows
  57. Plant something in the spring
  58. Start looking at houses/apartments with Daryl
  59. Read the Bible all the way through
  60. Get my cartlidge on the other ear pierced
  61. Submit a story/poem/picture/etc. to somewhere
  62. Go trick-or-treating one last time
  63. Kiss in the rain
  64. Beat/reach a high level in a videogame
  65. Learn how to make an omelet
  66. Learn at least 10 ASL signs
  67. Go paintballing
  68. Go to the fair again
  69. Send a secret to postsecret
  70. Take a photo of the same place every month for a year
  71. Dye my hair- I went blue!
  72. Visit Chinatown
  73. Work on our wedding registry as a couple
  74. Go to a Con
  75. Open a fee-free bank account
  76. Go soda-free for a month
  77. Read 10 different zombie books- 5/10
  78. Buy 5 scratch off/lottery tickets- 3/10
  79. Spend a day with my friends before I move- We had an awesome night of hanging out before I moved to NJ
  80. Buy someone flowers
  81. Keep track of all the books I read for at least 3 months
  82. Keep up with the notebook I have my quotes and hardcopy list in - I've lost it already
  83. Start a quote blog
  84. Make all As a semester again
  85.  Update this blog consistently for 2 months at least (hopefully it'll help cement the habit and HOPEFULLY I'll keep internet access)
  86.  Cut my hair short- Got a super short pixie!
  87.  
  88.  
  89.  
  90.  
  91.  
  92.  
  93.  
  94.  
  95.  
  96.  
  97.  
  98.  
  99. Be alive at the end of this list (I've been depressed lately so this isn't as obvious as it seems)
  100. Congratulate myself on all the tasks I've completed
  101. Start another list

 I'll come back through and insert links where necessary but this is a small snapshot of what I want to achieve over the next 1001 days. My time runs out May 19, 2016. 
I think the 101 in 1001 is an amazing idea. I had to really think about what I wanted to do over the next 3 years (approx). I asked myself who I wanted to be at the end of the these 3 years. And this is the list I came up with. It's not finished yet and I don't know if I can complete everything on my list but I'm happy to have made it this far. 
What do you think of the 101 in 1001 idea? Do you have a list yourself? Are you tempted to make one? Leave me a comment and let me know!
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