tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35937644163395279902024-02-25T23:03:26.375-08:00Vonnie's Reading CornerHOME OF THE BELLY DANCING BOOKWORMVonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.comBlogger1146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-83991866260128763132022-12-30T17:39:00.001-08:002022-12-30T17:39:00.230-08:00End of the Year: 2022<p><span style="font-size: large;"> It has been a while. I know I haven't been posting but I have been reading. :)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I read 50 books this year and for a moment there I thought I was not going to make it due to my busy schedule, but I did it! Yay!!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here's what Goodreads has to say: </span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaurDXWOjPF2AQDdZSJnkkiFLxVoYGhzM7Faxut_lDUYFouJjZTalUtY1Au7Rap4eRDR8nFXPMLHyXY5y3Jtzq9-imGmdzGb0akvPYbRHPqSvP0QfCV3W0gPDIapTo-oOVtmCcfE9bdy-2z4h4BebSqc2_iduGt7DRsTX2Hhhp5tyUJrb3RVbdrj8/s1000/myyear22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="1000" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaurDXWOjPF2AQDdZSJnkkiFLxVoYGhzM7Faxut_lDUYFouJjZTalUtY1Au7Rap4eRDR8nFXPMLHyXY5y3Jtzq9-imGmdzGb0akvPYbRHPqSvP0QfCV3W0gPDIapTo-oOVtmCcfE9bdy-2z4h4BebSqc2_iduGt7DRsTX2Hhhp5tyUJrb3RVbdrj8/w518-h278/myyear22.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH18IzOobnfnwydvU0m-uWZalntT9EFhF-Ba8X0_LVsnmvba85-II-ZPI3QxdQIEphH-xLbsNAas80oI8aYagWBdvk7EaBUUMOyJRRI87oS0pKOERJOcadHrmH7Ml8Jdastj70UxBeGk8XBxJTpee3v97lGlTOvCSYmgl4ErU_li4bactm6UsEeW-/s691/book1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="691" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpH18IzOobnfnwydvU0m-uWZalntT9EFhF-Ba8X0_LVsnmvba85-II-ZPI3QxdQIEphH-xLbsNAas80oI8aYagWBdvk7EaBUUMOyJRRI87oS0pKOERJOcadHrmH7Ml8Jdastj70UxBeGk8XBxJTpee3v97lGlTOvCSYmgl4ErU_li4bactm6UsEeW-/w409-h360/book1.png" width="409" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My average rating was 3.6 stars, which make sense because I didn't really read many books that completely wowed me. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are the books I've read:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Zee7USEPzKAhaF6efm7NvcZRIuJ9fZx7oWIhwySYz_EJ7EJ5EuW7NBNtRW3if72hiak4qkbIRO1HH3g1O52Scu-68a7lHemuikH1F9Ap0DbBCdIR61aFppYM0mrjJuBhfyBi2gji_zhwJshEZ8qUhBFP1ufaKX1D3Eboi9ksLXDLY3_56sZFhxNZ/s712/book2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Zee7USEPzKAhaF6efm7NvcZRIuJ9fZx7oWIhwySYz_EJ7EJ5EuW7NBNtRW3if72hiak4qkbIRO1HH3g1O52Scu-68a7lHemuikH1F9Ap0DbBCdIR61aFppYM0mrjJuBhfyBi2gji_zhwJshEZ8qUhBFP1ufaKX1D3Eboi9ksLXDLY3_56sZFhxNZ/s320/book2.png" width="292" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlLbUtDswSPoevM3eflZTxGO0X3TaHBgYD7CwXktEd7AiIYTURdX3TZn7Fbo97SBHaeqcLRyIEVZlJ9wp1DVki_HWiQX8UqS8cE5URDmyzbr7SKLEbHFmTxZi2fcOk9VlIiuqi-qiNTD-e-OdxOGS8BfDujNV7larq9cqK1yifBkN_Q5nat3VILK4/s714/book3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="664" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlLbUtDswSPoevM3eflZTxGO0X3TaHBgYD7CwXktEd7AiIYTURdX3TZn7Fbo97SBHaeqcLRyIEVZlJ9wp1DVki_HWiQX8UqS8cE5URDmyzbr7SKLEbHFmTxZi2fcOk9VlIiuqi-qiNTD-e-OdxOGS8BfDujNV7larq9cqK1yifBkN_Q5nat3VILK4/s320/book3.png" width="298" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVpTZmDb4ybYXt6nk2O3mi7qly3YZaW9809NMF_WW6nrScQ0QDsh43RMtBM0vjmAm-lsmNrbdzxWPxwgfMIp143FDIY_YFIkbm6Qw26kMtnfga_AK0lxpHVBYK6TwdEnUJPBVBfOk3zW1ciRvPdXhc9KkxjoY3y2GCEWinWbrneny4VXEGRKTgKU9/s712/book4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVpTZmDb4ybYXt6nk2O3mi7qly3YZaW9809NMF_WW6nrScQ0QDsh43RMtBM0vjmAm-lsmNrbdzxWPxwgfMIp143FDIY_YFIkbm6Qw26kMtnfga_AK0lxpHVBYK6TwdEnUJPBVBfOk3zW1ciRvPdXhc9KkxjoY3y2GCEWinWbrneny4VXEGRKTgKU9/s320/book4.png" width="292" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnnBKadr2EGRpRwDKAB3JOmrMgk5Gr2B0cFzjeM5s3sh2d4D9W43pU8hq_lzCvEO9cL_GqeNnZSdEV79SAd_S6p_ylibHl_m7E2zXpok_VyWZCe65Ea3EJT2Oj2Z7D00TEpQpjrT0Zx_uPa10dMG5fjTidRL5YF8LgKUwp32Hy5Mxkg6kNl8ms07I/s722/book5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqnnBKadr2EGRpRwDKAB3JOmrMgk5Gr2B0cFzjeM5s3sh2d4D9W43pU8hq_lzCvEO9cL_GqeNnZSdEV79SAd_S6p_ylibHl_m7E2zXpok_VyWZCe65Ea3EJT2Oj2Z7D00TEpQpjrT0Zx_uPa10dMG5fjTidRL5YF8LgKUwp32Hy5Mxkg6kNl8ms07I/s320/book5.png" width="288" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUFunggZUKLTxvJdv6Tk4q_xfzp3sI2EsUaspwwcgEqyatwvnauIRoH-Am5_vIP3uYZpqdtyaU1jChRvebP10x0iRf8MfT3X__lsfNmRFrDSyskkOdXQePBoIern8nRHHjSWU_Vda1Ot2T__VjejJoYY1P-YbL7mvz_oP77LIQS6g8l5XjE1B-WJc/s716/book6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEUFunggZUKLTxvJdv6Tk4q_xfzp3sI2EsUaspwwcgEqyatwvnauIRoH-Am5_vIP3uYZpqdtyaU1jChRvebP10x0iRf8MfT3X__lsfNmRFrDSyskkOdXQePBoIern8nRHHjSWU_Vda1Ot2T__VjejJoYY1P-YbL7mvz_oP77LIQS6g8l5XjE1B-WJc/s320/book6.png" width="291" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPr6qQTMyTxMlY2YQJug_SEKqJKPR3MAHuAhzDfRuhyCIHZYlrxFra_G_O0hPwZqCoHdLNmvaYywGJ17ykklbCXpf7qfx-DDayCkHPn2_0Zk9p0WgHhp9nZZgVPauYjcFv8DTkUiQlHscIxdjc8ij07_AjS2TQKF8IPuUg85PofjO8LrY3sLkWa0n4/s665/book7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="665" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPr6qQTMyTxMlY2YQJug_SEKqJKPR3MAHuAhzDfRuhyCIHZYlrxFra_G_O0hPwZqCoHdLNmvaYywGJ17ykklbCXpf7qfx-DDayCkHPn2_0Zk9p0WgHhp9nZZgVPauYjcFv8DTkUiQlHscIxdjc8ij07_AjS2TQKF8IPuUg85PofjO8LrY3sLkWa0n4/s320/book7.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">My favorite books was <i>Honolulu </i>by Alan Brennert (5 stars) and my least favorite was <i>Bloodprint</i> by Ausma Khan (2 stars). </span><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Well, that's it for now. I wish everyone a Happy New Year!</b></span></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-44585647016188736452022-07-20T07:30:00.001-07:002022-07-20T07:30:00.193-07:00Audiobook: The Collective<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>By Alison Gaylin</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Read by Laurel Lefkow</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH5YNBgXfeK5DEufw7pOm3Q_KM_gLK6gisFKafgyTL9iRWvE44uc4bW08exq3G_UUYJsukfhtkUoKmXhszwdVhVDsl1R7lf2mCNIRvHIaYhyLHYb3nBEcRSIwGRvHf9FDYsQCztYq92mT9F1pqA-VbIx1muZi2syFotcs6k5qK7NjXKNU-JDIyuPml" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH5YNBgXfeK5DEufw7pOm3Q_KM_gLK6gisFKafgyTL9iRWvE44uc4bW08exq3G_UUYJsukfhtkUoKmXhszwdVhVDsl1R7lf2mCNIRvHIaYhyLHYb3nBEcRSIwGRvHf9FDYsQCztYq92mT9F1pqA-VbIx1muZi2syFotcs6k5qK7NjXKNU-JDIyuPml=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Duration: 9 hours</b></span><p></p><blockquote style="background: rgb(214, 201, 203); border-radius: 20px; border: 0px solid; padding: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>How far would a mother go to right a wrong?</b><br /><br />Camille Gardner is a grieving and angry mother who, fives years after her daughter's death, is obsessed with the man she believes to be responsible.<br /><br /> Camille wants revenge.<br /><br /><b>Enter: the Collective.</b><br /><br />A group of women who enact revenge on those who have taken their children.<br /><br />But as Camille gets more involved in the group she must decide whether these women are the heroes or the villains.<br /><br />And if she chooses wrong, will she ever get out alive?</span></blockquote>
<p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My thoughts:</b> This was not what I was expecting. I heard so much about this book but at the same time I had no idea what it was really about. After reading the synopsis of it, I knew that I should give the audiobook a try. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The story centered around Camille who was trying to get vengeance for her daughter's murder. The man she thought who committed the crime was let go due to his rich influential family. Camille was angry and in so much pain. But then the Collective found her and things went crazy from there. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It was sad to hear about Camille's daughter's case but it was realistic. Too many rich (mostly white) men get light sentences or none at all due to their statuses. The victim is usually portrayed as the one who did wrong. In this book, Camille's daughter was portrayed by the court as a wild girl who was just asking to be raped and left to die. So I completely understood Camille's anger and obsession to get justice. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Collective was a VERY interesting organization. It had me wondering as to how it was organized, how it was created, and how they were able to get away with everything without a trace. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And I have to say...I was not expecting the ending. It was surprising but perhaps the only part of the book that I questioned a lot. It was a bit unrealistic for me. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The narrator, Laurel Lefkow, did a fantastic job in reading the story. She had great tone and pace. Her reading really brought the story to life, which kept me hooked from beginning to end. I really liked how she was able to capture Camille's character throughout the book. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, this was a great book. The ending was unexpected and the story had me hooked. I highly enjoyed the narrator. I rate it: </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkXzIXzhea5JI_0yDIiQcoSIvbOpQAPhtZPkfPOz3zB-Dhny8YRBaawiTglMaJ2JmN5QsG_SPwScxO2U6-NNjB0oYi0Aql-aj5mPFlyNMbrK8GgABVjZo8c3nfENnhCDjGb6AtiNMFWEu3QsOCtZVeHwpV75Km90yWZVL7uJmcPDCFZ5BPxEUOUUh/s801/IMG_1643172092421.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="801" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkXzIXzhea5JI_0yDIiQcoSIvbOpQAPhtZPkfPOz3zB-Dhny8YRBaawiTglMaJ2JmN5QsG_SPwScxO2U6-NNjB0oYi0Aql-aj5mPFlyNMbrK8GgABVjZo8c3nfENnhCDjGb6AtiNMFWEu3QsOCtZVeHwpV75Km90yWZVL7uJmcPDCFZ5BPxEUOUUh/w126-h73/IMG_1643172092421.png" width="126" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-81015910683301986192022-07-18T08:17:00.002-07:002022-07-18T08:17:07.128-07:00Little Free Library Adventures #16<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu03ZQvGg7IUmPt_kX38stUdVzIUcU3ozPb1xaPjf7q2nFOKLTM3lhFuvt6bqOjy8AcbFaLJDN2mb5F5J1stpEzDUQ90qQHqkW6fy8WQRq8nPsDz-b0LxHUNBEnSP5k8dC4qMGMJ6cBsG3WLMcTIK5FyQFHDAVcHU300d4o1mjo2m23BCkqa2QZyaM/s400/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="400" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu03ZQvGg7IUmPt_kX38stUdVzIUcU3ozPb1xaPjf7q2nFOKLTM3lhFuvt6bqOjy8AcbFaLJDN2mb5F5J1stpEzDUQ90qQHqkW6fy8WQRq8nPsDz-b0LxHUNBEnSP5k8dC4qMGMJ6cBsG3WLMcTIK5FyQFHDAVcHU300d4o1mjo2m23BCkqa2QZyaM/w400-h159/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">It has been a while (a year in fact) since I've done one of these. Here are some LFLs that I encountered during my Colorado road trip a few weeks ago:</span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Longmont</b></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlz771PJfvWkFA13e-Tm4dsyBeDRsKcp_48aKuAxgQqsUpqIGGMny3w19XVFIPUlf1Z57iPsr4s7F_JCp7ElvOW0Ryj4vKCVDpLtHePTjSO4ZbbdM7F7UdNXAgrpfWfS9YmuVEO0OZxPJPuWU60sNKibswI8zG8sKYZBRUXxCr7AsnVMbAW_w9XFY/s4032/20220615_103423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlz771PJfvWkFA13e-Tm4dsyBeDRsKcp_48aKuAxgQqsUpqIGGMny3w19XVFIPUlf1Z57iPsr4s7F_JCp7ElvOW0Ryj4vKCVDpLtHePTjSO4ZbbdM7F7UdNXAgrpfWfS9YmuVEO0OZxPJPuWU60sNKibswI8zG8sKYZBRUXxCr7AsnVMbAW_w9XFY/s320/20220615_103423.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEhd4YjJfJbDYxfBWUf1_w71Op7btXeIlN_OSg3Jrx5qcL3TQSavxE3C54QV-GWf_okZGXWrJhytJ_laCYDr_qaFyMZ2gNhqbdGD8lfrvHQIW_iXkuzIgQiuXjxLmsUWSDq4ZKDitVaUtn70Dfaqhe78SzdkjV-GaRY5RPjgEZCI4nU2_HHw2Szar/s4032/20220615_103642.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEhd4YjJfJbDYxfBWUf1_w71Op7btXeIlN_OSg3Jrx5qcL3TQSavxE3C54QV-GWf_okZGXWrJhytJ_laCYDr_qaFyMZ2gNhqbdGD8lfrvHQIW_iXkuzIgQiuXjxLmsUWSDq4ZKDitVaUtn70Dfaqhe78SzdkjV-GaRY5RPjgEZCI4nU2_HHw2Szar/s320/20220615_103642.jpg" width="240" /></a></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Alamosa</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRu7sQMAQTpDAcTiMMd9gsgz4ajMosmSUAo6NjChbSAqzIdb_VeBpEMGH4cWVDUUmYe8FNDp1U2Da7uZL-eHX4rGQvl5U2N-asUBUrWcIgIIfw_FOVa2F5Hz-9X9f99HUu0pJhABsyUB4yg6FixqMZ9IchR-0ZssD2zJZ9tpoCS3vg9HLNAfB45-R/s4032/20220617_093159.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRu7sQMAQTpDAcTiMMd9gsgz4ajMosmSUAo6NjChbSAqzIdb_VeBpEMGH4cWVDUUmYe8FNDp1U2Da7uZL-eHX4rGQvl5U2N-asUBUrWcIgIIfw_FOVa2F5Hz-9X9f99HUu0pJhABsyUB4yg6FixqMZ9IchR-0ZssD2zJZ9tpoCS3vg9HLNAfB45-R/s320/20220617_093159.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Pagosa Springs</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNtgFiKyL_LVrs7Lys0EWzpM1K-jUkCcgodtpJbj56TTkkpMaEeKogZnzsXYOf2Bs2VVFZOkx8nLIxU6xDrq9fEgg_z3uHvXPGDGYHckIrXqaugoMlOxGzMUNwVN4M6jPHzQ5GNpY5R3uWMr7rKtQDgiJeVV1pkWr64HJGxOPA5EV_znkwm8jopUA/s4032/20220617_113300.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNtgFiKyL_LVrs7Lys0EWzpM1K-jUkCcgodtpJbj56TTkkpMaEeKogZnzsXYOf2Bs2VVFZOkx8nLIxU6xDrq9fEgg_z3uHvXPGDGYHckIrXqaugoMlOxGzMUNwVN4M6jPHzQ5GNpY5R3uWMr7rKtQDgiJeVV1pkWr64HJGxOPA5EV_znkwm8jopUA/s320/20220617_113300.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Durango</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgJ0RUmgJNfFik4RJldkDod0alrxmC9toodDiBabT1OW_XqhWcGkAV3Y3tyu3qtVWYXRgBdAJdHNQteXsB73tNzZwi8GlugAjV6o2Bujf1e7i-gBD9lqmDI8k5RXuLhZTThvSMa8Mg2gHe2Df5METDMu1I8hGnpsfviN7P0WCN4NYml_Pipy67Vyb/s4032/20220617_135014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgJ0RUmgJNfFik4RJldkDod0alrxmC9toodDiBabT1OW_XqhWcGkAV3Y3tyu3qtVWYXRgBdAJdHNQteXsB73tNzZwi8GlugAjV6o2Bujf1e7i-gBD9lqmDI8k5RXuLhZTThvSMa8Mg2gHe2Df5METDMu1I8hGnpsfviN7P0WCN4NYml_Pipy67Vyb/s320/20220617_135014.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">It was a very fun trip. We visited all four of the national parks: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Rocky Mountains, Great Sand Dunes, and Mesa Verde. There was a lot of driving involved so I was glad to see some of the LFLs along the way. I was able to leave a few books behind and I tried really hard not to pick up any books. <br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Here's to the next adventure!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-49840022404250400402022-07-02T15:02:00.001-07:002022-07-02T15:02:03.616-07:00Review: Heartstopper 1-4<p> <span style="font-size: large;">A friend let me borrow books 1-4 of the Heartstopper series. Here are my thoughts on them: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(Slight spoilers ahead)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjc5oUmsy0ec_DkWex6CKQ1GzWrc-wEoLoK3E-4hE_-p-cVzjAMJvtyyjWBajZX6CkB2bHathiOtMiO7OHdFHTirkZgPYx8TW3vY0UY768AYgq_c_ALtosTLaSHwuQIuEX4M-8eGyWWLNxnTroeax5pdOGi1x-SBoWrzKo9JWqO6pMFvVR_8HJT4HTl" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="651" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjc5oUmsy0ec_DkWex6CKQ1GzWrc-wEoLoK3E-4hE_-p-cVzjAMJvtyyjWBajZX6CkB2bHathiOtMiO7OHdFHTirkZgPYx8TW3vY0UY768AYgq_c_ALtosTLaSHwuQIuEX4M-8eGyWWLNxnTroeax5pdOGi1x-SBoWrzKo9JWqO6pMFvVR_8HJT4HTl" width="156" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> Volume 1: This was an introduction to the two main characters, Charlie and Nick. Charlie was the shy, skinny student that came out the previous school year. Nick was the popular rugby athlete. These two started to talk and began a close friendship. It was cute to see how these two young men bonded and became affectionate to one another. I really liked how Nick did his best to stick up for Charlie. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOM4hE2iEWRVPusNvOfQ14wenKUCw-0pbyep6bcyv9ViCo6rVhAstcRnYeTlG5VoX_GMv7bMvrg7lpDrud0IWXqn3MNhbZt4N6HkQSoQfkMy54G-PYBBRvBkMopexf4_TCwxfkN3zeMoXQrLYvxgjeP8QPlPp7tckavbnWHjn9YIzMWbWK-z1DmcVc" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="811" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOM4hE2iEWRVPusNvOfQ14wenKUCw-0pbyep6bcyv9ViCo6rVhAstcRnYeTlG5VoX_GMv7bMvrg7lpDrud0IWXqn3MNhbZt4N6HkQSoQfkMy54G-PYBBRvBkMopexf4_TCwxfkN3zeMoXQrLYvxgjeP8QPlPp7tckavbnWHjn9YIzMWbWK-z1DmcVc" width="162" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> Volume 2: Charlie kissed Nick and Nick started to question his sexuality. Despite his confusion, Nick did not push Charlie away but instead tried to understand what his feelings meant. This one was a really cute one!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioWLyPSKBzr45__nXD7gkLmDRUaIZYlQ7R1VwdyQhdsA1JZILhHu2chQvGrBcYOv5Cknr8niC7TkuZ_6_7FTP6Qv7jEXwKeE4LTqBRDmiDfJrBstU972Il8cqBHGGRbWwHVGBsEpWjfk2IXXql33mTR07K4v4aXDEywGg5N1J_DO6-M9Jn3TxoQmre" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="327" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioWLyPSKBzr45__nXD7gkLmDRUaIZYlQ7R1VwdyQhdsA1JZILhHu2chQvGrBcYOv5Cknr8niC7TkuZ_6_7FTP6Qv7jEXwKeE4LTqBRDmiDfJrBstU972Il8cqBHGGRbWwHVGBsEpWjfk2IXXql33mTR07K4v4aXDEywGg5N1J_DO6-M9Jn3TxoQmre" width="157" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> Volume 3: Nick and Charlie go on a school field trip to France along some of their friends. Nick started to notice that Charlie has difficulty with eating. This one was my least favorite of the books. So much was happening between various characters that it kind of lost my interest. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC8sRklD_dTUf-LDbpVREg-I5O4kXJkqlIZ065eckmdim2ntpbgWZo5lengNH8LloOSMv5HaTQgEe2q2NocJaPEFS8v0incvzp1-cAxlwIl9kcDFAizOhHTec6oUjnpkeHeddGKZI8lM1GQUqsq7rBhnihVW3ygUjjK7CepC7K5oh2DKFoa4zSRpc0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="419" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC8sRklD_dTUf-LDbpVREg-I5O4kXJkqlIZ065eckmdim2ntpbgWZo5lengNH8LloOSMv5HaTQgEe2q2NocJaPEFS8v0incvzp1-cAxlwIl9kcDFAizOhHTec6oUjnpkeHeddGKZI8lM1GQUqsq7rBhnihVW3ygUjjK7CepC7K5oh2DKFoa4zSRpc0" width="160" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> Volume 4: This one was more serious than the others. Charlie was dealing with an eating disorder along with another mental disorder. Nick tried his best to be supportive and loving. I liked how this book handled the serious topics that it brought up. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, these were really quick graphic novels to read. They were cute and I could see what the buzz was all about. Let's see if I have the time to watch the Netflix series. </span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4Pt5zmAo2CUnDQdhYXYlDpdx5sHtkOq7edi2fzti5GtrOgxspWb4O6qcU5Kl2J9mla3fmqK9CS07fDV2mYHalzYSLJbRNY44zqE1MeAjwh8pWnQ6nXTNpw1bOn7rgZ6OAOyQhHVE7py19ZG8leiwy9z9gKFEqb9W-K6gNcf1nqoA2cjLfoYZYzKQ/s801/IMG_1643172092421.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="801" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4Pt5zmAo2CUnDQdhYXYlDpdx5sHtkOq7edi2fzti5GtrOgxspWb4O6qcU5Kl2J9mla3fmqK9CS07fDV2mYHalzYSLJbRNY44zqE1MeAjwh8pWnQ6nXTNpw1bOn7rgZ6OAOyQhHVE7py19ZG8leiwy9z9gKFEqb9W-K6gNcf1nqoA2cjLfoYZYzKQ/w200-h116/IMG_1643172092421.png" width="200" /></a></div></div><br /><p></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-19098291362301431892022-06-24T09:05:00.001-07:002022-06-24T09:05:12.986-07:00One day only: Free Romance eBooks!<p><span style="font-size: large;">That's right. Free romance ebooks!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If you like to read romance books, take advantage of today's event from<a href="https://www.romancebookworms.com/" target="_blank"> <b>Romance Bookworms</b></a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I know I'm taking advantage!</span></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-53489489425242027882022-06-17T05:00:00.001-07:002022-06-17T05:00:00.248-07:00Review: The Guncle<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>By Steven Rowley</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdg5ISAZtPTI6706PicJu3nI2qUyG5sb97FGufEgEIrstmkl1KEpgG4N1snrzdZQF6_OPYUeCvKhtdXQxCHmq4xS6wtMCztFylgoCO2_02ReA7lhPPkcfi1SPhpK-mJy9NcnmxwHy4YISGOnXq3CIERZUBtzBh6HWdQXzcNwKcvyBXDReSRW6qM56T" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdg5ISAZtPTI6706PicJu3nI2qUyG5sb97FGufEgEIrstmkl1KEpgG4N1snrzdZQF6_OPYUeCvKhtdXQxCHmq4xS6wtMCztFylgoCO2_02ReA7lhPPkcfi1SPhpK-mJy9NcnmxwHy4YISGOnXq3CIERZUBtzBh6HWdQXzcNwKcvyBXDReSRW6qM56T=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><blockquote style="background: rgb(100, 224, 238); border-radius: 20px; border: 0px solid; padding: 10px;"><p><span style="font-size: large;">Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits, or when he heads home to Connecticut for the holidays. But in terms of caretaking and relating to two children, no matter how adorable, Patrick is honestly a bit out of his league.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So when tragedy strikes and Maisie and Grant lose their mother and Patrick’s brother has a health crisis of his own, Patrick finds himself suddenly taking on the role of primary guardian. Despite having a set of “Guncle Rules” ready to go, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn’t solved with treats and jokes, Patrick’s eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility, and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you’re unfailingly human.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With the humor and heart we’ve come to expect from bestselling author Steven Rowley, <i>The Guncle</i> is a moving tribute to the power of love, patience, and family in even the most trying of times. </span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span></span></b></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My thoughts: </b>I absolutely loved this book! It had so many feels!!! It was heartwarming and sad at the same time. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This had great character development. We had Patrick, the main character. He was self-centered and was constantly pushing away people in his life. Patrick was in mourning after losing the love of his life but then his life spiraled more out of control after his dear friend past away. I completely felt for Patrick. He was annoying at first but his behavior was understandable after getting to know his character more. What I loved best was reading his growth in the story. He became more whole and was able to move forward with his life when he was forced to take in his nephew and niece for the summer.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now the children: Grant and Maisie. They were such sweethearts! My heart ached for them for the loss of their mother but I was happy to read how resilient they were as they had to spend their summer with their gay uncle (guncle) Patrick. Though they were there in Palm Springs with Patrick to help him move forward with his grief, the children also needed their uncle. Ay! My heart completely went out for all three characters!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The story centered around the theme of grief and moving forward in life. The silly and loving things that the characters said throughout the book had me smiling and crying. I just wanted to give everyone a big hug. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This book now holds a special place in my heart. I am looking forward in reading more from this author. I rate it: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizeJ9s-FDyD61iTNm0A4AhSYCYmnVAC8y6320rXsy-zSH1cpHd9OQ1ulvhk0LxRERS0ivK0TPe0ucPP8gYZGPXpZtAX35UjS1-s7RzLaOMN-I9SfCUx6tJQuOKOcH9LXWl_YDnpkjFpmyneKXs2fTtfD6HNaon4ZKgXM8FVLIdFy8mBBjWn_FEdC0s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="680" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizeJ9s-FDyD61iTNm0A4AhSYCYmnVAC8y6320rXsy-zSH1cpHd9OQ1ulvhk0LxRERS0ivK0TPe0ucPP8gYZGPXpZtAX35UjS1-s7RzLaOMN-I9SfCUx6tJQuOKOcH9LXWl_YDnpkjFpmyneKXs2fTtfD6HNaon4ZKgXM8FVLIdFy8mBBjWn_FEdC0s=w210-h105" width="210" /></a></span></div><p></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-45201448913903488562022-06-13T05:00:00.001-07:002022-06-13T05:00:00.209-07:00Review: The Marriage Game<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> By Sara Desai</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwC8P2EQ7zSqd99avqIJ6yPyA0y0wJJoKHBnuHfgqsYe0by1x6fZbZs6yS5hsos4fWFfsvamt1TFdHts7jlPeR_eB1mBMiJxXcX_u7ROooN24L7YodXY6JnSlEF0xOvldQyfIqHQGTUpHKM2x8g8noQpdD4EEq5l2VHrvicBNobRU0aD7tXJu0THSk" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwC8P2EQ7zSqd99avqIJ6yPyA0y0wJJoKHBnuHfgqsYe0by1x6fZbZs6yS5hsos4fWFfsvamt1TFdHts7jlPeR_eB1mBMiJxXcX_u7ROooN24L7YodXY6JnSlEF0xOvldQyfIqHQGTUpHKM2x8g8noQpdD4EEq5l2VHrvicBNobRU0aD7tXJu0THSk=w267-h400" width="267" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><blockquote style="background: rgb(195, 231, 236); border-radius: 20px; border: 0px solid; padding: 10px;"><p><span style="font-size: large;">After her life falls apart, recruitment consultant Layla Patel returns home to her family in San Francisco. But in the eyes of her father, who runs a Michelin starred restaurant, she can do no wrong. He would do anything to see her smile again. With the best intentions in mind, he offers her the office upstairs to start her new business and creates a profile on an online dating site to find her a man. She doesn’t know he’s arranged a series of blind dates until the first one comes knocking on her door…</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As CEO of a corporate downsizing company Sam Mehta is more used to conflict than calm. In search of a quiet new office, he finds the perfect space above a cozy Indian restaurant that smells like home. But when communication goes awry, he's forced to share his space with the owner's beautiful yet infuriating daughter Layla, her crazy family, and a parade of hopeful suitors, all of whom threaten to disrupt his carefully ordered life.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As they face off in close quarters, the sarcasm and sparks fly. But when the battle for the office becomes a battle of the heart, Sam and Layla have to decide if this is love or just a game.</span></p></blockquote> <p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My thoughts:</b> This was a fun read! This was a recommended book and I am glad that I went ahead and read it. It had me laughing, grinning, and fanning myself. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit that I was not a big fan of the heroine at first. Layla was self-centered and obnoxious. She was completely rude to Sam when she first met him even though he had the legal right to be at the office, especially after paying the down payment to the place. Luckily, Layla's chemistry with Sam and her ambitions quickly won me over. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I highly enjoyed the banter between Sam and Layla. It was fun how Sam tried to "help" Layla during her interview dates but I especially enjoyed reading how they quickly fell for each other.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The supporting characters were fun to read. Layla's cousin, Daisy, was interesting. I was not too fond of her but it was nice to see her slightly grow towards the end of the book. I really enjoyed reading about the different aunties in the book. Their obsession with marriage had me rolling my eyes and laughing out loud. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, this was a delightful read. Am I going to read the next book? I am not sure because it focuses on Daisy. We'll see if I continue the saga. I rate this book:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh10gdw82FjLYhMAhxOdfWMSNKoOY3o0D8NXfDkLdZnjp-jeQTK3qVTLCzkpo4dJqrBTcIavWOVnEPX7we7XF5rTAqpIQVSn3xmFE_kh4uY8iKfZwkheHVPTxnPjgvaMfbEaDudW4mBrgQaoChnMLkNb04RFtLeYczQB0IXcyraowfAH4AdVaBvuK/s801/IMG_1643172092421.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="801" height="82" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjh10gdw82FjLYhMAhxOdfWMSNKoOY3o0D8NXfDkLdZnjp-jeQTK3qVTLCzkpo4dJqrBTcIavWOVnEPX7we7XF5rTAqpIQVSn3xmFE_kh4uY8iKfZwkheHVPTxnPjgvaMfbEaDudW4mBrgQaoChnMLkNb04RFtLeYczQB0IXcyraowfAH4AdVaBvuK/w141-h82/IMG_1643172092421.png" width="141" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-65474865165527879732022-06-10T21:05:00.001-07:002022-06-10T21:05:11.364-07:00Review: Lunar Discovery<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"> By Salvador Mercer</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHFo0g2OSutTPzhJL0o1VRGNP11bDLyAWhhtmJAX0KKC2FhaY_bPatFpDrZ9tC1i8hzfQYGQUdXatr3x73QzFnLsCdO6T9AIdngedCdW25yva_CACqIlQMUo8scQFnt8jKsCD2HZrYR0hA3VJgxhmUHvNiwHUbXtJFSIuBzQXSbEja8HfqTSueEqMA" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHFo0g2OSutTPzhJL0o1VRGNP11bDLyAWhhtmJAX0KKC2FhaY_bPatFpDrZ9tC1i8hzfQYGQUdXatr3x73QzFnLsCdO6T9AIdngedCdW25yva_CACqIlQMUo8scQFnt8jKsCD2HZrYR0hA3VJgxhmUHvNiwHUbXtJFSIuBzQXSbEja8HfqTSueEqMA=w266-h400" width="266" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><blockquote style="background: rgb(162, 181, 203); border-radius: 20px; border: 0px solid; padding: 10px;"><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What lies on the dark side of the moon could change the course of humanity forever.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">When a Chinese rover discovers an alien technology on the dark side of the moon, it is up to Richard 'Rock' Crandon and his NASA team of scientists and engineers to devise a way to return before the Chinese and Russians.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Forced to deal with bureaucratic oversight and a complex team of personalities, Rock Crandon pushes his team to their limits.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With pressure mounting, the world is pushed closer to conflict and war as the NASA team finds itself seriously behind in the newly initiated space race. The future of mankind, its ideological and technological advances are at stake, as the world's super powers race to discover what lies on the dark side of the moon.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Who will get there first, and at what cost?</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My thoughts:</b> What happens when we get an alien signal coming from the dark side of the moon? This was an exciting adventure! I randomly picked this book to read on my eReader during camping with my husband. I needed a scifi story to keep my husband hooked. Little did I know that I too was going to be enthralled with the story. </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The plot was thrilling and suspenseful. At first, it reminded me of the movie, <i>Contact</i>, with the whole signal thing that NASA received. But the comparisons ended there. The race between the nations US, Russia, and China had me at the edge of my seat. My husband and I kept debating who was going to get to the moon first but of course we knew that the US would had to prevail somehow. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The story was heavily dialogued driven but it ran smoothly. I could easily see this becoming a film. This also meant that it had many characters. The characters were realistic and likeable, no matter what nation they came from. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As a whole, I highly enjoyed this read. It was not perfect because it did have many editing errors. However, this did not stop us from enjoying the book. We rate it: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYudu9-NsAQOgpJozyZXEGhU4WyrDbaHCX87rhF8znCxZDTcBmKGST-_Lju6gSBvCwZbZ7Q4bToKCUy5Ck3w-WZBSW_DlB3Hkd9kPAwD8aEp0hONB7y6L0T5bvx36covRZYjJoElrWIqv77ALYlLjt0OegaeKvbfbeniQ-b34CvrRU2CvFjubHEER/s801/IMG_1643172092421.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="801" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYudu9-NsAQOgpJozyZXEGhU4WyrDbaHCX87rhF8znCxZDTcBmKGST-_Lju6gSBvCwZbZ7Q4bToKCUy5Ck3w-WZBSW_DlB3Hkd9kPAwD8aEp0hONB7y6L0T5bvx36covRZYjJoElrWIqv77ALYlLjt0OegaeKvbfbeniQ-b34CvrRU2CvFjubHEER/w128-h74/IMG_1643172092421.png" width="128" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-56281234293902327452022-06-03T00:30:00.002-07:002022-06-10T20:53:36.418-07:0010 Year Blogoversary<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzhDhAPQ4c9EgHaLxNLDf_sAy6DCFcnKWqNW_p28mS0nfp0LyCjefnl4tL-F4_EH7ZwcG7J0QaFUjJ4xOcAWREKomMgi1PKZOtlLAJtZ_hw2IsDQwSBIhkxRs8uxPma1NS8mj-gCziDg-hyVTe9bKemiSAAqhnMMvI5LrUW2zaD993cFZdVoCu8Pi/s372/10%20years.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="372" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzhDhAPQ4c9EgHaLxNLDf_sAy6DCFcnKWqNW_p28mS0nfp0LyCjefnl4tL-F4_EH7ZwcG7J0QaFUjJ4xOcAWREKomMgi1PKZOtlLAJtZ_hw2IsDQwSBIhkxRs8uxPma1NS8mj-gCziDg-hyVTe9bKemiSAAqhnMMvI5LrUW2zaD993cFZdVoCu8Pi/s320/10%20years.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Well, that's right. It's my blog's 10 year anniversary!!! Wow!!!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">So much has happened these past 10 years. I started my book blog strong with daily posts and reviews. I've been MIA these past few years because life simply happened. Vonnie's Reading Corner had to sit back and wait while I tried to survive mentally and physically.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Am I going to return to blogging like I used to? No, I simply do not have the time or energy to keep up with multiple posts a week. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Am I going to keep this blog going? You know...I've been going back and forth about retiring my blog, but every time I try to write a Goodbye post, I get really depressed. So I decided that I will keep going for now but I will occasionally post. So you'll probably see some months more active than others but do expect to see a few posts every so often. <span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Now, is anybody still coming by to check on this blog? Probably not. But that's okay. I started Vonnie's Reading Corner mostly for me. I wanted a creative place where I can write down my thoughts about the books that I've read. Yes, there was a time that I tried to connect with the book blogging community and I tried to gain followers, but honestly, that was exhausting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Of course it doesn't mean that I do not appreciate the few relationships that I have created through blogging. There are my favorite blogs that I like to visit and I still get excited reading comments from people that really read my posts. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">So, Vonnie's Reading Corner...Happy 10 Year Blogoversary!!!</span></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-12814481912928490502022-02-01T06:00:00.001-08:002022-02-01T06:00:00.236-08:00Top 5 Tuesday: February 1st<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL1JBTMkrOWHIhBItwG7R3WD-K-qHiPHjWB3TYUijX0DGw8SAqzCgJP_bF4VyTbGBRsoK5QIl4J1k4XIjYEUjVPYcYREFhW97T09JB4E_JStWVP2rIWhSh4CVeYlYUssn3MwFsn4kDfY/" style="color: #d129a1; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1080" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL1JBTMkrOWHIhBItwG7R3WD-K-qHiPHjWB3TYUijX0DGw8SAqzCgJP_bF4VyTbGBRsoK5QIl4J1k4XIjYEUjVPYcYREFhW97T09JB4E_JStWVP2rIWhSh4CVeYlYUssn3MwFsn4kDfY/w400-h225/image.png" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid rgb(203, 203, 203); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 20px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="400" /></a></div><p> </p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: #fae7d3; color: #212121; font-size: large;"><p><b>Top 5 Tuesday</b> was created by Shanah at<a href="https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.com/" style="color: #d129a1; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"> Bionic Book Worm</a> and is now being hosted by <a href="https://meeghanreads.com/top-5-tuesday-topics-january-march-2022/" style="color: #d129a1; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Meeghan Reads</a>!</p><p>This week's prompt is:</p><h3 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #030303; font-family: "Chelsea Market"; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">Top 5 books I didn’t get to in 2021</h3><p><br /></p><p>1.<i> </i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4618728-honolulu" target="_blank"><i>Honolulu </i>by Alan Brennert</a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLgvEAAJNK_Ozp6TJiA-IXubqnCicn2FI8q4TChblaZNfpfM10gYt55YHZ8wwME7ENfCKXs9ciHmne2FhHz7ruqyeQ0SK_H4DGmdTk-beylaLMXE6NTPs4Q36HRSTnViWF3E2VOBUZr4/" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLgvEAAJNK_Ozp6TJiA-IXubqnCicn2FI8q4TChblaZNfpfM10gYt55YHZ8wwME7ENfCKXs9ciHmne2FhHz7ruqyeQ0SK_H4DGmdTk-beylaLMXE6NTPs4Q36HRSTnViWF3E2VOBUZr4/" width="159" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1921871.Coyote_Blue" target="_blank"> <i>Coyote Blue</i> by Christopher Moore</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y8AUUYc0GgdbQSBmjKppUfsnH8GWbrKYqfSZjdmec0npOM-g10FslJLN8GGR-j1n5tUgiZGd8R44eaauPNBAn2wmgceFBrNdhoWkEeN9gxv5EI6K8_dpwZwWlOdk9D_LQc1DUZqDTIM/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y8AUUYc0GgdbQSBmjKppUfsnH8GWbrKYqfSZjdmec0npOM-g10FslJLN8GGR-j1n5tUgiZGd8R44eaauPNBAn2wmgceFBrNdhoWkEeN9gxv5EI6K8_dpwZwWlOdk9D_LQc1DUZqDTIM/" width="156" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32559.The_Fall_of_the_House_of_Usher_and_Other_Tales" target="_blank"><i>The Fall of the House of Usher</i> by Edgar Allen Poe</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHwQOThYgKcJNjO-pVtRN5rP1l5r_yBF5f35YLklYOtdAs13VsUZ2qGbh5xvnK5hFS_oIfe1e1Uj2CN6IdYleFDxHiFOw3opjSsMHgx2L_NAlweZoGa0dvw1_leHFCNZpOJXYqH4pa1k/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="247" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHwQOThYgKcJNjO-pVtRN5rP1l5r_yBF5f35YLklYOtdAs13VsUZ2qGbh5xvnK5hFS_oIfe1e1Uj2CN6IdYleFDxHiFOw3opjSsMHgx2L_NAlweZoGa0dvw1_leHFCNZpOJXYqH4pa1k/" width="148" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29010395-i-am-not-your-perfect-mexican-daughter?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=HaKgQNNpTQ&rank=2" target="_blank"><i> I am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter </i>by Erika L. Sanchez</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYV2vRDGm-vpE4dnJDLUtXiHAoq0HLrzTeSj1Ff8tSVPlXIb6VzIiIKfs1Hhzi5VxuhjSeXaHmJnL6_2aNc3PZ8nugwHpxqClmPuf2sUwPYcE7-ZMseiIyC2bmKw0Il45FNsEV3zoxvK0/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYV2vRDGm-vpE4dnJDLUtXiHAoq0HLrzTeSj1Ff8tSVPlXIb6VzIiIKfs1Hhzi5VxuhjSeXaHmJnL6_2aNc3PZ8nugwHpxqClmPuf2sUwPYcE7-ZMseiIyC2bmKw0Il45FNsEV3zoxvK0/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53152636-mexican-gothic?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=c5xDpYAZn5&rank=1" target="_blank">Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SMBmlOcoblG0p9eJlBTOx04Jj4hzi2E_h4SaJoUM11_QupbRVQXnHy7fA1joonLMn5T0cr6YynOjCzPqpZwWr4eIOlqfHLlpQxtxzzqVkp-z278utJrbtHG8UUeYJqQJ_wdsiy-5mRo/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SMBmlOcoblG0p9eJlBTOx04Jj4hzi2E_h4SaJoUM11_QupbRVQXnHy7fA1joonLMn5T0cr6YynOjCzPqpZwWr4eIOlqfHLlpQxtxzzqVkp-z278utJrbtHG8UUeYJqQJ_wdsiy-5mRo/" width="158" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><p></p></span>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-35292213385595345632022-01-28T05:00:00.001-08:002022-01-28T05:00:00.219-08:00Friday Fun: January 28th<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmL-Xj3_hQDlqla_qvACqvtZU-w82hRtpYsAOFub1ce8C-sMfKarC_maUf5aG30aLFEzLcn7ML3fuhnfv-azcYq8YJmJl_-Hh2n0mPIKhqlZFA2sHXyFetikeJDz0YbAMa0DYI4rZCGnSJxudrLrm8Cc1IHAlarLcRtATaklrqYoWDQVkCPVfrE-_D=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1080" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmL-Xj3_hQDlqla_qvACqvtZU-w82hRtpYsAOFub1ce8C-sMfKarC_maUf5aG30aLFEzLcn7ML3fuhnfv-azcYq8YJmJl_-Hh2n0mPIKhqlZFA2sHXyFetikeJDz0YbAMa0DYI4rZCGnSJxudrLrm8Cc1IHAlarLcRtATaklrqYoWDQVkCPVfrE-_D=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>It's Friday and it's time for some fun!</b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span>Today's book is <i>Undercover Bromance</i> by Lisa Kay Adams:</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5bGa8nJQd-kKQqzu-cpYev-zORbECrMi3mjfeJb7rtewsXt0JO-jZ8YZha2wIg4N9VVGvdKeATwTf3dQ04wNPPQe0dLPo7vpCfsCYKF6as9BufAAqaT-hXsZBEXDt__t7ykUO2Beln4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1707" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5bGa8nJQd-kKQqzu-cpYev-zORbECrMi3mjfeJb7rtewsXt0JO-jZ8YZha2wIg4N9VVGvdKeATwTf3dQ04wNPPQe0dLPo7vpCfsCYKF6as9BufAAqaT-hXsZBEXDt__t7ykUO2Beln4/" width="160" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/" target="_blank">First Line Fridays</a>/<a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/" target="_blank"> Book Beginnings</a></b><b style="text-align: justify;">: </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b style="text-align: justify;"><br /></b></div></div></b></span></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Braden Mack pulled his Porsche SUV into an empty spot at the back of the dark parking lot and waited for the signal."</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" target="_blank">Friday 56</a>:</b> </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"The bang of the back door interrupted her, followed by a loud belch."</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div></div><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/" target="_blank">Book Blogger Hop</a> Question:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Have you ever attended a book signing? If so, who was the author? (submitted by Billy @ <a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/" target="_blank">Coffee Addicted Writer</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Answer: Oh yes! I've been to plenty. I've been to book signings at bookstores, but the majority have been over at the LA Times Festival of Books. The author's I've met are:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Anne Rice</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Diana Gabaldon</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Sylvia Day</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Lisa See</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Neal Shusterman</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Ransom Riggs</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">John Green</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Sandra Cisneros</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Victor Villanesor</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Gary Soto</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Marie Lu</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Margaret Stohl</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Laini Taylor</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Leigh Bardugo</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Sarah J Maas</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>Celebrity authors:</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Stan Lee</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Jason Segel</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The Property Brothers</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Cheech Marin</span></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-18472888853918608702022-01-25T20:48:00.003-08:002022-01-25T20:48:23.447-08:00Review: Scythe<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> By Neal Shusterman</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkvu3YHVq0TyztDiHXTh0Fy7K3N1Wesg53pSSSE1r4QcteWM_FHGbDD1vk-e9sUqWk9MTiaMF92y49dU3XTlfERqAFGSj9H4fBTCi5d-XNVk9RPFfCYG2G21tsp_uwiJ7nUN12znTgYc/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkvu3YHVq0TyztDiHXTh0Fy7K3N1Wesg53pSSSE1r4QcteWM_FHGbDD1vk-e9sUqWk9MTiaMF92y49dU3XTlfERqAFGSj9H4fBTCi5d-XNVk9RPFfCYG2G21tsp_uwiJ7nUN12znTgYc/w212-h320/image.png" width="212" /></a></div><br /><blockquote style="background: rgb(243, 197, 190); border-radius: 20px; border: 0px solid; padding: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thou shalt kill.<br /><br />A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.<br /><br />Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28954189-scythe" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div><br />
</span></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">
<span><a name='more'></a></span><b>My Thoughts:</b> I love Neal Shusterman's books so I was excited to read<i> Scythe</i>. I was not too sure what to expect from this book (this is what happens when you don't read the synopsis) but I kept hearing good things about it. I'm glad that I finally read it because I enjoyed it tremendously.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The idea of a future where there is no disease, no natural death, war, or crime sounds too good to be true. Many people hope to find the cure to terrible diseases, such as cancer, but not many people think about the consequences of these cures. The population will definitely skyrocket and life will almost lose its meaning. I was glad to read that these issues were mentioned in the book. However, the solution of having scythes was pretty gruesome but understandable. The idea of training young people to become killers was barbaric, which made the story creepily exciting. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I quickly came to like the characters. We had Citra who was brave and smart while we had Rowan who was shy but ended up becoming brave. Both teenagers were being trained to become the next scythe. The book had me wondering of who was going to be chosen. I thought I had an idea but then the twists happened. But I have to say, I was very glad to see how these two characters grew throughout the book.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I don't want to say too much without giving away the book. Let's just say that I highly enjoyed it. It's not my favorite Shusterman book because it did start off slow, but it ended up delivering at the end. I give it:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCTEFiUF7ulrXUodW_GB32PCVafQCEzKWn34LfVXCH9lfTe74VQKp6SJcqpih3rJsSHVSOvpQEECyr0phcp2d9rCk5F-LOPYrxQnHVG7kx5O8La-93O33o9CuV1gOK5JwtEJYpwV4PWgL7210APKJbPmtXOL3AU37aaOzyYhSr0ba7022xanB_pYqg=s801" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="801" height="99" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCTEFiUF7ulrXUodW_GB32PCVafQCEzKWn34LfVXCH9lfTe74VQKp6SJcqpih3rJsSHVSOvpQEECyr0phcp2d9rCk5F-LOPYrxQnHVG7kx5O8La-93O33o9CuV1gOK5JwtEJYpwV4PWgL7210APKJbPmtXOL3AU37aaOzyYhSr0ba7022xanB_pYqg=w171-h99" width="171" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-10433322832171488672022-01-23T04:00:00.052-08:002022-01-23T04:00:00.279-08:00#SixForSunday: January 23rd<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTq43OixOWSh95K5yv0OgnR_zmB4nkuD0YBB3BJmjgeLitMRkCY8GNj92fgag_fWM9x1L9JRGbG0aiy1DZNw9J1cter3VvqAQ7ju3ibz6dPgZXn3KnMSdHAETfR5f6jTqXmBZ23X_IHdfULKJd2YETO8Vmb_r6_ntoz1AtXjk7whNsjcwuPkNs9GvA=s1080" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="1080" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTq43OixOWSh95K5yv0OgnR_zmB4nkuD0YBB3BJmjgeLitMRkCY8GNj92fgag_fWM9x1L9JRGbG0aiy1DZNw9J1cter3VvqAQ7ju3ibz6dPgZXn3KnMSdHAETfR5f6jTqXmBZ23X_IHdfULKJd2YETO8Vmb_r6_ntoz1AtXjk7whNsjcwuPkNs9GvA=s320" width="320" /></a> <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">#SixforSunday is a weekly event hosted by</span><a href="https://alittlebutalot.com/home/" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank"> A Little But A Lot</a><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;">. A prompt is given each week and participants pick 6 books to go with the prompt. This week's prompt is:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Favorite</b></span><b> opening chapters</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Ooh...Favorite chapters? Here are some:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><i>Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal</i> by Christopher Moore<span></span></b></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcpCJavNCXMhyI2WSOVGfdCEdXNam-Rr3AJcj5phISKkLlY10Z1mcsiwOP3a6HZiMBO28txeJD4kGTNWUo1uyPIYT2EI_ijOOWLgJhPw3Guqgi6bnfziMGAPubk7Nuj5M24OuWwyELDWvVTYRbwDN3Czc3n5JM8_n610Rw2jhZReemZK2QlhfwEVfN=s1449" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1449" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcpCJavNCXMhyI2WSOVGfdCEdXNam-Rr3AJcj5phISKkLlY10Z1mcsiwOP3a6HZiMBO28txeJD4kGTNWUo1uyPIYT2EI_ijOOWLgJhPw3Guqgi6bnfziMGAPubk7Nuj5M24OuWwyELDWvVTYRbwDN3Czc3n5JM8_n610Rw2jhZReemZK2QlhfwEVfN=w478-h640" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><i>The Martian</i> by Andy Weir</b></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGhBhjd7j57Lw_UR_HA5WRs_C2aUrlZLSpCIak-tUr56DzdsUGlDHkmzeqJdheXuXQYPTln0-dwjW3hW9i9kDZnlDSg2ga4Bl3eclQObKVrSm5I4UIc2yz2jY07b3zMU-ULpRfMlz-R4P20AnnmdmVcidsgD_DAC0pwF62eIJssImM903JTv1OsRXH=s1455" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1455" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjGhBhjd7j57Lw_UR_HA5WRs_C2aUrlZLSpCIak-tUr56DzdsUGlDHkmzeqJdheXuXQYPTln0-dwjW3hW9i9kDZnlDSg2ga4Bl3eclQObKVrSm5I4UIc2yz2jY07b3zMU-ULpRfMlz-R4P20AnnmdmVcidsgD_DAC0pwF62eIJssImM903JTv1OsRXH=w476-h640" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> by Douglas Adams</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBSlViaNwxk1ddnsS_pjIeVn3WPmsahJSQEW6Re0h_WVHCx7MWHziurkYADg3tGZO6PdH-CHu5p4cAVRpCrmkHTNDIyvqCNVudtFGbTx2JgVLlRAiUJjFwld5zsN_yiunQ7sBepACn7gCdLaQA7XFxng_-eZhV93q96Or9yE6d-RF69kz9c7EV3vSn=s1421" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1421" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBSlViaNwxk1ddnsS_pjIeVn3WPmsahJSQEW6Re0h_WVHCx7MWHziurkYADg3tGZO6PdH-CHu5p4cAVRpCrmkHTNDIyvqCNVudtFGbTx2JgVLlRAiUJjFwld5zsN_yiunQ7sBepACn7gCdLaQA7XFxng_-eZhV93q96Or9yE6d-RF69kz9c7EV3vSn=w486-h640" width="486" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Music to My Years</i> by Cristela Alonzo</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE9lLsaRXZj54gumdPKGuS4Cls0MRWUDNDAbEkW7OQL98W6pmmReXl9hrGgzWgi8Up9pGLnBNcpltGCDXXoSdy2WLz6lQxJnk9BriVFAG2lDRAlXnW2X1bJlHEuZiSGOXIndBv_PQH-AGd4_sEqg_4YbnXak7o6DFDpJyFxbkIg3KBJ6w7EOKXOv6C=s1436" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1078" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE9lLsaRXZj54gumdPKGuS4Cls0MRWUDNDAbEkW7OQL98W6pmmReXl9hrGgzWgi8Up9pGLnBNcpltGCDXXoSdy2WLz6lQxJnk9BriVFAG2lDRAlXnW2X1bJlHEuZiSGOXIndBv_PQH-AGd4_sEqg_4YbnXak7o6DFDpJyFxbkIg3KBJ6w7EOKXOv6C=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Interview with the Vampire</i> by Anne Rice</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijwr6MSlc-gWGv1ZRp1BPnWRPMkvizkIQD-H3DFEMubnOHJ5uKX1nlOnbNgSy4SmNKD9SIXXzB0M1_peZnsiSF2nyGj3xFSbtH8ynrL2rfJCjUPJGvVMpQV5uWoFzvWisnWj047Ilos4F8MQhN-EfYuhkSmYaWS4nL0tg8DFDFrsIlCnwDJsCzVOeV=s1361" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijwr6MSlc-gWGv1ZRp1BPnWRPMkvizkIQD-H3DFEMubnOHJ5uKX1nlOnbNgSy4SmNKD9SIXXzB0M1_peZnsiSF2nyGj3xFSbtH8ynrL2rfJCjUPJGvVMpQV5uWoFzvWisnWj047Ilos4F8MQhN-EfYuhkSmYaWS4nL0tg8DFDFrsIlCnwDJsCzVOeV=w508-h640" width="508" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Snowflower and the Secret Fan </i>by Lisa See</b></div><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPUk5kNYt2HcbMVP5VRQJdIJPCBlSbQjoba73_eigM8vAnqNqiRRhwM2ZaC_gqzwdbhqqqmU-9YGgsonETBjKZ6ktHhGsRIJ3MArkEbT3U6KY0NIKL5-G3YBG_44bFiHSkbqtT-eVHQBy67JLTL5foTAfoz_63PNumq2R1Nq7EC8LTDHNC54OB_7c2=s1443" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPUk5kNYt2HcbMVP5VRQJdIJPCBlSbQjoba73_eigM8vAnqNqiRRhwM2ZaC_gqzwdbhqqqmU-9YGgsonETBjKZ6ktHhGsRIJ3MArkEbT3U6KY0NIKL5-G3YBG_44bFiHSkbqtT-eVHQBy67JLTL5foTAfoz_63PNumq2R1Nq7EC8LTDHNC54OB_7c2=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">There are other great opening chapters out there so it was really hard to choose. What do you think of these chapters? </span></div><br /><br /></span><p></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-43526442236853271582022-01-21T04:30:00.003-08:002022-01-21T04:30:00.232-08:00Friday Fun: Jan 21st<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSyns7QZJ-98oWzRj5P1nZ-2qAVUJsB9kQRbNgEXvyikiyItqeENJlBE3Zy1ggZRIZayMXxd6CQebvkA6viEfaowROilx12eJiJuM9-vL19ntiQhkb8e02A_yKv1U8VLROgkjZLGrwXguuBLj2KBZ8VmwJYcXk-SaO8skNZg_TvyhYURtfP7FqICl=s1080" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1080" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSyns7QZJ-98oWzRj5P1nZ-2qAVUJsB9kQRbNgEXvyikiyItqeENJlBE3Zy1ggZRIZayMXxd6CQebvkA6viEfaowROilx12eJiJuM9-vL19ntiQhkb8e02A_yKv1U8VLROgkjZLGrwXguuBLj2KBZ8VmwJYcXk-SaO8skNZg_TvyhYURtfP7FqICl=w320-h193" width="320" /></a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It's Friday and it's time for some fun!</span><b style="font-family: helvetica;"> </b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: helvetica; line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><b>Friday 56 </b>is hosted <span>by</span> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" style="line-height: 21.56px; text-decoration-line: none;">Freda's Voice</a>,</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b> First Line Fridays</b> is hosted by <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/" target="_blank">Reading is My SuperPower</a>,<b> </b></span><span><b>Book Beginnings </b>by <a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/" target="_blank">Rose City Reader,</a> and <b>Book Blogger Hop </b>by <a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/" target="_blank">The Coffee Addicted Writer</a>. </span></span></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>Today's book is <i>Blood of Elves </i>by Andrzej Sapkowski:</b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGM3DnYK5KSZ8BamyjpUUBdXGoacLEB_rZ4hCFS1dfkToDDYumCpeI0gTsYcJKJmWJ3WuYqDc96fuCqtGt6ZsqCC9RWleZEUfut8iMM5DzNDQVk0DKcIdYNDyX0bczXl3o-sSKoM3JSg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGM3DnYK5KSZ8BamyjpUUBdXGoacLEB_rZ4hCFS1dfkToDDYumCpeI0gTsYcJKJmWJ3WuYqDc96fuCqtGt6ZsqCC9RWleZEUfut8iMM5DzNDQVk0DKcIdYNDyX0bczXl3o-sSKoM3JSg/" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /></b></span></span></span></div><p></p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><a name='more'></a></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>First Line</b></span></span></span><b style="text-align: justify;">/Book Beginnings</b><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>: </b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>"Verily I say onto you, the era of the sword and axe is nigh, the era of the wolf's blizzard. The Time of the White Chill is nigh, the Time of Madness and the Time of Contempt: Ted Deiread, the Time of End."</i></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Page 56 (guestimation since this was an audiobook):</b> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"If you know where Geralt is, you ought to go and warn him. You owe him that, Yennefer. There was, after all, something between you."</span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div></div><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Book Blogger Hop Question:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">What is the average number of books you read per month? (submitted by Elizabeth @ <a href="http://silversolara.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Silver's Reviews</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">During the school months, I read 1-2 books a month. During my breaks, I read about 15 books a month. Work gets in the way...😒</span></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-79604275173870432342022-01-18T21:09:00.002-08:002022-01-18T21:09:45.980-08:00Review: Aurora Rising<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">By Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</span></b></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Read by Kim Mai Guest, Johnathan McClain, Candice Moll, Lincoln Hoppe, Donnabella Mortel, Jonathan Todd Ross, Erin Spencer, & Steve West</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Duration: 14 hours, 4 minutes</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaPut8c1ClGuyD_H5_UtMhco_fL0NFvOqjd3gO_ZoWDLqkcutsdnSfXSuI6mogw6eLcMFSrMzl9oEYkRpYv3z0NcS_9Kj-e_Qgrw4N36uq3UIpKjdVYkeNf5JHRhGIw2InUxkNFdPYZU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaPut8c1ClGuyD_H5_UtMhco_fL0NFvOqjd3gO_ZoWDLqkcutsdnSfXSuI6mogw6eLcMFSrMzl9oEYkRpYv3z0NcS_9Kj-e_Qgrw4N36uq3UIpKjdVYkeNf5JHRhGIw2InUxkNFdPYZU/w320-h320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<blockquote style="background: rgb(207, 193, 227); border-radius: 20px; border: 0px solid; padding: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…<br /><br />A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm<br /><br />A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates<br /><br />A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder<br /><br />An alien warrior with anger management issues<br /><br />A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering<br /><br />And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.<br /><br /><b>They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.
<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30075662-aurora-rising" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div></b></span></blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b>My thoughts:</b> The cover immediately grabbed my attention. The purple coloring was striking and the girl had a mysterious vibe. When I looked up this book, there were many positive reviews, which peaked my interest more. </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">The plot of this book was quite interesting. We had a girl named Aurora who was talking to her father via telecom. All of a sudden, a flash of bright light went off and the girl went into darkness. Aurora awoken 200 years in the future in a spaceship. Aurora was baffled and began to seek answers. Trying to learn as to what happened to Aurora, what happened to her family, and what happened to the place Aurora was destined to visit was intriguing. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There were very many characters in this book and each chapter alternated between the characters' perspectives. Because the chapters jumped between point-of-views, I felt that the characters were not as fully developed as I would have liked. Many of them felt very shallow. For example, the dialogue between characters was kind of cringe. It felt as if they were trying too hard to make some hilarious punchlines. I think the book will have worked out better if it had less point-of-views. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">What made reading this book an awesome experience was listening to the audio performance. There was a full cast of readers. Each character had its own narrator, which brought diversity to the voices. Also, there were some cool effects that helped make the story come alive, such auto tune to make the voices sound as if they were speaking through an intercom. It was pretty neat on how they performed the book.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, this was a pretty decent book. I enjoyed the plot but I wished the characters were more developed. The audio production was excellent. It makes me curious to see if the rest of the books in the series are also done the same way. I rate this:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMJWH75iQd1w-TuAe2eV0o30DJZFdFonHpPzc2QFCptF8FICOUxmMjYNr9QYnlE53r_7gcZF0HtMBtSqW7KRgrDo5HEAt0jIIT7ObKwst-OBjOd1HbQLKPuIS-eMWiHb9DApi30--b0jII1pD8nZ2KV4Zkaay4Yk6KuQMUv4o43jg3JTKQJOP8XbM9=s835" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="835" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMJWH75iQd1w-TuAe2eV0o30DJZFdFonHpPzc2QFCptF8FICOUxmMjYNr9QYnlE53r_7gcZF0HtMBtSqW7KRgrDo5HEAt0jIIT7ObKwst-OBjOd1HbQLKPuIS-eMWiHb9DApi30--b0jII1pD8nZ2KV4Zkaay4Yk6KuQMUv4o43jg3JTKQJOP8XbM9=w134-h62" width="134" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-25573085847579570962022-01-18T05:00:00.018-08:002022-01-18T05:00:00.239-08:00Top 5 Tuesday: Jan. 18th<p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL1JBTMkrOWHIhBItwG7R3WD-K-qHiPHjWB3TYUijX0DGw8SAqzCgJP_bF4VyTbGBRsoK5QIl4J1k4XIjYEUjVPYcYREFhW97T09JB4E_JStWVP2rIWhSh4CVeYlYUssn3MwFsn4kDfY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1080" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL1JBTMkrOWHIhBItwG7R3WD-K-qHiPHjWB3TYUijX0DGw8SAqzCgJP_bF4VyTbGBRsoK5QIl4J1k4XIjYEUjVPYcYREFhW97T09JB4E_JStWVP2rIWhSh4CVeYlYUssn3MwFsn4kDfY/w400-h225/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><p><b>Top 5 Tuesday</b> was created by Shanah at<a href="https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> Bionic Book Worm</a> and is now being hosted by <a href="https://meeghanreads.com/top-5-tuesday-topics-january-march-2022/" target="_blank">Meeghan Reads</a>!</p><p>This week's prompt is:</p><h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #030303; font-family: "Chelsea Market"; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; text-align: center;">Top 5 books I will definitely read in 2022</h3><p><br /></p><p>Ooh, this one is tough because I tend to change my mind a lot. Here are the books I definitely plan to read this year:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>1.<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54493401-project-hail-mary" target="_blank">Hail Mary </a></i>by Andy Weir</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0n13H07Hnmx0DnRU57bD9WIuOxbDpjXHyLM-kdncQ52hVrQL9EHZld1oJAohX0u5XhbomkSkWyukH_R7kXoNYO_MZowiJAsrlKw5Mh4Vx2pMnigsSnZ9ysE5Xb-_Q0r3bax11pzk7s0/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1697" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0n13H07Hnmx0DnRU57bD9WIuOxbDpjXHyLM-kdncQ52hVrQL9EHZld1oJAohX0u5XhbomkSkWyukH_R7kXoNYO_MZowiJAsrlKw5Mh4Vx2pMnigsSnZ9ysE5Xb-_Q0r3bax11pzk7s0/" width="159" /></a></div>I heard many great things about this book. I highly enjoyed The Martian so I am looking forward to this one. Most of all, I am looking forward to reading this one with my husband.<br /><br /><p></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><span></span></b></p><a name='more'></a><b><i><br /></i></b><p></p><p><b>2. </b><b style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14781491-the-time-of-contempt" target="_blank">Time of Contempt</a></i> by Andrzej Sapkowski</b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjo2Te6gPo7zkMkN8WoZ08qNjEWQI98Jn9aCJslK1HgCKVOEOtYkQgj3oEujZFJm3V-UgmH3kNqALK5IwNrayzLVWFh5vgmnsuKdaN204yFKteCJ7_kBe_1LMQfJ1GlhlZoTIQxapOffA/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjo2Te6gPo7zkMkN8WoZ08qNjEWQI98Jn9aCJslK1HgCKVOEOtYkQgj3oEujZFJm3V-UgmH3kNqALK5IwNrayzLVWFh5vgmnsuKdaN204yFKteCJ7_kBe_1LMQfJ1GlhlZoTIQxapOffA/w204-h204/image.png" width="204" /></a></div><br />My husband and I read <i>Blood of Elves</i> during our winter vacation then we watched both seasons on Netflix. We didn't love the book but we loved the series. We are definitely going to be reading this during the summer time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40737571-the-26th-of-november" target="_blank">The 26th of November </a></i>by Elizabeth Adams</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9LncpSRnt7aQ0rroJawFADsBKh5IKTU-UOD6i0ajD0JnDpt_u6rvVZgqVfBCPNlp7T1mCKn56qVjxeL3M0atcvEqUgpI4PFErjXzjG_4ft8EUNBvZRwqfvFKZHFygpJOvVn4P7tYSZY/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9LncpSRnt7aQ0rroJawFADsBKh5IKTU-UOD6i0ajD0JnDpt_u6rvVZgqVfBCPNlp7T1mCKn56qVjxeL3M0atcvEqUgpI4PFErjXzjG_4ft8EUNBvZRwqfvFKZHFygpJOvVn4P7tYSZY/" width="160" /></a></div><br />This was a recommended read from my match on Litsy for #NewYearWhoDis. I do like <i>Pride and Prejudice </i>so I plan to read this.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>4.<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9408584-an-offer-from-a-gentleman" target="_blank"> An Offer from a Gentleman</a></i> by Julia Quinn</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiWkHKltdIt9RgcFRbobhFxtrSM9u5gCeTQ95Gs-oBUzBf7iDVVAjX8lUY3bOrGQQwosubNvo_tVEmpds30jHAEdqUURsyqjbCLS0fN3WEkwf1hproHRAL1D9yoQVdOGMrYsXp_G5z8c/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiWkHKltdIt9RgcFRbobhFxtrSM9u5gCeTQ95Gs-oBUzBf7iDVVAjX8lUY3bOrGQQwosubNvo_tVEmpds30jHAEdqUURsyqjbCLS0fN3WEkwf1hproHRAL1D9yoQVdOGMrYsXp_G5z8c/" width="149" /></a></div><br />That's right. I too have fallen for the Bridgerton craze. I've read the first two books and enjoyed them. I look forward to continue reading the series.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>5. <i>Coconut Curls and Cafe con Leche </i>by Tatiana Figueroa Ramirez (book not on Goodreads)</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gDyezLeeBER-jw0IDgarUDO8I9HpkD69A4wBdDsJlvKPXvrh_bQ9GHLiorJWVitdv_PLFV_pIHs_MUP1LJ-DRx5vql2U9GpsBDRqQA2NDrmvR1a0zaiGwPWzHHThlmaiqjXlyzQh-u4/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="634" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gDyezLeeBER-jw0IDgarUDO8I9HpkD69A4wBdDsJlvKPXvrh_bQ9GHLiorJWVitdv_PLFV_pIHs_MUP1LJ-DRx5vql2U9GpsBDRqQA2NDrmvR1a0zaiGwPWzHHThlmaiqjXlyzQh-u4/" width="148" /></a></div><br />I bought this poetry book after attending a book event on Zoom last year. The few poems that Tatiana read really hit home with me. I look forward to reading it sometime this year. </div></span>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-43725345381516986302022-01-16T17:08:00.003-08:002022-01-16T17:08:32.078-08:00The Witcher Thoughts<p><span style="font-size: large;">During my vacation, my husband and I decided to listen to <b><i>Blood of Elves</i></b> before watching the Netflix series. Once we finished it, we then binged watch the two seasons of the Witcher. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtHQlz6BY379JYJQ6jFDhA4DTkoAOamMCcNpIuo6Dg8SWFzjkLIyeSabAhAUIo3Qh-tRoCQrLp1EAtL2XHqYBLpwyVkISYbchSbVVQW5Zk616y5uwwz3ora8Beh4KWRckLQspWo6AiI8/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtHQlz6BY379JYJQ6jFDhA4DTkoAOamMCcNpIuo6Dg8SWFzjkLIyeSabAhAUIo3Qh-tRoCQrLp1EAtL2XHqYBLpwyVkISYbchSbVVQW5Zk616y5uwwz3ora8Beh4KWRckLQspWo6AiI8/" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Thoughts on the book:<br /><br /></span></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6043781-blood-of-elves" target="_blank"><i>Blood of Elves</i></a> by Andrzej Sapkowski </span></b><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Read by Peter Kenny</span></b><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Duration: 11 hours</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There was a lot of expository in this book, hardly any action. This made listening to the audiobook a little tough because I found myself constantly drifting off. However, I highly enjoyed the world building. This was my first book in the series so I was not too sure what to expect. I liked the idea of the witchers and the different witches/sorcerers out there. I was also intrigued to learn more about the fallen town of Citra and I kept wondering what would happen to Ciri. I heard the next book in the series is better, so I am highly looking forward to it. I give this <b>3 stars. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FDAMpYmawGT7LToF3UfV0NnbAkAb0tMRz55rIwv6x9vRhHvWjNBdp8QLwy54l2g6830rVORuXprr1cBZL7tmAoaQFJeZTLl6ui3o1xmdFys4ZnLYpClc3T0HhmHkrMS56QO-ZPuP4AE/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1067" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FDAMpYmawGT7LToF3UfV0NnbAkAb0tMRz55rIwv6x9vRhHvWjNBdp8QLwy54l2g6830rVORuXprr1cBZL7tmAoaQFJeZTLl6ui3o1xmdFys4ZnLYpClc3T0HhmHkrMS56QO-ZPuP4AE/" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">My thoughts on the series:<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I highly enjoyed the series! It helped me understand the characters and the world better. Of course there were many changes in the series compared to the book, but I felt that they got the gist of it. The imagery was fantastic despite the awkward wig Henry Cavill wore in the first season. I liked the setting, the props, the costumes, and special effects. I also really enjoyed the darkness in the show. My only complaint is that I watched the first two seasons in a week. Now I have to wait a year for the next season!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Have your read the book(s)? Have you watched the series? If so, what are your thoughts? </span></b></div><div><br /><br /></div></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-48032893561464950602022-01-16T04:00:00.010-08:002022-01-16T04:00:00.241-08:00#SixforSunday: Jan. 16th<div><p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTq43OixOWSh95K5yv0OgnR_zmB4nkuD0YBB3BJmjgeLitMRkCY8GNj92fgag_fWM9x1L9JRGbG0aiy1DZNw9J1cter3VvqAQ7ju3ibz6dPgZXn3KnMSdHAETfR5f6jTqXmBZ23X_IHdfULKJd2YETO8Vmb_r6_ntoz1AtXjk7whNsjcwuPkNs9GvA=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="1080" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTq43OixOWSh95K5yv0OgnR_zmB4nkuD0YBB3BJmjgeLitMRkCY8GNj92fgag_fWM9x1L9JRGbG0aiy1DZNw9J1cter3VvqAQ7ju3ibz6dPgZXn3KnMSdHAETfR5f6jTqXmBZ23X_IHdfULKJd2YETO8Vmb_r6_ntoz1AtXjk7whNsjcwuPkNs9GvA=s320" width="320" /></a></p><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">#SixforSunday is a weekly event hosted by<a href="https://alittlebutalot.com/home/" target="_blank"> A Little But A Lot</a>. A prompt is given each week and participants pick 6 books to go with the prompt. This week's prompt is:</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b>bookish resolutions</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-gu-Lp2WnFCfyjxnxmxEjIlJHg9OMkiqO6GUXzZ4YOhMDdBKv5n8y5vrpq26E73nkt12MMRDbEH78HzXFZ8P44EQ1Yc0hQAer4m3ColoWzkiIaIwEki3cfLpwXABPGdLDYBsu0nBx3M/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2536" data-original-width="1640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-gu-Lp2WnFCfyjxnxmxEjIlJHg9OMkiqO6GUXzZ4YOhMDdBKv5n8y5vrpq26E73nkt12MMRDbEH78HzXFZ8P44EQ1Yc0hQAer4m3ColoWzkiIaIwEki3cfLpwXABPGdLDYBsu0nBx3M/" width="155" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8667848-a-discovery-of-witches" target="_blank">A Discovery of Witches</a></i> by Deborah Harkness<span><a name='more'></a></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">I started this in September 2021 and only read half of it. I haven't picked up since and I would like to go back and finish it. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyFF5dDVy0_TE0bBoc1bP0cHRgoKutjXn8WXW2i95gyDFm5AgvveNyAjsOcnmcokboBK4UBr_OF4nNqokPNJ8_UStYAOjYKkl06VMtTFPLLPVMyK5oK075zy2k8wEgu4QLlJ7DbxS2Fo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="260" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSyFF5dDVy0_TE0bBoc1bP0cHRgoKutjXn8WXW2i95gyDFm5AgvveNyAjsOcnmcokboBK4UBr_OF4nNqokPNJ8_UStYAOjYKkl06VMtTFPLLPVMyK5oK075zy2k8wEgu4QLlJ7DbxS2Fo/" width="163" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40909452-drums-of-autumn" target="_blank">Drums of Autumn</a></i> by Diana Gabaldon</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Another book that I started in early 2021 and only got halfway through. It's really good but just way too long. I will finish it though!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMXKoH28cb8Mac10Te4sFRUyFnq-hOl8W76HJqvlF6Bnb8m-wgd4aHrClopuMU8Z88KLf4eL9VrOyLcBm-JpOMhZI6z8YCe_s0SHaPl2YYyyGffpE5R-OvEXSH03VEK9iK1zJ1GeDMGA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMXKoH28cb8Mac10Te4sFRUyFnq-hOl8W76HJqvlF6Bnb8m-wgd4aHrClopuMU8Z88KLf4eL9VrOyLcBm-JpOMhZI6z8YCe_s0SHaPl2YYyyGffpE5R-OvEXSH03VEK9iK1zJ1GeDMGA/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11901.The_Witching_Hour" target="_blank">The Witching Hour</a></i> by Anne Rice</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">I've had this book on my shelves for 20 years now and have yet to pick it up. I really need to revisit Anne Rice. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRMcmuWbNlkRwmEISCWs2GkJqeY-WPI66os_MeIizaLMjD-u6kEgGq7E96x5HPljfSD7-uaO2ceJbcn38-FIcYSRgLAXEGTbKhqY8tzQJPhMs9Qk0y7G8TkGqunqZ-WFoYDWpUCNPvIE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRMcmuWbNlkRwmEISCWs2GkJqeY-WPI66os_MeIizaLMjD-u6kEgGq7E96x5HPljfSD7-uaO2ceJbcn38-FIcYSRgLAXEGTbKhqY8tzQJPhMs9Qk0y7G8TkGqunqZ-WFoYDWpUCNPvIE/" width="156" /></a></div><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1921871.Coyote_Blue" target="_blank">Coyote Blue</a></i> by Christopher Moore</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Another book that has been on my shelves for years. I may read this one with my husband. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS6r2jPieFgezY4iln6y6IjBDedIGHC6TDLiqeJIvc_TfHFPDxJ9ov_X2IicKB7I4KSFG-V37cTl95-5Y1Yk0BwdZabnYZgWw-sOcovXqwmr9CaAKudNWNo3j8VNq81nu8m4j5iBITBA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="330" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS6r2jPieFgezY4iln6y6IjBDedIGHC6TDLiqeJIvc_TfHFPDxJ9ov_X2IicKB7I4KSFG-V37cTl95-5Y1Yk0BwdZabnYZgWw-sOcovXqwmr9CaAKudNWNo3j8VNq81nu8m4j5iBITBA/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/414729.The_Dark_Bride" target="_blank">La Novia Oscura </a></i>by Laura Restrepo</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I really want to read at least one book in Spanish this year. I've had this on my shelf for a few years. I think it's time that I pick it up. </div><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14781491-the-time-of-contempt" target="_blank">Time of Contempt</a></i> by Andrzej Sapkowski</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">My husband and I read Blood of Elves and finished watching the Witcher series. We want to continue reading the book series. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp9vvVsTc_Faka_eUXtKHr7LuUiwTvya9nMnIk-NbCO9GZxpmhFCbkd00JpkzZNpYLo-b5-JEq8K3P_o2WJeVhRoQ3poyvRybJARq1xVlZe7CPXnzWAlwrg-AIVOl6aMBCiJl5_tVM6w/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmp9vvVsTc_Faka_eUXtKHr7LuUiwTvya9nMnIk-NbCO9GZxpmhFCbkd00JpkzZNpYLo-b5-JEq8K3P_o2WJeVhRoQ3poyvRybJARq1xVlZe7CPXnzWAlwrg-AIVOl6aMBCiJl5_tVM6w/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48717769-the-cold-vanish" target="_blank">The Cold Vanish</a></i> by Jon Billman</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">This has been on my TBR for a while. I hope to get my hands on it. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">These are just some of the books I hope to get to in 2022. Fingers crossed that all goes well!</span></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-1596867562892620362022-01-14T03:30:00.001-08:002022-01-14T03:30:00.227-08:00Friday Fun: Jan. 14th<p> <span style="text-align: center;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSyns7QZJ-98oWzRj5P1nZ-2qAVUJsB9kQRbNgEXvyikiyItqeENJlBE3Zy1ggZRIZayMXxd6CQebvkA6viEfaowROilx12eJiJuM9-vL19ntiQhkb8e02A_yKv1U8VLROgkjZLGrwXguuBLj2KBZ8VmwJYcXk-SaO8skNZg_TvyhYURtfP7FqICl=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1080" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSyns7QZJ-98oWzRj5P1nZ-2qAVUJsB9kQRbNgEXvyikiyItqeENJlBE3Zy1ggZRIZayMXxd6CQebvkA6viEfaowROilx12eJiJuM9-vL19ntiQhkb8e02A_yKv1U8VLROgkjZLGrwXguuBLj2KBZ8VmwJYcXk-SaO8skNZg_TvyhYURtfP7FqICl=w320-h193" width="320" /></a></p><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">It's Friday and it's time for some fun!<b> </b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><b>Friday 56 </b>is hosted <span>by</span> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" style="line-height: 21.56px; text-decoration-line: none;">Freda's Voice</a>,</span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b> First Line Fridays</b> is hosted by <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/" target="_blank">Reading is My SuperPower</a>,<b> </b></span><span><b>Book Beginnings </b>by <a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/" target="_blank">Rose City Reader,</a> and <b>Book Blogger Hop </b>by <a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/" target="_blank">The Coffee Addicted Writer</a>. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>Today's book is <i>Aurora Rising </i>by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: </b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b></b></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMlKfRYZkln8ti8ablXpLm1epuYC2eT-_Q5dfzNRuMybHlu30Tasmaqn8OHrNSCicMwCgashoOWKjv0cWEtg_MifZd5lK-sPLXIXpJVSfw-XahsD6SCR-3evOnKO-TuNxOYcHwnCLx-8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMlKfRYZkln8ti8ablXpLm1epuYC2eT-_Q5dfzNRuMybHlu30Tasmaqn8OHrNSCicMwCgashoOWKjv0cWEtg_MifZd5lK-sPLXIXpJVSfw-XahsD6SCR-3evOnKO-TuNxOYcHwnCLx-8/w212-h320/image.png" width="212" /></a></div><br /><br /></b></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><br /></b></span></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><span><a name='more'></a></span></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>First Line</b></span></span></span><b style="text-align: justify;">/Book Beginnings</b><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>: </b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>"I'm gonna miss the Draft.</i></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"The<i> Hadfield</i> is disintegrating around me. Black arcs of quantum lighting are melting the ship's hull to slag."</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Page 56:</b> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"I touch my nose, bring my fingers away smudged with red." </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div></div><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Book Blogger Hop Question:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"Do you have any bookish posters or artwork on your walls?" (submitted by Penelope<a href="https://thereadingdevil.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> @ The Reading Devil</a>)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br />I do not have any bookish posters on my walls but I do own bookish artwork that I received from Owlcrate. However, I have these stored away in a box. Maybe one day I'll put them up and rotate them. </span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #2e2e2e; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; z-index: -1;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-84420306645492174282022-01-11T04:00:00.001-08:002022-01-11T04:00:00.208-08:00Top 5 Tuesday: Jan. 11th<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL1JBTMkrOWHIhBItwG7R3WD-K-qHiPHjWB3TYUijX0DGw8SAqzCgJP_bF4VyTbGBRsoK5QIl4J1k4XIjYEUjVPYcYREFhW97T09JB4E_JStWVP2rIWhSh4CVeYlYUssn3MwFsn4kDfY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1080" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwL1JBTMkrOWHIhBItwG7R3WD-K-qHiPHjWB3TYUijX0DGw8SAqzCgJP_bF4VyTbGBRsoK5QIl4J1k4XIjYEUjVPYcYREFhW97T09JB4E_JStWVP2rIWhSh4CVeYlYUssn3MwFsn4kDfY/w400-h225/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><p><b>Top 5 Tuesday</b> was created by Shanah at<a href="https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> Bionic Book Worm</a> and is now being hosted by <a href="https://meeghanreads.com/top-5-tuesday-topics-january-march-2022/" target="_blank">Meeghan Reads</a>!</p><p>This week's prompt is: </p><h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; color: #030303; font-family: "Chelsea Market"; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 400; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px !important; text-align: center;">Top 5 anticipated reads for Jan-Mar 2022</h3><div><br /></div><div>The books I hope to read between the months of January through March:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53435901-the-electric-kingdom" target="_blank">The Electric Kingdom</a></i> by David Arnold</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj8Cr1Reri0REQ3nIbOBP7Gd9C5VeZ8IAgDyHQ0Z5hO9PEAAh5INzsWsCyzL8cNGaHo4rSIqdhihqy6TkCaeib2qt4nl0eAZMCxEfnY9oHADCMxSOmuzYfVdL9kq6lZQOkdB-o0F4kGw/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOj8Cr1Reri0REQ3nIbOBP7Gd9C5VeZ8IAgDyHQ0Z5hO9PEAAh5INzsWsCyzL8cNGaHo4rSIqdhihqy6TkCaeib2qt4nl0eAZMCxEfnY9oHADCMxSOmuzYfVdL9kq6lZQOkdB-o0F4kGw/" width="159" /></a></div><br />This book was recommended to me by match on Litsy. The cover is pretty cool. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>2. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55711552-wake" target="_blank">Wake</a></i> by Rebecca Hall</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRWB4HnaLCA3WW-SZ7pZZSipVPLKSVSqCM-XLIOxu3C08fBDGQIaiDbw2Z8hbuNVsPAM8Y_6501ESCCes3gBaaYte28WCfK__Aa00RXgBRyBky33gyJI9JTvt7Ou0BWdrWeuyF2LF6sE/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="1400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRWB4HnaLCA3WW-SZ7pZZSipVPLKSVSqCM-XLIOxu3C08fBDGQIaiDbw2Z8hbuNVsPAM8Y_6501ESCCes3gBaaYte28WCfK__Aa00RXgBRyBky33gyJI9JTvt7Ou0BWdrWeuyF2LF6sE/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>I've seen this graphic novel pop up a lot on Litsy. So I grabbed a copy from my local library to read. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>3. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55809879-yours-cruelly-elvira" target="_blank">Yours Cruelly, Elvira</a></i> by Cassandra Peterson</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhainVCz_CcuTbCIRFAeO6QE0FsqRLpDQNeBagqfAqV-owf4XSlAsmh16zzE7Tz8_Y3KKLIelOUop0s3LxWVcftI-Tl_1Ht1aTqCmeu04U97CDJSJZ8v1A53erTifnidOsw0YEiACS8Rxw/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhainVCz_CcuTbCIRFAeO6QE0FsqRLpDQNeBagqfAqV-owf4XSlAsmh16zzE7Tz8_Y3KKLIelOUop0s3LxWVcftI-Tl_1Ht1aTqCmeu04U97CDJSJZ8v1A53erTifnidOsw0YEiACS8Rxw/" width="159" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I've been on the waiting list on Libby for a while and I'm excited to know that I am next in line!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>4. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40121960-native-country-of-the-heart" target="_blank">Native Country of the Heart</a></i> by Cherrie Moraga</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHQPs9tzEYCSGgZdNyeXQNDTunSl1DjiiLXo5c27VpgsdGD0CNd0HPUR2PYjMjNoIWcxq0MiqgavJK4CDPLkpK9YaTTZ9ZazJl7h6LzM0-aIZitBU-IJfhKRoz_00blzbWLEvHTeoBQY/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHQPs9tzEYCSGgZdNyeXQNDTunSl1DjiiLXo5c27VpgsdGD0CNd0HPUR2PYjMjNoIWcxq0MiqgavJK4CDPLkpK9YaTTZ9ZazJl7h6LzM0-aIZitBU-IJfhKRoz_00blzbWLEvHTeoBQY/" width="157" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>I used to read Cherrie Moraga's works as an undergrad so I am looking forward to read her memoir. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55780561-so-many-beginnings" target="_blank">So Many Beginnings</a> by Bethany C. Morrow</b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZoNYjN2NmJOkJkOa6h6hliH8rdFtWQgdLIXbiPu9W4KngafETmcUZE7OIYDBDSsSSnOOF3j3q2hFIbC7X7BqBbRRk1qx08O6K_wS7QaAIwMxVJToNCdlLKUG6IPCIClyGkdt0JMaRrk/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZoNYjN2NmJOkJkOa6h6hliH8rdFtWQgdLIXbiPu9W4KngafETmcUZE7OIYDBDSsSSnOOF3j3q2hFIbC7X7BqBbRRk1qx08O6K_wS7QaAIwMxVJToNCdlLKUG6IPCIClyGkdt0JMaRrk/" width="160" /></a></div><br />A Little Women retelling with African American characters? Sign me up!</div></span><p></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-57305309387244607392022-01-09T04:00:00.001-08:002022-01-09T04:00:00.218-08:00#SixforSunday: Jan. 9th<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTq43OixOWSh95K5yv0OgnR_zmB4nkuD0YBB3BJmjgeLitMRkCY8GNj92fgag_fWM9x1L9JRGbG0aiy1DZNw9J1cter3VvqAQ7ju3ibz6dPgZXn3KnMSdHAETfR5f6jTqXmBZ23X_IHdfULKJd2YETO8Vmb_r6_ntoz1AtXjk7whNsjcwuPkNs9GvA=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="1080" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTq43OixOWSh95K5yv0OgnR_zmB4nkuD0YBB3BJmjgeLitMRkCY8GNj92fgag_fWM9x1L9JRGbG0aiy1DZNw9J1cter3VvqAQ7ju3ibz6dPgZXn3KnMSdHAETfR5f6jTqXmBZ23X_IHdfULKJd2YETO8Vmb_r6_ntoz1AtXjk7whNsjcwuPkNs9GvA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">#SixforSunday is a weekly event hosted by<a href="https://alittlebutalot.com/home/" target="_blank"> A Little But A Lot</a>. A prompt is given each week and participants pick 6 books to go with the prompt. This week's prompt is:</span><p></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Books you can’t wait for</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8o-58QZ7QQb3VmAEQkaLGqP1HedBM8_gQTTFUqslaJkPvPs6Qwsg2iIuhAPBqQOEm5qmkBpDYq_cnke7GrFiR6y5SduGZSjUoDAKGdL0KhEEDtAoPxwPem0azxfiymNhijc7ZooSfic/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8o-58QZ7QQb3VmAEQkaLGqP1HedBM8_gQTTFUqslaJkPvPs6Qwsg2iIuhAPBqQOEm5qmkBpDYq_cnke7GrFiR6y5SduGZSjUoDAKGdL0KhEEDtAoPxwPem0azxfiymNhijc7ZooSfic/" width="157" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693171-olga-dies-dreaming" target="_blank">Olga Dies Dreaming</a></i> by Xochitl Gonzalez</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDQYDOAyOVBXAkQy-GsOfm49og8L0HuX7M9rliU2XUfOoPUMLMmowX2t03giknEcTrAx2gcGdbci9LElX6Cu2sKeyF7QAMfFK_8AXl5xFSx1_Oq65DcyKrUaPF2Z3-K6ROW-sIxvms-s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDQYDOAyOVBXAkQy-GsOfm49og8L0HuX7M9rliU2XUfOoPUMLMmowX2t03giknEcTrAx2gcGdbci9LElX6Cu2sKeyF7QAMfFK_8AXl5xFSx1_Oq65DcyKrUaPF2Z3-K6ROW-sIxvms-s/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57840571-the-hacienda" target="_blank">The Hacienda</a></i> by Isabel Canas</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFF2qFJK6IF-SJEPC4kA0nafbykEC4yRAe2ouNLs_IIbJWyQBfPnxQoeAc5rqZWC1XiIXfCyI3m7Ek-b68hfZPiJKje_FuS-M9psTKI3JPi_S6NJ_V-a0VQ0dXe53hp_kh3h0EtYcjbI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="710" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFF2qFJK6IF-SJEPC4kA0nafbykEC4yRAe2ouNLs_IIbJWyQBfPnxQoeAc5rqZWC1XiIXfCyI3m7Ek-b68hfZPiJKje_FuS-M9psTKI3JPi_S6NJ_V-a0VQ0dXe53hp_kh3h0EtYcjbI/" width="170" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58723896-inheritance" target="_blank"><i>Inheritance: A Visual Poem</i></a> by Elizabeth Acevedo</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVnTCTcryMadfgLpvzl9b6lVNbsE0dwt-f3R99SD0uouMQIP6A0gcRqbzHTD9z7Pgf60rnhtr-nBq2c_W-zzy2kbMg1kvSVOl6a4N8NO3W9q-tTNr0hPIuDwLEx3z7xM77XF1N28Tos8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVnTCTcryMadfgLpvzl9b6lVNbsE0dwt-f3R99SD0uouMQIP6A0gcRqbzHTD9z7Pgf60rnhtr-nBq2c_W-zzy2kbMg1kvSVOl6a4N8NO3W9q-tTNr0hPIuDwLEx3z7xM77XF1N28Tos8/" width="156" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56269492-you-sound-like-a-white-girl" target="_blank">You Sound Like a White Girl</a></i> by Julissa Arce</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoUPvukNM87cucq3v26a3K9VtsV5Ny_YbnyKFjWiSCZx_hxGIQexhlXMmR4-5jGOnxEOTnT0Q3gLPDwfC2s_apb-qbnGLd-FXoPwFTh5MugwA5kNn1cF8tGJCrHqFtT1XzFB9jhGndnY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2404" data-original-width="1560" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoUPvukNM87cucq3v26a3K9VtsV5Ny_YbnyKFjWiSCZx_hxGIQexhlXMmR4-5jGOnxEOTnT0Q3gLPDwfC2s_apb-qbnGLd-FXoPwFTh5MugwA5kNn1cF8tGJCrHqFtT1XzFB9jhGndnY/" width="156" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58587145-woman-of-light" target="_blank">Woman of Light</a></i> by Kali Fajardo-Anstine</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ruy6zSxEAkqNjL1JCOUXxDKcfuGN48uc8ypNOx7U0q_6m_3HWJOyyHAdX2r9cLxgOGl6Agpp8aP8QiE-hlg6Ktke0QrQAIJJLQa06CXdQtqjRDI4-ZUBZaDI5KKKKMP2OnFfi07ji1g/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ruy6zSxEAkqNjL1JCOUXxDKcfuGN48uc8ypNOx7U0q_6m_3HWJOyyHAdX2r9cLxgOGl6Agpp8aP8QiE-hlg6Ktke0QrQAIJJLQa06CXdQtqjRDI4-ZUBZaDI5KKKKMP2OnFfi07ji1g/" width="159" /></a></div><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58064085-a-woman-of-endurance" target="_blank">A Woman of Endurance</a></i> by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">I'm always on the lookout for Latinx authors and their books. If you know of any, please feel free to share. :)</span></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-86347789639890006342022-01-07T09:32:00.005-08:002022-01-07T09:42:56.620-08:00Friday Fun: Jan. 7th<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSyns7QZJ-98oWzRj5P1nZ-2qAVUJsB9kQRbNgEXvyikiyItqeENJlBE3Zy1ggZRIZayMXxd6CQebvkA6viEfaowROilx12eJiJuM9-vL19ntiQhkb8e02A_yKv1U8VLROgkjZLGrwXguuBLj2KBZ8VmwJYcXk-SaO8skNZg_TvyhYURtfP7FqICl=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1080" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSyns7QZJ-98oWzRj5P1nZ-2qAVUJsB9kQRbNgEXvyikiyItqeENJlBE3Zy1ggZRIZayMXxd6CQebvkA6viEfaowROilx12eJiJuM9-vL19ntiQhkb8e02A_yKv1U8VLROgkjZLGrwXguuBLj2KBZ8VmwJYcXk-SaO8skNZg_TvyhYURtfP7FqICl=w320-h193" width="320" /></a></p><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">It's Friday and it's time for some fun!<b> </b><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><b>Friday 56 </b>is hosted <span>by</span> </span><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.fredasvoice.com/" style="line-height: 21.56px; text-decoration-line: none;">Freda's Voice</a>,</span></span><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b> First Line Fridays</b> is hosted by <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><a href="https://readingismysuperpower.org/" target="_blank">Reading is My SuperPower</a>,<b> </b></span><span><b>Book Beginnings </b>by <a href="https://www.rosecityreader.com/" target="_blank">Rose City Reader,</a> and <b>Book Blogger Hop </b>by <a href="https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/" target="_blank">The Coffee Addicted Writer</a>. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>Today's book is Scythe by Neal Shusterman: </b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b></b></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwzb5BTu44o0Cj-7Q-nZxtoFxO4lb0vwa1PYD5Qt7cQvIUJQKy99VIdpYnFu0ZEeDSKsioeW-crH7LlN9EqrLr9vQkXEQNmkXhWNm957TTZlLBdOXwnVONaQqrhB1lWKWMIkMOZCVM5k/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="408" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwzb5BTu44o0Cj-7Q-nZxtoFxO4lb0vwa1PYD5Qt7cQvIUJQKy99VIdpYnFu0ZEeDSKsioeW-crH7LlN9EqrLr9vQkXEQNmkXhWNm957TTZlLBdOXwnVONaQqrhB1lWKWMIkMOZCVM5k/w207-h320/image.png" width="207" /></a></b></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b><br /><br /></b><span><a name='more'></a></span></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>First Line</b></span></span></span><b style="text-align: justify;">/Book Beginnings</b><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span><b>: </b></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">"We must, by law, keep a record of the innocents we kill."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 21.56px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Page 56:</b> "3) The Scythe's Pets: These were the people who were out of their way to engage the scythe and offer him something with the secret (not so secret) hope that he might grant them immunity, or at least glean the person to their right instead of them some day."</span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div></div><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Book Blogger Hop Question:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">"Do you have a genre you haven't read before but would like to?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Uhh...I think that I've read almost every genre. Perhaps the genre I would like to give more of a chance is science fiction. </span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #2e2e2e; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative !important; text-align: center; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; z-index: -1 !important;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-18786357259234469672022-01-03T11:14:00.000-08:002022-01-03T11:14:20.450-08:002022 Thoughts<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4nwpD8kEsIOK07Rg2sPFKmaa1XAMKnvMDWVcfUCeeR2dl4JyBijcxmcgalbiCmBe8a1JpEYkXQwU_JH7TpwxdC8vF6VzlB1lhHZrldlH2f6oPLK77tv0kqI3EkYM5ncLwJtm9NcVVd5L2qklmnsj6Oe9W1FKAABl2SmEpHUtCx3Gvy_KwTcRKu5q1=s773" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="773" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4nwpD8kEsIOK07Rg2sPFKmaa1XAMKnvMDWVcfUCeeR2dl4JyBijcxmcgalbiCmBe8a1JpEYkXQwU_JH7TpwxdC8vF6VzlB1lhHZrldlH2f6oPLK77tv0kqI3EkYM5ncLwJtm9NcVVd5L2qklmnsj6Oe9W1FKAABl2SmEpHUtCx3Gvy_KwTcRKu5q1=w400-h180" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Hello readers!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As usual, it has been a while since I've posted. The last few months of 2021 have been incredibly tough for me work-wise. I am not going to bore you with the details of what has been happening at work but let's just say that it consumed every minute of my life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Right now I am on winter break and I took a much needed vacation with my husband to visit White Sands National Park and Saguaro National Park. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLJ1-YoeoqGOcYkPx9JACx6XLhX7QeY68eW6JI3s4p1zb5Usiif4Y8_grKkk4jgI8eqa6Zx_1zj0_8woyh80FA2jmySuCi16jMiSh_eOy98SsqCHFqtFxLqm55WnF0u_dj_DSDXkqIAzB3sDlwQuyUEW5Zp_7G3OuhxIDN7D0vtngBXRcVpV0qGU1I=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLJ1-YoeoqGOcYkPx9JACx6XLhX7QeY68eW6JI3s4p1zb5Usiif4Y8_grKkk4jgI8eqa6Zx_1zj0_8woyh80FA2jmySuCi16jMiSh_eOy98SsqCHFqtFxLqm55WnF0u_dj_DSDXkqIAzB3sDlwQuyUEW5Zp_7G3OuhxIDN7D0vtngBXRcVpV0qGU1I=w400-h300" width="400" /></a><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRFSZUskcV0104dKqOR5q0DM7q0-C4NdDzPJEQB4f_f-m936xEncp3vxOhZdi_HTyK6HtHdvvkmA2rFy14-YIOpib_XYidRlT65S5XjqWCPcYx-iY1sqO3K77JSDSBZea8ubCQKUo086aZHP722RZuwYXjVDgkgM0aznWotAhBn8qlKBZMD0B4xHz4=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRFSZUskcV0104dKqOR5q0DM7q0-C4NdDzPJEQB4f_f-m936xEncp3vxOhZdi_HTyK6HtHdvvkmA2rFy14-YIOpib_XYidRlT65S5XjqWCPcYx-iY1sqO3K77JSDSBZea8ubCQKUo086aZHP722RZuwYXjVDgkgM0aznWotAhBn8qlKBZMD0B4xHz4=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Our trips to these parks, as well as spending time with our families for the holidays, has reminded me that my health is very important. Yes, I do love my job but I am not loving the situation that it is putting all of the special education staff through throughout the district. However, I cannot allow the disorganization of my district affect my physical and mental health anymore. Life is too short and I want to make sure that I am well enough for my husband, my family, my friends, and yes, my dog. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiF9foFWrAja0n11YLe2k3TmW_ykiDC5W63lQSO_x_srnvtrwtu8X5ohABfthLGgQIjmKVpNHN7x9avWXtu4rd8Lht_nc5qwmde-RBFHF82W4JKdTJsz8cz6XrGdqSUiGVxjwlN7wtc3DGul5l0W6zneveYqI2hLUkXjkJTyMEbCafMqljMoxrBd16K=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiF9foFWrAja0n11YLe2k3TmW_ykiDC5W63lQSO_x_srnvtrwtu8X5ohABfthLGgQIjmKVpNHN7x9avWXtu4rd8Lht_nc5qwmde-RBFHF82W4JKdTJsz8cz6XrGdqSUiGVxjwlN7wtc3DGul5l0W6zneveYqI2hLUkXjkJTyMEbCafMqljMoxrBd16K=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">During the last two weeks of December, I really got involved with the Winter Games on Litsy. And guess what? I had so much fun! My passion for reading was re-ignited and my obsession to join reading challenges was sparked again. It also made me miss book blogging on here. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For 2022, I am going to aim to make more time for reading. Am I going to be blogging? Maybe not as much as I used to do, but do expect posts here and there. However, you can find me active on my Litsy<a href="https://www.litsy.com/web/user/vonnie862" target="_blank"><b> account</b></a>. Also, if you're on Litsy, let me know so I can follow you!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Along with reading, I am putting my health a priority. I will be eating better. When I am stressed, I do not eat and when I do, I don't eat healthy items. So I am going to make sure to meal plan so I can have healthy meals for at least twice a day. I also plan to get more active. My husband and I signed up to do the 52 Hike Challenge again. We love hiking and this challenge really encourages us to explore new places. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now dancing...I have no idea if I'll be going back to dancing. Unfortunately, I allowed my stress to discourage me from doing any kind of dancing. I do hope to find my spark again. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Enough about me. Please let me know how you are doing and what your plans are for 2022. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hope you are doing well and Happy New Year!</span></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-24028376574888487392021-09-06T21:29:00.000-07:002021-09-06T21:29:12.389-07:00Review: The Beast Within<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>By Serena Valentino</b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f6Pgi2WthZ8/YTbhBnA8n1I/AAAAAAAAIwQ/0rCQWP_tqAo8tW2grekvCr7FuGAKGBVYgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f6Pgi2WthZ8/YTbhBnA8n1I/AAAAAAAAIwQ/0rCQWP_tqAo8tW2grekvCr7FuGAKGBVYgCLcBGAsYHQ/w247-h320/image.png" width="247" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<blockquote style="background: rgb(243, 197, 190); border-radius: 20px; border: 0px solid; padding: 10px;"><span style="font-size: large;">A cursed prince sits alone in a secluded castle.<br /><br />Few have seen him, but those who claim they have say his hair is wild and nails are sharp--like a beast's! But how did this prince, once jovial and beloved by the people, come to be a reclusive and bitter monster? And is it possible that he can ever find true love and break the curse that has been placed upon him?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17428643-the-beast-within" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div></span></blockquote>
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">*Spoilers*</span></b></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Thoughts: </b>So I decided to continue the <i>Villains</i> series. This second book in the bunch was better than the first one. The writing was better and the storytelling was more captivating. I really enjoyed the author's take on Disney's<i> Beauty and the Beast</i>. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In this story, the reader got to see the process of how the prince became the beast. The prince was arrogant and very vain. He thought himself the perfect male specimen which meant that he had to have most gorgeous girl around. Of course, this girl was not allowed to have any brains and must only have eyes for the prince. When he became cursed by the three sisters from the first book, the prince slowly turned to madness in trying to reverse the curse by believing only the girl was able to save him without changing his ways. It was sad to read how he tormented his poor fiancé for his own gain only to banish her. Yet again, this had to happen in order for the prince to fully turn into a beast. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What I enjoyed the most about this take was the role of Gaston. Gaston and the prince were best friends. A different side of Gaston was portrayed that worked for me. I also liked how the author explained the downfall of these two men's friendship. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I really liked the first two-thirds of the book. The last part felt a little rushed for me. I would have liked to have seen more of the beast's reaction to Gaston's fate after the spell was broken, especially when Gaston was an important person in the beast's/prince's life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, I really liked this book more than the first one. It makes me look forward to reading the rest of the series. I rate this: </span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKm2hTJZ01Q/UBgM6IJK5YI/AAAAAAAAAkM/4ZX8GApS80U_WmqHB52b2uMzV-exs6n9ACPcBGAYYCw/s250/4-stars.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="62" data-original-width="250" height="50" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RKm2hTJZ01Q/UBgM6IJK5YI/AAAAAAAAAkM/4ZX8GApS80U_WmqHB52b2uMzV-exs6n9ACPcBGAYYCw/w200-h50/4-stars.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593764416339527990.post-57917396504128921962021-08-29T22:51:00.003-07:002021-08-29T22:51:58.895-07:00Mini Reviews: Bromance #1 and #2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40xuFeGARQo/VJcMzUj-i3I/AAAAAAAAB84/S8aqf613L6Maqddkp1gDGZf9HaAf3O6lgCPcBGAYYCw/s611/Minireview.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="611" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40xuFeGARQo/VJcMzUj-i3I/AAAAAAAAB84/S8aqf613L6Maqddkp1gDGZf9HaAf3O6lgCPcBGAYYCw/w400-h256/Minireview.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After listening to two heavy books, I needed a lighter read. I found the the <i>Bromance Book Club</i> series by Lyssa Kay Adams and I'm enjoying it so far. I think I'll listen to the whole series. Here are the first two books:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1apzDAHYdJM/YSxucZnxI4I/AAAAAAAAIvk/6QVNhpsVytg_G4DxzIlF3sOgdFxPSePYgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1apzDAHYdJM/YSxucZnxI4I/AAAAAAAAIvk/6QVNhpsVytg_G4DxzIlF3sOgdFxPSePYgCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="240" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />Book #1:<i> The Bromance Book Club</i></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I needed to read something light and this book was perfect! The <i>Bromance Book Club</i> had a very cute concept: a group of men get together to read romance books in order to understand the women in their lives. In this first book of the series, Gavin is having marital problems. After an argument, his wife, Thea, kicked him out of the house and asked him for a divorce. Gavin was devastated and turned to alcohol. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Gavin had a lot of self esteem issues and so did his wife, which made winning her back difficult for Gavin. Fortunately, Gavin had his Bromance Book Club guys. It was very cute to listen to how the men in the book club tried to give Gavin tips by analyzing romance books. I really enjoyed listening to their bromance; their relationship with each other was cute. It's great to see strong men being vulnerable and being supportive of one another. It was also fun to listen how the story jumped between Gavin's and the Count's, the character from the book Gavin was reading. This was a highly enjoyable read! I rate it: <b>4 stars. </b></span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Book #2:<i> Undercover Bromance</i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkA3z6MlrxMOA6P56bCbTJb1HwYsBWoX8adK7bw-lQYR_47Jcrdv8m09iGC1HDn3Gwa6xjVpR_K5zpSqqt5Z42CpDMrChKS_xK0cAswtAxSDFUWrsEM4zgIRIA51BGCAixoE5b284faUs/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="318" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkA3z6MlrxMOA6P56bCbTJb1HwYsBWoX8adK7bw-lQYR_47Jcrdv8m09iGC1HDn3Gwa6xjVpR_K5zpSqqt5Z42CpDMrChKS_xK0cAswtAxSDFUWrsEM4zgIRIA51BGCAixoE5b284faUs/" width="240" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The second book in the series was good but not as great as the first one. This book focused on Thea's sister, Liv, and the single man from the book club, Braden Mack. Liv had many more self-esteem issues than her sister, Thea, had. Her daddy issues really made it difficult for her to trust any man in her life. In order to avoid her loneliness and her pain, Liv tried to focus her attention by speaking up for other women. After witnessing one of her coworkers being sexually harassed by her boss, Thea did everything in her power to try to bring down her boss (who became her ex boss). When Mack found out about what happened to Liv, Mack joined Liv on her mission. Their journey in trying to bring down Liv's perverted ex-boss made them realize that they were into each other. Though Liv was a difficult person to be around, Mack did not give up in trying to win her. Liv and Mack's story was cute, but Liv's insecurities really annoyed me. I was a little bummed that there wasn't a romance book that was used for "guidance" like in the first book. So I only rated this <b>3 stars.</b></span></p>Vonniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03987861951233408815noreply@blogger.com0