tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87920788301478265962024-02-18T19:01:56.875-08:00The Write ReaderBooks reviews by J. d'Artagnan Love. Books are sometimes the best companion offering the potential for connection, growth and reflection.J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.comBlogger148125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-39612634692226962082020-09-12T13:16:00.003-07:002020-09-12T13:16:29.814-07:00146. The Christian Homemaker's Handbook by Pat Ennis and Dorothy Kelley Patterson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6dWjc5tlsAX61xCKCEit1CLbnpWmiXUVPca0_M6VZG2qtxRY9RwODw0h_X8e-tumokcymjGvrKc4rMh5784H2b-zaTCAASm7kLFB3W0OyG2Um2dNbXGDjt8yDtwAHPkU8VILVgsk3Hki/s400/christian+homemaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6dWjc5tlsAX61xCKCEit1CLbnpWmiXUVPca0_M6VZG2qtxRY9RwODw0h_X8e-tumokcymjGvrKc4rMh5784H2b-zaTCAASm7kLFB3W0OyG2Um2dNbXGDjt8yDtwAHPkU8VILVgsk3Hki/w335-h500/christian+homemaker.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/15871534-the-christian-homemaker-s-handbook" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source</span></a>)</div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Ennis, Pat, & Kelley Patterson, Dorothy. </span><i style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/a/11656/9781433528385" target="_blank">TheChristian Homemaker’s Handbook</a></i><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013. Print.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">522 pages</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><i>The Christian Homemaker’s Handbook</i> is a
collection of essays exploring homemaking from a Christian perspective. The
book is broken up into sections: design for the home, the value of children,
foundations for parenting, the practical aspects of establishing a home, meal
prep, and clothing. Each section is framed from a Christian perspective using
Biblical references. The writers take a holistic approach to homemaking seeing the
home as more than just a physical space but as a place to nurture ourselves
spiritually. While men can also be homemakers, this book seems to target just women.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I found most of this book really interesting.
I identify as a Christian, but did not always agree with some of the
perspectives in the chapters. I liked exploring the home as a foundation for
one’s mental and spiritual health. I also found the practical advice in the
book helpful because they’re things that I was never taught and I’m having to
learn on my own as I grow in my own housekeeping and homemaking skills. Some
chapters were just not relevant to me being one who doesn’t have children, but
I can see how those parts could be useful for new or expecting mothers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This book will stay on my bookshelf and I will
refer to it frequently. Not only does it have good information, but it gives me such food for thought that I enjoy revisiting the essays as I continue to build
my little homestead. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Yes</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christians looking to learn how to maintain a
home physically, socially, and spiritually.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Non-Christian readers may find this irrelevant
to their lives. </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3 stars out of 5</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">To purchase this book from my bookstore: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/11656/9781433528385">https://bookshop.org/a/11656/9781433528385</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Connect with me!</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Instagram</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Twitter</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Youtube</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Goodreads</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ladylovestead"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Chrysalis Books Storefront</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-50778941014098918852020-08-14T04:00:00.002-07:002020-09-04T14:34:57.657-07:00145. I Think I Might Be Autistic by Cynthia Kim<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupLd4vSk67BiBvF8ZfdhZlPM_XgbP3ejwQ0rObLdw3Dk_SkGWWZq0mVnUhg1GMJF7jT6vIjjxZ7cisoTxzFH0gTCPQnJIahEsid7ynH_57gL1OJWZmxLsmYEth0765KsomH8z6tiwT7pe/s475/i+think+i+might+be+autistic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupLd4vSk67BiBvF8ZfdhZlPM_XgbP3ejwQ0rObLdw3Dk_SkGWWZq0mVnUhg1GMJF7jT6vIjjxZ7cisoTxzFH0gTCPQnJIahEsid7ynH_57gL1OJWZmxLsmYEth0765KsomH8z6tiwT7pe/w391-h625/i+think+i+might+be+autistic.jpg" width="391" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/18168930-i-think-i-might-be-autistic">(Image Source)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kim, Cynthia. <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/11656/9780989597111" target="_blank"><i>I Think I Might Be Autistic:
A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery For Adults</i>.</a>
New York, NY: Narrow Gauge, 2013. Kindle Edition. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">72 pages.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Kim describes her own experience of seeking
and being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The goal of the book is to
help readers who think they may have ASD and have gone undiagnosed into adulthood.
She shares what lead her to thinking she may have autism. She then takes
readers through the grueling process of being professionally assessed by
psychiatrists and neurologists. She wraps up the book by giving her readers a
place to start and resources if they wish to seek a professional diagnosis
themselves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I found this book to be highly informative. It
provides “insider information” that the target audience is looking for. Kim
doesn’t just rehash medical and diagnostic information that you could look up
on the internet. Instead, she takes you through a detailed account of the
process and helps the reader consider questions and perspectives important in
the diagnosis seeking process. She is like the friend the reader needs to guide
them through their own experience.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In addition, the text is written in simple
language and organized clearly. This is another way that Kim caters to her
audience. For an audience who may have a myriad of developmental and cognitive
issues they are trying to address, she makes this book easy to read, understand
and access.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If I were the target audience, I would be so appreciative
of this book and read it multiple times.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyone who thinks they may be on the Autism
spectrum and are considering seeking a diagnosis.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I think every adult could benefit from reading
this book as it will help bring understanding and awareness of the spectrum.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3 stars out of 5</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Cynthia Kim’s website: </span><a href="https://musingsofanaspie.com/">https://musingsofanaspie.com/</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cynthia Kim on Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163648.Cynthia_Kim">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163648.Cynthia_Kim</a></span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Connect with me!</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Instagram</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead">Twitter</a></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Facebook</a></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Youtube</span></a></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Goodreads</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/ladylovestead"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Chrysalis Books Storefront</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div>J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-9914906129069444402020-07-17T04:00:00.001-07:002020-07-17T04:00:01.490-07:00144. Journey Into Elder Space by Mary Logan Sweet<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fUJylSyCc4hTmhM3SfdgNQY_OiVdhCB2TrpU6fTebdWTFsg11S88QIf1zPiwAxLjdXNT7rF6IKWWOMR64aOIU26h25zn9bq9-A9JGkxoUssQr3PKajmlPWnsFlR-ffp3TboWqfloPFVo/s601/journey+into+elder+space.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="601" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fUJylSyCc4hTmhM3SfdgNQY_OiVdhCB2TrpU6fTebdWTFsg11S88QIf1zPiwAxLjdXNT7rF6IKWWOMR64aOIU26h25zn9bq9-A9JGkxoUssQr3PKajmlPWnsFlR-ffp3TboWqfloPFVo/s320/journey+into+elder+space.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><font face="arial"><br /></font><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sweet, Mary Logan.
</span><i style="font-family: arial;">Journey Into Elder Space</i><span style="font-family: arial;">. Cedar Falls, IA: Audere Books, 1999. Print.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">68 pages</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Reviewed by Jessica
d'Artagnan Love</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Mary Logan Sweet is a
poet in Iowa. She is one of my favorite poets. Unfortunately, her work is
nearly impossible to find. Her books were published by a small press and are no
longer in print. The only reason I know she exists is because I stumbled across
her books in my library’s section on Iowa writers. Mary Logan Sweet died in
2014.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><i>Journey Into Elder
Space</i> explores themes of
aging in Iowa. The language rich in pastoral metaphors and, if you’re an Iowa
native, something about Sweet’s work captures the essence of an Iowa summer—they
heavy humid air and singing cicadas. Her poems in this collection evoke images
of the aged farmer, hands wrangled with arthritis gripping a coffee mug at the
local diner at 6am.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">My favorite poems from
this collection include: “To Report a Lost Word,” “Morning Challenge,” “March
Light,” “Homesick,” “Harvester,” “Time Out for Leaders,” and “Old Gardener.”
Below is the poem, “Old Gardener.”</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p><font face="arial"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Old Gardener<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Up, about, and masked
at dawn,<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">the trappings of old
age put on,<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">my neighbor slowly
moves between<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">his brittle bones and
paper skin.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p><font face="arial"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">A fallow army he reviews:<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">the drab lapsed shrubbery
spring renews,<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">the branches downed in
an ice storm,<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">the wandering vine in
search of warm.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p><font face="arial"> </font></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">He estimates the
strength of day, <o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">commands the laggard
cold away,<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">then, stirring leaf mold
with his cane,<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">gently calls the bulbs
again.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><font face="arial"><br /></font></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><font face="arial"><br /></font></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><u>Would I read it again?</u> </font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Yes.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><font face="arial">Recommended for</font></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Those who enjoy
pastoral poetry. Unfortunately, I doubt you will be able to find a copy.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><font face="arial">Not Recommended for</font></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Those who don’t enjoy free
verse poetry.<o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white;"><font face="arial">3 stars out of 5</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial">Mary Logan Sweet’s
obituary: <a href="https://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/mary-jean-sweet/article_bf7dcce5-c6b1-52f6-9fca-93448a1cbbae.html">https://wcfcourier.com/lifestyles/announcements/obituaries/mary-jean-sweet/article_bf7dcce5-c6b1-52f6-9fca-93448a1cbbae.html</a></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><o:p> </o:p>Connect with me!</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><font face="arial"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/">Instagram</a><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead"><font color="#000000" face="arial">Twitter</font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour"><font color="#000000" face="arial">Facebook</font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber"><font color="#000000" face="arial">Youtube</font></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><font face="arial"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan">Goodreads</a><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p><font face="arial"> </font></o:p></p><br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-36524468812748545672020-07-10T04:00:00.001-07:002020-07-10T04:00:01.381-07:00143. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle<br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFMp5vAcq6CQJd8CcIu9GYXBXXH4dEsGSJgeqNeXpwCXEYeYqbxp75BGPnFItqOpugVCanFVNXHEvClPaBCSxVGlrQSyuA8_JzvNz2ykD52zE0rSOjF89Fnv0Ls0T7VT45FhFrPL-EB46/s469/a+wrinkle+in+time.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="318" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFMp5vAcq6CQJd8CcIu9GYXBXXH4dEsGSJgeqNeXpwCXEYeYqbxp75BGPnFItqOpugVCanFVNXHEvClPaBCSxVGlrQSyuA8_JzvNz2ykD52zE0rSOjF89Fnv0Ls0T7VT45FhFrPL-EB46/w424-h625/a+wrinkle+in+time.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/159069.A_Wrinkle_in_Time">(Image Source)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">L’Engle, Madeleine. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33574273-a-wrinkle-in-time">AWrinkle in Time</a></i>. New York, NY: Square Fish, 1962, Print.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">232 pages</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Reviewed by Jess
d'Artagnan Love</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> is a
classic in young adult/children’s science fiction. It tells the story of Meg,
her younger brother, and a friend as they travel through space and time to try
and locate their missing father. The book is heavy handed on Christian themes,
and quite obscure and abstract in certain parts. I’m glad I read this as an
adult and not a child. Had I read it as a child, it would have all been muddy
and confusing to me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I am generally not a
big sci-fi fan but something about how l’Engle crafted this story made it feel
cozy rather than technical. The characters were lovable and I especially loved
Charles Wallace, Meg’s younger brother. The world building was difficult to
process. I am not well-versed in quantum physics and this book is thick in it. In
order to really enjoy the book I had to just let go of my wish to actually
understand how things were happening and just experience the story as a story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">All in all, I enjoyed
reading the book and found the ending touching but I don’t foresee reading this
again in the future. </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">No</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m not entirely sure,
honestly. It doesn’t read like “true” sci-fi but it also isn’t really a fairy
tale. </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Readers who need
clarity or are uncomfortable swimming in abstractions.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3.5 stars out of 5</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Madeleine l’Engle’s
website: </span><a href="https://www.madeleinelengle.com/">https://www.madeleinelengle.com/</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Madeleine l’Engle on
Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/106.Madeleine_L_Engle">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/106.Madeleine_L_Engle</a><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Connect with me!</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead">Twitter</a></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour">Facebook</a></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Youtube</span></a></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-1570316544260282372020-07-03T04:00:00.004-07:002020-07-03T04:00:06.654-07:00142. Gardening in Iowa by Melinda Myers<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxetxcvSM_WvnXSg4VKWteyjcYPO05tC2N-xQyFXLlQGKLLb9GGI99PaLR8ojFA7VU_IZ7-LpP39g39c0kUwcecN4lLiZZOPv2dS4Mv2M_7RZVUuf58AWK4P-5ONePFVMweLkw0sHWXrgf/s455/gardening+in+iowa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="318" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxetxcvSM_WvnXSg4VKWteyjcYPO05tC2N-xQyFXLlQGKLLb9GGI99PaLR8ojFA7VU_IZ7-LpP39g39c0kUwcecN4lLiZZOPv2dS4Mv2M_7RZVUuf58AWK4P-5ONePFVMweLkw0sHWXrgf/w350-h500/gardening+in+iowa.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="1"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/6221532-month-by-month-gardening-in-iowa-month-by-month-gardening">(Image Source</a></font><span style="font-size: 12pt;">)</span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Myers,
Melinda. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6221532-month-by-month-gardening-in-iowa-month-by-month-gardening" target="_blank">Gardening in Iowa</a></i>. Franklin, TN: Cool Springs Press, 2007.
Print.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">291
pages</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Reviewed
by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This
book is a helpful month-by-month guide to gardening in Iowa. The book is divided
into sections: annuals, bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, herbs and
vegetables, lawns, perennials and ornamental grasses, roses, shrubs, trees, vines
and groundcovers. Each section walks the reader through the year by month. Each
month is broken into sections: planning, planting, care, watering, fertilizing,
problems, and grooming.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There
is so much practical, applicable information in this book, it will stay on my
bookshelf long term. While Myers does not do a deep dive into any particular
type of garden plant or species, she covers a wonderful amount of information—enough
for a beginning gardening to dive right in to gardening. The information is specific
to Iowa but I imagine if you live in a similar zone and have similar soil, the information
would work well for you too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
language is simple and Myers does a great job of breaking down scientific information
into language that is accessible for a broad audience. She also provides an
extensive appendix including names and addresses of Iowa organizations and extension
offices that Iowa gardeners can reach out to for further help if needed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If
you are a novice gardener, I recommend picking up a copy of this book.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Would
I read it again?</span></u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes,
this is staying on bookshelf and I will refer to it throughout the year as I continue
to grown my own gardening skills.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Recommended
for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Beginning
gardeners in Iowa or in locations of a similar zone and soil type as Iowa.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Not
Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Experienced
gardeners looking for a deep dive of information on specific plant species or
garden types.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4
stars out of 5</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Melinda
Myers website: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.melindamyers.com/">https://www.melindamyers.com/\</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Melinda
Myers on Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/311605.Melinda_Myers">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/311605.Melinda_Myers</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Connect
with me!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/"><span style="color: windowtext;">Instagram</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead">Twitter</a></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Facebook</a></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: windowtext;">Youtube</span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="color: windowtext;">Goodreads</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-85516245270731850922020-06-26T04:00:00.001-07:002020-06-26T04:00:10.319-07:00141. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDVKuQfz_0a5FteZCll_dVZrcbSfQk_CSfsBu5AaaVB57r_KCP9M-t6VsCL2RevZuVLh4hyxyHIO3impfzoGJslZcZJQwac8qarpyLvoiZvpb-ksI-XOh4aLZQSVlHKM_yKS3j-LHrE3q/s409/the+total+money+makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="318" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDVKuQfz_0a5FteZCll_dVZrcbSfQk_CSfsBu5AaaVB57r_KCP9M-t6VsCL2RevZuVLh4hyxyHIO3impfzoGJslZcZJQwac8qarpyLvoiZvpb-ksI-XOh4aLZQSVlHKM_yKS3j-LHrE3q/w389-h500/the+total+money+makeover.jpg" width="389" /></a></div> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><font face="arial" size="1"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/78427.The_Total_Money_Makeover" target="_blank">(Image Source)</a></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">Ramsey, Dave. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78427.The_Total_Money_Makeover" target="_blank">TheTotal Money Makeover</a></i>. New York, NY: Nelson Books, 2007, Kindle eBook. </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">229 pages</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">Reviewed by Jess
d'Artagnan Love</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">I picked up The Total
Money makeover because it has been pushed on me and pushed hard. Any mention of
finances in any of my social circles and I was suddenly being in-boxed adamant
suggestions that I read this book and adhere to Ramsey’s advice. I finally caved
and bought a copy for my Kindle. I now regret spending my hard-earned dollar on
this book rather than checking out from the library.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">Ramsey uses the
metaphor of “fatness” to describe when a person is lacking financial freedom.
He calls lacking financial freedom being “financially flabby.” He describes fat
bodies in ways that make them seem undesirable, disgusting, and unworthy of
existing. This fat-phobic theme arches through the entire book and set me on
the path to greatly disliking not only the book, but Ramsey himself.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">Ramsey in the very
first chapter tells you that what he wrote in this book are a collection of unoriginal
ideas. He admits that he not adding anything new to the field of finance but
repeating financial “truths” and debunking some financial myths. You can so
easily find this information literally anywhere else. It is not Ramsey specific
and he doesn’t provide a unique or original strategies to the field. I’m not
making that up. He flat out states that in the first chapter. So why write a
book and then market it to a bunch of people struggling financially, desperate
for answers? Money, duh. Ramsey’s ultimate goal is to be super rich and I guess
exploiting readers is one way he meets that goal.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">The chapters are made
up of a recipe of thirds. One third of the chapter is actual, practical advice
(that you can find anywhere else online), the second third is Ramsey shaming
people for being financially “flabby,” and the final third of the chapter is “testimony”
(AHEM: marketing) from “real life couples (usually white couples) who have used
Ramsey’s strategies (that are not really his original strategies) for financial
freedom so you should buy ALL OF RAMSEY’S PRODUCTS. :: insert cheerleader split
jump here ::</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">My ultimate takeaway
is that there are good principles in this book, but they aren’t Ramsey’s. He is
a wordsmith who knows how to grind into people’s emotional vulnerabilities
around money, so I’m not surprised that there is what I am calling a “cult of
personality” around this guy and his work. Because his work isn’t really that
good, but his personality is what he’s selling.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><font face="arial">1 star out of 5</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">No, and I won’t be
reading or investing in any of his other products either.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">Nobody. Don’t. waste. Your.
Money. On. This. Rubbish. You can find this information online. FOR FREE. </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">Not Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font face="arial"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">People who are trying
to save money or who are looking for financial advice that isn’t deeply rooted
in shame. </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial;">Connect with me!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><font face="arial"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/">Instagram</a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><font face="arial"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead">Twitter</a></font></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour" style="font-family: arial;">Facebook</a></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber" style="font-family: arial;">Youtube</a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><font face="arial"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan">Goodreads</a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p><font face="arial"> </font></o:p></p><br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-68048118101833293802020-05-29T04:00:00.005-07:002020-05-29T04:00:07.661-07:00140. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXZMJFLR3MGVr1SbYzKdNnUARyw-EO4Y9l0aCQ85HTODnaDoYkqqY17y9_6HFLFjPoDHASvsEWlzHROnNlpqe4UXihqqr7Js0QutulPRIoE79BjkLFtsN5xhRiH5cF7LRe0eHUuDEQfLb/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXZMJFLR3MGVr1SbYzKdNnUARyw-EO4Y9l0aCQ85HTODnaDoYkqqY17y9_6HFLFjPoDHASvsEWlzHROnNlpqe4UXihqqr7Js0QutulPRIoE79BjkLFtsN5xhRiH5cF7LRe0eHUuDEQfLb/w398-h640/the+sinner.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><font size="1"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/841179.The_Sinner" target="_blank">(Image Source)</a></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gerritsen, Tess. <i>The
Sinner</i>. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group, 2003. Print.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">355 pages</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This is the third
installment in the Rizzoli and Isles series. Tess Gerritsen continues her
exploration of evil in a story about two nuns who were murdered in their convent.
The story spans across continents with a connection to a chemical plant in
India.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At this point in the
series, Gerritsens’ characters have started to materialize in a more personal
way. The depth of character has deepened and readers can start to feel attached
to them. We’ve spent enough time with them at this point to feel like old
friends. This makes the tension and suspense in the novel all the greater. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Not without scandalous
affairs, </span><i style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The Sinner</i><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> addresses evil from a number of angles. Much like </span><i style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/132-surgeon-by-tess-gerritsen.html" target="_blank">The Surgeon</a></i><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">, it explores how evil can be just around the corner. An otherwise
average human can have an alternative life that we know nothing about.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In addition, this
novel explores the concept of corporate greed as a source of evil in the world.
Corporate greed is not only found in large corporations but in charitable
organizations and smaller businesses as well. It can be the source of atrocities,
including what unfolds in this story.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Reviewed by Jess
d'Artagnan Love</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yep</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rizzoli and Isles fans</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not Recommended for</span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not for kids of those
sensitive to violence.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">3 stars out of 5</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tess
Gerritsen’s website: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.tessgerritsen.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">https://www.tessgerritsen.com/</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tess
Gerritsen on Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Reviews
of previous novels in the series:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i><a href="https://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/132-surgeon-by-tess-gerritsen.html" target="_blank">The Surgeon</a></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><i><a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/134-apprentice-by-tess-gerritsen.html" target="_blank">The Apprentice</a></i></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Connect with me!</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Instagram</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead">Twitter</a></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour">Facebook</a></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Youtube</span></a></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-19408715686216088692020-05-08T04:00:00.006-07:002020-05-08T04:00:08.651-07:00139. Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza and Steve Irwin<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkccLl30egpMe-JzTA3aiaDGaHsHTa3p3iuH5yxJkiHeTpdhcfJSIBfJlc2yoNMu0PrUxQa6-tDu8MwWUJk1LP4jPSJtiy2BwtLYA37cWGq_4oyeQmsDRWEQdp8zcehlunv-zhsc3h44Db/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkccLl30egpMe-JzTA3aiaDGaHsHTa3p3iuH5yxJkiHeTpdhcfJSIBfJlc2yoNMu0PrUxQa6-tDu8MwWUJk1LP4jPSJtiy2BwtLYA37cWGq_4oyeQmsDRWEQdp8zcehlunv-zhsc3h44Db/w428-h640/Left+to+Tell.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="1"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/408615.Left_to_Tell" target="_blank">(Image Source)</a></font></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ilibagiza, Immaculee,
& Erwin, Steve. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/408615.Left_to_Tell?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=N8YqpUhr1x&rank=1" target="_blank">Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust</a></i>.
New York, NY: Hay House, 2007. Print.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">214 pages<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reviewed by Jess
d'Artagnan Love<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Rwandan genocide
happened in the spring of 1994. It is one of histories darkest events and Immaculee
Ilibagiza survived it. Left to Tell is her memoir documenting how she survived
the genocide. She credits her survival to her faith in God and explains how she
relied on prayer while hidden in a tiny bathroom with several other women. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This book is
horrifying and inspiring. It is horrifying because of the atrocities that
Immaculee so eloquently documents. It is inspiring because of her faith and the
example she sets for other Christians. Her faith and prayer was unwavering in a
situation that drove many other to madness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is hard to say I
loved this book because I wish she had never needed to write it. If you are
someone who is sensitive to violence, please don’t read this. It will be very
triggering for you. I do think it is important that she told this story and
that people read it and absorb it. Like the Holocaust during WWII, the genocide
in Rwanda needs to be remembered, lest we forget and repeat the mistakes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m undecided. I may
read certain passages again when I need some faith-based inspiration or a bit
of perspective, but this was a difficult book and I don’t know if I will read
it cover-to-cover again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended for</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Anyone over the age of
18 who is not triggered by violence. This is an important memoir.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not Recommended for</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Readers who have
trauma in their past. The violence depicted here will trigger you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5 stars out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Immaculee’s website: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.immaculee.com/">https://www.immaculee.com/</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Immaculee on
Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40411.Immacul_e_Ilibagiza">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40411.Immacul_e_Ilibagiza</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Connect with me!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber">Youtube</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan">Goodreads</a><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-66638848744531057672020-05-01T06:00:00.000-07:002020-05-01T06:00:08.748-07:00138. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjTmdoIkFZGrWTs3VarFL0-SzDa1xLf9KkbiHppnOBXpeL57_nUHPmIUTopps87dYFYHe4STjKPwq9gQICl_OKf8Bez4duq-PDyDOYMKuYfwPNFuGzgeT_RwZ4a_myJGOxzj9lucUWL7w/s1600/wuthering+heights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="284" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjTmdoIkFZGrWTs3VarFL0-SzDa1xLf9KkbiHppnOBXpeL57_nUHPmIUTopps87dYFYHe4STjKPwq9gQICl_OKf8Bez4duq-PDyDOYMKuYfwPNFuGzgeT_RwZ4a_myJGOxzj9lucUWL7w/s640/wuthering+heights.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1573214.Wuthering_Heights"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bronte, Emily. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6185.Wuthering_Heights?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=E1u73b4TDJ&rank=1">WutheringHeights</a></i>. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1974. Print.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Originally published
in 1847.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">308 pages</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reviewed by Jess
d'Artagnan Love</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wuthering Heights</span></i><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a classic. Many know the basic story and there
have been film adaptations. It is a classic love story about two lovers who are
unable to be together. The Bronte sisters are masters of the gothic novel and
this is a masterful work worth reading. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of things I loved
about this novel is how devastatingly human the characters are. They love
to the point of madness and misery. The relationships are dysfunctional and
full of hyperbole. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The simplicity of
their lives also stood out to me. Very few of us anymore can appreciate the
simple beauty of sitting in a tree and listening to the birds or laying on the
grass and watching the cloud. Bronte makes these simple activities feel like a
paradise. Novels of this era delight in the depiction of long walks through
lovely countryside to work through internal conflict. It is something I think
more of us need to adopt in our own lives. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This review is short,
but what more do you say about a masterful work? If you read or have read this
novel, let me know what you thought about it in the comments below. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended for</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Readers 18 and older
mostly because the language is complex.</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not Recommended for</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Young readers. The
prose will be difficult for a young person to navigate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4 stars out of 5</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-38815526566451196532020-04-03T06:00:00.000-07:002020-04-03T06:00:07.015-07:00137. My Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3aEUoH5GI3dpPXSNfBhCPuXYS3cf8CJcTRUHM_nyXMP9oT1Bo0LUkyZb0wA33q90fRDSSE19jDbolqNvNuSNZrtcH3kddDHAmpmfkqmfVXbtOBCRXDblFbLVnf6kYUwKk_-7HXcErsdT/s1600/My+Gender+Workbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="287" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3aEUoH5GI3dpPXSNfBhCPuXYS3cf8CJcTRUHM_nyXMP9oT1Bo0LUkyZb0wA33q90fRDSSE19jDbolqNvNuSNZrtcH3kddDHAmpmfkqmfVXbtOBCRXDblFbLVnf6kYUwKk_-7HXcErsdT/s640/My+Gender+Workbook.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/858394.My_Gender_Workbook"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bornstein,
Kate. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/858394.My_Gender_Workbook">My Gender Workbook</a></i>. New York, NY: Routledge, 1998. Print.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">292
pages</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reviewed
by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">In Kate Bornstein’s <i>My Gender Workbook</i>, the
author’s goal is to help readers discover their own gender identity. The book
includes journal prompts along with an in-depth discussion of what gender is, and
what it means in a larger societal context. Bornstein provides several different
models of gender that address the intersecting concepts of gender, power, and
sexuality. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">I thought the more academic part of the workbook
was well done. It was thorough, thoughtful, and based on sound academic
research on gender and what it means to have a gender identity. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The workbook part of the book was clearly
biased toward readers choosing to not identify as any gender at all. The journal
prompts and questions in the quizzes were leading and lead readers toward agender
or non-binary identity. They almost make someone feel guilty for choosing a
more stereotypical gender identity and make the claim that those who want to
maintain a more common cultural construct of gender is misinformed and </span>naive<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> about
gender. I don’t agree with that position. I hold the position that all gender
identities are good identities whether they are non-traditional or not. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Aside from the obvious bias toward
agender/nonbinary identity, the book was an interesting and though-provoking
read and I enjoyed it. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would
I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes,
I think this is a book that I will continue to learn and be inspired from the
more I read it.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended
for</span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Those
interested in gender identity politics and gender studies.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not
Recommended for</span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Readers
under the age of 15, mostly because some of the content may be hard for them to
comprehend.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Word
Bank</span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">None</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3
stars out of 5</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kate
Bronstein’s Website: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="http://katebornstein.com/">http://katebornstein.com/</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kate
Bornstein on Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5854.Kate_Bornstein">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5854.Kate_Bornstein</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Connect
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour"><span style="color: windowtext;">Facebook</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="color: windowtext;">Goodreads</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-68060949187888268752020-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:002020-02-21T06:00:01.531-08:00136. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHs2jGqa_RhzrWajJuMlKQEdWSNAag28ewvSR2dMYuThnsW7-dWZDVOS9Xnm1E28rP6-PWBXN8GqOtJBZmkB-4eJM6PVsrcpQSTNDXggUoO3iVrTYwSQFR0Jh95SxRc5NwyvVsbRFx-Ga/s1600/moon+called.+briggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHs2jGqa_RhzrWajJuMlKQEdWSNAag28ewvSR2dMYuThnsW7-dWZDVOS9Xnm1E28rP6-PWBXN8GqOtJBZmkB-4eJM6PVsrcpQSTNDXggUoO3iVrTYwSQFR0Jh95SxRc5NwyvVsbRFx-Ga/s640/moon+called.+briggs.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/:%20https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/71811.Moon_Called">(Image Source)</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Briggs, Patricia. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71811.Moon_Called?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=YVGfijhEzM&rank=4">MoonCalled</a></i>. New York, NY: Ace, 2006. Print.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">288 pages<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviewed by Jess
d'Artagnan Love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mercy Thompson is a
shape shifter who can shift into coyote form. She lives next door to a pack of
werewolves and makes a living as an auto mechanic for vampires. When her local
pack is invaded by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rogue bunch of vampires
and the pack leader, Adam’s, daughter is kidnapped, Mercy starts the process of
solving the mystery and tracking down the kidnapped girl. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This book is
whimsical, sexy, and well paced. I know a lot of my Christian readers have an
issue with any kind of book that represents magic or the fantastical but
interestingly, Mercy is portrayed as a Christian character. The werewolves, fae
and other magical creates are seen as evolutionary more than anything. I found
that an interesting world-building choice that may appeal to a Christian
audience more readily than other fantasy novels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There weren’t a lot of
big questions asked or much exploration of major themes. Briggs is more
interested in entertaining the reader than teaching them. If you want to read a
book that doesn’t make you think to hard about life but still provides enough
context to be good escapism, this is a great book for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Would I read it again?</u> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes. This was actually
the second time I read the book as I’d like to re-read the series this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Recommended for</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Readers who want some
decent escapism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Not Recommended for</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Readers who desire a
book with heavier themes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>Word Bank</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harridan">Harridan</a> p.6</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reticent">Reticent</a> p. 7</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sufferance">Sufference</a> p. 10</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desultory">Desultory</a> p. 12</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limpid">Limpid</a> p. 49</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/canted">Canted</a> p. 55</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gracile p. 62</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quelling">Quelling</a> p. 96</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cozen">Cozen</a> p. 127</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anathema">Anathema</a> p. 129</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obstreperous">Obstreperous</a> p. 186</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vassalage">Vassalage</a> p. 189</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 stars out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Patricia Briggs'
website: <a href="http://www.patriciabriggs.com/" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.patriciabriggs.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jennifer Lynn Barnes
on Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40563.Patricia_Briggs" style="background-color: transparent;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40563.Patricia_Briggs</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Connect with me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ladylovestead/">Instagram</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ladylovestead">Twitter</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ladylovestead/?modal=admin_todo_tour">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLBMtbJRxMb5lqC-kIZR0aA?view_as=subscriber">Youtube</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-23051836223589443022020-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:002020-02-07T17:18:02.895-08:00135. Getting Things Done by David Allen<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4sZ5UrM2KfCo8fegWs81DT7fTeJWL8hyphenhyphenhaw6_wpN4pC3hpT5fJOwDD23lOjpz44q3x6BgIPA8nwGR2ahcsVsdFn1AFygc7x5tH0lRb_phkwf2PoNv03UimaqQw6Uc2Cjgwk3o2kxx9GL/s1600/133.+getthing+things+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="269" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4sZ5UrM2KfCo8fegWs81DT7fTeJWL8hyphenhyphenhaw6_wpN4pC3hpT5fJOwDD23lOjpz44q3x6BgIPA8nwGR2ahcsVsdFn1AFygc7x5tH0lRb_phkwf2PoNv03UimaqQw6Uc2Cjgwk3o2kxx9GL/s640/133.+getthing+things+done.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/1633.Getting_Things_Done4"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Allen, David. <i><a href="https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/Getting-Things-Done--The-Art-of-Stress-Free-Productivity-9780142000281">Getting
Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity</a></i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Shepard, Sara. <i>Pretty
Little Liars</i>. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2001. Print.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">259 pages<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reviewed by Jessica
d'Artagnan Love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This book was
recommended to me numerous times by the driven, ambitious women in my life.
They all swear by Allen’s method of organization and productivity. So, I added
the book to my list and finally got around to reading it. Allen’s main purpose
is to provide a productivity system that will allow you to focus so you don’t
get random thoughts popping into your head about the things you need to be
doing. Those random thoughts are distracting and decrease productivity and he
claims his system will eliminate the distraction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Honestly? This book is
summed up in the first chapter. That is all you really need to read of it to
understand and implement the system. It is a simple process that goes something
like this: collect all your tasks, decide what needs to be done with those
tasks, decide how you will do them, and do them. He offers some random
interesting ideas like working from the bottom up—getting the easy stuff out of
the way first so you can concentrate on the big things. He also has an interesting
idea of having a “tickler file” system to organize your daily to-dos. The phrase
“tickler file” kind of gave me the creeps, though. Aside from that, he basically
describes a bullet journal system which I think works better than his exhaustive
method. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I blame a lot of the
problems with this book on the editor and publisher. Allen has some ideas that
would work for a magazine article and that’s about it. In order to get a full
book out of the concept, he had to squeeze all possible minutiae of the process
out onto paper and it really felt like he was struggling to make word count
because it was repetitive. A publisher saw a chance to make some
money and jumped on it instead of producing something of higher quality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Some of the things I will apply in my life from this book include his workflow chart for processing email, mail, and paperwork. I am also going to try out working from the "bottom up" by finishing the easy tasks first so they don't clutter my brain and I can focus on the big tasks with more clarity. We'll see how it goes!</span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">No.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Recommended for<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’re not familiar
with the bullet journal system this might be helpful to read in conjunction with information online about the basics of the bullet journal method. Read the first chapter fully and then feel free to pick and choose what you read of the book from there. </span><br />
<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not Recommended for</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Readers who are
already organized. Those who use a bullet journal system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Word Bank</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">None</span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">2 star out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David Allen’s
website: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://gettingthingsdone.com/">https://gettingthingsdone.com/</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David Allen on
Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1058.David_Allen">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1058.David_Allen</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-65182656593864298272020-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:002020-01-24T06:00:02.510-08:00134. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMngiZODQmMVx-nkjgXHwh_wh7rxAj9prUcH5n-zojC5Fdwl12vZxFOWTqy6ZM87FnVFw4MIUpZ4lImIsUhuM4G0ynN1o_hIFs-tfcKuzp5EXWt5TxndWCEOqMQiviIapwooSeLC233Ch/s1600/the+apprentice.+gerritsen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="318" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMngiZODQmMVx-nkjgXHwh_wh7rxAj9prUcH5n-zojC5Fdwl12vZxFOWTqy6ZM87FnVFw4MIUpZ4lImIsUhuM4G0ynN1o_hIFs-tfcKuzp5EXWt5TxndWCEOqMQiviIapwooSeLC233Ch/s640/the+apprentice.+gerritsen.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/846114.The_Apprentice">(Image Source)</a></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Gerritsen,
Tess. <i>The Apprentice</i>. New York, NY: The Ballantine Publishing Group, 2002.
Print. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">344
pages</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Reviewed
by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>The
Apprentice</i> is the second book in Tess Gerritsen’s <i>Rizzoli and Isles</i> series. It
picks up from <i><a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/132-surgeon-by-tess-gerritsen.html">The Surgeon</a></i> with a killer that has eerie similarities in his
calling cards to the Surgeon that Jane threw in jail a year ago. Jane Rizzoli is back while Thomas Moore has retired. New on the
scene is Maura Isles and this is the first-time readers meet Maura. This book,
like the first book, is told from third person limited primarily from Jane
Rizzoli’s point of view. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">As
mentioned in my review of <i><a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/132-surgeon-by-tess-gerritsen.html">The Surgeon</a></i>, I am re-reading the entire series this
year, paying close attention to how Gerritsen explores the concept of evil. In
<i>The Apprentice</i> the theme of evil focuses on how everyone has dark secrets. It
also explores the question of whether people are born evil or if they are made
evil through a combination of biology and environment—the age old “nature
versus nurture” question. The book does not take a firm stand on either side of
the debate but rather finds a grey area in between. It seems that, while some
people may be born evil, others are turned that way as a result of their life
experiences, part of which includes brain trauma to the frontal lobe.
Gerritsen’s background as a doctor really shines in this novel. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Another
story I wanted to track into the second novel was that of, Karl Pachecko, the unarmed man Rizzoli murders in <i><a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/132-surgeon-by-tess-gerritsen.html">The Surgeon</a></i>. This event is one that I
don’t think would simply be brushed aside as it would have lasting effects on
Jane’s psychology as well as her standing as a police officer. It took a while
for <i>The Apprentice</i> to get there, but there is mention of this situation. Rizzoli
expresses regret and a sense of being haunted by the incident that I felt was
in line with what may happen in reality. Jane is also closely monitored and
often thought unstable throughout the book. She is threatened multiple times to
be sent to mandatory counseling and to be taken off her current case due to mental health concerns which I
think would also line up accurately following the events in <i><a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/132-surgeon-by-tess-gerritsen.html">The Surgeon</a></i>. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Overall,
this is a solid second novel and provides readers with an exciting glimpse into
a character that will soon play a huge role in the series (Maura Isles).</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Would
I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Yes</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Recommended
for</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Fans
of murder mysteries, crime dramas, and thrillers.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Not
Recommended for</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyone
who has experienced violence. This gets pretty graphic. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Word
Bank</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sylvan">Sylvan</a> (77)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/introitus">Introitus</a> (86)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punchy">Punchy</a> (91)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tony">Tony</a> (93)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pugilist">Pugilist</a> (151)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">3
stars out of 5</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Tess
Gerritsen’s website: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.tessgerritsen.com/"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">https://www.tessgerritsen.com/</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Tess
Gerritsen on Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>Other books in the Rizzoli and Isles series reviewed</u></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i><a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/132-surgeon-by-tess-gerritsen.html">The Surgeon</a></i></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Connect
with me!</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Goodreads</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-77549760896242953962020-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:002020-01-17T06:00:00.995-08:00133. Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead<div style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0jzvFL1g6PlpdGpmsQtjMZ8zwiv6-WUf9ZmQM5E8_1cEoaNGZ52Yum6bnenhcCRGSwSKS5Gq4YuRsCowHe2pB3CyXxM2DHocIh3WT8AqZTnFfZ8sKp84QNy3PshP5ifbhGPVkXJkVlpN/s1600/133.+shadow+kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR0jzvFL1g6PlpdGpmsQtjMZ8zwiv6-WUf9ZmQM5E8_1cEoaNGZ52Yum6bnenhcCRGSwSKS5Gq4YuRsCowHe2pB3CyXxM2DHocIh3WT8AqZTnFfZ8sKp84QNy3PshP5ifbhGPVkXJkVlpN/s640/133.+shadow+kiss.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/2802316-shadow-kiss">(Image Source)</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mead, Richelle. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2802316-shadow-kiss">Shadow Kiss</a></i>. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2008. Print.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">443 pages</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Reviewed by Jessica Love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is the third book in the <i>Vampire Academy </i>series. In this installment, Rose is dealing with an inner battle through most of the book. She is seeing ghosts and working through unexplained rage and blood lust. Without giving away spoilers, I can't say much more than that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my review of the previous book, <i><a href="https://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/131-frostbite-by-richelle-mead.html">Frostbite</a></i>, I mentioned that if there was anything int he series that would make me stop reading, it was Rose herself. I didn't like the way the protagonist was emotionally abusive and irrational. This book helped to further elucidate that issue. I like the way the majority of the book was Rose turning inward, trying to figure out why she behaved the way she did and resolve her inner conflicts. She frames mental health, personal growth, and psychotherapy in a positive and somewhat realistic way which I think is so good for teens to read! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">Mead wraps up the story with some actual physical battle which keeps the book exciting. If I had to pick out strengths and weaknesses of the series so far, I would say Mead's weakness is world building, and strength is character development. The world building is still pretty flimsy. I feel like there are so many blanks to be filled in before this will feel like a fully formed "world." The characters though, are excellent. She is skilled at giving each character a voice that is their own. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d;">My final verdict is that this book is (and series) is pure entertainment and was decent enough to send me on to the next in the series. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>Would I read it again?</u> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Maybe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>Recommended for</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fans of the vampire genre.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>Not Recommended for</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Readers expecting complex, thorough world-building. Readers younger than 13. </span></div>
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<u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Word Bank</u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">None</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 stars out of 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Richelle Mead's website: </span><a href="http://richellemead.com/">http://richellemead.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Richelle Mead on Goodreads: </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137902.Richelle_Mead">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137902.Richelle_Mead</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Connect with me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Instagram: @ladylovestead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Twitter: @ladylovestead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Goodreads: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan" style="color: #6c91ce;">https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read to Grow Book Club: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1058875-read-to-grow-lovestead-book-club">https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1058875-read-to-grow-lovestead-book-club</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Other Vampire Academy Books Reviewed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2020/01/131-frostbite-by-richelle-mead.html">Frostbite</a></i></span></div>
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-3807077029032993362020-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:002020-01-10T06:00:00.697-08:00132. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEykdEn71AtqCF43NHanR3x8JmUhfgdEHoyn9wr45zhKHRFQbqR5rVjaTutIGaPKMdaBJo56pcWZ6ODQ9CBNUIZLtpASv6O5sJcffxMtNNmVuQZ9lerD76_NyAlL292Dx1z3nQsBZcft2O/s1600/132.+The+Surgeon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="289" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEykdEn71AtqCF43NHanR3x8JmUhfgdEHoyn9wr45zhKHRFQbqR5rVjaTutIGaPKMdaBJo56pcWZ6ODQ9CBNUIZLtpASv6O5sJcffxMtNNmVuQZ9lerD76_NyAlL292Dx1z3nQsBZcft2O/s640/132.+The+Surgeon.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/715835.The_Surgeon"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gerritsen, Tess. <i>The
Surgeon</i>. New York: NY: Ballentine Books, 2001. Print.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">350 pages<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reviewed by Jessica
d'Artagnan Love<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the first
installment of the <i>Rizzoli and Isles</i> series which later become a major
network television series. In <i>The Surgeon</i>, a serial killer is murdering
women in the city of Boston. Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli are on the case. I
have read almost this entire series and this was a re-read of the first book.
Having read the rest of the series, I have a hunch that Gerritsen did not
intend this to be a series. I think she planned for <i>The Surgeon</i> to be a
stand alone novel. One of the main reasons I think this is because Maura Isles
is not in the first book and in the later books, Thomas Moore is absent. I bet,
and I could be wrong, but I bet that her publisher urged her to start a series
since they sell well, so she branched off from <i>The Surgeon</i> and I’m so
glad she did! I love the <i>Rizzoli and Isles</i> series so much. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfLDX5VV2lk">interview with Tess
Gerritsen</a>, she discussed how one of the concepts she tries to explore in
her <i>Rizzoli and Isles</i> series is the origin and nature of evil. As I
re-read these books, I’m working to track how she covers the topic. In <i>The
Surgeon</i>, the theme of evil is being hidden in plain sight. The average
person next door who seems entirely normal, may in fact have fantasies about
torturing and murdering women. It points to the sinister, hidden forms of evil
that are hard to identify and predict. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a conversation
between Thomas Moore and Catherine Cordell, Gerritsen writes, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“ ‘In Savannah, when
those other women were murdered, I just assumed I didn’t know the killer. I
assumed that if I ever did meet him, I’d know it. I’d feel it. Andrew Capra
taught me how wrong I was.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘The banality of evil.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘That’s exactly what I
learned. That evil can be so ordinary. That a man I see every day, say hello to
every day, could smile right back at me. . . . And be thinking of all the
different ways he’d like to kill me.’ “ (78).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This little excerpt
sums up her exploration of evil in <i>The Surgeon</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One other plot point I’m
interested in following more closely in the next few installments in the series
is what happened between Jane Rizzoli and Karl Pachecko. I feel like this
incident is something that could (and should) haunt her future work and
psychology as a law enforcement officer. I’m interested to review how Gerritsen
handles this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you are just
starting the <i>Rizzoli and Isles</i> series and start with <i>The Surgeon</i>,
please keep this in mind: they get better. Keep reading at least through the
first three books in the series before giving up on it. I think Gerritsen was
working to establish her series in the first two books and doesn’t really get settled
until the third book. So, hang in there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Would I read it again?</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recommended for</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adults who like
thrillers and murder mysteries. People who like the <i>Rizzoli and Isles</i> TV
show might also like this but keep in mind the books are darker than the show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not Recommended for</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Those who have
suffered trauma from sexual assault. DO NOT read if you fall into this
category. Skip straight ahead to the third book in the series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Word Bank</span></u><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/piquerism">Picquerist</a>
(p. 54)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3 stars out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tess Gerritsen’s
website: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.tessgerritsen.com/">https://www.tessgerritsen.com/</a></span><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tess Gerritsen on
Goodreads: </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Connect with me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-75300412619918812292020-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:002020-01-03T06:00:02.987-08:00131. Frostbite by Richelle Mead<div style="background-color: white; color: #4d4d4d;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssDsm8Hn91fFCWRGh6YOXXXxsI_A_o1HPpcme89ES0sHLV-jVnYuKxYRAQByEXQnicexU5ffu5FV4Alo5x014vvnpElKZ0jcHMWYDl4ARoep3wEd3JsfHzHSJEZkj1L3Ry3RBsOlzr66Z/s1600/mead.frostbite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssDsm8Hn91fFCWRGh6YOXXXxsI_A_o1HPpcme89ES0sHLV-jVnYuKxYRAQByEXQnicexU5ffu5FV4Alo5x014vvnpElKZ0jcHMWYDl4ARoep3wEd3JsfHzHSJEZkj1L3Ry3RBsOlzr66Z/s640/mead.frostbite.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/2282133.Frostbite">Image Source</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Mead, Richelle. <i><a href="https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/Frostbite-9781595141750">Frostbite</a></i>. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2008. Print.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">327 pages</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reviewed by Jessica d'Artagnan Love</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />I don't know what it is about Thanksgiving but it seems that I am always drawn to reading vampire lore around this time of year. It is actually Thanksgiving day as I sit and write this review. It seems every year there is a different series I read about vampires in late fall. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Mysterious timing aside, <i>Frostbite</i> is the second book in Richelle Mead's <i>Vampire Academy</i> series. The first chapter or so of the book was a recap of the first book, Vampire Academy, which I appreciated. It has been nearly a year since I read the first book and was a bit fuzzy on characters and story line. The quick recap easily jogged my memory and made it easy to dive back into the story.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In this installment, Rose is still battling feelings for her teacher, Dimitri, as she trains to be a guardian for royal vampires. There is a string of murders targeting royal vampires that shakes up her community and makes her training even more important. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">As far as vampire fiction goes, this isn't the best I've ever read, but it also isn't the worst. The world building is a bit flimsy, but there is at least enough structure that it wasn't distracting and the story could still be entertaining. The prose is pretty simplistic but Mead does do a nice job of painting a character. The first seen with Adrian Ivashkov was so vivid he felt like someone who could actually exist. Honestly, I've met my fair share of human men like him and she did a good job distilling the essence of this kind of guy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If there is anything that would make me stop reading this series, it's the protagonist, Rose. Rose is immature and psychologically abusive of the people who care about her. This isn't someone I want to be represented as a heroine. Interestingly, by the end of the book, there was a hint of explanation as to why she behaves this way, so I will continue forth with the next book in the series. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Would I read it again?</u> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't know. I think it will depend on how the rest of the series turns out. If future books suddenly turn amazing, then I probably would re-read the first two books again. If the rest of them are duds, then no, I wouldn't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Recommended for</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vampire fiction fans who don't want to think too hard about what they're reading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Not Recommended for</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vampire fiction fans who want complex world building. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 stars out of 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Richelle Mead's website: <a href="http://www.richellemead.com/">http://www.richellemead.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Richelle Mead on Goodreads:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137902.Richelle_Mead">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137902.Richelle_Mead</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan" style="color: #6c91ce;">https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan</a></span></span><br />
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-54507985993319746992019-08-13T20:51:00.000-07:002019-08-13T20:51:40.236-07:00130. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vcZ1pBINgSw" width="560"></iframe>
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/natatorium"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">natatorium </span></a></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">3 stars out of 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sarah Shepard's website: </span><a href="http://www.saracshepard.com/">http://www.saracshepard.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sarah Shepard on Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93970.Sara_Shepard">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93970.Sara_Shepard</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Twitter: @jdartagnanlove<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Goodreads: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan" style="color: #6c91ce;">https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan</a></span></span><br />
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-37047644363729439372019-01-12T13:46:00.001-08:002019-01-13T13:25:47.690-08:00129. My Year of Big Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx6YT8ThSUfU-qE6R_E-8N4xI6MONKeMuDfTjq86XYd_BB0hY-EWoJbJ6EpylTpDHM-UCljTaFAdn0p3rguRlaCkTlIjYqsBXN2I71yrLTgj8vKKabPLgQCfP-EEpaX4pER6lDdaS_r4_/s1600/book-1659717_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1600" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVx6YT8ThSUfU-qE6R_E-8N4xI6MONKeMuDfTjq86XYd_BB0hY-EWoJbJ6EpylTpDHM-UCljTaFAdn0p3rguRlaCkTlIjYqsBXN2I71yrLTgj8vKKabPLgQCfP-EEpaX4pER6lDdaS_r4_/s640/book-1659717_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This year, I'm attempting to read 10 big books. I defined "big books" as books of 500 pages or more. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I did some browsing and thinking about the big books I've wanted to read but not made time to. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Most of these are books that have been sitting on my bookshelf.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The books and schedule I determined for myself is below (keep in mind I'm not starting this until </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">three weeks into the year):</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Weeks 3 - 8</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7126.The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Count of Monte Cristo</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Weeks 10 - 17</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24280.Les_Mis_rables?ac=1&from_search=true" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Les Miserables</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Week 18 - 21</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4406.East_of_Eden?from_search=true" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">East of Eden</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Weeks 23-24</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15997.Paradise_Lost?from_search=true" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Paradise Lost</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Weeks 26-29</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/402045.The_Mists_of_Avalon" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Mists of Avalon</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15823480-anna-karenina?from_search=true" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Anna Karenina</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Weeks 36-37</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2696.The_Canterbury_Tales?from_search=true" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Canterbury Tales</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Weeks 39-43</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3836.Don_Quixote?from_search=true" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Don Quixote</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/664.The_Fountainhead" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Fountainhead</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Weeks 50-52</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6238041-middlemarch" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Middlemarch</span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I haven't broken each of these schedules up by chapter just yet but I have scheduled out my first book.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you want to read with me through my </span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Big Book Challenge</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, here's my schedule for </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Count of </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Monte Cristo</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">January 14 - January 20: Chapters I - XXI</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">January 21 - January 27: Chapters XXII - XXXVII</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">January 28 - February 3: Chapters XXXVIII - LIV</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">February 4 - February 10: Chapters LV - LXXIV</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">February 11 - February 17: Chapters LXXV - XCII</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">February 18 - February 24: Chapters XCIII - End</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For each of these books, I'll be doing blog check-ins at the beginning where I'll share some basic </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">information about the history, context, and author. I'll check in halfway through. Finally, I'll check in </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">at the end with my final thoughts.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I would LOVE it if you joined me! I'll be using </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ea9999; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">#YearofBigBooks</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> as the tag for this project. I'm also </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">not going to be super rigid about the timeline. If this list goes into 2020, so be it. Life happens and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">there has to be wiggle room for the unexpected.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I'll pop in tomorrow with my first check in of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Count of Monte Cristo</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">d'Artagnan</span></div>
<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-80283129614727978782019-01-06T16:00:00.000-08:002019-01-06T16:00:05.101-08:00128. Paper Towns by John Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhg7hyphenhyphenHErW9oEq3nvRbPl2mze0RJrAEGjzog__CMyhU6_Z56_kMzDn-k6kC9TNhtzfbXbMcqpEPxOPb74iwaQp92V93BRtlb-HH8hsm3BSkrts7dlxdVQyjbiihQWR5NHKn-BQJU-M8D5/s1600/paper+towns.+john+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhg7hyphenhyphenHErW9oEq3nvRbPl2mze0RJrAEGjzog__CMyhU6_Z56_kMzDn-k6kC9TNhtzfbXbMcqpEPxOPb74iwaQp92V93BRtlb-HH8hsm3BSkrts7dlxdVQyjbiihQWR5NHKn-BQJU-M8D5/s640/paper+towns.+john+green.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/6442769-paper-towns"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Green, John. <i><a href="https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/Paper-Towns-9780142414934">Paper Towns</a></i>. New York, NY: Penguin Random House, 2008. Print.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">305 pages</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">My YouTube Review</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">"Paper towns" are town names that map makers use to catch plagiarizing competing map makers. The towns don't actually exist in reality. This concept of perception versus reality is a theme of John Green's novel. The enigmatic Margo is missing and her childhood friend, Quentin, is searching for her. She's left a series of clues for him to follow and each clue leads Quentin to question how well he really knows Margo. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">A fan of one of Green's most famous works, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars">The Fault in Our Stars</a></i>, I read this with high expectations. By the end of the novel, I found myself disappointed. <i>Paper Towns</i> lacked the finesse and sophistication of his other work. Some of the dialogue felt forced. It was typical teenage dialogue with lots of "dudes," and "likes," scattered in for age appropriateness.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Ben and Radar, Quentin's two friends, could easily have been just one character. There weren't many differentiating qualities between the two and I found myself not able to keep track of who did what. In my head, they just became one merged character. The same happened with the two supporting female roles. They would have worked just as well being one character rather than two. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I did like the discussion of perception both how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. This discussion is what got me through the end of the book. I wasn't attached to the characters or the plot, but I was curious about how perception was discussed. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Overall, not a bad read, but not a great one either.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u>Would I read it again?</u> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">No, but I will keep reading Green's other work. Other fans I've discussed this book with agree that <i>Paper Towns</i> isn't his strongest work..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u>Recommended for</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">John Green fans who already know he's a good writer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u>Not Recommended for</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Readers who haven't read Green yet. Start with <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars">The Fault in Our Stars</a></i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><u>Word Bank</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">3 stars out of 5</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">John Green's website: </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.johngreenbooks.com/">http://www.johngreenbooks.com/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">John Green on Goodreads: </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1406384.John_Green">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1406384.John_Green</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">John Green on Twitter: </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #4d4d4d; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://twitter.com/johngreen">https://twitter.com/johngreen</a></span></span></div>
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-40522315248428572102018-12-02T12:40:00.002-08:002018-12-02T12:40:52.808-08:00Coffee Break!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello LoveBirds!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm taking a social media coffee break for a bit. I'll be back in January 2019!</span></div>
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-91889920502239604072018-09-09T12:18:00.000-07:002018-09-09T12:18:25.650-07:00127. "The Naturals" by Jennifer Lynn Barnes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Barnes, Jennifer Lynn. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13597723-the-naturals">The Naturals</a></i>. New York, NY: Hyperion, 2013. Print.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">308 pages</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/xlHN8M6jdpA">My YouTube Review</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The FBI has set up a program for gifted teenagers called the "Naturals." Cassie, the protagonist, has the gift of reading people. She is recruited into the program and learns that every other teenager in the program has secrets. Dean, another expert people reader, is the child of a serial killer. They work closely together in their training and eventually Dean learns Cassie's secret--her mother was murdered and the case was still unsolved. When Dean and Cassie learn about the FBI's current case, one that seems eerily connected to her mothers' murder, the "Naturals" come together to keep Cassie safe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jennifer Lynn Barnes works as a professor of psychology. She has degrees in both psychology and psychiatry and has a degree from Yale. This shows in her writing. A lot of this read almost like a textbook on forensic psychology. The prose often felt clinical and the content was heavy on expository about how to profile an UNSUB. This is the first book in the series, so it might be that Barnes was setting up the rest of the series by focusing on how Cassie learned to profile and perhaps things will pick up in the subsequent books. I will give the second book a fair shot before I decide to stop reading the series entirely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aside from the clinical prose, the characters were moderately developed and the plot did pick up pace toward the end. The resolution of the case was interesting, though not entirely surprising. It may be that I'm so accustomed to reading adult mysteries that adjusting to the tamer YA mystery was difficult. I just wasn't drawn in to the tension or excitement, but I might have if I was reading this at 15 years old. I think this is a great book for its target audience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Would I read it again?</u> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No, but I will give the next book in the series a shot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Recommended for</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Teenagers who want a good mystery/thriller</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Readers who are used to adult mysteries--this will be too tame for you.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomenology">phenomenological</a> (p. 78)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 stars out of 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jennifer Lynn Barnes' website: <a href="http://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/bio.html">http://www.jenniferlynnbarnes.com/bio.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jennifer Lynn Barnes on Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/164187.Jennifer_Lynn_Barnes">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/164187.Jennifer_Lynn_Barnes</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Instagram: @jdartagnanlove<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Twitter: @jdartagnanlove<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan" style="text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan</a></span></span></div>
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-67695300832351868942018-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:002018-09-03T18:28:56.811-07:00126. "The One World Schoolhouse" by Salman Khan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Khan, Salman. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15898640-the-one-world-schoolhouse"><i>The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined</i></a>. New York, NY: Twelve, 2012.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">256 pages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reviewed by Jess d'Artagnan Love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/zOYXOphyxD4">My Youtube Review</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Salman Khan is most well known as the creator and leader of the <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/">Khan Academ</a>y, a tool used frequently across education facilities. I think he prefers to go by Sal so he isn't confused with the famous Bollywood actor, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006795/">Salman Khan</a> (rawr). <i>The One World Schoolhouse</i> documents the process Khan went through in creating Khan Academy. It all started when Sal started tutoring his niece long distance and needed tools to make their work together more effective. This resulted in a set of videos that taught basic math and a fledgling Youtube channel that made the videos easily accessible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Khan attempts to provide a broad history of the American education system and why the system functions the way it does. This section was highly problematic. Khan cherry picked his research, failing to show the entire story and leaving out seminal, groundbreaking work by scholars like Jean Piaget and Benjamin Bloom. It was almost unethical the way the information was presented. He made it seem like he was giving readers the full story but he wasn't. I couldn't help but feel like he could benefit from taking a few more courses in research and writing. He bias towards math and sciences over art and humanities was painfully obvious. The arts and humanities were always mentioned as secondary to STEM rather than being a critical part of education. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another problem with Khan's assessment of the educational system is that he functions under the assumption that the only way students' learning is being assessed is through standardized tests (think bubble sheets and scantrons). This is far from what educators are actually doing to assess student learning. Educators are using tests, yes, but they aren't idiots. They understand that a test isn't necessarily the best was to assess learning. That is why there are other assignments (the dreaded HOMEWORK that Khan bagged on in one of his chapters) such as papers, multimedia projects, and group assignments which Khan fails to mention in any way except negatively. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The rest of the book can be summed up by the last part of the title: reIMAGINED. Imagined. Imaginary. The rest of the book where he discusses the future of higher education was a rambled fantasy. It had no basis in reality or in current research or academic trends. I wish I could meet him so that I could say, "Hey Sal, my university has been doing the things you describe in your book for almost a decade before you published your ideas." Truly, the ideas he had that were solid weren't entirely new (and not ENTIRELY HIS. He tap danced on plagiarism through the whole book!) and the ideas that were new had no basis in research or educational theory, or even economics. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Bottom line</u>: the best part of this book was learning about how the Khan academy was developed and that would honestly be better told in a magazine article rather than in a book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Recommended for</u>: readers who like Khan academy and what to learn about how it was create BUT who can also read with a critical eye toward the lack of research in the rest of his writing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Not Recommended for</u>: readers who want an ACCURATE depiction of the educational system.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balkanize">balkanizing </a>(p. 49)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedeviling">bedeviling</a> (p. 216)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idyll">idyll</a> (p. 113)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remunerative">remunerative</a> (p. 93)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simulacrum">simulacrum</a> (p. 108)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2 stars out of 5. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sal's Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/salkhanacademy">https://twitter.com/salkhanacademy</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Khan academy: <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/">https://www.khanacademy.org/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Twitter: @jdartagnanlove<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-66085405272581022622018-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:002018-08-04T21:19:51.862-07:00125. "In the Woods" by Tana French<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBThKRC7oHW-HLwQv-uaZRok-yyAXwLy9ARdmse-s2elucNX5toSXTgQT-pPDdUOO7pXZ0MFNub4IwUC190mqucm_VyCQx3K-B6j3Fu-hBmxQB1nQ2sjJpFyr5F3xidN_2oOnpYBw0od3/s1600/in+the+woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBThKRC7oHW-HLwQv-uaZRok-yyAXwLy9ARdmse-s2elucNX5toSXTgQT-pPDdUOO7pXZ0MFNub4IwUC190mqucm_VyCQx3K-B6j3Fu-hBmxQB1nQ2sjJpFyr5F3xidN_2oOnpYBw0od3/s640/in+the+woods.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237209.In_the_Woods"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Image Source)</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">French, Tana. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237209.In_the_Woods">In the Woods</a></i>. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2007. Print. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">429 pages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Told from detective Rob Ryan's point of view, <i>In the Woods</i> follows two homicide cases. The first case is that of young Katy Devlin and the second case is one in which Ryan was actually a victim--the case of two missing children in Knocknaree, Ireland back in 1984. With Devlin's murder also taking place in the same Knocknaree woods as the the 1984 cold case, Ryan is thrown back into a past that he can't clearly remember because he suffers from acute retrograde amnesia. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am usually pretty good about predicting the ending of mysteries and thrillers. While reading <i>In the Woods</i>, I made predictions on page 60, page 160, and page 246. All of my predictions were wrong. I'm not trying to sound arrogant here, but I am almost always right about the outcome of a mystery. This mostly because I've read so many mysteries that I can easily deduce patterns in mystery novels that indicate who dunnit. That Tana French was able to stump me speaks to the genius of her writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>In the Woods</i> is a mystery but Tana French's prose is so masterful that it reads more like a piece of literary fiction. I would compare her to Gillian Flynn in the way she explores morality and big life questions, though they have quite different writing voices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SPOILER ALERT. One thing was not very clearly wrapped up, but there is also a good chance that I just missed it in my first read of the novel: on page 298, Ryan notes that he had lost touch with reality to a degree that he wasn't sure if the following events were real or part of a dream. This isn't mentioned again as the book comes to a conclusion, so readers have to assume the events were real but I can't help but question it. I wonder if this is something that French will refer back to in later books as this was the first book in a series of the Dublin Murder Squad mysteries. END SPOILER. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Without giving away any further spoilers, this book left some cases unsolved. It really created this raw, unhealed feeling of festering longing and grief that I imagine is only a small slice of what families who have actually experienced this kind of crime must feel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tana French is truly talented and I'm excited to continue reading this series. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Would I read it again?</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes. This is a book I'd like to read again and slowly so I can really absorb some of the ideas and character portraits. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recommend for</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think readers who like Gillian Flynn would also appreciate Tana French despite there being differences in tone and style. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Not Recommend for</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Readers who are triggered by violence and graphic descriptions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Word Bank (new-to-me vocabulary)</u></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolshie">bolshie</a> (p. 11)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apoplectic">apoplectic</a> (p. 274)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banjax">banjaxed </a>(p. 248)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedsit">bedsit </a>(p. 12)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bowsie">bowsie</a> (p. 110)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/Brylcreem">Brylcreemed</a> (p. 386)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crenellation">crenellations</a> (p. 251)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">crosshatching (p. 3)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curlew">curlews</a> (p. 156)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/eejit">eejit</a> (p. 128)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/gurrier">gurriers</a> (p. 217)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kibbutznik">kibbutzniks</a> (p.35)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inchoate">inchoate</a> (p. 178)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/jetton">jettons</a> (p. 35)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=langered">langered</a> (p. 250)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mattock">mattock</a> (p. 39)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mica">mica</a> (p. 23)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midge">midges</a> (p. 21)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/portakabin">Portacabins</a> (p. 21)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redolent">redolent</a> (p. 285)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restive">restive</a> (p. 248)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/satsuma">satsuma </a>(p. 105)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slag">slagged </a>(p. 185)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soup%C3%A7on">soupcons</a> (p. 10)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spate">spate</a> (p. 246)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/stoat">stoat </a>(p. 187)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tensile">tensile</a> (p. 18)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprepossessing">unprepossessing</a> (p. 106)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vestal">vestal</a> (p. 81)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/votary">votary</a> (p. 82)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 stars out of 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tana French's website: <a href="http://tanafrench.com/">http://tanafrench.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tana French on Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/138825.Tana_French">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/138825.Tana_French</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan">https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan</a></span></span></div>
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-18569285060900041682018-07-28T17:27:00.001-07:002018-07-28T20:24:03.003-07:00124. "The Burning Bridge" by John Flanagan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaRcIBqIV3akkjCnEkTysxNbYV1iKqDCgsQCFGLWjFugrP9Y7dcUwvxtoQypdOT5vu1cYPwHxkCeROtI9B3RnTAi2dCj-rJhu714PE0dAeTmiXba_1qdsORHgsFPzsQzHzpjRtdRSeSm5/s1600/the+burning+bridge.+flanagan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="226" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaRcIBqIV3akkjCnEkTysxNbYV1iKqDCgsQCFGLWjFugrP9Y7dcUwvxtoQypdOT5vu1cYPwHxkCeROtI9B3RnTAi2dCj-rJhu714PE0dAeTmiXba_1qdsORHgsFPzsQzHzpjRtdRSeSm5/s640/the+burning+bridge.+flanagan.jpg" width="418" /></a></div>
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(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/144349.The_Burning_Bridge">Image source</a>)</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Flanagan, John. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/144349.The_Burning_Bridge?ac=1&from_search=true">The Burning Bridge</a></i>. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 2005. Print.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">262 pages.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The Burning Bridge</i> picks up right where the <i><a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2017/08/108-rangers-apprentice-ruins-if-golan.html">Ruins of Gorlan</a></i> left off. Morgarath is planning for a war with the kingdom and Will and Halt are following the trail. <b>Spoiler alert</b>, as the title suggests, Morgarath built a bridge and Will burns it down. The end. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I want so badly to like this series. People in my life cherish it, but I just did not enjoy this book. The descriptions of battle practice were long and monotonous and there was an obvious subtle misogyny underscoring the entire story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The portrayal of women and girls in this series just infuriates me. If there was a woman ranger, I'd be all about it, but the women in this series all have soft roles--negotiator and cook (barf). Women in leadership roles in the kingdom are spoken to rudely and treated as if incompetent. Don't forget a nice dose of mansplaining as the cherry on top. Here's an example:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"I'll speak of her, all right! I'll tell you this. She's a woman meddling in a man's world, where she has no place. She should have found a husband years ago and raised a brood of squalling babies. Surely there's a deaf and half-blind man somewhere who would have ten her" (93). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The worst part of this dialogue? Nowhere does anyone defend Pauline, the woman being spoken of and nowhere is this attitude refuted as despicable or even questionable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This book's target audience is boys age 10-12. If I had a son who wanted to read this series, I would let him because I'm anti-book banning BUT we would have a <b>SERIOUS</b> conversation about the toxic masculinity represented in these stories. </span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Would I read it again?</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOPE</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recommended for: </span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Maybe someone in gender studies looking for a series that overtly teaches young boys toxic masculinity.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not Recommended for: </span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pretty much most decent human beings.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Word Bank (new-to-me vocabulary)</span></u></b></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cowl">cowl</a> (p. 59)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fenland">fenlands</a> (p. 11)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nock">nocked </a>(p. 82)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recurve">recurve</a> (p. 82)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/saxe">saxe </a>(p. 41)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinter">sintered</a> (p. 51)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spurious">spurious</a> (p. 93)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarpaulin">tarpaulin</a> (p. 68)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triumvirate">triumvirate</a> (p. 16)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 star out of 5. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">John Flanagan's website: <a href="http://www.worldofjohnflanagan.com/">http://www.worldofjohnflanagan.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Previous <i>Ranger's Apprentice</i> books reviewed</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The Ruins of Gorlan</i>: <a href="http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2017/08/108-rangers-apprentice-ruins-if-golan.html">http://thewritereader.blogspot.com/2017/08/108-rangers-apprentice-ruins-if-golan.html</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Goodreads: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan" style="text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8035862-j-d-artagnan</a></span></span></div>
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J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8792078830147826596.post-71475059643847479992018-07-22T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-28T17:31:31.901-07:00123. "Who in this Room" by Kathrine Malmo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaPYvLaHAqZNs0ASG7ttjinGpAgTB0I3RAsOQDr-l1mO7J_p5iyKnDvqGJoKdXw8eBSKGiefEIpqSp3HH-FFsgl6lArlnjTV5I945gqp2B_ZixLbWfLBCTVf_7ICztTlLaGVf1NuymeL7/s1600/who+in+this+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="135" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVaPYvLaHAqZNs0ASG7ttjinGpAgTB0I3RAsOQDr-l1mO7J_p5iyKnDvqGJoKdXw8eBSKGiefEIpqSp3HH-FFsgl6lArlnjTV5I945gqp2B_ZixLbWfLBCTVf_7ICztTlLaGVf1NuymeL7/s640/who+in+this+room.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/12226069-who-in-this-room">Image Source</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Malmo, Katherine. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12226069-who-in-this-room">Who in This Room: The Realities of Cancer, Fish, and Demolition</a></i>. Corvallis, OR: Calyx Books, 2011. Print.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">134 pages</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Reviewed by J. d'Artagnan Love</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Who in the Room</i> contains stories originally published in literary journals. These stories are seamlessly weaved together into a memoir of cancer and coping with its realities, as suggested by the subtitle. At age 32, Kate is diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer and undergoes treatment. She develops a set of coping skills that takes her through her treatment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This book is a short, quick read but don't let that fool you. What it lacks in length, it makes up for in depth. Each chapter is a story within a story. The first story is the literal story of Kate's treatment process. The second story is usually a description of a coping method that also acts as a beautiful symbol or allegory for a different part of the many facets of being diagnosed with breast cancer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To me, reading <i>Who in This Room</i> felt like looking at a well cut diamond. There are lots of different surfaces and angles, all reflecting the light in unique and beautiful ways. I laughed, I cried, I was pissed off. I felt like a lived a lifetime in just 134 pages. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Malmo experiments with point of view in this memoir, and while I don't think she quite pulled it off, I really admire writers who make a strong effort to try something new and add to their craft. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Would I read it again?</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, yes and yes! This is going on my re-read shelf because it is one of the books where you get something different out of it each time you read it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Recommend for</u>: Readers who have survived breast cancer or have a loved one going through the process. Readers who appreciate a memoir that will grab you by the feelings and hold on through the end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Not recommended for</u>: Reader who may be triggered by medical descriptions or readers who want something with a linear narrative. </span></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Word bank (new-to-me vocabulary)</span></u></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alga">algal</a> (p. 103)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anadromous">anadranous</a> (p. 77)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/caddisfly">caddisfly</a> (p. 88)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ichthyology">icthyologist </a>(p. 77)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluorocarbon">fluorocarbon</a> (p. 79)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunite">gunite</a> (p. 80)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tippet">tippet</a> (p. 84)</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Kathrine Malmo's website: <a href="http://www.katherinemalmo.com/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.katherinemalmo.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Calyx Books: <a href="https://www.calyxpress.org/product-category/books/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">https://www.calyxpress.org/product-category/books/</a></span></div>
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<br />J. d'Artagnan Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03093943992961419232noreply@blogger.com0