tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5274822412679886342024-02-07T21:23:59.307+08:00Mermaid With A BookBecause mermaids read, too.Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-38645618316408959822015-03-31T23:29:00.000+08:002015-04-01T16:12:07.929+08:00In My Mailbox #9: Books, books and more books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/gohsherlyn/media/IMM%20iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMM iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png" border="0" src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b611/gohsherlyn/IMM%20iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png~original" height="289" width="320" /></a></div>
<center>
<span style="color: #20124d; text-align: center;">Welcome to </span><b style="color: #20124d; text-align: center;">In My Mailbox (IMM)</b><span style="color: #20124d; text-align: center;">! </span><b style="color: #20124d; text-align: center;">IMM</b><span style="color: #20124d; text-align: center;"> is a weekly meme created by Kristi @ </span><a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/in-my-mailbox" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a><span style="color: #20124d; text-align: center;"> which features books bought/received in the mail, borrowed from the library as well as other awesome book-related goodies in your mailbox.</span></center>
<br />
March is nearly over! And with that, I thought I'd do a proper March (and a bit of February) haul post because seriously, I've <i>never</i> gotten so much bookmail in a month before.<br />
<br />
The first book I got was an autographed proof copy of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22848818-the-beneath" target="_blank">The Beneath</a></i> by S. C. Ransom, the author of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/show/56538-small-blue-thing" target="_blank"><i>Small Blue Thing</i> trilogy</a> which I really loved. I was lucky enough to win it in a draw on Twitter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/gohsherlyn/media/beneath_green_zpseifn7tzn.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo beneath_green_zpseifn7tzn.jpg" border="0" src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b611/gohsherlyn/beneath_green_zpseifn7tzn.jpg~original" height="322" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It arrived in the mail on 27th February, and I was so excited to learn that it would later be released on my birthday (: It's a dystopian thriller about a girl in London who uncovers an underground labyrinth and a charismatic leader with an evil plan.</div>
<br />
Then my birthday arrived and I got myself <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17878931-red-queen" target="_blank">Red Queen</a></i> by Victoria Aveyard the day before as an early present. There's been much hype over this dystopian fantasy since its release, and while it wasn't as fantastic as I'd been expecting it to be, I enjoyed it nonetheless.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtfXz1mPUd6elkCDhHliLtA7Iz6Qt7z7TxD9T-O0z4kl-FDccXPhHvNsruDgP45GC8cfJwr8f3vZ39LmGGAkB2JYyjuRmE5x3_4-Jfaq10XKtANgZtacXkj5rTAfx5lvfz8i89-E6sBo/s1600/red-queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtfXz1mPUd6elkCDhHliLtA7Iz6Qt7z7TxD9T-O0z4kl-FDccXPhHvNsruDgP45GC8cfJwr8f3vZ39LmGGAkB2JYyjuRmE5x3_4-Jfaq10XKtANgZtacXkj5rTAfx5lvfz8i89-E6sBo/s1600/red-queen.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
A few days later a gargantuan parcel arrived for me and I was speechless to find that Lillie @ <a href="http://bookraptured.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Bookraptured</a> had mailed me books all the way from Germany as a birthday present!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://31.media.tumblr.com/9a941a97917162f3a28b7b703db18e35/tumblr_n0n0ih0fxg1sjmn16o1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/9a941a97917162f3a28b7b703db18e35/tumblr_n0n0ih0fxg1sjmn16o1_500.gif" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;">I swear I would've done this if I had a Pegasus!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
She sent one of her books which was <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9462795-starcrossed" target="_blank">Starcrossed</a></i> by Josephine Angelini (because it's her favourite), and a copy of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18189606-since-you-ve-been-gone" target="_blank">Since You've Been Gone</a></i> by Morgan Matson (for our friendship). I have no idea how she managed to part with her copy of <i>Starcrossed</i>, but I do know that it'll be in good hands and I'll give it lots of love! You're the best, Lillie! ♥︎<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfz-nKyWxzDeRvung0279mZw9IIS_H9yU1J0hutDTSWk2xMHdcgVGBz4zaHUuMotuDAqwtcBqB6FpuLOQo-Sq1Q1PBx1XL8vAdY0dwWQ9MFOSyX1eal7JIQG3bacdCWdNWs3MfdcZqkKY/s1600/birthday-books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfz-nKyWxzDeRvung0279mZw9IIS_H9yU1J0hutDTSWk2xMHdcgVGBz4zaHUuMotuDAqwtcBqB6FpuLOQo-Sq1Q1PBx1XL8vAdY0dwWQ9MFOSyX1eal7JIQG3bacdCWdNWs3MfdcZqkKY/s1600/birthday-books.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
And last but not least was a hardback of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22447220-ensnared" target="_blank">Ensnared</a></i> by A. G. Howard, Book 3 in the Splintered trilogy. I guess that leaves me no excuses to start on this series! I won it over at <a href="http://novelheartbeat.com/" target="_blank">Novel Heartbeat</a> and I couldn't stop gawking at all the pretty. I took so many pictures it was hard to pick just one!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AVct3V1X8WebaO52_wLPKa237wbgQazj6SMuLuUZ-WWfM4ty2y2FkGGKlOAIgbQbc4-wE-el-n6eCyF3z3OMax48HBYLY_Y6C-Sjxo2xklw86NxLEG8HVQsP51SIJ9qbEgFeL4qHZJo/s1600/ensnared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AVct3V1X8WebaO52_wLPKa237wbgQazj6SMuLuUZ-WWfM4ty2y2FkGGKlOAIgbQbc4-wE-el-n6eCyF3z3OMax48HBYLY_Y6C-Sjxo2xklw86NxLEG8HVQsP51SIJ9qbEgFeL4qHZJo/s1600/ensnared.jpg" height="322" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
For more book photography, you can stalk me on <a href="http://instagram.com/monstrousbeauty" target="_blank">Instagram</a>!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What books did you get for March? I'd love to know!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-87134886963827577172015-03-31T16:35:00.000+08:002015-03-31T21:53:32.216+08:00Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon: And That's A Wrap!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgTckLHB_finmXEHAL9MSmUiF7ZCjOl4J53QYtO1ONdHXhC8BTD-2F2CdqncxZQjBxz1vqGcopY_YX4Yq9Hv6XVYpA_TSDA-74ZqyAnNClXDCXUkmzqeARH1OkvusV4LEEfu8wqK7cqcaNc2N0woxsI-D_k1KdxnZvDmO6xR6ovz4xF5eyc0klYaKdE38M5yXU-FmGKwhe99kCkp2O9CQ=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="done" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-3717" src="http://i1.wp.com/bookshelfreflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/done.jpg?resize=750%2C250" height="132" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's the end of the Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon! Before I leave this read-a-thon behind, I'll be answering some questions about the incredibly awesome time I've had and facing a final challenge to complete.</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>1. What was your page reading goal? How many pages did you end up reading?</b><br />
I didn't have a page reading goal because I thought that would stress me out, but I ended up finishing all of the books that I wanted to read!<br />
<br />
So let's see, there's <i>Cinder</i> (387 pages), <i>Scarlet</i> (an estimated 462 pages on Kindle), <i>Wake</i> (309 pages), <i>Lullaby</i> (290 pages), <i>Tidal</i> (342 pages) and <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i> (249 pages). That makes a total of 2,039 pages!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEz67mUhdt1mprOT_dAXyZfm_lzvCGMESLHL8BVG9KlS9b4dg9F04OjlZFkxIK0ijTnp751TC0vWNHnvN3CV4u2Z-xxw6Q8KJIa4GQ7p0a-cSDHW5CvBSRDGfmsg24IVilCaboYNJJd8/s1600/anna-excited.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnEz67mUhdt1mprOT_dAXyZfm_lzvCGMESLHL8BVG9KlS9b4dg9F04OjlZFkxIK0ijTnp751TC0vWNHnvN3CV4u2Z-xxw6Q8KJIa4GQ7p0a-cSDHW5CvBSRDGfmsg24IVilCaboYNJJd8/s1600/anna-excited.gif" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>2. What books did you read?</b><br />
I read 6 books: <i>Cinder</i> and <i>Scarlet</i> by Marissa Meyer, <i>Wake</i>, <i>Lullaby</i> and <i>Tidal</i> in the <i>Watersong Quartet</i> by Amanda Hocking, and <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i> by J. K. Rowling.<br />
<br />
<b>3. What book was your most/least favourite?</b><br />
The book I enjoyed the most would've been <i>Sorcerer's Stone</i> if it hadn't been for <i>Scarlet</i>. I loved stepping into Hogwarts again with fresh eyes, but Marissa Meyer's retelling of <i>Little Red Riding</i> <i>Hood</i> blew me away completely with its sci-fi setting and amazing cast of characters. I can't stop swooning over Wolf and Scarlet. And I absolutely need more Cinder and Kai! <i>The Lunar Chronicles </i>is seriously the BEST stuff I've read so far this year.<br />
<br />
As for my least favourite read, that would be a tie between <i>Wake</i> and <i>Lullaby</i>. Lots of draggy writing, lacklustre characters and a plot that really could've been better. It didn't help that I started on these after <i>Scarlet</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>4. What challenge did you find the hardest to do?</b><br />
I thought it'd be casting characters, but that went better than I expected. The hardest challenge is actually the one you'll read about in this very post!<br />
<br />
<b>5. What challenge was the most fun to do?</b><br />
Book photography (Day 1) and answering tricky questions (Day 6). I got to hang out with the camera (aka my best buddy) and think. Like, really <i>think</i>. I don't think a lot of us do that after reading a book, but it's something I feel that we should all do every once in a while. I had no idea I'd that much stuff to say until I sat down to write, which it was the most fun and frustrating feeling ever.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Did you make any new blogging friends?</b><br />
Yes, I have! They were the best part about this read-a-thon. Here are the awesome book blogger friends I've made, and you should totally check out their blogs if you haven't yet!<br />
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Lakin @ <a href="http://wonderousreviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wondrous Reviews</a></span></div>
<div class="p2" style="text-align: center;">
Chantelle @ <a href="https://ohthestoriesyoullknow.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Oh, The Stories You'll Know</a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Rebecca @ <a href="http://readingthroughdawn.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Reading Through Dawn</a></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Katrina @ <a href="http://chasedbymyimagination.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Chased By My Imagination</a></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Vlora @ <a href="http://reviewsandcake.com/" target="_blank">Reviews and Cake</a></span></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
Andreea @ <a href="http://catsfika.blogspot.ro/" target="_blank">Catsfika</a></div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
And not forgetting our lovely hosts, Karolina and Inge @ <a href="http://bookshelfreflections.com/" target="_blank">Bookshelf Reflections</a><span class="s2"> as well as </span>Olivia @ <a href="http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.sg/" target="_blank">Olivia's Catastrophe</a>! I knew Karolina and Inge before the read-a-thon, but not very well, and I'm glad I got to know them and Olivia better during the past week (:</div>
<br />
<b>7. What was your biggest reading distraction? How did you get over it?</b><br />
Eating and sleeping. I am partially kidding, because I don't have school now and those are really kind of the only things that get in the way of reading during times like these XD I didn't really have a choice but to eat two times faster and do nothing about sleeping because I sleep like a log and can almost never wake up in the mornings!<br />
<br />
<b>8. What was your reading schedule? Were you a morning or evening reader? Week or weekend?</b><br />
My reading schedule was sporadic, mostly in the mornings if I hadn't finished a book the day before. The day I started <i>Wake</i> was when I binge-read and finished 2 and a half books. That spanned a whole day and I got a headache at the end of it (totally worth it :P). <br />
<br />
<b>9. Are you and Hermione Granger still friends? Do you still want to keep hanging out after the read-a-thon is over or will you lock her away somewhere to maybe contact her again when the next read-a-thon comes around (if ever)?</b><br />
I think we still are. Friends, I mean. I'll be seeing her off to Hogwarts till the next read-a-thon, though I'd love to have someone else over next time (maybe Nearly Headless Nick. I've never met a ghost before). It's a little tiring having to try and match up to Hermione's intellect!<br />
<br />
<b>10. Would you do this again?</b><br />
Yes, a gazillion times over! (:<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b dashed; padding: 25px;">
<center>
<h3>
AN ALTERNATE ENDING</h3>
</center>
<br />
This is the hardest challenge I was talking about. The instructions were this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>We want you to take the book that broke your heart the most this week or the one whose ending you liked least or even a scene that you despised and re-write it. Yes, re-write it.</b></i></blockquote>
That is the hardest thing to ask of me, because the book I'd pick would be <i>Wake</i> and there were just so many unsatisfactory parts and under-developed characters in it that I may just end up re-writing the entire novel. Or in a crying heap on the floor (I can never finish writing a novel of any sort. All my drafts never saw the light of day). Either way, that would take about 10 years, so I'll be sitting this one out. Sorry ):</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Nevertheless, I've had the most amazing experience for my first read-a-thon and it definitely won't be the last one. I'm so proud of myself and the other book bloggers who've gone through the challenges with me, and very grateful to Karolina, Inge and Olivia for putting a week of awesomeness together for us. Thank you so, so much!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
As for you, thanks for sticking around (: I hope you'll swim by again! ♥︎</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPunjuQ6T3R63n8anedfZYDyyzsqbRjyHIId0bWmBQMtSWhd7KzHAA0bABHC3JPeWFCYOugsIlMT9AxggQ6MnxTZdu7nq09FyH9NWeTdb3dxKXzbLuy3ueICMo1UbIoUZ5885wrwhP0GQ/s1600/bye.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPunjuQ6T3R63n8anedfZYDyyzsqbRjyHIId0bWmBQMtSWhd7KzHAA0bABHC3JPeWFCYOugsIlMT9AxggQ6MnxTZdu7nq09FyH9NWeTdb3dxKXzbLuy3ueICMo1UbIoUZ5885wrwhP0GQ/s1600/bye.gif" height="257" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fbookshelfreflections.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F03%2Fdone.jpg%3Fresize%3D750%252C250&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgTckLHB_finmXEHAL9MSmUiF7ZCjOl4J53QYtO1ONdHXhC8BTD-2F2CdqncxZQjBxz1vqGcopY_YX4Yq9Hv6XVYpA_TSDA-74ZqyAnNClXDCXUkmzqeARH1OkvusV4LEEfu8wqK7cqcaNc2N0woxsI-D_k1KdxnZvDmO6xR6ovz4xF5eyc0klYaKdE38M5yXU-FmGKwhe99kCkp2O9CQ=" -->Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-53995471791745370512015-03-29T23:20:00.002+08:002015-03-30T01:45:20.588+08:00Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon Day 6: It's All About The Tricky Ones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img alt="done" class="aligncenter wp-image-3717" src="http://i1.wp.com/bookshelfreflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/done.jpg?resize=750%2C250" height="133" width="400" /></div>
<br />
Our hosts at <a href="http://bookshelfreflections.com/fantasy-favourites-read-a-thon-its-all-about-the-tricky-ones/#more-3882" target="_blank">Bookshelf Reflections</a> and <a href="http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.sg/2015/03/fantasy-favourites-read-thon-digging.html" target="_blank">Olivia's Catastrophe</a> have come up with a fabulous throng of questions based on some of the books we're reading this week! Some of them are really deep. I love deep questions, because they give insight to a person's innermost thoughts, what they value most and present perspectives that could be vastly different from yours.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
READING UPDATE</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm just one book away from completing my goals for the read-a-thon! Having read <i>Cinder</i>, <i>Scarlet</i>, <i>Wake</i>, <i>Lullaby</i> and <i>Tidal</i>, all that's left is <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i> :D</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Now time to get thinkin'.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuoEw5klM2uwmg4g53QybmQh7DREwm5AxM3z-P4yRwnksEQrXrsy7Rpqh56Znfx5kNaf7CPV1-nPxiPYu7VMeYEMbV2lrTQuJ7NVxhYCEVDJiJPyG-56j5qcKGV6XCbY8psCUW02yE8k/s1600/pooh.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXuoEw5klM2uwmg4g53QybmQh7DREwm5AxM3z-P4yRwnksEQrXrsy7Rpqh56Znfx5kNaf7CPV1-nPxiPYu7VMeYEMbV2lrTQuJ7NVxhYCEVDJiJPyG-56j5qcKGV6XCbY8psCUW02yE8k/s1600/pooh.gif" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
<i class="fa fa-bolt" style="color: #f7de52;"></i> Harry Potter <i class="fa fa-bolt" style="color: #f7de52;"></i></h3>
</center>
<br />
<b>1. What house do you think you’d be in? What house would you be in if you could choose?</b><br />
The Pottermore Sorting Hat placed me in Gryffindor, but I still would've chosen this house regardless. I'm not like super heroic or chivalrous, but I value courage immensely and it's been said that the Hat "<a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hogwarts_Houses#Qualities" target="_blank">tended to place students based on qualities they valued rather than qualities they exhibited</a>". I have an awful temper, care a lot for others and am passionate about things I feel deeply for (read: <i>emotional</i>), but I do have a bit of a Slytherin streak. I'm rather ambitious, determined to achieve my dreams for the future. My self-preservation skills conflict with my caring-too-much thing which makes me come off as indecisive at times, or perhaps too detached (I especially don't open up to people whom I feel uncomfortable around and can appear as stand-offish). The weirdest thing is that I have as much capacity to be selfless as I can be selfish, depending on the circumstances.<br />
<br />
(For those of you who're into astrology, it doesn't exactly help that I'm Piscean but my rising sign is Taurus. People who don't know me well see the Taurus most of the time.)<br />
<br />
On a side note, I have thought about how nice it'd be to be in Hufflepuff. Queen Rowling makes a fantastic point in this interview snippet.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KDKY5QUqAB0" width="420"></iframe></center>
<br />
<b>2. You stand in front of the mirror of Erised, which shows your greatest desire. What do you see?</b><br />
I see myself doing what I love and loving what I do for my career. Hopefully that'll be photography or writing or being a professional mermaid. I'm surrounded by my parents who are safe and contented. My sister is a prima ballerina. I also have a circle of close friends whom I can finally trust.<br />
<br />
<b>3. What’s the first thing you would do with an Invisibility Cloak?</b><br />
Hop on a plane ride to Paris and smuggle my sister under the Cloak. Alternatively, I'd be <i>reeeaally</i> curious and check out what the people I know do when they're alone (but of course nothing pervy like invading their washroom privacy!).<br />
<br />
<b>4. “The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.” What would you do with the Philosopher’s Stone?</b><br />
Make gold, sell the gold, and use the moolah for improving women and child rights, as well as alleviating poverty and disease-stricken areas. I'll also invest the money to ensure it keeps running, but not before making sure my family is well-taken care of and buying a mermaid tail for myself.<br />
<br />
<b>5. You’ve made enough Polyjuice Potion to turn into another person for an entire day. Who would you be and why? (For funsies, the person may be dead, alive, fictional, or real.)</b><br />
I'd love to be Emma Watson while she was filming <i>Prisoner of Azkaban</i> or <i>Order of the Phoenix</i>. It must have been really cool (and challenging) to be a teen actress, especially in a <i>Harry Potter</i> film!<br />
<br />
<b>6. A Boggart turns into what they think is your biggest fear. What would your Boggart turn into?</b><br />
Probably what Molly Weasley's Boggart had turned into: dead bodies of my family. If not, I think it'd be a whole bunch of creepy crawlies!<br />
<br />
<b>7. What would your Animagus be?</b><br />
Something with wings. Maybe a crow, because they're rather intelligent and can be inconspicuous.<br />
<br />
<b>8. You just got access to a Pensieve and have all your memories and thoughts to access. What memory would you like to revisit?</b><br />
I would like to revisit the first time my parents brought me to Tokyo Disneyland at the age of 5, specifically the moment we entered and saw Dopey. He's my favourite dwarf. The sad thing is that I can't remember the moment when I saw him and ran towards him for a hug... all I have left of our meeting is a photograph. I didn't get to see him again during my second trip to Tokyo Disneyland last year );<br />
<br />
<b>9. The Harry Potter universe deals with a lot of prejudice – prejudice against werewolves, inferiority of house elves, arresting and murdering Muggleborns. Hermione started S.P.E.W. (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) when she was 14 years old. What would your action plan against prejudice be (or are you fine with the way things are)?</b><br />
I'm a feminist. I will never stop standing up for gender equality or stop trying to make people understand that women can be strong and independent, and that men can cry and be <i>human</i>. There's been a recent surge in media attention towards feminism, especially with Emma Watson's 'He For She' project, and I'm determined to ride that wave and do what I can to support feminism. Even if it's taking small steps like keeping my ears peeled for sexist remarks and standing up for either gender. Hopefully I'll be able to do even more in future.<br />
<br />
<b>10. Here’s an age-old question for you: good or evil? E.g. Would you join Voldemort because you revel in his power, or because you’re afraid of it? Would you stand down and fight Death Eaters, or hide and wait until it’s over? Please note that both sides have cookies, so that’s no valid reason to join the Dark Side.</b><br />
I would fight and and do everything in my power to defend Hogwarts and my loved ones from Voldemort. There is no way in hell I would ever join the Death Eaters because harming others for the sake of a twisted, baseless prejudice is against my conscience. My self-preservation skills would most likely kick in during a battle, though, to avoid placing myself in a situation where I would be helpless — in other words, I would be far more willing to die for a loved one than for an acquaintance.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: -webkit-center;">
<i class="fa fa-moon-o" style="color: #23288d;"> </i>The Lunar Chronicles <i class="fa fa-moon-o" style="color: #23288d;"></i></h3>
<b><br />
</b> <b>1. Should you compensate your own happiness for the good of the people?</b><br />
If I were not in a leadership position, it would depend on who these people are and if they're worth sacrificing anything for. And by <i>worth sacrificing anything for</i>, I mean if they've treated me and others around them decently and with kindness. But in the context of a leader, the answer would be <i>hell yes</i> because I have a duty to protect them. You can't leave people to drown when you could be their only chance at hope, and I would rather be unhappy and know I improved their lives than have everyone suffer because I chose to be selfish.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Should you really try to run away from your problems or face them?</b><br />
Always face your problems, because only then will you be able to be true to yourself. Even if the problem doesn't get resolved the way you want it to, you still would have learnt something about yourself and others, as well as possibly reflect on how to avoid such a situation in future. Only when you face your problems can you find the courage to make a choice and change your fate. Running away just takes away your right to choose, and it will eat away at you day by day until you lose yourself to your tsunami of problems. Of course, make sure you've had enough time to think your course of action over before meeting your problem head-on. Rushing into it could have equally devastating effects as running away.<br />
<br />
<b>3. If someone close to you falls ill, and there is only one cure should you give it to them, or wait (endangering their life) till the cure can be replicated for others too?</b><br />
A lot of my answer would depend on who 'others' are and if they're worth waiting to replicate the cure for. By <i>worth waiting to replicate the cure fo</i>r, I also mean what I said in #1: <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If they've treated me and others around them decently and with kindness.</span> But I would most likely end up giving the cure to my loved one <strike>(though the only way to make me wait to replicate the cure would be to have multiple loved ones falling ill... I did NOT just tell you that)</strike>.<br />
<br />
<b>4. In a relationship, does status matter?</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"It's true that money is not the most important thing in life, but money does affect everything that is important in life." — Robert Kiyosaki, </i><i>American investor and businessman</i></blockquote>
My dad summarised it to <i>money isn't everything, but everything needs money</i>. Essentially, while it means that there is more to life than just money, almost everything needs money nowadays — phone bills, water and electricity, food, just everything. Without money, you can't really go far. Some people even equate money to happiness, but let's not go there.<br />
<br />
I want to modify that phrase a little to this: <i>Status isn't everything, but (almost) everything needs status. </i><br />
<br />
What does status mean here? Let's take it to mean social standing i.e. how people view you, the amount of power you have in society and not just literally money. My country is big on meritocracy, so I'll base my opinions on that.<br />
<br />
Let's say there were two people: A and B. A was born with a Level 0 social standing, but worked his ass off and achieved a Level 1 social standing. B was born with a Level 1 social standing, and worked his ass off to achieve a Level 2 social standing.<br />
<br />
Now let's bring C and D into the picture. C was born with a Level 0 social standing, and lazed away and stayed at Level 0 (or perhaps even achieved -1) social standing. D was born with a Level 1 social standing, but lazed away and achieved a Level 0 social standing.<br />
<br />
What I'm trying to say here is that <i>strength of character</i> > <i>status</i>. It is undeniable that status does open doors for you like it did for B, who worked hard and got to Level 2. But it is strength of character that really depends on whether you seize your opportunity or throw it away.<br />
<br />
As for being in a relationship, strength of character definitely wins out. Ideally, I'd definitely pick B over A. But if B didn't exist, I'd pick A over C or D any day, because why the heck would I want a relationship with someone who is lazy doesn't work hard for himself? <br />
<br />
I may have gone full circle and you might be thinking <i>so really, what you're saying is that status doesn't actually matter in a relationship, right?</i><br />
<br />
Nope, not really. Prejudice is prevalent in this world, and people usually don't bat an eyelid at you if you don't have money or qualifications. Let's say you wanted to do something about prejudice against the disabled. If you have social standing, GREAT. That will help you secure opportunities to do something about the issue. But unless you have strength of character, your status will probably go down the drain because you'd either piss people off or make a fool out of yourself. Without status, nobody will probably hear you out on your passion for helping the disabled. With strength of character, you have a better chance of changing the way others look at you, and then your social standing, and then do something for the disabled. Even better if you have social standing to go with your wonderful character; you'd have a lot more opportunities coming your way, including finding someone special who loves you for your character and what you do. So what I'm saying here is that while I definitely wouldn't say no to status, strength of character matters to me a whole lot more.<br />
<br />
<b>5. Is world peace worth compensating independence?</b><br />
I don't know about you, but I'd be at war with myself every single second of my life if I gave up my independence. Does that count as peace? I think not. I'd rather fight for my independence and lose, knowing that I did my best rather than not fighting for it at all.<br />
<br />
<b>6. Does your race/family history affect your personality and who you are?</b><br />
Yes, it definitely does. I am Chinese Singaporean, and that means I like <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Char_kway_teow" target="_blank">char kway teow</a></i>, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satay" target="_blank">satay</a></i>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore-style_noodles" target="_blank">fried <i>bee hoon</i></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilli_crab" target="_blank">chilli crab.</a> Chinese New Year is <i>biiiiig</i>, but not as big as in China where they get like, 15 days of holiday or something (we get only 3 days here). Knowing that my great-grandfather didn't have a lot of status back then in China makes me all the more prouder that my grandfather and father have each achieved more success than the other consecutively. If my grandfather had not migrated to Singapore in the 1930s, I would have been born in China instead of Singapore, and that makes a hella difference who I am because of the environment I grew up in.<br />
<br />
<b>7. If you had a super power, should you use it?</b><br />
That very much depends on what the super power is and how you use it to benefit others around you. If I could breathe underwater, I'd do it every day and maybe save the occasional person from drowning. If my super power were invisibility I'd counter-rob the robbers and give the stuff back to the owners (if I were capable of tracking down the robber in the first place). But if my super power would be to zap people with lightning every time I touch them, the best way I know to benefit others would be to hole myself up like a hermit and not use my super power until I learn to control it.<br />
<br />
<b>8. Is love worth risking everything for?</b><br />
Yes, as long as you don't hurt anyone else – especially yourself – in the process. And if there's like a war or something preventing you two from getting together, please devise a plan to stop the war first if you have the ability to. No point diving into love and getting killed anyway.<br />
<br />
<b>9. Is lying to someone for their own safety acceptable?</b><br />
If you know the person would not listen to you at all and end up getting themselves killed, then yes, it is acceptable to lie. Just make sure not to let that person find out that you lied to them. But if the person were open to discussing and working out a compromise, then there would be no use or need for lying, because it would hurt the other party and create misunderstandings between the two of you. Personally, if I were lied to, I'd be hopping mad but try to understand where the person was coming from and how lying to me had managed to protect me.<br />
<br />
<b>10. Should marriage depend solely on love but also other factors?</b><br />
<div>
A marriage devoid of love should never happen, in my opinion. But compatibility and passion matter too. It's useless having a whirlwind romance and marrying, only to divorce each other because they can't stand animal fur and you can't live without dogs.<br />
<br />
<br />
... that actually sapped quite a bit out of me. If you read all that, you get a kelpcake and this awesome parody of Uptown Funk — Voldemort style! <3<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbdvogFyZZM" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.7d9dd43d4f18b1bb51cc9d8f0997995e.en.html#_=1427646429216&count=horizontal&dnt=false&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=file%3A%2F%2F%2Fvar%2Fmobile%2FContainers%2FData%2FApplication%2F32A28E06-2716-4E4E-A155-E5200D58E705%2FDocuments%2FBlogger&size=m&url=file%3A%2F%2F%2Fvar%2Fmobile%2FContainers%2FData%2FApplication%2F32A28E06-2716-4E4E-A155-E5200D58E705%2FDocuments%2FBlogger&via=gohsherlyn" style="height: 20px; width: 109px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe> <script id="twitter-wjs" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script>Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-62577746593679905492015-03-27T12:02:00.000+08:002015-03-27T12:03:11.672+08:00Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon Day 4: Dating Profiles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgTckLHB_finmXEHAL9MSmUiF7ZCjOl4J53QYtO1ONdHXhC8BTD-2F2CdqncxZQjBxz1vqGcopY_YX4Yq9Hv6XVYpA_TSDA-74ZqyAnNClXDCXUkmzqeARH1OkvusV4LEEfu8wqK7cqcaNc2N0woxsI-D_k1KdxnZvDmO6xR6ovz4xF5eyc0klYaKdE38M5yXU-FmGKwhe99kCkp2O9CQ=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1.wp.com/bookshelfreflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/done.jpg?resize=750%2C250" height="132" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Would you like to date a someone from a book? If so, you wandering sea stars have found the right grotto! I mean, what could <i>possibly</i> be better than a relationship with a fictional character?</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0CCJ7YrA1dwXf53JOXt89Wt9qL4JqfHc5fQ1RGg7Z3AmMGQE-LJW5xT_4R2kA7s1B01xOKU0hW_YZl_3SlQ4JDcMKCWfq34B55PTIYQslezl06K7jsrH7EnXiptfVk-A8Dwg75HEk80/s1600/swooning.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0CCJ7YrA1dwXf53JOXt89Wt9qL4JqfHc5fQ1RGg7Z3AmMGQE-LJW5xT_4R2kA7s1B01xOKU0hW_YZl_3SlQ4JDcMKCWfq34B55PTIYQslezl06K7jsrH7EnXiptfVk-A8Dwg75HEk80/s1600/swooning.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
(SIGN ME UP PLEASE I NEED A BOOK BOYFRIEND)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But first! The reading update.</div>
<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
READING UPDATE</h3>
</center>
I'm 180 pages through <i>Wake</i> by Amanda Hocking and this reread is lacklustre. I think I've been ruined by Marissa Meyer's stellar writing, plot and characters in <i>Cinder</i> and <i>Scarlet</i>! Amanda Hocking truly pales in comparison. I'm hoping <i>Lullaby</i> (Book 2) will be better when I eventually start on it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
THE DATING PROFILE CHALLENGE</h3>
</center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3T7I2NiRU5r4jhpDmNt8Tr6XsUKOTQPHiXP1QL8_lKErae3RuSg2Z8XDgLMZdOZ2gjxCkJA33krexB1xMVMl0mcB2ajHWhLgo2BqMXUmisiUMoQmdg5rdlkoXkZBeRS5tX8jgnRwizw/s1600/rose-book-heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3T7I2NiRU5r4jhpDmNt8Tr6XsUKOTQPHiXP1QL8_lKErae3RuSg2Z8XDgLMZdOZ2gjxCkJA33krexB1xMVMl0mcB2ajHWhLgo2BqMXUmisiUMoQmdg5rdlkoXkZBeRS5tX8jgnRwizw/s1600/rose-book-heart.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Okay, here's the deal: I come up with three different dating profiles based on the characters of a book I've read for this read-a-thon, and you lovely sea stars have to guess (I think these should be easy enough; I had a lot of fun coming up with them). Also, tell me which one you would date! ;)<br />
<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b dashed; padding: 25px;">
<center>
<h3>
THE BEAUTIFUL ONE</h3>
<i>“Don't trifle with me.”</i></center>
<br />
<b>Age:</b> Is this supposed to be an insult?<br />
<b>Gender:</b> Female<br />
<b>Relationship Status:</b> Go ahead, impress me. But I have my eyes set on my target... and a kingdom.<br />
<b>Children:</b> If you have children from another marriage, save it. They'll be as dead as my 3-year-old niece was in a heartbeat.<br />
<b>Fitness/Body Type:</b> I am beautiful. I am perfect beyond reason. <i>You adore me. You need me. You love me.</i><br />
<b>Education:</b> The best on the planet.<br />
<b>Income:</b> I own an entire planet, but I'll rule the universe soon.<br />
<b>Occupation:</b> Royalty<br />
<b>Likes:</b> Manipulating minds, thoughts and bodies. Getting my way. Glamouring. Looking beautiful. Violence. Power. Control. Domination.<br />
<b>Dislikes:</b> Shells. Earthens. Mirrors and cameras. Creatures who refuse to meet my perfectly reasonable demands. Weak people.<br />
<b>Looking for:</b> A crown prince with a kingdom for me to oppress and wage war upon.</blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b dashed; padding: 25px;">
<center>
<h3>
THE WARRIOR BODYGUARD</h3>
<i>“I'll protect you.”</i></center>
<br />
<b>Age:</b> 23<br />
<b>Gender:</b> Male<br />
<b>Relationship Status:</b> Single, alone, solo. You get what I mean.<br />
<b>Children:</b> I don't know. Now certainly isn't a good time to think about them.<br />
<b>Fitness/Body Type:</b> Muscular and fit<br />
<b>Education:</b> Not much, my parents couldn't afford it.<br />
<b>Income:</b> Enough to survive.<br />
<b>Occupation:</b> I fight for money.<br />
<b>Likes:</b> Bravery, control, loyalty, trust, tomatoes.<br />
<b>Dislikes:</b> Losing control, being conflicted, being animalistic.<br />
<b>Looking for:</b> Someone loyal, compassionate and kind. And who also grows the best tomatoes.</blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b dashed; padding: 25px;">
<center>
<h3>
ADONIS</h3>
<i>“It was my irresistible charm that convinced you, wasn't it?”</i></center>
<br />
<b>Age:</b> 20<br />
<b>Gender:</b> Male<br />
<b>Relationship Status:</b> Single and ready to mingle :D<br />
<b>Children:</b> None, it's my time to shine!<br />
<b>Fitness/Body Type: </b>Young, fit and muscular.<br />
<b>Education:</b> Does this actually matter??<br />
<b>Income:</b> I have my... ways.<br />
<b>Occupation:</b> Captain of a <i>very</i> fine ship, if I may say so!<br />
<b>Likes:</b> "Borrowing" things, expensive and valuable stuff, cleanliness, impressing girls, talking about myself, being on the news, being called handsome, being famous ;)<br />
<b>Dislikes:</b> Being ignored, having my ship insulted, going to jail, unsanitary conditions<br />
<b>Looking for:</b> I'm not asking for much — just a beautiful lady who adores every bit of wonderful me and my very fine ship.</blockquote>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let the guessing begin!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fbookshelfreflections.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F03%2Fdone.jpg%3Fresize%3D750%252C250&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgTckLHB_finmXEHAL9MSmUiF7ZCjOl4J53QYtO1ONdHXhC8BTD-2F2CdqncxZQjBxz1vqGcopY_YX4Yq9Hv6XVYpA_TSDA-74ZqyAnNClXDCXUkmzqeARH1OkvusV4LEEfu8wqK7cqcaNc2N0woxsI-D_k1KdxnZvDmO6xR6ovz4xF5eyc0klYaKdE38M5yXU-FmGKwhe99kCkp2O9CQ=" -->Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-86157744426904820962015-03-26T16:43:00.001+08:002015-03-26T17:15:17.621+08:00Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon Day 3: Casting Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i1.wp.com/bookshelfreflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/done.jpg?resize=583%2C194" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="done" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-3717" src="http://i1.wp.com/bookshelfreflections.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/done.jpg?resize=583%2C194" height="132" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today's challenge is casting characters! As mentioned yesterday in my playlist post, I don't really match songs to books, and so the same goes for actors and characters as well. I imagine it will take a while for me to find the 'perfect' pictures for my cast...</div>
<br />
<center>
<h3>
READING UPDATE</h3>
</center>
I've finished <i>Cinder</i> and <i>Scarlet</i> now, so I'll be starting on <i>Wake</i> by Amanda Hocking today. I hope this reread will be as positive as <i>Cinder</i>.<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
CASTING CHALLENGE</h3>
</center>
Having just finished <i>Scarlet</i>, I shall attempt to find pictures for the main cast: Scarlet, Wolf, Cinder, Kai, and Captain Thorne. I'll admit, this list is kind of daunting, so I'll be following <a href="http://www.marissameyer.com/blogtype/a-guide-to-lunar-chronicles-character-traits/" target="_blank">Marissa Meyer's list of character traits</a> as closely as I can.<br />
<br />
Disclaimer (if it can really be called a disclaimer): This isn't really a movie casting per se, but how I see the characters in my head based on the photo itself. So I could be picking a younger photo of an actor who's like 50 years old as of now.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Scarlet Benoit — Karen Dillan</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbAXv_rL_N1ycpX0P0HLFwy-mg6osR9wAWGYuGNtNGppokVLjXgSTht3Wqg6OgbFoBtCpc3m-jzb9VfTtAY2-xHcQZW1HDIPyZLMBVpi7YzBG77QEez_RYyWFaTaVDSMtYGiakTRNGKE/s1600/karen-gillan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbAXv_rL_N1ycpX0P0HLFwy-mg6osR9wAWGYuGNtNGppokVLjXgSTht3Wqg6OgbFoBtCpc3m-jzb9VfTtAY2-xHcQZW1HDIPyZLMBVpi7YzBG77QEez_RYyWFaTaVDSMtYGiakTRNGKE/s1600/karen-gillan.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I can't believe this Scottish lass is 27! She could absolutely pass for 18-year-old Scarlet with a shotgun and red hoodie. Plus I love her hair. All we need to do is curl it like Scarlet's.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Wolf — Alejo Sauras</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img class="irc_mi" src="http://www.source.ba/galerije/slike/zelenooki%20frajeri%2001.jpg" height="320" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="313" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I will not apologise for this smouldering picture. His hair and jawline totally give off that wolfish vibe. This Spanish actor is like 37 years old now, so this is definitely from his younger days. I scanned Google for green-eyed actors and only this picture fit what I was looking for.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Linh Cinder — Chloe Bennet</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img src="http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/mg/3/80/53737a31e765b.jpg" height="225" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="400" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I FINALLY FOUND A GOOD PIC OF HER IN A PONYTAIL. She's half Chinese, half American, and I love her acting in <i>Agents of Shield</i>! Her character, Skye, is tomboyish like Cinder and I can imagine her getting all greasy and dirty as a mechanic.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Prince (now Emperor) Kai — Kim Soo Hyun</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb0PZ7roU8mQK19UHFKtdKc3tKughL6bBSwOe037RTk-027H6oA3esTvY2XxGHRN4ACVAlZbGJOF3KofCtfTiW8aY7QHCu_SLHrswn5eI-4lAFWwRoqKdusWF1XRtH_M1ZkM93roWGRk/s320/kimsoohyun.jpg" height="320" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="212" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tried to find a colour version of this photo but couldn't. At least his hair is rather on point! Kim Soo Hyun has this crisp look about him, perfect for Kai. He even played a crown prince (and eventually an emperor) in <i>Moon Embracing The Sun</i>, one of my favourite Korean historical dramas!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"Captain" Carswell Thorne — Chace Crawford</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASG1nJDjMcY1jjsjImR_CzNwR09EeixVSkNvQNSmqhFGqTHmRDrIiWi8jindusDgCiD3d2NDitLkKT-Sxyyr2yG8oM4ZzLsAgoNY1A3WTVVU8CtjQ1_Q3SRlWum6xrUknRRq7HlRbqc4/s1600/chace-crawford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASG1nJDjMcY1jjsjImR_CzNwR09EeixVSkNvQNSmqhFGqTHmRDrIiWi8jindusDgCiD3d2NDitLkKT-Sxyyr2yG8oM4ZzLsAgoNY1A3WTVVU8CtjQ1_Q3SRlWum6xrUknRRq7HlRbqc4/s1600/chace-crawford.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This character was the easiest to cast. Chace Crawford totally has the flirtatious smile and raised eyebrows that Meyer talks about!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Queen Levana — Rebecca Mader/Charlize Theron</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpNAEr8L31bJXTXkw4EUO-6O_PmYfk5h6jBGNjx1b0ylE0j8wMRh3V66Qx1A57SReqpgfHUIGBLn6q8ZgLMgJDwWqnN4Ly65asU9gz-ZaBT2otd5BbKAJsDrMe4nGXRfqr7-vNVUrpjA/s1600/rebecca-mader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpNAEr8L31bJXTXkw4EUO-6O_PmYfk5h6jBGNjx1b0ylE0j8wMRh3V66Qx1A57SReqpgfHUIGBLn6q8ZgLMgJDwWqnN4Ly65asU9gz-ZaBT2otd5BbKAJsDrMe4nGXRfqr7-vNVUrpjA/s1600/rebecca-mader.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwosFKaSpaKICZVGuBQBjPuEP4nrkbOSZWuzG_tVMb5CCfnnv8Uj2SRBjMpoOy_bJgxMSVTPG0EVnSUENmiWNTV-Tx5yh4ZJKQ2Of38Ixlm4T50uDh7Y5AuM8T2bdGvUz1GY53NUV4dsQ/s1600/charlize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwosFKaSpaKICZVGuBQBjPuEP4nrkbOSZWuzG_tVMb5CCfnnv8Uj2SRBjMpoOy_bJgxMSVTPG0EVnSUENmiWNTV-Tx5yh4ZJKQ2Of38Ixlm4T50uDh7Y5AuM8T2bdGvUz1GY53NUV4dsQ/s1600/charlize.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's a close tie between these two. Rebecca was brilliant as the Wicked Witch of the West in <i>OUAT</i>, while Charlize was a spectacular Evil Queen in <i>Snow White and the Huntsman</i>. Who do you think could be Queen Levana?</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">OKAY SCRAP THAT CHARLIZE WINS WITH THIS MAGAZINE SHOOT</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.magxone.com/uploads/2012/01/W-Magazine-Charlize-Theron-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.magxone.com/uploads/2012/01/W-Magazine-Charlize-Theron-1.jpg" height="400" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="295" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-34521450211399358282015-03-26T01:09:00.000+08:002015-03-26T01:26:38.105+08:00Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon Day 2: Playlist!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgYh7atSWv5ZHKAHfO0S39UwfGzNGzh86OilOHfH0HajTYwbB9QT8jF8IelFG0nqJD2UKV1xcWn8V7REbxAKOTVXLFuA8dmbjkAH5frqt6-6F6ce69uKezk12FRqPNZqFzvGiRtUOKXEXIYz1IGaIRCFKBXHyPf05jijUDPPp1uLC8AA6FXH-CnTIWN9ObUGS2DJrxCi_fSwIihfTtXdn-SST-Hnu4HGQ=s0-d-e1-ft" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgYh7atSWv5ZHKAHfO0S39UwfGzNGzh86OilOHfH0HajTYwbB9QT8jF8IelFG0nqJD2UKV1xcWn8V7REbxAKOTVXLFuA8dmbjkAH5frqt6-6F6ce69uKezk12FRqPNZqFzvGiRtUOKXEXIYz1IGaIRCFKBXHyPf05jijUDPPp1uLC8AA6FXH-CnTIWN9ObUGS2DJrxCi_fSwIihfTtXdn-SST-Hnu4HGQ=s0-d-e1-ft" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm still a post late but will try to catch up! Day Two is all about the music. Funnily enough, while I'm extremely reliant on my iTunes library to fill in moments like taking public transport on the way to school, I don't actively associate certain songs with books or series I've read until someone else makes a link between book and song. Then I totally go<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg97oQymC0CYo0GMFMUkMOpL2vF_Y070YwZThW_kmexSSr9imMli1aVtEkz5Rz-6ifQrJGVTAHMZ9CL5BJ4cQOSJGeD3lKul8Mc2Pxn54UemGMje4LOovQ0EuvuBw4LBDNiIlTnGgoEQ/s1600/OMG-WHY-DIDN'T-I-THINK-OF-THAT.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzg97oQymC0CYo0GMFMUkMOpL2vF_Y070YwZThW_kmexSSr9imMli1aVtEkz5Rz-6ifQrJGVTAHMZ9CL5BJ4cQOSJGeD3lKul8Mc2Pxn54UemGMje4LOovQ0EuvuBw4LBDNiIlTnGgoEQ/s1600/OMG-WHY-DIDN'T-I-THINK-OF-THAT.gif" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yup. But let's get to the reading update first, shall we? *news music plays*</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<center>
<h3>
READING UPDATE</h3>
</center>
I finished <i>Cinder</i> while waiting for the doctor's. I've had TMJ, or lockjaw/jawlock, for 6 days in a row already and it's a complete seawitch. It doesn't hurt too much, but brushing my teeth, eating, yawning and laughing too hard are kinda problematic. Anyway, I am now 44% through with <i>Scarlet</i> on my Kindle. I really enjoyed <i>Cinder</i> a whole lot more this time than when I first read it, which made me go into one of my <i>gurl what WERE you thinking back then?!?!?</i> moments. <i>Scarlet</i> is pretty awesome so far. I'm loving Scarlet's fiery personality and the mystery of her grand-mère's whereabouts.<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
PLAYLIST</h3>
</center>
Like I said, I don't have an extensive book playlist (especially for like a series), so I'll be answering the challenge questions as straightforwardly as possible.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Pick a character and match a song to them.</b><br />
I'm going with Arin from <i>The Winner's Trilogy</i> for this one — more specifically, the situation his character is in during the events of <i>The Winner's Crime</i>. I'll be cheating a little for this one and picking Florence + The Machine's cover of Drake's <i>Take Care</i>, because that's exactly what author Marie Rutkoski told me when I asked her!<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en-gb">
<a href="https://twitter.com/gohsherlyn">@gohsherlyn</a> Lately, Florence and the Machine's cover of Drake's "Take Care" and U2's "Bad" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thewinnerscrime?src=hash">#thewinnerscrime</a><br />
— Marie Rutkoski (@marierutkoski) <a href="https://twitter.com/marierutkoski/status/568833698281463808">February 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center>
<br />
I'm just gonna take a moment to say how I <i>simply</i> adore Florence + The Machine. Any FATM fans here? I love how Florence speaks like a bird but sings like a lion, and she's such a sweet person overall! You can skip to 0:41 to hear the cover immediately.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g9GQJgbGZJU" width="560"></iframe></center>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"I’ve asked about you and they told me things</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>But my mind didn’t change and I still feel the same"</i></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"I’ll be there for you, I will care for you</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>I keep thinking you just don’t know</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Trying to run from that, say you’re done with that</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>On your face girl, it just don’t show</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>When you’re ready, just say you’re ready</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>When all the baggage just ain’t as heavy</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>And the party's over, just don’t forget me</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>We’ll change the pace and we'll just go slow</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>You won’t ever have to worry,</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>You won’t ever have to hide"</i></blockquote>
I teared up at this part. <i>The Winner's Crime</i> is so much heartbreak and those of you who've read it will know EXACTLY what I'm referring to in Arin and Kestrel's relationship. I can almost hear Arin singing this to Kestrel. </3<br />
<br />
<b>2. Pick a scene and match a song to it.</b><br />
The garden scene where Marco shows Celia his illusions in <i>The Night Circus</i>. Actually, pretty much any scene where the two illusionists are together and showing each other what they're capable of. I would pick <i>Cosmic Love</i> by — guess who again — Florence + The Machine, and no <a href="http://www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/archive/2011/09/book_notes_erin_1.html" target="_blank">I totally did not steal this off Erin Morgenstern's playlist</a>. This song is just magical, especially with the harp. Morgenstern calls it a "night-sky love song".<br />
<br />
Fun fact: Florence Welch wrote this song with Isabella Summers in 10 minutes while on a hangover. How talented can a person get?!<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2EIeUlvHAiM" width="560"></iframe></center>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>You left me in the dark</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>In the shadow of your heart</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>And knew that somehow I could find my way back</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>So I stayed in the darkness with you"</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<b>3. Pick a book and match a song to it.</b><br />
<i>Passion</i> by Lauren Kate for Christina Perri's <i>A Thousand Years</i>. I still don't get why that song was written for the <i>The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn</i>, because Edward only waited a mere 100 years for Bella. On the other fin, Daniel Grigori spent a <i>freaking</i> 6000 years (and more) loving and waiting for Lucinda Price.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q9ayN39xmsI" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<b>4. Pick a song and describe a short scene you would like to see happen in the book you are currently reading to that song or inspired by that song.</b><br />
Scarlet and Wolf are doing quite a bit of running in the book so far, and I foresee even more of that happening. Plus, the fact that they're French calls for a song <i>en français, oui</i>? I'll pick <i>Je Cours</i> (literally: <i>I'm running</i>) by Belgian singer Stromae for that. He's phenomenal.<br />
<br />
You can read the translated lyrics <a href="http://lyricstranslate.com/en/je-cours-im-running.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wIrI_MOfxG0" width="560"></iframe></center>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Mais mes pensées courent et se surpassent</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sur la lune très peu veulent m'y voir</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Et j'y retourne souvent pour qu'eux m'rejoignent"</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>("Even my thoughts are running, outdoing each other</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Under the moon they have little desire to see me there</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>And I often return there so they will rejoin me")</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
I think the lyrics apply more for Wolf actually, because somehow he's like a werewolf to me so far XD Thus the moon reference and all that.<br />
<br />
<b>5. What song would you force Hermione to listen to on repeat as long as she's chained to you?</b><br />
<i>Popular Song</i> by MIKA ft. Ariana Grande. It's a fun song, full of truth, and I absolutely love the music video (it's so Tim Burton even though he didn't direct it). Also, we've both been kind of unpopular at some point in school ;)<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nmcdLOjGVzw" width="560"></iframe></center>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>"And all that you have to do, is be true to you</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<i>That's all you ever need to know"</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
<b>6. What song would Hermione make you listen to?</b><br />
She just made me listen to Vivaldi's <i>Four Seasons</i> on repeat this afternoon. You know, it's great music for studying and just about anything in life. Not that I mind one bit — I grew up with classical music and am a huge fan! I love <i>Spring</i> and <i>Autumn</i> best.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GRxofEmo3HA" width="560"></iframe></center>
<br />
<b>7. What’s your and Hermione's song?</b><br />
<i>Team</i> by Lorde. It's the lyrics, but I like the subtle hint/sound of hope in the song and how it's laid-back. And you know, being a team and all that, just like she and Ron and Harry are. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but the melody is sort of uplifting in a way.<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f2JuxM-snGc" width="560"></iframe></center>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;">
<i>"We live in cities you'll never see on screen</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;">
<i>Not very pretty, but we sure know how to run things</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;">
<i>Living in ruins of the palace within my dreams</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;">
<i>And you know we're on each other's team</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;">
<i>I'm kind of over getting told to throw my hands up in the air</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both;">
<i>So there"</i></blockquote>
</blockquote>
Plus, the wizarding world is definitely a city that muggles will never see on screen! ;)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-10290884863045585232015-03-24T17:39:00.000+08:002015-03-24T18:49:16.838+08:00Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon Day 1: Kick-Off & Book Photography<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgYh7atSWv5ZHKAHfO0S39UwfGzNGzh86OilOHfH0HajTYwbB9QT8jF8IelFG0nqJD2UKV1xcWn8V7REbxAKOTVXLFuA8dmbjkAH5frqt6-6F6ce69uKezk12FRqPNZqFzvGiRtUOKXEXIYz1IGaIRCFKBXHyPf05jijUDPPp1uLC8AA6FXH-CnTIWN9ObUGS2DJrxCi_fSwIihfTtXdn-SST-Hnu4HGQ=s0-d-e1-ft" width="400" /></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
This post is regrettably a day late because something unfortunate happened in the wee hours of yesterday morning. My country's founding father, <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/lee-kuan-yew-singapores-founding-father-dies-aged-91-201" target="_blank">Mr Lee Kuan Yew</a>, passed away at the age of 91. The whole of Singapore is in mourning. He was the one who placed Singapore on the world map, who made our little red dot the country she is today. Without him we would be nothing.<br />
<br />
As a mark of respect, I did not post despite having snapped my photos. After a day's silence, I have decided to continue with the read-a-thon.</blockquote>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
READING UPDATE</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am currently on page 58 (Chapter Six) of <i>Cinder</i> by Marissa Meyer. I didn't read at all yesterday because I didn't feel like it, plus I had to visit the dentist and spent the afternoon waiting for the sun to stop hiding behind a throng of clouds so I could take the pictures below and do justice to the exquisiteness of <i>Ensnared</i> by A. G. Howard, which I won in a giveaway over at <a href="http://novelheartbeat.com/" target="_blank">Novel Heartbeat</a>. Wow, that was a <i>very</i> long sentence!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBuwFGLE-eG71Rq2tX4DdtGbSK3pNZdZm698skYOj3iJelyDtpskThe_P5eTZ5ny1SFGkYztxUTy0KtmFUOYKb8PhV_4LpWLFwc1Pbllw7jRmxvhT6HX2RxdPG-LMryQIi_D_IFlSthY/s1600/cinder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBuwFGLE-eG71Rq2tX4DdtGbSK3pNZdZm698skYOj3iJelyDtpskThe_P5eTZ5ny1SFGkYztxUTy0KtmFUOYKb8PhV_4LpWLFwc1Pbllw7jRmxvhT6HX2RxdPG-LMryQIi_D_IFlSthY/s1600/cinder.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background: #FFF; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 450px; padding: 0; width: -webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width: 99.375%; width: calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;">
<div style="background: url(data:image/png; display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://instagram.com/p/0mAzn3yvI4/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_top">A photo posted by Sherlyn (@monstrousbeauty)</a> on <time datetime="2015-03-24T02:37:42+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 23, 2015 at 7:37pm PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script></center>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
MORE BOOK PHOTOGRAPHY</h3>
I love taking pictures of books, so I was really happy to hear that the read-a-thon would be starting off with book photography! If you're on <a href="http://instagram.com/monstrousbeauty" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, I'd love to follow you :)<br />
<br />
Okay, here we go:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<b>MY BOOKSHELF</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK1bA_M5PW7Mabpk5CBMoJvqTg5ouTgOYn1TqKM7qQYdPVDHi7q2tRUAltlTR4aDycXXi_26Z2ca_r8GmQGWezKacEj22Rd6GPddkf6X-IwLVwpX6aBIN5NAdLMVXFH9Ws5BCI0SRdYE/s1600/bookshelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK1bA_M5PW7Mabpk5CBMoJvqTg5ouTgOYn1TqKM7qQYdPVDHi7q2tRUAltlTR4aDycXXi_26Z2ca_r8GmQGWezKacEj22Rd6GPddkf6X-IwLVwpX6aBIN5NAdLMVXFH9Ws5BCI0SRdYE/s1600/bookshelf.jpg" height="299" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This here's the place where my books live. It actually has sliding doors, but I asked my dad to detach them temporarily so I could snap this. The first shelf houses Young Adult books. The one below has my older books and other novels that just aren't YA. <i>The Twilight Saga</i> is on this shelf because I ran out of space. I arrange my books by colour, but as you can see the first shelf is kind of lacking in the green department!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>WHERE I WILL BE READING THIS WEEK</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_MlwmMPWaOdcKXB-RTaM_3SBQu00jazHLwW2YphuKtRFNtRCCMYHx260EGBUdK_0Dxve-KNiyCRCc1KKk_1W07Pff7q5PIt3ubitEniMnE7onUHK1ylrZqFm8gHxXtIQAMoc_H9IbfE/s1600/reading-place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis_MlwmMPWaOdcKXB-RTaM_3SBQu00jazHLwW2YphuKtRFNtRCCMYHx260EGBUdK_0Dxve-KNiyCRCc1KKk_1W07Pff7q5PIt3ubitEniMnE7onUHK1ylrZqFm8gHxXtIQAMoc_H9IbfE/s1600/reading-place.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is where I'll be reading other than in my blogging space. This extended-long-sofa is awesome because it's perfect for mermaids to stretch their fins out on ;)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>MY BLOGGING SPACE</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWXQHyXIWt-r_X4DgJB4z_lDzOidMPz_7W3J4Xg0eL5foWbhQoEPnSTYEntGNq1D6pKrqWQhTmCBgHHMu0ALTXFW92Tj9Oi_TQKtGqDaWHRGw-Uk_MgrcQZKmdYIbGxDVqVPBsJCJAKc/s1600/blogging-space.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWXQHyXIWt-r_X4DgJB4z_lDzOidMPz_7W3J4Xg0eL5foWbhQoEPnSTYEntGNq1D6pKrqWQhTmCBgHHMu0ALTXFW92Tj9Oi_TQKtGqDaWHRGw-Uk_MgrcQZKmdYIbGxDVqVPBsJCJAKc/s1600/blogging-space.jpg" height="332" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Behold, my blogging space. Trust me, it's seen messier days. My watercolour pencils are crashing in for a bit while my hands are trying to figure out what to do with the random artsy inspiration that pops into my head.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>MY FAVOURITE FANTASY BOOK</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gnLJ6sB2DWlwZAc_E1s6PqFsv4SK4NB6nonFodTtNJP2cimh2FeWwcijKLBT_7FRqDJsCUI5XBi-dR8NNW3_e2SjRqAgF6DQFZ5VUSdvDUrJCn9XVcAV5i92BVeOBB3vOKlqLZ2tg5Y/s1600/fave-fantasy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gnLJ6sB2DWlwZAc_E1s6PqFsv4SK4NB6nonFodTtNJP2cimh2FeWwcijKLBT_7FRqDJsCUI5XBi-dR8NNW3_e2SjRqAgF6DQFZ5VUSdvDUrJCn9XVcAV5i92BVeOBB3vOKlqLZ2tg5Y/s1600/fave-fantasy.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I don't have a physical copy of <i>The Winner's Crime</i>, but <i>Curse</i> will represent this favourite fantasy series of mine. I have also just realised that these two sentences rhyme!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>A BOOK ON MY BOOKSHELF THAT HAS MAGIC AND DRAGONS</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTDXS1FvRxcQVHmIl6R1xW4X73dZOgl-Ed5sWCLj9zEA9r81ill6Tj4W9d64Jny70B-h4Yr755ZMinuFe2DTefL8Tviz5T4EFdHk5NKSS_jSsd7AWMnAOZxMxIwTxEcn1W66GAFaHfas/s1600/magic-and-dragons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTDXS1FvRxcQVHmIl6R1xW4X73dZOgl-Ed5sWCLj9zEA9r81ill6Tj4W9d64Jny70B-h4Yr755ZMinuFe2DTefL8Tviz5T4EFdHk5NKSS_jSsd7AWMnAOZxMxIwTxEcn1W66GAFaHfas/s1600/magic-and-dragons.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I discovered this series in my early teens. The world-building, characters, magic — EVERYTHING is amazing. Fun fact: Disney's <i>The Princess and the Frog</i> is loosely based on the first book in this series, <i>The Frog Princess</i>. They got the idea of the princess turning into a frog instead from that book.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>A BOOK ON MY BOOKSHELF THAT HAS MYTHOLOGY</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro8v4iuZWuRSMAeW055i3pptTx0oQeOoO2k7ZzrlFgBzTMTMIaVpmkxOQn8CoAAu5KbasIGtpiu1FhBbtlYiECMWQMaBxrXO0ej4XrYCD3Syu9oe9rqUTlGRubhuxL8KIk69QF23ghY0/s1600/mythology.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro8v4iuZWuRSMAeW055i3pptTx0oQeOoO2k7ZzrlFgBzTMTMIaVpmkxOQn8CoAAu5KbasIGtpiu1FhBbtlYiECMWQMaBxrXO0ej4XrYCD3Syu9oe9rqUTlGRubhuxL8KIk69QF23ghY0/s1600/mythology.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The <i>Watersong Quartet</i> has sirens in it. I think that's about as Greek as it gets!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>MY FANTASY BOOKS SORTED BY COLOUR</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWrZiChr3hhMyTpQrdGlz6WDkFbsZd6fsWM-U6FFUPhNqitQO_8XKXFkOn0wPo8M9ER_zKtOGM5dxjuAIezAZBOlm3Ncq5yCxhUjtFlRUYF1cAC9OlLkq4tR2BsX_8ne68P7CXN_3UjU/s1600/fantasy-books-by-colour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWrZiChr3hhMyTpQrdGlz6WDkFbsZd6fsWM-U6FFUPhNqitQO_8XKXFkOn0wPo8M9ER_zKtOGM5dxjuAIezAZBOlm3Ncq5yCxhUjtFlRUYF1cAC9OlLkq4tR2BsX_8ne68P7CXN_3UjU/s1600/fantasy-books-by-colour.jpg" height="277" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I decided to rearrange my books for the sake of this picture, because heck, why not? I swear, we could totally play a spot-the-difference game with this photo. The second shelf doesn't count except for <i>The Twilight Saga</i> (jumping jellyfish, I really don't have a lot of physical YA books!).</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>MY READS FOR THIS WEEK</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFcHPe5htRQVzeXWdIUDOubU-FfPIHApm02rzfb5rISOoWYd7CdzNCHnWUoSwfQBOoebUpqWlaolMb7fu3czFvUYV-LzD2mfGjzwPmcD2-F8Tnku3bYu5zblTH_pSSeJeMwf9ekARGW8/s1600/reads-for-this-week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFcHPe5htRQVzeXWdIUDOubU-FfPIHApm02rzfb5rISOoWYd7CdzNCHnWUoSwfQBOoebUpqWlaolMb7fu3czFvUYV-LzD2mfGjzwPmcD2-F8Tnku3bYu5zblTH_pSSeJeMwf9ekARGW8/s1600/reads-for-this-week.jpg" height="334" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pretty self-explanatory! I got <i>Goblet of Fire</i> to stand in for <i>Sorcerer's Stone</i> as I don't have a physical copy. Isn't this a lovely combo of red and blue, though? ♥︎</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Now for the questions about Hermione Granger, whom I'm currently chained to!<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b dotted; padding: 15px;">
<b>1. Now that Hermione is chained to you, what do you want to force her to do with you? (Assuming you have her consent.)</b><br />
<br />
We're going to watch Disney movies all day long, then spend the following day at Disneyland. I can't think of anything better than having my two favourite worlds collide. I was a bit hesitant to suggest roller coasters (not everyone likes them) but then I remembered that Hermione's been through stuff way scarier than a coaster, so we're going to ride all the roller coasters and scream and meet Disney characters and munch on popcorn and have a ton of fun!<br />
<br />
<b>2. What book(s) is Hermione reading?</b><br />
<br />
<i>The Hunger Games</i> by Suzanne Collins. She's currently deep in thought at all the social injustice the poorer districts face as I type this, and greatly approves of Katniss' attitude.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Roleplay a scene where you and Hermione are fighting over a scene/character in the book you are currently reading.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Me:</b> What's a magbelt? </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Hermione:</b> A magbelt?</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Me:</b> Apparently Cinder has to look for a magbelt to get a hover working again. What does a hover even <i>look</i> like? There isn't a clear description of one in here.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Hermione:</b> Hmm, give me a moment. *grabs <i>Cinder</i> from me, flips pages back and forth* It says <i>here</i> that while Cinder is looking for a magbelt to fix the hover, she's found a gasoline car instead of what she thought was a hover. Therefore, a hover must be a transportation vehicle in this book's futuristic setting. As for a magbelt, Cinder has found a timing belt instead.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Me:</b> *raises eyebrow, taps chin* So a timing belt...</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Hermione:</b> ... is a part of an internal combustion engine that synchronises the rotation of the crankshaft and the camshafts so that the engine's valves open and close at the proper times during each cylinder's intake and exhaust strokes.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Me:</b> O_O How –</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Hermione:</b> *turns to face me from my laptop and Google* As such, I conclude that a magbelt has a similiar use to a timing belt, but is slightly more advanced. After all, this <i>is</i> a science-fiction world!</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Me:</b> Ah, yes. Yes indeed.</span><br />
<br />
<b>4. You've already spent 12 hours chained to Hermione. How do you feel about her now? Anything irritating you yet?</b><br />
<br />
I think we're getting along pretty well, but I do have to be careful of voicing my thoughts – especially questions – out loud. I mean, I used to think that I was smart before she showed up...<br />
<br />
That aside, however, I've had a lot of fun showing her around, and she's been telling me about her life before Hogwarts.<br />
<br />
<b>5. How do you spend your day with Hermione during the read-a-thon?</b><br />
<br />
We plop ourselves on the long sofa and read. It's brilliant. We occasionally get up and make some tea as well.<br />
<br />
<b>6. What would your relationship status with Hermione be if you got to keep her after the read-a-thon?</b><br />
<br />
I'm rethinking the best friends part. But I'm really hoping that we'll be good friends (:<br />
<br />
<b>7. Hermione is at your mercy. What have you always wanted to ask her? What does she answer?</b><br />
<br />
Please, <i>please</i> put an Undetectable Extension Charm on all of my bags! And do throw in a Feather-light Charm as well. Oh, imagine the space I could save! And all the books I could carry everywhere with me!<br />
<br />
<b>8. If given the chance to, would you like to go back to Hermione's world after the read-a-thon?</b><br />
<br />
No one says no to Hogwarts. NO ONE.</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a>Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-70648839492182785402015-03-17T17:39:00.000+08:002015-03-18T13:49:44.668+08:00Fantasy Favourites Read-a-thon: Goal Setting & Introductions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlkMnWuapykSJdqRSdAJ0uEETtizNdqCYQ0sizm2qpxdmO8bc-eFy6ieaL5Ayxd_57pz6R1bhqeZ1xddJXKnJ0ykqspXbWqrNDAc4z2mbnQD7WdRfN696KnyL5MEhJSTU-ZqhENQsFc0/s1600/ffreadathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlkMnWuapykSJdqRSdAJ0uEETtizNdqCYQ0sizm2qpxdmO8bc-eFy6ieaL5Ayxd_57pz6R1bhqeZ1xddJXKnJ0ykqspXbWqrNDAc4z2mbnQD7WdRfN696KnyL5MEhJSTU-ZqhENQsFc0/s1600/ffreadathon.jpg" height="318" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This will be my first ever read-a-thon and I've gotta say, I'm pretty excited. The best thing about it is that fantasy is my most favourite genre of all, so yay!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMGudPtVDeIALFwv4BeCASXhMn5vGD-91e8WStc8Cqu9UMLDGOvgv2_iFirQzWy3fmCc0xD0ee_IbfN0Z9x7bdHb69y5Y-73goUMmsfWtOu_FQlI4jiXbVA_33OowYvXgXUokYkv3nLo/s1600/fantasy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMGudPtVDeIALFwv4BeCASXhMn5vGD-91e8WStc8Cqu9UMLDGOvgv2_iFirQzWy3fmCc0xD0ee_IbfN0Z9x7bdHb69y5Y-73goUMmsfWtOu_FQlI4jiXbVA_33OowYvXgXUokYkv3nLo/s1600/fantasy1.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Fantasy? Why, yes please! (Hand-lettered by yours truly)</b></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The wonderful hosts of this read-a-thon are Inge and Karolina at <a href="http://bookshelfreflections.com/fantasy-favourites-read-a-thon-sign-up-post/" target="_blank">Bookshelf Reflections</a> and Olivia at <a href="http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.sg/2015/03/sign-up-fantasy-favourites-read-thon.html" target="_blank">Olivia's Catastrophe</a>. Make sure to sign up so you can join in the fun!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Introduce yourself!</b><br />
Hey there! I'm Sherlyn, The Mermaid from Mermaid With A Book. I'm 19 and love reading, photography, anything Disney, watching ABC's <i>Once Upon A Time </i>and most recently, watercolour painting and hand-lettering... there's more but it'd be terribly long, so I'll stop here. I'm also <strike>secretly</strike> crazy—don't worry, I won't bite! ;)<br />
<br />
<b>Why did you choose to join the read-a-thon?</b><br />
Well, for one thing, I've never taken part in a read-a-thon before. School's been taking up a lot of my time but I'm on break now, and I thought this might give me an opportunity to catch up on series I never got to finish (like <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/62018-the-lunar-chronicles" target="_blank">The Lunar Chronicles</a></i>) as well as meet other book bloggers!<br />
<br />
<b>What books do you intend to read? What’s your reading goal and how many pages do you actually think you can manage?</b><br />
I intend to at least reread <i>Cinder</i> and get to <i>Scarlet</i> in <i>The Lunar Chronicles</i> by Marissa Meyer. I also want to finish <i>Lullaby</i> in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/58670-the-watersong-quartet" target="_blank"><i>Watersong</i> quartet</a> by Amanda Hocking, and if possible revisit the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/45175-harry-potter" target="_blank"><i>Harry Potter</i> series</a> with <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i>. I don't want to count the number of pages because that would probably stress my fins off.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your current favourite fantasy read?</b><br />
Currently? <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/119513-the-winner-s-trilogy" target="_blank">The Winner's Trilogy</a></i> by Marie Rutkoski—more specifically, <i>The Winner's Crime</i>. A heartbreaker, that one! Other favourites include <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus" target="_blank"><i>The Night Circus</i> by Erin Morgenstern</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8428195-entwined" target="_blank"><i>Entwined</i> by Heather Dixon</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24337.Ella_Enchanted" target="_blank"><i>Ella Enchanted</i> by Gail Carson Levine</a>. And of course, <i>Harry Potter</i>. Always.<br />
<br />
<b>What is your least favourite fantasy read of all time?</b><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/46586-the-wolves-of-mercy-falls" target="_blank"><i>The Wolves of Mercy Falls</i> series</a> by Maggie Stiefvater. It bored me to no end, but I'm someone who will keep reading on in the hopes that a series gets better <i>(read: to see how bad it can get)</i> and I actually finished the entire trilogy...<br />
<br />
<b>Which fantasy book are you dying to read?</b><br />
<i>THE WINNER'S KISS</i>, hands down! And <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/51288-throne-of-glass" target="_blank">Throne of Glass</a> </i>(I've heard such marvellous things about it), as well as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18601430-deep-blue" target="_blank"><i>Deep Blue</i> by Jennifer Donnelly</a> (because mermaids!).<br />
<br />
<b>What fantasy book would you like to star in?</b><br />
I'm torn! Can I narrow my choices down to two? Pretty please with a starfish on top. I'd love to star in <i>Harry Potter </i>and be in Gryffindor. I got to visit the WWOHP in Japan last year with my sister and we were squeeing at everything! And as a mermaid, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6710476-forgive-my-fins" target="_blank"><i>Forgive My Fins</i> by Tera Lynn Childs</a> (because Quince!).<br />
<br />
<b>Suggest three books for other read-a-thon participants that you think are worth powering through during the read-a-thon.</b><br />
If you're looking for high fantasy, try the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/41981-unicorn-chronicles" target="_blank"><i>Unicorn Chronicles</i> by Bruce Coville</a>. If not, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/44866-the-inheritance-cycle" target="_blank"><i>The</i> <i>Inheritance Cycle</i> by Christopher Paolini</a> rivals that (it's a little darker). <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/44452-uglies" target="_blank">Scott Westerfeld's <i>Uglies</i> series</a> is pretty awesome too.<br />
<br />
<b>If you could choose any fantasy book character to be chained to you during the read-a-thon, whom would you pick and why?</b><br />
Hermione Granger (I've always secretly wanted to be best friends with her). I'll probably sit there wide-eyed as she rattles off wizarding terms and ask her a gazillion questions.<br />
<br />
<b>Tag at least one friend and pester them into participating! Trust me, next Monday will be fun, especially if you answer the previous question!</b><br />
I'm really hoping that Lillie from <a href="https://bookraptured.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Bookraptured</a> will be available for the read-a-thon! She's an amazing friend and reading buddy. ♥︎<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-79152352880756100662015-02-17T00:00:00.000+08:002015-02-17T02:22:30.716+08:00Review + Giveaway: Florence by Ciye Cho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeqzxI_KyU73jcghpmnfGTqYE6B5iNJaFUWatW_OXMsCRkelQgh-zwnk3cHzjL4RUfjks-bzlncFPgmUoEeXM1gso6oS6m1D2JOgMap07CHxehpHX6TKCccf9slo8IVbhCduXBkSXKC0/s1600/florence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: -0.5em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeqzxI_KyU73jcghpmnfGTqYE6B5iNJaFUWatW_OXMsCRkelQgh-zwnk3cHzjL4RUfjks-bzlncFPgmUoEeXM1gso6oS6m1D2JOgMap07CHxehpHX6TKCccf9slo8IVbhCduXBkSXKC0/s1600/florence.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14325848-florence" target="_blank">Florence (Florence Waverley, #1) by Ciye Cho</a><br />
Publisher: Self-pubbed<br />
Released: June 28th 2012<br />
Format: Ebook<br />
Source: Review copy from author<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #20124d;">Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand_and find out where she belongs—Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul. </span></blockquote>
I have a feeling that this series might soon be one of my favourites.<br />
<br />
The premise seems simple enough – loner girl goes on school trip to beach, swims in ocean, gets kidnapped by a merman and taken to a mer-kingdom. No, she doesn't get turned into a mermaid, nor does she have any trace of mer swimming around in her veins. I mean, it's become sort of the norm for protagonists in mermaid novels nowadays to sprout a pair of fins themselves, or maybe find out that their great-great-great-great grandmother was a mermaid queen or something. Not in the case of <i>Florence</i>. The only mermaid novel I've read that doesn't adhere to this is <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6905569-the-forbidden-sea" target="_blank">The Forbidden Sea</a></i> by Sheila A. Nielson, and now <i>Florence</i> has successfully broken the cliché as well — a fin-tastic change, if you ask me!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1f0apfI1w1qk7ucko4_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1f0apfI1w1qk7ucko4_500.gif" height="160" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;"><b>Props to you, Mr Cho.</b></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cho has created a kaleidoscopic, whimsical world filled with danger and brilliance in the undersea kingdom of Niemela. I was constantly amazed at how lush and magical a setting could seem in my head. The Oceanarium, especially, was gloriously and vividly described; it felt so Pixar-like. If this book ever got turned into an animated film, I would totally watch it!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">... The glow from the corals didn’t just reflect off the animals—it washed over them in bright, honeyed splashes. I held out my hands and opal watercolor pooled in my palms.</span></i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The Niemelans also have funky skin colours like purple, orange, yellow-green and blue. I found it hard to picture at first, but eventually got used to it. They also have familiars, and can give sea creatures 'thought commands'.<br />
<br />
The undersea world is also populated with deep sea monsters. The Borgamont is pretty creepy, resembling a giant, greenish-black hand trawling across the seabed. Vessels and Riders seem like winged skeletal centaur-narwhals straight out of a fantasy RPG game, and then there are the <i>lampreys</i>. Don't get me started on the <i>lampreys</i>. *shudders*<br />
<br />
Florence, our main character, isn't a makeup or perfume kind of girl. She gets ignored by the rest of her peers and can't fit in. She's an observer who loves to be left in her own world and doesn't have much confidence. While this was relatable at first, her character stayed rather stagnant until she started questioning herself – which is strange, seeing how the novel is set in her POV. There's eventually a gradual shift in her personality, but still not as much as I would have liked.<br />
<br />
Then there's Rolan and Kiren, the two mer-princes. One seems like your typical moody, brooding, almost-bad (mer)boy, and the other is charismatic and outgoing (and very much attracted to Florence). Truly, two very contrasting personalities. Florence soon finds herself embroiled in an inevitable clash of mer-politics between the two brothers, and as she spends time with each mer-prince, she discovers that things are <i>never</i> what they seem.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">(Florence:) “I think you like order more than anything else. And that’s why you keep pushing me away—because having me in your world creates more chaos than you can handle.”</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>Rolan was silent, perfectly still, and I braced myself for an eruption...</i> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>“Is that what you really think?” he asked calmly.</i> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;">A guarded expression passed over him, throwing my observations off-balance... a current pushed in our direction and I started to tumble backward. Rolan reached out and grabbed my hand. Warmth pulsed through me. “Nothing is truly what it seems on the outside,” he whispered before he let me go.</span></i></blockquote>
Ooh. Food for thought.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Florence</i> doesn't boast an extensive cast of secondary characters, though I would have liked to know more about characters like King Iriego, Serillico and Lenaya. I particularly love bubbly Yolee (and how her name sounds like)!<br />
<br />
While it didn't grab my attention right from the start, <i>Florence</i> slowly wormed its way into my heart. This novel is driven by the theme of fitting in and finding a place in this world – something which Florence struggles with. In Niemela, she soon finds out that she's not the only one trying to find her identity and a place to belong to. I think that Cho has done a wonderful job of showing that even though some of us may have felt this way at times, we're actually not alone on this journey towards self-discovery and most importantly, that there is always hope.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7XMHnIctuoxi0Sf1dW9EFuFwJTp5sb9YliagyMtg4G_mw6-LbA2_wWSdxTchesrQgn0WTYiTszD52tmQuXxJNFg-Zk7Hr4ZZWsjoRwbl6ZNUubFjUV-5F_H39VAH5GcnxaHlXRC9bLw/s1600/four-starfish-new.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7XMHnIctuoxi0Sf1dW9EFuFwJTp5sb9YliagyMtg4G_mw6-LbA2_wWSdxTchesrQgn0WTYiTszD52tmQuXxJNFg-Zk7Hr4ZZWsjoRwbl6ZNUubFjUV-5F_H39VAH5GcnxaHlXRC9bLw/s1600/four-starfish-new.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Oh yes, about the Niemelans' skin colours. I totally fell in love with this fanart by <a href="http://sharkie19.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">Rachel Sharp</a> when I saw it! IT'S SO PRETTY. It helped me visualise what the merpeople (especially Rolan) looked like. I am so going down with this ship <3<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV-A_VUc8GRoLF1rz_BStIMt-VETeARrALwMwferUd_pyOeecEQa0TfF_z-0cYzEjiCB_vLKEpB_GSgzJtLcPPG_YHv_NF_UPSdTpQUL31s-3qL0p51i7cnnOQvCUD4DZw9jUevDFoNg/s1600/florence+and+rolan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpV-A_VUc8GRoLF1rz_BStIMt-VETeARrALwMwferUd_pyOeecEQa0TfF_z-0cYzEjiCB_vLKEpB_GSgzJtLcPPG_YHv_NF_UPSdTpQUL31s-3qL0p51i7cnnOQvCUD4DZw9jUevDFoNg/s1600/florence+and+rolan.jpg" height="640" width="350" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">GIVEAWAY</span></h3>
</div>
<center>
Open internationally! One winner will swim away with the first three ebooks (<i>Florence</i>, <i>Luminaire</i> and <i>Darkness</i>) in the <i>Florence Waverley</i> series, and two more will each get an ecopy of <i>Florence</i>. Be sure to read the giveaway rules before you enter!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="860a065a4" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/860a065a4/" id="rcwidget_1b86olat" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></span></center>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">GIVEAWAY RULES:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• This giveaway is international.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• Entrants must be 13 or older to enter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• The winner will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If prizes are not claimed within 48 hours, another winner will be picked.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• Prizes will be sent out by the author.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• An entry will be deemed void if the requirement is not met.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• If your Twitter account is protected, I will not be able to see your tweets and the entry will also be deemed void.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• Please note that if your Twitter account is used only for giveaway entries and you use that account to earn all Twitter-related entries, those entries will be disqualified. Please remember that this is to spread the word about the giveaway, not simply increase your chances of winning.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">• Cheaters will be disqualified.</span><br />
<br />
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b><br />
<a href="http://www.jamesdashner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AboutPortrait.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ciye Cho" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1341210660p5/5025660.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.ciyecho.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/CiyeCho" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ciyecho" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5025660.Ciye_Cho" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ciyecho" target="_blank">YouTube</a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>Get your copy of <i>Florence</i>!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Florence-Waverley-Book-1-ebook/dp/B008G07DWO/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1424021702&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Amazon US </a>| <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Florence-Waverley-Book-1-ebook/dp/B008G07DWO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424021753&sr=1-1&keywords=florence+ciye" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/florence-ciye-cho/1112135084?ean=2940044691117" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/177209" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></div>
<br />
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B008G07DWO&asins=B008G07DWO&linkId=ZUZDHJJGGZDQ2LEI&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;br /&gt;
</iframe></center>
<center>
</center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<center>
</center>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-16004683203989743902015-02-14T15:59:00.001+08:002015-02-14T16:14:51.336+08:00Cover Reveal: SACRIFICE OF GREATEST PRICE by Cyndi Tefft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Happy Valentine's Day, my seastars! Welcome to the cover reveal of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24930725-sacrifice-of-greatest-price" target="_blank">SACRIFICE OF GREATEST PRICE</a>, the fourth book in the <i>Between</i> series by author <a href="http://cynditefft.com/" target="_blank">Cyndi Tefft</a>!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The first book, <i>Between</i>, is about a girl who falls in love with a Scottish Grim Reaper when she dies in a car accident (click <i><b><a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-between-between-1-by-cyndi-tefft.html" target="_blank">here</a></b></i> to read my review). I highly recommend this paranormal romance series and have been a BIG fan of it since 2011. It's been insanely awesome to see it grow into four books! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2tPOwha4doDJFEfQhEXTRl-bBBhkENNbSPCm-WsRul8ESTc-gVLktmFns3XIcjOkZrwinuUo5dx49Iw_pzs0FJSXQ6G8IyrFKA652qTJqdkZorvezEUlBEPAmUW-LrmvoMrT-ezfWTQ/s1600/SacrificeofGreatestPrice_LRG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2tPOwha4doDJFEfQhEXTRl-bBBhkENNbSPCm-WsRul8ESTc-gVLktmFns3XIcjOkZrwinuUo5dx49Iw_pzs0FJSXQ6G8IyrFKA652qTJqdkZorvezEUlBEPAmUW-LrmvoMrT-ezfWTQ/s1600/SacrificeofGreatestPrice_LRG.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<center>
<span style="color: #20124d;"><i>Three in one, forward and back<br />
Here and gone, to deepest black<br />
Silver blooms, swollen with child<br />
Birth crimson globes, untethered wild<br />
Life meets death where the sun meets the sea<br />
Blood sacrifice, for you and for me.</i><br />
<br />
It has all come down to this.<br />
<br />
A prophecy, passed down through generations of MacRaes, tells of a blood sacrifice. A simple stone placed in an ancient dagger unleashes an army of hell transporters with glowing red eyes who have now come to exact that price.<br />
<br />
<br />
In the epic finale of the Between series, Aiden and Lindsey will be tested in ways they could never have imagined. Visions of the past, from thousands of years ago when the Broch of Gurness in Orkney was whole, provide more questions than answers. But every secret will be revealed as the MacKinnons and MacRaes join forces to fight a battle they cannot hope to win.</span></center>
</blockquote>
The green flames are quite a surprise — the previous two covers have sported orange ones — and combined with the mysterious figure, the cover might just give you chills if you stare at it long enough!<br />
<br />
It also goes without saying that I AM POSITIVELY<span style="font-size: large;"> <b>DYING</b></span> TO READ THIS BOOK after the way Cyndi left us Aiden's Angels hanging in <i><a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2013/08/blog-tour-even-in-darkness-by-cyndi.html" target="_blank">Even In Darkness</a> </i>(<i>Between #3</i>). Two years is a very, <i>very</i> long wait.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b><br />
</b></span> <span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>COMING MARCH 28 2015</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24930725-sacrifice-of-greatest-price" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8jJrfS6eI83TzJEACa9Mq0zeEmeI5HRz-6P82t-foFALATtctQqrG-lnDbyXPMUifnQI-hqvpcl4CQ9CP3wrQ9UlDSD5s71ejUSTJz2_X4WYsJFS5TfhR8En9dhACQtDBDxmpdn80Zo/s1600/Goodreads+button.jpg" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1405354057020_299700" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me currently:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ppexi7dBsoFev5lhMc1zUKj0a9J1mqPRAe0qVjzpYtXNDiGH6WXJpB0L4rud9ERCC4gC3F9HgbOQNIG8ooPHQAzmjgC0jEsPebdyRQteOzhJ9MIL8G_Gd5qaTmTjg8i4iXBrWestdWI/s1600/waiting.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ppexi7dBsoFev5lhMc1zUKj0a9J1mqPRAe0qVjzpYtXNDiGH6WXJpB0L4rud9ERCC4gC3F9HgbOQNIG8ooPHQAzmjgC0jEsPebdyRQteOzhJ9MIL8G_Gd5qaTmTjg8i4iXBrWestdWI/s1600/waiting.gif" height="171" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto;">
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1_76-XwRjFXSy6UVkOCAos485FxTf6TYu2FEegzkbM-q-MOTmjgu7vk-hnbMdNKf26_geGmSRQNBCxpGNVPKQqcRegyEXEwMV4g4iOYFGfswT0RobOPmH9FOfb1puJWvCN5uB1qx-xM/s1600/cyndi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1_76-XwRjFXSy6UVkOCAos485FxTf6TYu2FEegzkbM-q-MOTmjgu7vk-hnbMdNKf26_geGmSRQNBCxpGNVPKQqcRegyEXEwMV4g4iOYFGfswT0RobOPmH9FOfb1puJWvCN5uB1qx-xM/s1600/cyndi.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.cynditefft.com/" target="_blank">Cyndi Tefft</a> lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is overcast and rainy, much like the Highlands of Scotland. So she was right at home when she got the chance to visit Eilean Donan Castle.<br />
<br />
A self-proclaimed Scot freak, she loved every bit about the trip to Scotland: the people, the kilts, the accents, the fish & chips, the haggis...well okay, not the haggis.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US"><b><span lang="EN-US"><b>Connect with Cyndi:</b> </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.cynditefft.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/CyndiTefft" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCyndiTefft" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/cynditefft" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/cynditefft" target="_blank">tumblr</a> | <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/cynditefft/videos?view_as=public" target="_blank">Youtube</a> | <a href="http://pinterest.com/cynditefft/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> </b></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div>
<b>Read the first three books!</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cyndi+tefft" target="_blank">Amazon US </a>| <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=cyndi+tefft" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?store=allproducts&keyword=cyndi+tefft" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/search?searchTerm=cyndi+tefft&search=Find+book/?a_aid=mermaidwithabook" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a><br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1460937104&asins=1460937104&linkId=VDV5UTC6A7SKKZHT&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
</iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1470166283&asins=1470166283&linkId=A4PVQJ5GHF6TTZZJ&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
</iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=148272023X&asins=148272023X&linkId=BM7CHVOR3H7ULVHG&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
</iframe><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-56146684794070632362015-01-01T02:06:00.000+08:002015-01-01T23:53:31.615+08:00Oh Hey There, 2015!<i>What</i> a year. And I'm so glad to say it's over.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9awFGpY8XVbcQb28ridr1p3UPm9vqQ_oRxbILS__TkdLtOWCPyKG67i3gZz2Iq0kNPWTAElCifoz8mbrkSEr_ZWPTrYDNgIS0qlpzWVHVVn2lHep7pCKebMFSadQYWpTTL6KpzrLnrc/s1600/yay.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9awFGpY8XVbcQb28ridr1p3UPm9vqQ_oRxbILS__TkdLtOWCPyKG67i3gZz2Iq0kNPWTAElCifoz8mbrkSEr_ZWPTrYDNgIS0qlpzWVHVVn2lHep7pCKebMFSadQYWpTTL6KpzrLnrc/s1600/yay.gif" height="168" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>Even the Evil Queen Regina has cause for celebration.</b></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I haven't posted since the beginning of last November. Heck, I probably wasn't even planning on posting anymore till the end of 2014 (aka yesterday) but then I'd thought,<i> crabs, it's already the last day of the year</i> so I guess this post will be an update of sorts and for me to clear up some jellyfish.<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
December's Bookhaul</h3>
</center>
<br />
If you're following me on <a href="http://instagram.com/monstrousbeauty" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, you'll know I had like, the biggest book haul in December. It's the most books I've ever bought in a month, let alone in a <i>year</i>. I mean, if you're talking about the type of reader who calls the library her second home, can never make up her mind over which books to buy in the bookstore and therefore ends up rarely going there, that's me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oTMEKv1iAiJ6bmwq7CKP8JThRvu7eewj5AXwJ1Iabs2TTRW5AmEwbj-zv_7si1ofs_WI7D-8FO_TA1Oyg_XmkcltEBz4kM6DVEfBOBdXCiWBiyveiL_BudsunqE_Ck4Wkbz0N9giGBw/s1600/securedownload+(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oTMEKv1iAiJ6bmwq7CKP8JThRvu7eewj5AXwJ1Iabs2TTRW5AmEwbj-zv_7si1ofs_WI7D-8FO_TA1Oyg_XmkcltEBz4kM6DVEfBOBdXCiWBiyveiL_BudsunqE_Ck4Wkbz0N9giGBw/s1600/securedownload+(1).jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I finally got <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821111-the-young-elites" target="_blank"><i>The Young Elites</i> by Marie Lu</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22087268-trial-by-fire" target="_blank"><i>Trial by Fire</i> by Josephine Angelini</a> for good measure. It just didn't feel right to leave the store with only one book!<br />
<br />
And then there was the Popular Bookfest at the Suntec City Convention Centre on the 15th. I literally ran into the place like a book-starved maniac. After all, who doesn't love discounts?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfQbCuWpUFtHeBG2JLZxa909di4FACuqgB9D85ZQkOD4qIRFFZcNVPKGNUhEcmitrevQ0jPf9kCROtYtWQxe-4AkVQbZOkd5MfLQf8XVfvctxtHEV-u9QgY9tLbhdBsH_V7fE7dmF66k/s1600/securedownload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfQbCuWpUFtHeBG2JLZxa909di4FACuqgB9D85ZQkOD4qIRFFZcNVPKGNUhEcmitrevQ0jPf9kCROtYtWQxe-4AkVQbZOkd5MfLQf8XVfvctxtHEV-u9QgY9tLbhdBsH_V7fE7dmF66k/s1600/securedownload.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><i>One of the many colourful shelves at the bookfest. I used to be a huge fan of the </i>House of Night<i> series until I couldn't keep up with it!</i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJ_3gRsffU7cKuNFE1ixk1cyDAfz_FDThe-3Vv7c4Jf7Y0K7Im0TN5nJGwUCmruTI39MT_fAPIyXdrpujdJVsE7EYXRcAFWLM51uRD78hXS_HvQiWnGs41GnRgiZVQkZiN7fteg0DTSk/s1600/securedownload+(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJ_3gRsffU7cKuNFE1ixk1cyDAfz_FDThe-3Vv7c4Jf7Y0K7Im0TN5nJGwUCmruTI39MT_fAPIyXdrpujdJVsE7EYXRcAFWLM51uRD78hXS_HvQiWnGs41GnRgiZVQkZiN7fteg0DTSk/s1600/securedownload+(2).jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;"><i>2/3 of the </i>Legend<i> series by Marie Lu! Would've snapped these up, but Book One was missing ):</i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb68B5jbFK0GmkSJQ198gAR1v9XjSDPjMF89k9sEc7FCtMuTGaNFGFmtIHyb_493DWOXyT6FwNrNuat5kVRe-8yNN3u-yu9UtV0LYPz7i9tGjPSCy8RyY2RklpnwQnP3vkSwnxE5w25M/s1600/securedownload+(3).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb68B5jbFK0GmkSJQ198gAR1v9XjSDPjMF89k9sEc7FCtMuTGaNFGFmtIHyb_493DWOXyT6FwNrNuat5kVRe-8yNN3u-yu9UtV0LYPz7i9tGjPSCy8RyY2RklpnwQnP3vkSwnxE5w25M/s1600/securedownload+(3).jpeg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #20124d;">Le bookhaul.</span></b></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Was lucky enough to get a boxed set of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4374400-if-i-stay" target="_blank">If I Stay</a></i> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8492825-where-she-went" target="_blank"><i>Where She Went</i> by Gayle Forman</a>. I figured if I got <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars" target="_blank">TFIOS</a></i> I'd be more likely to read it (yes I haven't read it yet, so sue me), and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23302416-wonder" target="_blank"><i>Wonder</i> by R. J. Palacio</a> because a friend once told me it was awesome. My ARC of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10586539-wake" target="_blank"><i>Wake</i> by Amanda Hocking</a> won't be so lonely anymore with the addition of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14759334-lullaby" target="_blank">Lullaby</a></i> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045037-tidal" target="_blank">Tidal</a></i>. Now I just need <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13615701-elegy" target="_blank">Elegy</a></i>. I hesitated over getting the hardback of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18601430-deep-blue" target="_blank"><i>Deep Blue</i> by Jennifer Donnelly</a>, but my love of mermaids won out.<br />
<br />
Nine books in a month is seriously a lot for me. Maybe this is a sign that I'm not as much of a library person as I thought I was!<br />
<br />
On to other things:<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
OVERVIEW OF 2014 & RESOLUTIONS</h3>
</center>
<br />
I did plenty of 'growing up' in 2014. External crap threw itself at me, which resulted in internal crap. I was a blubbering mess of emotions. It took a long time before I stopped asking <i>Why did this have to happen to me?!</i> and accepted that I couldn't do anything about it except learn to react to things in the best way possible. I was just beginning to get the hang of book blogging (or so I thought) and then barely halfway into the year it suddenly seemed like EVERYTHING was going down the drain and as if life wanted to laugh in my face and rub salt in my wounds and say:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CPI01g9Ka5eM48Xp1Q9dEa3EC-JH96kw0f6RQKVZIWa_8Gesy6HI-asuuFx9uoMIUr2ixUdf365TxF5Ug0YqG0_uYmRF-i1QRkZfCEAfmGkwhCA4jTaZm6kWl4_O_VNxQV1-j0RRDMQ/s1600/destroy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CPI01g9Ka5eM48Xp1Q9dEa3EC-JH96kw0f6RQKVZIWa_8Gesy6HI-asuuFx9uoMIUr2ixUdf365TxF5Ug0YqG0_uYmRF-i1QRkZfCEAfmGkwhCA4jTaZm6kWl4_O_VNxQV1-j0RRDMQ/s1600/destroy.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
(Well, it'd certainly felt like that during those moments.)<br />
<br />
I've cried buckets, had my heart broken. I lost myself completely to inner demons – twice – but managed pick up the pieces and get back on my fins again with the help of others who truly cared about me.<br />
<br />
I'm a private person and you probably couldn't tell all that from the past year's posts. Let's face it, I'm not as personal on here as I'd like to (but I'd love to change that). I don't have many people I know in real life whom I can truly call my friends, but I'll still continue to be as sincere as I can to anyone and everyone I meet and talk to.<br />
<br />
And good stuff happened, too. I learned to love and forgive myself more. I've had so much fun watching <i>OUAT</i> and getting to know the fantastic characters. My future is uncertain because I see so many paths I can take and don't know which one to choose, but I'm starting to realise the beauty of it. My family had my back through the insanity of everything. I learned who my real friends were, and those who weren't. I chucked my rose-tinted glasses into the trash and finally looked at the world properly for what it was and is: beautiful and tragic all at the same time.<br />
<br />
I've made a few more wonderful book blogger friends, had my first proper read-along and had amazing authors whose books I've had the privilege of reviewing offer their sequels for me to enjoy. And despite not even hitting half of my Goodreads challenge this year, I don't feel like it's a big deal. A disappointment, yes, but not that big of a deal. At some point last year I felt immensely pressured to review EVERY single book I read and that ended up putting me off starting on a new book entirely. It was horrible. It's taught me to read more for pleasure. This is something I'll most likely address in another post for bookish thoughts – but for the record, it doesn't mean I'll stop accepting requests.<br />
<br />
<center>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; line-height: 30px; padding: 10px;">
<center>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">RESOLUTIONS FOR 2015</span></b></center>
1. Read for pleasure.<br />
2. Post more bookish things other than just reviews and IMMs and book blitzes.<br />
3. Improve my Adobe Illustrator skills enough to get that new blog header done.<br />
4. Improve my time management skills (aka less procrastination).<br />
5. Be kinder to myself and others.<br />
6. Finish up my current Photoshop manips.<br />
7. Sleep early (before midnight).</blockquote>
</center>
<br />
I think I'll stop here for now. I'll end up spearing my own fins with more resolutions than I can handle.<br />
<br />
I'm proud to say that I'm a lot stronger and wiser now than I was at the start of 2014. I think that's the mark of a good year – a year filled with enough crap to make you realise how much of a better person you can be. I've 'grown up', but I'm not going to forget about that little girl who believed in mermaids so much that she used to tuck her blankets around her legs to make a tail before going to sleep at night.<br />
<br />
Thank you, 2014. And if you've stuck by me and the blog the past year, be it your visits and/or kind comments, THANK YOU. If I've met you this year (online or offline), THANK YOU for being a part of my life.<br />
<br />
If you're reading this, THANK YOU, and here's to a new year with new beginnings. I hope 2015 brings you more joy, peace and happiness than you've ever known.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Starfish kisses,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-74976774788851589452014-11-08T17:51:00.002+08:002015-04-01T00:39:25.972+08:00In My Mailbox #8: THE WINNER'S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/gohsherlyn/media/IMM%20iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMM iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png" border="0" src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b611/gohsherlyn/IMM%20iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png~original" height="289" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Welcome to </span><b style="color: #20124d;">In My Mailbox (IMM)</b><span style="color: #20124d;">! </span><b style="color: #20124d;">IMM</b><span style="color: #20124d;"> is a weekly meme created by Kristi @ </span><a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/in-my-mailbox" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a><span style="color: #20124d;"> which features books bought/received in the mail, borrowed from the library as well as other awesome book-related goodies in your mailbox.</span></div>
<span style="color: #20124d; text-align: center;"><br />
</span> <br />
I meant to post this last week but things kind of got in the way—school, especially—and the <i>Once Upon A Time</i> TV series! Crabs, I just can't stop watching that show (I'm catching up with Season 2 now).<br />
<br />
Anyway, I took my first bookstagram when my copy of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20947360-the-winner-s-curse" target="_blank">The Winner's Curse</a></i> by Marie Rutkoski arrived in the mail :D It's Book One in the <i>The Winner's Trilogy</i>, and I was lucky enough to win a Book Depository giveaway hosted by Dre @ <a href="http://www.sporadicreads.com/" target="_blank">Sporadic Reads</a>. Thanks again, Dre! ♥︎<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghh35dp-xojLOChcTsS6Nn4w-_WymJyjopdToKh7hzeUvLDwTVOyHUbCzd59LUdIQBwAeSVIQO9VFUZzv8rhvGMEWPnBwFPraXffbRV_FmYMXEkq5mewq6QqLjy-z1KOcXd0OuDtWeGdU/s1600/curse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghh35dp-xojLOChcTsS6Nn4w-_WymJyjopdToKh7hzeUvLDwTVOyHUbCzd59LUdIQBwAeSVIQO9VFUZzv8rhvGMEWPnBwFPraXffbRV_FmYMXEkq5mewq6QqLjy-z1KOcXd0OuDtWeGdU/s1600/curse.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I still can't stop admiring the cover—it's just toooo pretty! Aside from that, I <span style="text-align: start;">just </span><i style="text-align: start;">have</i><span style="text-align: start;"> to see for myself how awesome this book is because almost everyone is gushing over it. They say it's high fantasy and dystopia as well. I was sold when I read <a href="http://perusingbookshelves.weebly.com/home/review-the-winners-curse-by-marie-rutkoski" target="_blank">this particular review</a> by Kat @ <a href="http://perusingbookshelves.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Perusing Bookshelves</a> (not to mention that the last gif in her review is an <i>OUAT</i> one</span><span style="text-align: start;">)! </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br />
</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
By the way, the lovely Lillie @ <a href="http://bookraptured.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Bookraptured</a> and I are currently on Day 3 of our read-along for <i>The Winner's Curse</i>! So far, it's been good ;) You can follow <a href="http://instagram.com/monstrousbeauty" target="_blank">me</a> or <a href="http://instagram.com/bookrapt" target="_blank">Lillie</a> on Instagram for our occasional read-along updates if you'd like!</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Have you read <i>The Winner's Curse</i>? What did you think about it?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">If you haven't read it, would you want to?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-56278737073829759062014-10-15T18:47:00.000+08:002014-10-15T18:47:03.306+08:00Book Blitz: FROST by Kate Avery Ellison + Excerpt & Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpWIcD9LzZj3IDUlkPgGL5nLcwpipVr960SnAoRVcEnWEEfX4DHD7gVM-O7mBLAvRrDijBppyJXUP6PqBF3tL3eWd0X9ruSh1xsZ1BKF6NjwYn7-2KoUZ-CYdpcABRFcoiyc_eGnyW60/s1600/oie_14155249KkftQWLq.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpWIcD9LzZj3IDUlkPgGL5nLcwpipVr960SnAoRVcEnWEEfX4DHD7gVM-O7mBLAvRrDijBppyJXUP6PqBF3tL3eWd0X9ruSh1xsZ1BKF6NjwYn7-2KoUZ-CYdpcABRFcoiyc_eGnyW60/s1600/oie_14155249KkftQWLq.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WjdqdU8lV6RdG6XkYR5BmhThEJ8Bg6k75VmDe3MfIG5MGhMMCkSuKGsgdAVbLCBPLyf38QJCCFum7zsneFuJHs5JDSZhwFYrkFve_NDfJXFxooVKWfXxbKdOOy8zdtBC8xx5dAkpluY/s1600/Frost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WjdqdU8lV6RdG6XkYR5BmhThEJ8Bg6k75VmDe3MfIG5MGhMMCkSuKGsgdAVbLCBPLyf38QJCCFum7zsneFuJHs5JDSZhwFYrkFve_NDfJXFxooVKWfXxbKdOOy8zdtBC8xx5dAkpluY/s1600/Frost.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13555538-frost" target="_blank">Frost (The Frost Chronicles, #1) by Kate Avery Ellison</a><br />
Publisher: CreateSpace<br />
Released: March 29th 2012<br />
Genre: Dystopian<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WjdqdU8lV6RdG6XkYR5BmhThEJ8Bg6k75VmDe3MfIG5MGhMMCkSuKGsgdAVbLCBPLyf38QJCCFum7zsneFuJHs5JDSZhwFYrkFve_NDfJXFxooVKWfXxbKdOOy8zdtBC8xx5dAkpluY/s1600/Frost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WjdqdU8lV6RdG6XkYR5BmhThEJ8Bg6k75VmDe3MfIG5MGhMMCkSuKGsgdAVbLCBPLyf38QJCCFum7zsneFuJHs5JDSZhwFYrkFve_NDfJXFxooVKWfXxbKdOOy8zdtBC8xx5dAkpluY/s1600/Frost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">In the icy, monster-plagued world of the Frost, one wrong move and a person could end up dead—and Lia Weaver knows this better than anyone.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">After monsters kill her parents, Lia must keep the family farm running despite the freezing cold and threat of monster attacks or risk losing her siblings to reassignment by the village Elders. With dangers on all sides and failure just one wrong step away, she can’t afford to let her emotions lead her astray. So when her sister finds a fugitive bleeding to death in the forest—a young stranger named Gabe—Lia surprises herself and does the unthinkable.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">She saves his life.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Giving shelter to the fugitive could get her in trouble. The Elders have always described the advanced society of people beyond the Frost, the “Farthers,” as ruthless and cruel. But Lia is startled to find that Gabe is empathetic and intelligent…and handsome. She might even be falling in love with him.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">But time is running out. The monsters from the forest circle the farm at night. The village leader is starting to ask questions. Farther soldiers are searching for Gabe. Lia must locate a secret organization called the Thorns to help Gabe escape to safety, but every move she makes puts her in more danger.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Is compassion—and love—worth the risk?</span></blockquote>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
THE FROST CHRONICLES</h3>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/77557-the-frost-chronicles" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgawWnecpQaYPaMFgy46W2EStdFaHgZPeNL1sXnZAPRuspftyl5wDxzUMK8VsDRhjEXRJJ8YuWF9miCqd7-ra0aLfKZxi9AZeMq2Sa05BGau63izkGxObE9KimnmIkRSNuph9uJKoDAd4jl/s640/frost+chronicles+banner.jpg" height="190" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="640" /></a><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<br />
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
EXCERPT</h3>
<center>
<div style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px dashed #666; height: 300px; margin: 15px; overflow: auto; padding: 15px; width: 600px;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
She appeared out of the shadows suddenly. Her cheeks were bitten red with cold and her long dark hair was wet with melting ice. She stumbled, grabbed my hands. Her mittens were missing. “Hurry,” she breathed, tugging at me. “Quickly.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“Ivy Augusta Weaver,” I hissed, torn between joyful relief and flickering anger. “It’s almost night time. There is a storm coming. What were you thinking? Where have you been?”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“There is a boy,” she panted, ignoring my scolding. “In the woods.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“What?” </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But she was already plunging deeper into the forest, and I had no choice but to follow her, a new worry filling my mind and replacing the short-lived relief I’d felt. A boy in the woods? Who had gotten himself lost in the woods at a time like this? One of the farmers’ sons, perhaps?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We were the last farm in the Frost. There was nothing beyond us to the north but the Empty, and to the south there was only the Farther World. What was anybody doing at the edge of that?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ivy and I continued into the forest. We ducked around branches and scrambled over icy roots. The shadows were thick, and they painted our cloaks a deep indigo. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ivy reached a giant rock at the mouth of a clearing and stopped. “There,” she said, pointing with a trembling hand.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I could just make out the crumpled form. In my anxiety, I saw only isolated details. A thin, wet shirt, a pair of shoulders, a face almost hidden by the snow. I took a step forward, trying to place the face...and then I saw the sharp features, the dark hair, the slightly tanned tone of the skin. I halted as my blood turned stone-cold. Time became protracted and dense, like swimming underwater. Sound was muffled. My chest felt tight.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You must be strong, Lia. My mother’s voice rang in my head. I remembered her wind-weathered face, her chapped hands gripping mine, her earnest eyes as they scoured my face for weakness. There could be no weakness here in the Frost, where we clung to life between the mountains as desperately as a drowning man clings to a stone.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“He’s not one of ours,” I said, turning to her with sudden fierceness. “Ivy...”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“He’s hurt,” she said.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“Don’t you understand?”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She just looked at me. I drew in a deep breath.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“That is a Farther.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ivy’s eyes widened a fraction at my harsh words. The wind blew between us, spraying ice against our faces. She blinked. I didn’t.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“A...a Farther?”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Of course she knew what that was—every person in our village knew who the Farthers were, even those who’d never caught a glimpse of them across the river. We barely ever spoke of them, but they inhabited everyone’s nightmares all the same.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I nodded curtly.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ivy struggled to understand what I was implying. “But he’s hurt,” she managed, as if that was the only concern. “And it’s getting dark.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“We must protect ourselves,” I said.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ivy swallowed hard.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I glared at her. “No.”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She looked back at the figure lying in the snow. I glanced at the sky again, trying to calculate how much time we had left before the sun sunk completely behind the trees, and we were no longer safe from the things that prowled in the darkness. The Watchers never moved across our yards or around the town perimeter during the sunlight hours, but some had reported seeing them during the narrow span of twilight that joined the day and the night, and it was rumored that they wandered freely in the deep of the forests even during the day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The wind howled through the trees and tugged at my cloak. Snow fell sideways.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“But he’s hurt,” Ivy whispered again, breaking into my thoughts.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I closed my eyes briefly. My sister was the kind of person who brought home baby birds who’d fallen from their nests and raccoons with thorns in their paws. But we couldn’t simply take a Farther and bandage him up like a lost puppy. “The Elders say—”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
“I know they’re dangerous. I know what the Elders say.” Ivy’s voice was as brittle as ice. “But are you telling me you’re going to leave him out here to die? After what happened to Ma and Da?”</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. Ivy looked at me with her big brown eyes and the fear in my gut snarled. What would the villagers say? This is dangerous, my mind screamed at me. This will endanger the family!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The figure in the snow stirred. “Please,” he whispered, his voice just a hiss.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I stepped to his side, crouching down to touch his face. His eyes opened a crack, and then...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He looked at me.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I felt hollowed out and filled up again as our gazes collided—mine and this Farther from beyond the edge of my world—and then his eyes shut as he passed out again, and I was released from the spell of them. I stepped back quickly, but the damage was already done. There was already an ache in my chest from the knowledge of what we were about to do.</div>
</div>
</center>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
GIVEAWAY</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Enter below to win 1 ebook copy of FROST. This giveaway is international. Prize will be sent out after 12 November 2014. Be sure to read the full T&Cs!</div>
<br />
<center>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/860a065a3/" id="rc-860a065a3" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script></center>
<br />
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1309262891p8/4863270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1309262891p8/4863270.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" /></a>I've been making up stories since I was five years old, and now I'm thrilled to be able to do it as a full-time job. I have an obsession with dark fantasy, dystopian futures, and Pride and Prejudice-style love stories full of witty banter and sizzling, unspoken feelings. When I'm not writing, I'm creating digital art, reading funny blogs, or watching my favorite shows (which include TVD and BSG). I live with my geeky husband and our two bad cats in Atlanta, GA.<br />
<br />
<br />
Connect with Kate: <a href="http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/katiewriting" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kateaveryellison" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4863270.Kate_Avery_Ellison" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Avery-Ellison/e/B005166V8S" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Get your copy of <i>Frost</i>!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Frost-Chronicles-Book-1-ebook/dp/B007Q4LLWE" target="_blank">Amazon US </a>| <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frost-The-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B007Q4LLWE" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frost-kate-avery-ellison/1109825221?ean=9781475005875" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B007Q4LLWE&asins=B007Q4LLWE&linkId=UP7RZPXRH2VWKP52&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
</iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-31053575779479036062014-10-14T20:55:00.000+08:002014-10-14T22:18:35.772+08:00Blog Tour: SOULLESS by Crystal Collier (Review + Giveaway)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLmBJ7yrWdb4zBIUcklFJ0B8Fqn11z1TjArLVweGTpkQRolH7k1nlkxUeZKjrwyXN0oZNbq2avFZ0nGIRyHNBaKccIfvSpnFGrPiN9FwRapClrKtIs_5OFz8uEft1iDs2Hsg6XK9Oxmo/s640/SoullessBanner.jpg" height="204" width="640" /><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Welcome, welcome to the SOULLESS blog tour, book 2 in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/127410-maiden-of-time" target="_blank"><i>Maiden of Time</i> series</a> by Crystal Collier!</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://content.j-14.com/i/upload/2013/05/annasophia-excited.gif" height="160" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;">CAN WE ALL START GUSHING ABOUT THIS NOVEL NOW</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryo4b3_byzG_yvzTmXCCb_jA6Lei_4fSJEOLUXGChFAoZAUIk6d5-0RjfrnK0Y3Mr2tIf6C4w9wi0I9ACy9zdgxcL0YNJYY15bi2S-XYdnJmuQjsp2FjtWsaSDfbxF26Qk-4xt6MdAwo/s1600/WebSoulless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryo4b3_byzG_yvzTmXCCb_jA6Lei_4fSJEOLUXGChFAoZAUIk6d5-0RjfrnK0Y3Mr2tIf6C4w9wi0I9ACy9zdgxcL0YNJYY15bi2S-XYdnJmuQjsp2FjtWsaSDfbxF26Qk-4xt6MdAwo/s1600/WebSoulless.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23235509-soulless" target="_blank">Soulless (Maiden of Time, #2) by Crystal Collier</a><br />
Publisher: Raybourne Publishing<br />
Released: October 13th 2014<br />
Format: eARC<br />
Source: Review copy from author<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">The Soulless are coming... </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless - who then steal the only protection her people have - she’s forced to unleash her true power. </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">And risk losing everything.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<br />
What a sequel. WHAT. A. SEQUEL.<br />
<br />
If I had to make a list of books I would kill for to own a physical copy of, <i>Soulless</i> would be one of them. This is a novel you <i>have</i> to judge its cover by!<br />
<br />
<i>Soulless</i> packs a punch with plenty of action, romance, time-travel and absolutely amazing characters. Chapter one kicked off with some major action and I am so relieved it didn't turn out to be one of those slow-paced beginnings in other novels. We quickly learn that other Passionate factions exist and are struggling for power amongst themselves. The conflict is established clearly from the start: Amidst the battle for world domination between the Passionate factions, Soulless and human collectors, Alexia and Kiren have to unite the Passionate no matter what and find a way to save those they love before it is too late.<br />
<br />
Alexia Dumont is no longer the innocent girl who longs for Kiren, nor is she still oppressed by English society. With the Soulless gatecrashing her wedding, Sarah's fate unknown and a war brewing, we see a different side of the Maiden of Time emerge. Despite Kiren's worries causing him to hold back information from Alexia, she refuses to give in to the confusion and stoically ploughs through crisis after crisis. I was rooting for her all the way. The Kiren in <i>Soulless</i> is pretty different from the one in the first book, <i><a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-moonless-by-crystal-collier.html" target="_blank">Moonless</a></i>. He came across as flawless to me in <i>Moonless</i> and I have to admit that it was refreshing to see a more vulnerable side of him because it made him feel more real and relatable. So yes… Kiren is as mesmerising as ever, but we see him trying to deal with his insecurities—especially those involving Alexia.<br />
<br />
I think that the absolute highlights of this series are the romance and time-travel. Every time Alexia and Kiren are together, it makes for some serious swooning and squealing. The amount of kissing is no less than in <i>Moonless</i>! But that's not to say their relationship is smooth-sailing, either. Collier introduces conflicts in Alexia and Kiren's relationship early in the book and gives them time to grow as a couple. The plot played an immense part in fleshing out their relationship due to the ever-changing events and action. As for time-travelling, I was pleased that Alexia wasn't over-reliant on Dana for advice and instead sought to improve her powers gradually. It was incredibly fascinating to know the extent and limitations of her powers, and even more so when Alexia began using them to her advantage. She actually kicked some butt on occasion and it was way beyond cool! Dana's experiences with manipulating time felt so bittersweet and successfully illustrated the heightened stakes Alexia had to deal with. The consequences of time-travel proved to be harrowing and I never saw any of those coming. It was thrilling yet horrifying all at the same time!<br />
<br />
And holy carp, the other characters are AMAZING. Bellezza's jarring backstory gives a glimpse into her complex, wild personality, yet doesn't make her any less predictable. Ethel and Sybil filled me with awe and worry; they wormed their way into my heart despite sharing only a chapter together. And <i>Miles</i>. Poor, sweet, strong Miles! My heart aches so much for that boy. Sarah and John planted so much doubt and tension between the pages that I screamed internally at Alexia countless times to be careful around them. Mae was just… wow. I cannot begin to describe the devastation of her power. Also, we haven't seen the last of Alexia's father, Charles, either. And then there's Nelly, Lester and Edward. These are all characters I have grown to love. The new characters are really cool as well and it was a real treat to see more of the unique, wacky abilities possessed by the other Passionate. Secrets revealed, revelations and epiphanies between characters left me staring into space for more than a few seconds before I could continue reading. Numerous surprises kept me on edge and the mind-blowing ending totally unsettled me!<br />
<br />
I truly wasn't expecting <i>Soulless</i> to be this awesome. It completely gripped me and I enjoyed it so much more than <i>Moonless</i>. I feel incredibly privileged to be able to review this novel. For those who've read <i>Moonless</i> but are hesitant to continue the series, I SAY PICK UP <i>SOULLESS</i> AND YOU WON'T REGRET IT. I am extremely anxious for Alexia and Kiren in the next book, <i>Timeless</i>, and I hope to read more about the other Passionate factions and see the war come to a satisfying conclusion!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nLeIVGq9KFrxJTny_z51Vu2MorcZbLlmEptuwASnfzZFCUlYs5yE6hx2FvpQQoxCpgaAkNBuQRMn8Ec56R6_wM-zH6vrgDy6j64lpKKD_Nt8xw6j6hxSbBhZO62sU_GIs0TfVk01nug/s1600/four-and-a-half.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nLeIVGq9KFrxJTny_z51Vu2MorcZbLlmEptuwASnfzZFCUlYs5yE6hx2FvpQQoxCpgaAkNBuQRMn8Ec56R6_wM-zH6vrgDy6j64lpKKD_Nt8xw6j6hxSbBhZO62sU_GIs0TfVk01nug/s1600/four-and-a-half.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7QEANxOGLccdYjXRM9Trw2gDclhl94jg2ciTbn2vXBaBZoW15ZcMKaG8xaWd1wkNfNjPDRNdGjsgl3TMu_p_hPKgQSMSjtpJZ11kn-4ghJLh7CEcokY2AqQF7bEAhsd1dbVLyTNHsXQ/s1600/SOULLESS+rafflecopter+giveawaySM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7QEANxOGLccdYjXRM9Trw2gDclhl94jg2ciTbn2vXBaBZoW15ZcMKaG8xaWd1wkNfNjPDRNdGjsgl3TMu_p_hPKgQSMSjtpJZ11kn-4ghJLh7CEcokY2AqQF7bEAhsd1dbVLyTNHsXQ/s1600/SOULLESS+rafflecopter+giveawaySM.jpg" height="297" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/159c7dfd6/" id="rc-159c7dfd6" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple;"><b>Psst! MOONLESS will be FREE on October 13, 20, 27, 31 and Nov 7! That's on every Monday of October, plus Halloween and the last day of the tour. Grab a copy now and start reading this awesome series!</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=162983002X&asins=162983002X&linkId=MB6IIMTPL3DELEZC&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=040C12&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;br /&gt; </iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00N636ITK&asins=B00N636ITK&linkId=E2XXR7YU53EB2ZVP&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br /> </iframe><br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>MOONLESS: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moonless-Crystal-Collier-ebook/dp/B00FADL0A6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382642544&sr=8-1&keywords=moonless" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonless-Maiden-Time-Crystal-Collier-ebook/dp/B00FADL0A6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399718427&sr=8-1&keywords=moonless+crystal" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moonless-crystal-collier/1117192535?ean=2940045331371" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Moonless-Crystal-Collier/9781629830025/?a_aid=mermaidwithabook" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="http://crystal-collier.com/buy.php?ty=ap" target="_blank">iTunes</a><br />
<b>SOULLESS: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soulless-Maiden-Time-Crystal-Collier/dp/1629830038" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soulless-Maiden-Time-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00N636ITK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413290892&sr=8-1&keywords=soulless+collier" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/soulless-crystal-collier/1120428254" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://www.librarything.com/work/15382944/book/113024892" target="_blank">LibraryThing</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: start;">
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1367548174p5/7073992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crystal Collier" border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1367548174p5/7073992.jpg" width="145" /></a>Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
Connect with Crystal: <a href="http://crystal-collier.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/crystalcollier1" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CrystalCollierAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073992.Crystal_Collier" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Good luck, and thanks for swimmin' by!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-18857907054678786472014-09-18T14:51:00.002+08:002014-09-18T23:37:51.984+08:00Life of a Blogger: Languages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVt9jB4nYaYeEJMlHisQLk_VwEuJWn_4hQ26MtX_mcKKxE50iTUis-oLs4eIP_pOT2_L_bAYpFQafrvPz5rnI6UQbnKOHg4QYv-mOJd5S8Z0rpRlX9Hn7p99ooqnBjfZHK6eiHPWedm4/s1600/lifeofblogger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVt9jB4nYaYeEJMlHisQLk_VwEuJWn_4hQ26MtX_mcKKxE50iTUis-oLs4eIP_pOT2_L_bAYpFQafrvPz5rnI6UQbnKOHg4QYv-mOJd5S8Z0rpRlX9Hn7p99ooqnBjfZHK6eiHPWedm4/s1600/lifeofblogger.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">This feature is hosted by <a href="http://novelheartbeat.com/" target="_blank">Jessi @ Novel Heartbeat</a>. Each week, a non-bookish topic will be chosen and I'll talk about it so you can get to know me on a personal level!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Click <a href="http://novelheartbeat.com/life-blogger/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to view the full list of topics.</span></div>
<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<center>
<h3>
<span style="color: #20124d;">THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: LANGUAGES</span></h3>
</center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's languages this week! I'll be dishing out info on the ones I speak.</div>
</blockquote>
<center>
<h3>
ENGLISH</h3>
</center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This one totally goes without saying XD</div>
<br />
<center>
<h3>
MANDARIN <span style="font-size: x-large;">(普通话)</span></h3>
</center>
This is my mother tongue, and as such I also have a Chinese name.<br />
<br />
I speak, write and read the language and started learning it along with English when I was old enough to speak, so yay, that makes me bilingual.<br />
<br />
Even so, I wouldn't say I'm <i>effectively</i> bilingual – which is what our education system has always strived for – because my English is undoubtedly more fluent than my Mandarin. I speak Mandarin on a daily basis with my family, but it's still not as much as English. I'm way better at listening to Mandarin news/TV shows/songs and reading Chinese characters (in my head and aloud are fine) than giving a presentation or writing an essay in the language. My grammar structure and vocabulary are sorely lacking if you compare them to the Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese people's.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8V-ocrgdHBd3ZoeoBC283RqVAuRiI_r-8WdkWBT2WZWz08ttXuCjHPVG9aL4qge2WaSteF-Dbopiylw38OC1S0b7dK08rYSgqpbeRSVKbQRbBkt4cCCagI0xjPeWbzsWL-D3esv03X5k/s1600/embarrased-awkward.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8V-ocrgdHBd3ZoeoBC283RqVAuRiI_r-8WdkWBT2WZWz08ttXuCjHPVG9aL4qge2WaSteF-Dbopiylw38OC1S0b7dK08rYSgqpbeRSVKbQRbBkt4cCCagI0xjPeWbzsWL-D3esv03X5k/s1600/embarrased-awkward.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Heh.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I wanted to touch on the two main writing systems we have because it's actually pretty interesting. The first and most commonly used one is Simplified Chinese (简体字) and the other is Traditional Chinese (繁体字). I wasn't formally educated in the latter but learnt to read it through watching subtitled Taiwanese variety shows.<br />
<br />
<i>What's the difference</i>, you ask. Well, the former is used in China and Singapore while the latter is more commonly found in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The characters are also written very differently. Let's take the word <i>dragon</i>, for example:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATUa14BZz84ySZ0I1jdhit-X9iePFEM5sBQTS8xbcbXYCgx0vzn2hfXx2-625bXAONOW1ZdJwk6Nwm4SvSd7eeDZZjKQey64MPFxnbr4aMApcfFz8pa6LDNmD88xqogMYiis0fFfPJdg/s1600/simplified-vs-traditional.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATUa14BZz84ySZ0I1jdhit-X9iePFEM5sBQTS8xbcbXYCgx0vzn2hfXx2-625bXAONOW1ZdJwk6Nwm4SvSd7eeDZZjKQey64MPFxnbr4aMApcfFz8pa6LDNmD88xqogMYiis0fFfPJdg/s1600/simplified-vs-traditional.png" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Traditional Chinese does take more steps to write, but it's still really beautiful. It's almost pictorial – don't you think 龍 looks more like a real dragon with all its twists and curves as compared to the simplified 龙?<br />
<br />
<div>
Anyway, I think knowing the language is still better than having to rely on a translator, especially if you're in a foreign country. I'm definitely fluent enough to ask for directions and maybe introduce myself, which was certainly put to good use since my parents especially love going to Taiwan (we've been there <i>six</i> times already!).<br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
SINGLISH</h3>
</center>
<span style="text-align: start;">Singlish, a a portmanteau of the words <i>Singaporean</i> and <i>English</i>, is the crazily complicated colloquial language in my country, Singapore. However, I won't be covering it as that would literally take </span><i style="text-align: start;">days</i><span style="text-align: start;">. I'm not pulling your <strike>leg</strike> fin. </span>Sea-riously. I'll let <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singlish" target="_blank">Wikipedia do the rest.</a><br />
<br />
<center>
<h3>
FRANÇAIS</h3>
</center>
I am in love with this language and wanted to learn it since I was 12. I started beginner classes last year and had so much fun!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I am now stuck with all my basics and can only converse in the present and future tense... not very helpful, I know. The intermediate French class that my school offered was cancelled twice this year because the minimum number of students for it to start wasn't met ): Looks like I'll have to teach myself that past tense...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
What are the languages you speak? Are there any you wish to learn? Let me know, and thanks for swimmin' by!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<strike><b><span style="color: red;">UPDATE:</span><span style="color: #20124d;"> My comments form has </span></b><b><span style="color: #20124d;">completely</span></b><b><span style="color: #20124d;"> lost its barnacles and I am so sorry, my fishies! I have no freakin' clue what in the starfish pants is going on (if you do, please help this mermaid out – she probably won't sleep well tonight) so if you would like to leave a comment, <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.sg/2014/09/review-the-maze-runner-james-dashner.html?m=1" target="_blank">please click here to view the mobile version of this post</a>; the comment form works fine there!</span></b></strike><br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script></div>
Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-16673658326223256292014-09-16T23:50:00.000+08:002014-09-18T23:48:23.969+08:00Top Ten Tuesday: Authors The Mermaid Has Only Read One Book From But NEEDS to Read More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqAco5pEl_6dx10022tZTRnBTWAVkC7_vilT1Ti5YI0ZYeHIjqDaH0cR6vEduleKvdJFC0NYei1vaWuFnLx3OBlNAGIbPiGevqZYheDYcSy7HEPzxkIAunaiP7XmqV_RSWfubUbI1QQo/s1600/TTT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqAco5pEl_6dx10022tZTRnBTWAVkC7_vilT1Ti5YI0ZYeHIjqDaH0cR6vEduleKvdJFC0NYei1vaWuFnLx3OBlNAGIbPiGevqZYheDYcSy7HEPzxkIAunaiP7XmqV_RSWfubUbI1QQo/s1600/TTT.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Each week, a new Top Ten list will be posted at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join. Just remember to link back to The Broke and the Bookish and add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers' lists! <a href="http://each%20week%20we%20will%20post%20a%20new%20top%20ten%20list%20%20that%20one%20of%20our%20bloggers%20here%20at%20the%20broke%20and%20the%20bookish%20will%20answer.%20everyone%20is%20welcome%20to%20join.%20all%20we%20ask%20is%20that%20you%20link%20back%20to%20the%20broke%20and%20the%20bookish%20on%20your%20own%20top%20ten%20tuesday%20post%20and%20add%20your%20name%20to%20the%20linky%20widget%20so%20that%20everyone%20can%20check%20out%20other%20bloggers%20lists%21/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view the full list of Top Ten Tuesdays.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4684322.Marissa_Meyer" target="_blank">Marissa Meyer</a>. As mentioned in <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/08/top-ten-tuesday-books-people-have-been-telling-the-mermaid-she-must-read.html" target="_blank">my previous TTT post</a>, I've only read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11235712-cinder" target="_blank">Cinder</a></i> and really need to get crackin' on the sequel, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet</a></i>!<br />
<br />
2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6466370.Emm_Cole" target="_blank">Emm Cole</a>. Big (sea) fan of the <i>Merminia</i> series here, my fishies! An absolute must-read, especially if you adore mermaids. I LOVED the first instalment and will be starting on <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246200-keeping-merminia" target="_blank">Keeping Merminia</a></i> as soon as I can.<br />
<br />
3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2936493.Lauren_Oliver" target="_blank">Lauren Oliver</a>. I read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6482837-before-i-fall" target="_blank">Before I Fall</a></i> and got one of the craziest book hangovers after that. Her books kind of fell off my radar soon after – I think I started one of my mermaid novel-reading sprees and didn't look back. *sheepish grin* She's such a big name now, and I know everyone seemed to love <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17565845-panic" target="_blank">Panic</a></i> when it was released.<br />
<br />
4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15872.Rick_Riordan" target="_blank">Rick Riordan</a>. Yes, yes, I know. I really liked <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28187.The_Lightning_Thief" target="_blank">The Lightning Thief</a></i>, but at the time I read it, the series was unfinished. <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/08/top-ten-tuesday-books-people-have-been-telling-the-mermaid-she-must-read.html" target="_blank">And you know how I feel about waiting for a series.</a><br />
<br />
5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/386853.Elizabeth_Fama" target="_blank">Elizabeth Fama</a>. I went gaga over <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12971662-monstrous-beauty" target="_blank">Monstrous Beauty</a>,</i> her super dark mermaid novel. She released another novel called <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17934493-plus-one" target="_blank">Plus One</a></i> in April this year, a dystopian about Smudges (people who live and work at night) and Rays (those who live and work in the day). Sounds like something I'd want to read.<br />
<br />
6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3095893.Stephanie_Perkins" target="_blank">Stephanie Perkins</a>. Looooved <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936382-anna-and-the-french-kiss" target="_blank">Anna and the French Kiss</a></i>. I'm not one who particularly loves contemporary, but it was a lovely read and I want to check out <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9961796-lola-and-the-boy-next-door" target="_blank">Lola and the Boy Next Door</a></i>, as well as <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9627755-isla-and-the-happily-ever-after" target="_blank">Isla and the Happily Ever After</a></i>.<br />
<br />
7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3465557.L_A_Weatherly" target="_blank">L. A. Weatherly</a>. Read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7991200-angel" target="_blank">Angel</a></i> when I was 15 and the trilogy had not been finished. It's completed now, but I haven't caught up with it yet!<br />
<br />
8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/132091.Carolyn_Turgeon" target="_blank">Carolyn Turgeon</a>. <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7320740-mermaid" target="_blank">Mermaid</a></i> was such an interesting new spin on the classic tale of <i>The Little Mermaid</i>. I'm interested in her other retelling of Rapunzel, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130641-the-fairest-of-them-all" target="_blank">The Fairest of Them All</a></i> (I hear that Rapunzel turns out to be Snow White's evil stepmother!).<br />
<br />
9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3706.George_Orwell" target="_blank">George Orwell</a>. I did <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7613.Animal_Farm" target="_blank">Animal Farm</a></i> in Lit class when I was 14 and loved the historical references to Russian politics. Might try reading <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5470.1984" target="_blank">1984</a></i> sometime!<br />
<br />
10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/767317.Aimee_Carter" target="_blank">Aimée Carter</a>. I read <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9681214-the-goddess-test" target="_blank">The Goddess Test</a></i> a couple years back. While it didn't blow me away, I think I'll re-read it and maybe finish the series.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
What's on your list? Leave a comment below, and thanks for stopping by! (:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script></div>
Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-78727387465116502282014-09-16T23:28:00.000+08:002014-09-18T23:48:32.600+08:00Review: The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGGQBntxTL04hG7Q4SBDWRclyxgz336oqOLhWUA4G-w6WaGEuxhwaPBFKhuVNi43l-m5M80b3tbHGxdcvrBcC6qNSsfJMP8IaPb6dW91Q1ybDodkiEn6w3Ihov_aNSaGtGwjRZZmcwFw/s1600/Mazerunner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGGQBntxTL04hG7Q4SBDWRclyxgz336oqOLhWUA4G-w6WaGEuxhwaPBFKhuVNi43l-m5M80b3tbHGxdcvrBcC6qNSsfJMP8IaPb6dW91Q1ybDodkiEn6w3Ihov_aNSaGtGwjRZZmcwFw/s1600/Mazerunner.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6186357-the-maze-runner" target="_blank">The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner</a><br />
Publisher: Delacorte Press<br />
Released: October 6th 2009<br />
Format: Ebook<br />
Source: My own<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<i><span style="color: #20124d;">If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <i><span style="color: #20124d;">Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <i><span style="color: #20124d;">Everything is going to change.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Remember. Survive. Run.</span></blockquote>
The first thing I tweeted after finishing this book was this:<br />
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en-gb">
Just finished The Maze Runner and crying was NOT how I planned as part of my night 😭<br />
— sʜɛяℓץɳ (@gohsherlyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/gohsherlyn/status/510408123396288512">September 12, 2014</a></blockquote>
</center>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><strike>(The Grammar Nazi in me realises it should've been '<i>what</i> I planned' instead of 'how', but <i>meh</i>, who cares)</strike><br />
<br />
Hold your seahorses, there are some spoilers in this review but I've got spoiler-hiders! If you're reading this in your email, they probably won't work, though.<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
So I finally got around to reading <i>The Maze Runner</i> after it appeared in my <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/08/top-ten-tuesday-books-people-have-been-telling-the-mermaid-she-must-read.html" target="_blank">Top Ten Tuesday post</a> and when I finished it, I felt like this:</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdj8o-2Fj_iHWsqa8BjA0mo936SaOObjTr485EGH3ETKj8P2sGJJbjbWdqNcgrngx13GAGJi4tbjnQCHEMfzeMbFWnK6EhUngr_08ET9G_2FYQq9QM0v0Y0Lx8M9ZHMzGZHJ1gmEP5eRU/s1600/world-without-books-gifs-taylor-swift.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdj8o-2Fj_iHWsqa8BjA0mo936SaOObjTr485EGH3ETKj8P2sGJJbjbWdqNcgrngx13GAGJi4tbjnQCHEMfzeMbFWnK6EhUngr_08ET9G_2FYQq9QM0v0Y0Lx8M9ZHMzGZHJ1gmEP5eRU/s1600/world-without-books-gifs-taylor-swift.gif" height="160" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
and it was due to many reasons.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I have heard great things about this book, heard people gush over it, been recommended it countless times and sensed the hype over the release of its movie adaptation. I wouldn’t say I'm entirely disappointed with <i>The Maze Runner</i>, but I know for sure that I definitely enjoyed <i>The Hunger Games</i> more. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Nevertheless, this novel does have originality and some strong points.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
First off, the premise: A boy named Thomas wakes up in a lift remembering nothing else but his name and meets other boys living in a forest-y place called the Glade, situated in the middle of an ever-changing, stone-walled maze with dangerous, abominable creatures outside of it. No one knows why or how all this is happening. When a girl arrives in the Glade for the first time in two years, everything changes and they have to work together to escape the maze and its perils. </div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The Glade is sort of like a mini-society all on its own with rules and roles established by its inhabitants, who are inherently called Gladers. They've unique slang like “shank”, “klunk” and “shuck-face”, most of which are their own versions of swear words. I thought these were nice embellishments, but perhaps not entirely necessary. There are the Grievers, which are slimy, half flesh and half machine/metal creatures outside the maze and Beetle Blades, which look like metal lizards with twelve bug legs.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
All in all, a very fine plot but quite lacking in execution. I felt detached from most of the characters like Newt, Alby, Minho and even Thomas himself while also feeling like I was wading around in octopus muck trying to make sense of the bigger picture.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br />
When Thomas first arrives in the maze, many of his questions are left unanswered and he’s always told to be quiet. The suspense Dashner tries to create nearly failed because all we are <i>told</i> instead of <i>shown</i> is how “confused” and “annoyed” Thomas is, and we don’t actually feel confused <i>confused</i> or annoyed <i>annoyed</i> along with Thomas – I for one was frustrated with the repetitiveness of it all because it just wasn’t shown in the writing.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
As a result, I couldn’t get a deeper sense of Thomas' character. There was some awesome maze-running action in between, but if it weren’t for the plot, I wouldn't have stuck through with this book. Chapter cliffhangers kept me turning the pages, but this was due to the nature of them dishing out information only to move the plot forward. I don’t recall desperately wanting to find out what Thomas or Minho or Newt would do next. Yet, there’s potential for Dashner’s characters to stick with you, and I’m talking about moments like this:</div>
<div class="p1">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: purple;">“No way,” Alby said. “...We can’t freaking ask people to go out there and die, Minho! Who’d volunteer for that?”</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: purple;">… “I will if I have to,” Newt said, surprising Thomas; though he’d never talk about it, the older boy’s limp was a constant reminder that something horrible had happened to him out in the Maze… </span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: purple;">“With your bum leg?” Alby asked, a harsh laugh escaping his lips.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: purple;">Newt frowned, looked at the ground. “Well, I don’t feel good askin’ Gladers to do something if I’m not bloody willing to do it myself.”</span></i></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="p1">
I think this is the only part where I really connected with Newt. Maybe it would’ve been better if the other Gladers had been more central to the plot; they weren't fleshed out enough for me to form enough emotional attachments to them.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
And then there were instances when I had to re-read some parts of the book more than twice to visualise how the maze doors looked like and worked, how Thomas did the <span class="spoiler-text" style="color: #20124d;">mapping with wax paper to get the code</span> and how the Grievers looked like compared to the Beetle Blades, because I kinda got both creatures mixed up into some hybrid (that wasn’t very fun, I can assure you) and so I ended up googling them. I remember thinking that the movie adaptation might be the best way of showing these plot elements instead (another disappointment, unfortunately. Not going to cover this in another blog post because I could go on and on about it. But you can tweet me if you wanna discuss the movie!).</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Another thing which had me feeling quite <i>meh</i> was how some parts felt <i>deus ex machina</i>-ish to me. Like BOOM suddenly something happens out of nowhere and the problem is more than half-solved, and all Thomas needs to do is think for a minute (or sometimes he doesn’t need to) and ta-da, <i>job done.</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="p1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLtbpBbhELhRgxDT6_pCAU53r1068UJ-KnAYrXomFG1n6frKg4ProsOvrmowa9C-SLahyuDVgViq5O89cSE5EuWTQOw3nqTdUwnCK-X73MN-7nlWSEQx8XGuSHX9NWuAvAlLLBUxIMBw/s1600/mcgonagall.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLtbpBbhELhRgxDT6_pCAU53r1068UJ-KnAYrXomFG1n6frKg4ProsOvrmowa9C-SLahyuDVgViq5O89cSE5EuWTQOw3nqTdUwnCK-X73MN-7nlWSEQx8XGuSHX9NWuAvAlLLBUxIMBw/s1600/mcgonagall.gif" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
This is especially applicable to when Teresa (the girl) arrived <span class="spoiler-text" style="color: #20124d;">and gave a crap ton of completely new info to Thomas when she was unconscious</span> and also when Thomas <span class="spoiler-text" style="color: #20124d;">found the Griever Hole with Minho</span> AND also when Thomas figured out that he should<span style="color: #20124d;"> </span><span class="spoiler-text"><span style="color: #20124d;">go get stung by a Griever and rely on the Changing to give him more info</span></span>.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I just felt like something was lacking – like there should've been something <i>more</i> to everything, but there <i>wasn’t</i>.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
And then I cried.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I actually cried when <span class="spoiler-text" style="color: #20124d;">Chuck died, and to be frank I don’t really know why I did! Chuck was probably the only character whom I felt a little more for than any other character throughout the story. I guess Thomas actually telling us how much he treasured Chuck got to me after all. I also think Thomas being unable to fulfil his promise to Chuck just did it for me,</span> and so the tears just came.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
It was fleeting, though. Once I finished the novel, I thought that the ending – or payoff – of Dashner’s entire concept was questionable, and probably one of the biggest downers for me.</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I have no idea if it was because of all the pre-movie hype or the fact that my classmates gave me a gist of the plot before I read it (no spoilers were involved) that could’ve influenced my reading experience on a such high scale. They pretty much told me just the blurb, so it must be either the hype or my high expectations…</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VWxWRCQf4KPYOKz2yfsnyJ0EMcAHY2EKN4zyc7vH58PZZ-6haNHYHpr2stvKG0ptt77WFnN8trvZ12PS_UfgQQ7YNLc3Ztv013CNF-IoKI9ecvIUqXhz87LWCdYQpQupuX_KKd2-3C4/s1600/stone.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VWxWRCQf4KPYOKz2yfsnyJ0EMcAHY2EKN4zyc7vH58PZZ-6haNHYHpr2stvKG0ptt77WFnN8trvZ12PS_UfgQQ7YNLc3Ztv013CNF-IoKI9ecvIUqXhz87LWCdYQpQupuX_KKd2-3C4/s1600/stone.gif" height="177" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I’ll still be reading the rest of the trilogy to see if it picks up (I heard the next book is better). <i>The Maze Runner</i> will be getting half a starfish more than I’d have given it because, well, I <i>cried. </i>And I usually don’t cry over a book – I mostly get hangovers and can’t touch another book for days – so this might spell something better for the rest of the series. I think.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhar4jPKVf2z4GNlFyGiJDl_WebcEPcjHONDFqKq92K9sCajLms9rinrBklQ9Nune_iIQ_FBVLlB_aEQZa4y5MuLbCBSANkznzIBAzX2H0vNFvmxg4HmsKxaRJ_dAv8AaVZ6gmKesW_U/s1600/three-and-a-half-stars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhar4jPKVf2z4GNlFyGiJDl_WebcEPcjHONDFqKq92K9sCajLms9rinrBklQ9Nune_iIQ_FBVLlB_aEQZa4y5MuLbCBSANkznzIBAzX2H0vNFvmxg4HmsKxaRJ_dAv8AaVZ6gmKesW_U/s1600/three-and-a-half-stars.png" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><u>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</u></b><br />
<a href="http://www.jamesdashner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AboutPortrait.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="AboutPortrait About" border="0" class="alignleft wp-image-424" src="http://www.jamesdashner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/AboutPortrait.png" height="200" title="AboutPortrait" width="134" /></a>James was born and raised in Georgia but now lives in the Rocky Mountains with his family. He has four kids, which some might think is too many but he thinks is just right. Once upon a time, James studied accounting and worked in the field of finance, but has been writing full time for several years. (He doesn’t miss numbers. At all.)<br />
<br />
In his free time, James loves to read, watch movies and (good) TV shows, snow ski, and read. (Reading was mentioned twice on purpose.) Most of all, he’s thankful that he gets to make a living writing stories and considers himself pretty much the luckiest guy on the planet.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://jamesdashner.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/jamesdashner" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jamesdashnerbooks?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/dashnerjames/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Get your copy of <i>The Maze Runner</i>!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maze-Runner-Book-One-ebook/dp/B002QE3CTY/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410880025&sr=8-1&keywords=the+maze+runner" target="_blank">Amazon US </a>| <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maze-Runner/dp/1908435135/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410880058&sr=1-1&keywords=the+maze+runner" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maze-runner-james-dashner/1030996581?ean=9780385385206" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Maze-Runner-James-Dashner/9780385737951/?a_aid=mermaidwithabook" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0385737955&asins=0385737955&linkId=VNJO2IDJIO3EEB3S&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
</iframe><br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br />
<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script>Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-67793852599566742082014-09-07T01:29:00.001+08:002014-09-16T21:41:44.289+08:00Blog Tour: Guest Post by Rachel M. Wilson, author of DON'T TOUCH<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to my stop on the DON'T TOUCH blog tour! </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6X3PEUcsORoMe94IO0Mq_ap0KzBa5o7SRYgUxK_TLjwJjRmETG-Ge2qXqzmBes3BL-dD43wLkt5qK6wGChAce21DaZqQi19kukLRQcdBJccEzJKTyOiav1xPhmUaj7z-w-NUI9IrM4Q/s1600/DON'T%2BTOUCH.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6X3PEUcsORoMe94IO0Mq_ap0KzBa5o7SRYgUxK_TLjwJjRmETG-Ge2qXqzmBes3BL-dD43wLkt5qK6wGChAce21DaZqQi19kukLRQcdBJccEzJKTyOiav1xPhmUaj7z-w-NUI9IrM4Q/s1600/DON'T%2BTOUCH.png" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFsZjYa3K43T7svxge49QHATov1I_hcBpLakbi5x4mZJhCkD97M_6OLwS1IJVjcL7kmoE72QusxvGTtd5iK3Hq0cpUzouhkYWOAaxQjD_HFqc2eTiOPnLgmEux7m4C1B5WYb7hrzCSVY/s1600/9780062220936_45240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFsZjYa3K43T7svxge49QHATov1I_hcBpLakbi5x4mZJhCkD97M_6OLwS1IJVjcL7kmoE72QusxvGTtd5iK3Hq0cpUzouhkYWOAaxQjD_HFqc2eTiOPnLgmEux7m4C1B5WYb7hrzCSVY/s1600/9780062220936_45240.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13597757-don-t-touch" target="_blank">Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson</a><br />
Publisher: HarperTeen<br />
Released: 2nd September 2014<br />
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<b><span style="color: #20124d;">A powerful story of a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy auditioning for Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <i><span style="color: #20124d;">Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Caddie can’t stop thinking that if she keeps from touching another person’s skin, her parents might get back together... which is why she wears full-length gloves to school and covers every inch of her skin.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">It seems harmless at first, but Caddie’s obsession soon threatens her ambitions as an actress. She desperately wants to play Ophelia in her school’s production of Hamlet. But that would mean touching Peter, who’s auditioning for the title role—and kissing him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn't sure she's brave enough to let herself fall.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, this debut novel from Rachel M. Wilson is a moving story of a talented girl who's fighting an increasingly severe anxiety disorder, and the friends and family who stand by her.</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Today, author Rachel M. Wilson will be sharing four things the book world doesn't know about her (until now). Don't forget to enter the giveaway below after reading the post!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><b>GUEST POST</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">4 THINGS THE BOOK WORLD DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT ME (UNTIL NOW) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">by Rachel M. Wilson, author of <i>Don't Touch</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">1. I was born on a farm—well, not exactly on the farm, but my parents were living on a family farm near the Alabama River when I was born. It’s an ancient house with a peaked roof and a wide porch—if any place is haunted, this place is haunted. Now the farmland is mostly leased out to other farmers, but when my Dad ran it, it was a feeder pig farm. Not so coincidentally, my parents were vegetarians at the time.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacnfaAseK-lXF0mtd8KSm25niV-Wy6XYste5QrXQvt8c43ZXacxrKmn3oXcMB2Etab16tGHV8OhueQcM5-KHTEBN4xD2iGYguTFpgR8L-kA_J8SXwu_r-iugCf6g0M_t_2iWmJe0p5iE/s1600/rachel-m.-wilson.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjacnfaAseK-lXF0mtd8KSm25niV-Wy6XYste5QrXQvt8c43ZXacxrKmn3oXcMB2Etab16tGHV8OhueQcM5-KHTEBN4xD2iGYguTFpgR8L-kA_J8SXwu_r-iugCf6g0M_t_2iWmJe0p5iE/s1600/rachel-m.-wilson.png" height="208" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;">The farmhouse where Rachel was born (left) and the barn (right)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #20124d;">2. I’m a Francophile. I don’t speak French as well as I used to, but I belonged to the French club in high school and always competed in the French Convention. I used to be completely fluent. My granddad was a paratrooper on D-Day, and I was lucky enough to accompany him and other surviving members of the 82nd Airborne on a trip to France for a monument dedication. As the only person on our bus who spoke French, I got a lot of practice translating. Lots of small villages in Normandy put out tables full of calvados and cheese and pastries for the veterans, and I almost cried when an older gentleman asked if he could give my grandfather a kiss on the cheek. He obliged, and it was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dLjEeAf4PfPDbnaGS_Qjf9b_DEr8wRozzwCEflmY5osNse-krpKfY-6ShmaRJvgOGz-z3jQZUmoW-zgUnA1L4497Pq7gQ_d68sEfeiUnDz0Z0YAPnrPpHiE2JPiNpwOhtHY108acKUQ/s1600/pier5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dLjEeAf4PfPDbnaGS_Qjf9b_DEr8wRozzwCEflmY5osNse-krpKfY-6ShmaRJvgOGz-z3jQZUmoW-zgUnA1L4497Pq7gQ_d68sEfeiUnDz0Z0YAPnrPpHiE2JPiNpwOhtHY108acKUQ/s1600/pier5.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: #20124d;">3. I spent several Halloween seasons working in the haunted house at Chicago’s Navy Pier. This meant dressing up in elaborate costumes to play a real estate agent with a knife through her head or a frightened librarian ghost or a crazed French chef . . . on repeat. The house was a kind of limbo—a Disneyesque production with tons of </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">special effects, all timed to a track. So we’d go through a 90 second scene for a crowd of people, usher them to the next room and then perform the same scene again . . . for hours! At one point, I was so exhausted that when a kid offered my French chef his plastic spider ring, saying, “Cook it! Cook my spi-dow!” I stuffed the thing in my mouth. Instant. Regret.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">4. I love camping! I love it so much that when I drove cross-country between Chicago and LA, I pulled up to campsites all along the road with a giant U-Haul. Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared for the winds on the plains or the storms in the Badlands knocking the tent flat. The ensuing exhaustion required an emergency stop at Wall Drug, SD, for tent stakes and ties.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGw823pWgV8lzteUyxgt50CHhxfaIPNIPtFzcxhOH_LfE2iQkffs9kD5_uKiIbcSgj5mP7yvXtRI4KkifhvY_MfY-gfUpNMPW41ysIza_yEjmxJbHh5hHhVTpnY-vKa340VzWvjnowuAI/s1600/DSCN3332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGw823pWgV8lzteUyxgt50CHhxfaIPNIPtFzcxhOH_LfE2iQkffs9kD5_uKiIbcSgj5mP7yvXtRI4KkifhvY_MfY-gfUpNMPW41ysIza_yEjmxJbHh5hHhVTpnY-vKa340VzWvjnowuAI/s1600/DSCN3332.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Rachel's dog Remy as a puppy </span></i><span style="color: purple;"><i>figuring out how to use tent stakes</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d9681b8674/" id="rc-d9681b8674" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<br /></div>
<b><u>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUVNA1i9HbZ040ixrgmDFKgzQX1Ou9lD8XvGM6czVkyxhjKYhuYN4jnJWMJXVPPK7T3ffzkvgO77ODFKs0H0TdaXRbhs4jpCzxlhEUsqSQ0BPfSYAYnix7sIvLD9aK7PUJPGE80Tz94Y/s1600/7350392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUVNA1i9HbZ040ixrgmDFKgzQX1Ou9lD8XvGM6czVkyxhjKYhuYN4jnJWMJXVPPK7T3ffzkvgO77ODFKs0H0TdaXRbhs4jpCzxlhEUsqSQ0BPfSYAYnix7sIvLD9aK7PUJPGE80Tz94Y/s1600/7350392.jpg" width="160" /></a>Rachel M. Wilson is the author of the contemporary YA, DON'T TOUCH, forthcoming from HarperTeen, Sep. 2, 2014.<br />
<br />
She graduated from Northwestern University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Rachel grew up in Birmingham, AL, and she currently writes, acts, and teaches in Chicago, IL.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Connect with Rachel: <a href="http://www.rachelmwilsonbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://rachelmwilson.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/byRachelMWilson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://instagram.com/byRachelMWilson" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rachelwilsonbooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7350392.Rachel_M_Wilson" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Get your copy of <i>Don't Touch</i>!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Touch-Rachel-M-Wilson-ebook/dp/B00H7LW7KG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410024288&sr=8-1&keywords=don%27t+touch+rachel+wilson" target="_blank">Amazon US </a>| <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Touch-Rachel-Wilson/dp/0062220934/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410024326&sr=1-1&keywords=don%27t+touch" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-touch-rachel-m-wilson/1117657300?ean=9780062220936" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0062220934&asins=0062220934&linkId=WOQJMOU3FU4XEVAY&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=333333&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Thanks for stopping by!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> </div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-DiSvDe9Ux_s%2FVAtCIJKN5QI%2FAAAAAAAABOc%2FGDYVpBOvWLM%2Fs1600%2F7350392.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUVNA1i9HbZ040ixrgmDFKgzQX1Ou9lD8XvGM6czVkyxhjKYhuYN4jnJWMJXVPPK7T3ffzkvgO77ODFKs0H0TdaXRbhs4jpCzxlhEUsqSQ0BPfSYAYnix7sIvLD9aK7PUJPGE80Tz94Y/s1600/7350392.jpg" -->Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-70119473010841273812014-08-19T23:04:00.001+08:002014-08-20T01:24:12.791+08:00Top Ten Tuesday: Books People Have Been Telling The Mermaid That She MUST Read<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3Dp7x24ezT7V8ofu3LN4cUjzdF5U9nwqGP-A1cRCew8O5MsFgXFNnxnmVbUlqW7QvUoCL73tBLnSlA0LTQGFvv2SeW8Cw9eZ3DyvqFGEeXFG17VJBBEOzMrIhVZqB3qV5nujthjC0rw/s1600/TTT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3Dp7x24ezT7V8ofu3LN4cUjzdF5U9nwqGP-A1cRCew8O5MsFgXFNnxnmVbUlqW7QvUoCL73tBLnSlA0LTQGFvv2SeW8Cw9eZ3DyvqFGEeXFG17VJBBEOzMrIhVZqB3qV5nujthjC0rw/s1600/TTT.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/p/top-ten-tuesday-other-features.html" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Each week, a new Top Ten list will be posted at The Broke and the Bookish. Everyone is welcome to join. Just remember to link back to The Broke and the Bookish and add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers' lists! <a href="http://each%20week%20we%20will%20post%20a%20new%20top%20ten%20list%20%20that%20one%20of%20our%20bloggers%20here%20at%20the%20broke%20and%20the%20bookish%20will%20answer.%20everyone%20is%20welcome%20to%20join.%20all%20we%20ask%20is%20that%20you%20link%20back%20to%20the%20broke%20and%20the%20bookish%20on%20your%20own%20top%20ten%20tuesday%20post%20and%20add%20your%20name%20to%20the%20linky%20widget%20so%20that%20everyone%20can%20check%20out%20other%20bloggers%20lists%21/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view the full list of Top Ten Tuesdays.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is my first time participating in <span style="color: #20124d;">Top Ten Tuesday</span>! I've finally found some free time to do it. School is just insane right now but the holidays are in about two weeks (aka more reading time!).<br />
<br />
So here we go – ten books people have been telling me that I MUST read!<br />
<br />
Most of these books are ones I keep hearing about but have never read. There are probably a ton of books that fall under this category for me, because #1, I used to have this mindset of not reading what I thought was ‘mainstream’, and #2, I just simply didn’t have the time. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAmK7uQXYOYDscyqahkKb6n4taOn_vu1CsYka4ZmMVFD8H5Pf7sKeL9aEMdFzd6JsnfIMlRzKuiWDqpquFa0831fuDl9Y2ZBX3OuRd2J6E3xC0PAvTUn5bnZSRCt1HyE-AkZKfGBpJS4/s1600/ttt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAmK7uQXYOYDscyqahkKb6n4taOn_vu1CsYka4ZmMVFD8H5Pf7sKeL9aEMdFzd6JsnfIMlRzKuiWDqpquFa0831fuDl9Y2ZBX3OuRd2J6E3xC0PAvTUn5bnZSRCt1HyE-AkZKfGBpJS4/s1600/ttt.png" height="232" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11594257-under-the-never-sky" target="_blank">Under The Never Sky</a> by Veronica Rossi</span>: Manon from<a href="http://sous-ma-couverture.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Sous Ma Couverture</a> recommended this! Movie rights have been sold, but there isn't much news regarding that as of now.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars" target="_blank">The Fault In Our Stars</a> by John Green</span>: Seems like EVERYONE has read this. But yes, I haven't read <i>TFIOS</i>. And no, I have not seen the movie. I probably wouldn’t have shifted it up my TBR list if the movie hadn’t been released.</div>
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6186357-the-maze-runner" target="_blank">The Maze Runner</a> by James Dashner</span>: Like <i>TFIOS</i>, the same goes for <i>The Maze Runner</i>. My classmates have been telling me to read it and are eagerly anticipating its movie release in September, so this time I will read it before then (<a href="http://www.liyanaland.com/2012/06/hunger-games-short-story-contest-2012-winners-sherlyn-goh.html">like I did for The Hunger Games trilogy</a>).<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13182274-promises" target="_blank">Promises (Syrenka, #1)</a> by Amber Garr</span>: Michelle from <a href="http://www.thepassionatebookworms.com/" target="_blank">The Passionate Bookworms</a> recommended this series to me, especially since I’m a mer-freak. I’ve heard it’s fin-tastic.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13069261-the-bellwether-revivals" target="_blank">The Bellwether Revivals</a> by Benjamin Wood</span>: I was exchanging book recs with a classmate in a bookstore after being properly introduced to him for the first time (and finding out he's a fan of The Lunar Chronicles!). I recommended <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-what-kills-me-what-kills-me-1-by_16.html" target="_blank"><i>What Kills Me</i> by Wynne Channing</a> to him. In return, he located a copy of <i>The Bellwether Revivals</i> in the store and showed it to me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtNTR8IKIbOPxTxJmoTvLnhSQZc0EcdhIVnrHKnoN6iDgtmKKAPajI9d4QDA456FOq06Fj_h4mMcG0lYP4p_Xd-LTnVQFOQbQ5COUN8CFLRRP1ZwnFscnfAyzzgvzC8gL0e1CV0P4d2A/s1600/ttt1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtNTR8IKIbOPxTxJmoTvLnhSQZc0EcdhIVnrHKnoN6iDgtmKKAPajI9d4QDA456FOq06Fj_h4mMcG0lYP4p_Xd-LTnVQFOQbQ5COUN8CFLRRP1ZwnFscnfAyzzgvzC8gL0e1CV0P4d2A/s1600/ttt1.png" height="232" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">6. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13206760-scarlet" target="_blank">Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2)</a> by Marissa Meyer</span>: Said classmate and fan of The Lunar Chronicles asked me why I hadn't read <i>Scarlet</i> yet even though I'd finished <i>Cinder</i> already.<br />
<br />
I’m a reader who prefers to wait till a series is finished because I can’t stand the agonising wait for sequels. The more popular an unfinished series is, the less likely I am to start reading it anytime soon.<br />
<br />
Fun fact: During the pre-release hype of the third book, <i>Cress</i>, one of my pins on Pinterest showcasing fan art (not mine) had an insane amount of repins. The number now stands close to 500!<br />
<center>
<span style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></center>
<center>
<a data-pin-do="embedPin" href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/90494273736677077/"></a></center>
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/44457-the-mortal-instruments" target="_blank">The Mortal Instruments</a> by Cassandra Clare</span>: I was pretty confused over whether one should start reading The Infernal Devices (the prequel series) or The Mortal Instruments first. A classmate of mine who’s an avid fan of this series recommended starting with the latter, so at least I'll know where to start!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387515-wonder" target="_blank">Wonder</a> by R. J. Palacio</span>: What a lovely sky blue cover. A friend reading it recommended it after I asked about the illustration.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;">9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/826845.The_Chrysalids" target="_blank">The Chrysalids</a> </span>and<span style="color: purple;"> 10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/530965.The_Day_of_the_Triffids?ac=1" target="_blank">The Day of the Triffids</a> by John Wyndham</span>: Another classmate of mine who particularly loves dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels suggested these to me. Aside from their interesting premises, these were written in the 1950s. I was told that John Wyndham’s sci-fi novels weren’t that popular in those days, but with the resurgence of books in the similar genre, I think they'll be better-appreciated in this century.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Thanks for checking out my <span style="color: #20124d;">Top Ten Tuesday</span> post! Leave a comment with a link to your post so I can swim over ;)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-63581755899088610692014-08-10T20:21:00.000+08:002015-04-01T00:27:44.352+08:00In My Mailbox #7: Holy carp, it's signed copies of the MERMINIA series!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/gohsherlyn/media/IMM%20iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMM iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png" border="0" src="http://i1294.photobucket.com/albums/b611/gohsherlyn/IMM%20iphoneFINAL_zpse6jelmrr.png~original" height="289" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Welcome to <b>In My Mailbox (IMM)</b>! <b>IMM</b> is a weekly meme created by Kristi @ <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/in-my-mailbox" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a> which features books bought/received in the mail, borrowed from the library as well as other awesome book-related goodies in your mailbox.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Am.</span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Goingtoburstwithexcitement.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Actually, I already have. *uncontrollable sheepish giggle*</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbFLDo7EhPzx3vBFDbil5KcA4qc_37cbiUVIXfuoNIheKN1SX2dVtvO6NKp8zdg1ksRqHBVojwEBETVc4j_qGRxY3bQMMYPnSC9GoxYyu3mwXIUzcL_eYljYgFNprbIOkQXN8DHUrv4I/s1600/oie_1072621WPZpyWvQ.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbFLDo7EhPzx3vBFDbil5KcA4qc_37cbiUVIXfuoNIheKN1SX2dVtvO6NKp8zdg1ksRqHBVojwEBETVc4j_qGRxY3bQMMYPnSC9GoxYyu3mwXIUzcL_eYljYgFNprbIOkQXN8DHUrv4I/s1600/oie_1072621WPZpyWvQ.gif" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;">If you don't know already, I'm CRAZY. Sea-riously.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As you know, I absolutely adore <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246225-merminia" target="_blank">Merminia</a></i>, the first book in Emm Cole's amazing series about mermaid clans and wars. And swoon-worthy mermen. *coughARAMIScough* </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Review of said fintabulous novel can be found <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-merminia-by-emm-cole.html" target="_blank">here</a> if you wish to acquaint yourself with awesomeness.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So imagine my immense delight when Emm<i> <span style="color: purple;">sent me both of her books in the series</span></i>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h_sSAk8XiCH8LhNt0tb4pdwtU1MJ0tE1MWeyBpBQTvgFdhTfm3UWJn9f7aVxyWJVhg2vWwB1CqjMd6eofdWP7C4-QbBPqVxk1DV45HsciiMjwNAAjASKIPKnOeuoDGS_7Y3PT-W0beg/s1600/oie_oie_animation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9h_sSAk8XiCH8LhNt0tb4pdwtU1MJ0tE1MWeyBpBQTvgFdhTfm3UWJn9f7aVxyWJVhg2vWwB1CqjMd6eofdWP7C4-QbBPqVxk1DV45HsciiMjwNAAjASKIPKnOeuoDGS_7Y3PT-W0beg/s1600/oie_oie_animation.gif" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh1OSsqGBjPMGyoZhm-cCt3zc7atfuecX-2YrGJ0iYuquWC1EKYTD14N7aBVWVfc2ZvGx4HPOpp1McolMhIA4iNABwdp0KhFRav642ebJjil1YdPciJcjo_PGveV64WPIDtyD5fVzeP1VW6G89kAkk097Kb69zfS16se1m-dj7ymdif=" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh1OSsqGBjPMGyoZhm-cCt3zc7atfuecX-2YrGJ0iYuquWC1EKYTD14N7aBVWVfc2ZvGx4HPOpp1McolMhIA4iNABwdp0KhFRav642ebJjil1YdPciJcjo_PGveV64WPIDtyD5fVzeP1VW6G89kAkk097Kb69zfS16se1m-dj7ymdif=" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<img src="http://www.nkayesel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/easy-a-screaming.gif" height="172" style="-webkit-user-select: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>#BRBdying</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Before anything else:</div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 27px;">
<ol>
<li>I wasn't expecting this at all! I gave <i>Merminia</i> the love I would give to any book that's earned a special spot in my heart, which includes spreading some serious bookish love. This is something I totally didn't see coming, and a surprise like no other!</li>
<li>As an international book blogger, I don't get many bookish goodies in my letterbox. Us international peeps don't live near major US publishers to receive physical ARCs for review, nor do we have many local YA book events to attend (well, for me, at least). Our eyes light up every time we see an international giveaway, because let's face it – shipping prices can be a pain in the mer-ass for those hosting such giveaways. And we understand that. Of course, there's always the lovely Book Depository to help out but generally, what I'm saying is that it's just different if you're an international blogger. That's why I'm always so flippin' excited about anything that literally lands in my mailbox.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>But.</i> This post isn't to gripe or complain! I'm trying to illustrate my sheer joy for having received a series I love from a talented author (:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Okay. Photo time!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDDP4OK6KRXR-eF9-jeFMFi922NapkmqGsHHoDjqoKt_4dx6DwkdDPAtRhRj7xEvPmFAlUtaurEhL4R6zGSwsbnl6eaXRT8N3iXaf2SWT5PMmjPRSReTPmeAHzsl5ZRuea3ftUMefqRE/s1600/both-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDDP4OK6KRXR-eF9-jeFMFi922NapkmqGsHHoDjqoKt_4dx6DwkdDPAtRhRj7xEvPmFAlUtaurEhL4R6zGSwsbnl6eaXRT8N3iXaf2SWT5PMmjPRSReTPmeAHzsl5ZRuea3ftUMefqRE/s1600/both-small.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm so stoked about getting to review <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246200-keeping-merminia" target="_blank">Keeping Merminia</a></i> in paperback. And it's thicker than <i>Merminia</i> too, so that means I get to see more of the characters! ^~^</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn1RIIlUxhXm4BgvQ0ge_Ffksb4LpN2LpESp2PV_iHFNyPnfkKBrJQ1DKJ1UZbryF8o3O_vtkIACQQeXsyTfM2lfWUM0ghrphnjMEkbbGV6YRFGxIHwUKxqNbBYmoirAe0tKZaXmxWKY/s1600/side-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcn1RIIlUxhXm4BgvQ0ge_Ffksb4LpN2LpESp2PV_iHFNyPnfkKBrJQ1DKJ1UZbryF8o3O_vtkIACQQeXsyTfM2lfWUM0ghrphnjMEkbbGV6YRFGxIHwUKxqNbBYmoirAe0tKZaXmxWKY/s1600/side-small.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Autographs!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1e-7l7PQltVakreb48scUSyAWuLqn_Rjth4mqz3Dd6g40j-waZduSZ7DvqDaoVsPWGgu7hpe9MObCfuTFN9cZZ5lNpSLmUCfB5UHGbk8mCthaaocSf1lOLxEmEaWV2OWtg78IDeBmwas/s1600/autographs-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1e-7l7PQltVakreb48scUSyAWuLqn_Rjth4mqz3Dd6g40j-waZduSZ7DvqDaoVsPWGgu7hpe9MObCfuTFN9cZZ5lNpSLmUCfB5UHGbk8mCthaaocSf1lOLxEmEaWV2OWtg78IDeBmwas/s1600/autographs-small.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Isn't that just sweet?! I feel so blessed and honoured to know about the world of <i>Merminia</i> through your writing, Emm! Thank you so much for sending some major author love all the way to Singapore! I truly appreciate it <3 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKAIaZUxO9ilSZdGkSEcmedCee0RbDd69bjup7umzpbYapX3pDPT698HxBMkxL1PUpf6OLd5L-oaRlILNQW7xTJuGoI2XkJX2GWr7w8ge1h1QFOyVMdzP8DDgMZQt9_60_RL-WBD7orY/s1600/bubbles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKAIaZUxO9ilSZdGkSEcmedCee0RbDd69bjup7umzpbYapX3pDPT698HxBMkxL1PUpf6OLd5L-oaRlILNQW7xTJuGoI2XkJX2GWr7w8ge1h1QFOyVMdzP8DDgMZQt9_60_RL-WBD7orY/s1600/bubbles.png" height="230" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Don't know who the gorgeous Emm Cole is? Well, time to rectify that! You can find her at these links: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://emmcole.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ByEmmCole" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/byemmcole" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6466370.Emm_Cole" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And while you're at it, do grab a copy of <i>Merminia</i> for yourself! Trust me, it's the best thing since sushi ;)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Merminia-Emm-Cole-ebook/dp/B008VJ938C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403513644&sr=1-1&keywords=merminia" target="_blank">Amazon US </a>| <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Merminia-Emm-Cole/dp/1479219215/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403513676&sr=1-1&keywords=merminia" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a></div>
<br />
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1479219215&asins=1479219215&linkId=LZU6IUVTMXWSLVUS&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=040C12&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Merkisses,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiwF9wG4UboME1aWXKvn1D8IISAOpwCq6V7BNRQvJr5lp02GyFczQExZJ6hvHUDtBg06gqPzANnOlSp2c9bLyn4QM_YcztSaRd5ybC1OHSutxVAZGwzeBbB3l40A3tuw4DtUCqXvhjJQ/s1600/liana-siggy.png" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91LlW8IgcoqBjkSbAT91GE9oKp2EM7nS-rkXaBMLlh3b_KEqllURliUHR7_G4zfQ1dzoh5xt5vcFiajr8Y6TMs6Hf1dyzmCP68pKt5IiGYvYCZ7PMU5rp8BoxUGDOjVZSkcb3qhhG6_s/s1600/mermaidwithabook1.jpg"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91LlW8IgcoqBjkSbAT91GE9oKp2EM7nS-rkXaBMLlh3b_KEqllURliUHR7_G4zfQ1dzoh5xt5vcFiajr8Y6TMs6Hf1dyzmCP68pKt5IiGYvYCZ7PMU5rp8BoxUGDOjVZSkcb3qhhG6_s/s1600/mermaidwithabook1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1406859257.html#_=1407663004308&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=file%3A%2F%2F%2Fvar%2Fmobile%2FApplications%2FF3E4487D-E705-46EB-AD31-2B08CD032749%2FDocuments%2FBlogger&size=m&url=file%3A%2F%2F%2Fvar%2Fmobile%2FApplications%2FF3E4487D-E705-46EB-AD31-2B08CD032749%2FDocuments%2FBlogger&via=gohsherlyn" style="height: 20px; width: 107px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe> <script id="twitter-wjs" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> </div>
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-_8PhZDYr1ak%2FU-cjvJV2QlI%2FAAAAAAAABH8%2FS5LtUr6Ppc8%2Fs1600%2Fmermaidwithabook1.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91LlW8IgcoqBjkSbAT91GE9oKp2EM7nS-rkXaBMLlh3b_KEqllURliUHR7_G4zfQ1dzoh5xt5vcFiajr8Y6TMs6Hf1dyzmCP68pKt5IiGYvYCZ7PMU5rp8BoxUGDOjVZSkcb3qhhG6_s/s1600/mermaidwithabook1.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhowhollowheartandfull.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F12%2Fgif-1.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh1OSsqGBjPMGyoZhm-cCt3zc7atfuecX-2YrGJ0iYuquWC1EKYTD14N7aBVWVfc2ZvGx4HPOpp1McolMhIA4iNABwdp0KhFRav642ebJjil1YdPciJcjo_PGveV64WPIDtyD5fVzeP1VW6G89kAkk097Kb69zfS16se1m-dj7ymdif=" -->Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-45069313849590619502014-07-17T01:09:00.000+08:002014-07-17T01:09:01.787+08:00Cover Reveal: SOULLESS by Crystal Collier<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Welcome to the cover reveal of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22204865-soulless" target="_blank">SOULLESS</a>, Book Two in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/127410-maiden-of-time" target="_blank"><i>Maiden of Time</i> trilogy</a> by <a href="http://crystal-collier.com/" target="_blank">Crystal Collier</a>!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Have you met the Soulless and Passionate? In the world of 1770 where supernatural beings mix with humanity, Alexia is playing a deadly game.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr28hs7LHtClK-OSd06veD7rug_A-MHmeP1Mrw_YpfdJKgGUbqd7iZBv0IuwV9ptrlx_iTO0OBd_RXTuv4SMmBttuZAbyos2FMzvTzokdgjGjnD-5kPeiLs4xveGYEOvcyRBAQToChNq8/s1600/WebSoulless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr28hs7LHtClK-OSd06veD7rug_A-MHmeP1Mrw_YpfdJKgGUbqd7iZBv0IuwV9ptrlx_iTO0OBd_RXTuv4SMmBttuZAbyos2FMzvTzokdgjGjnD-5kPeiLs4xveGYEOvcyRBAQToChNq8/s1600/WebSoulless.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she's forced to unleash her true power.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">And risk losing everything.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">I am <i>so</i> in love with this cover. Alexia's brown locks complement that lilac gown so well <3 And that gothic staircase background plus the weapon in her hand is such a stark contrast to what she's wearing (is that a rapier or something?). The signature clock makes an appearance again like it did on the <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17876692-moonless" target="_blank">Moonless</a></i> cover too. I wonder what the smoke clinging to the title could mean...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-moonless-by-crystal-collier.html" target="_blank">(to read my review of Book One, MOONLESS, click here.)</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">And here's the print cover in its full glory!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd32hoMYFZXml_z7nF7vlvDs3jXMpP5wz7AaCQP1vCQyWNu-Wz9NLKloTHUb5_rZ_DenWg9LkSnSaLFqBsfLJjkmMSyZ8f6UGvD5G17B3NBVtGlnaUsFmvNtA6K44dqdRZraKYRzHDqXA/s1600/SoullessPrint2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd32hoMYFZXml_z7nF7vlvDs3jXMpP5wz7AaCQP1vCQyWNu-Wz9NLKloTHUb5_rZ_DenWg9LkSnSaLFqBsfLJjkmMSyZ8f6UGvD5G17B3NBVtGlnaUsFmvNtA6K44dqdRZraKYRzHDqXA/s1600/SoullessPrint2.jpg" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
What people are saying about this series: <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #351c75;"><i>"With a completely unique plot that keeps you guessing and interested, it brings you close to the characters, sympathizing with them and understanding their trials and tribulations."</i> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: right;">
— SC, Amazon reviewer </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #351c75;">"It's clean, classy and supernaturally packed with suspense, longing, intrigue and magic."</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: right;">
— Jill Jennings, TX</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: #351c75;">"SWOON."</span><br />
</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: right;">
— Sherlyn, <b>Mermaid With A Book</b> reviewer <i>(c'est moi!)</i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>COMING October 13, 2014</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22204865-soulless" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8jJrfS6eI83TzJEACa9Mq0zeEmeI5HRz-6P82t-foFALATtctQqrG-lnDbyXPMUifnQI-hqvpcl4CQ9CP3wrQ9UlDSD5s71ejUSTJz2_X4WYsJFS5TfhR8En9dhACQtDBDxmpdn80Zo/s1600/Goodreads+button.jpg" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1405354057020_299700" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://crystal-collier.com/soulless/preorder" target="_blank">PREORDER</a> your print copy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://crystal-collier.com/email/" target="_blank">Sign up for Crystal Collier's newsletter</a> to receive release news and freebies!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">PSST! To celebrate the SOULLESS cover reveal, MOONLESS will be on sale for $1.99 from July 15 – 17, and $2.99 on July 18 & 19!</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">Get your copy now!</span><br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00FADL0A6&asins=B00FADL0A6&linkId=P2DM47SM4YDL3U4I&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=040C12&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"><br />
</iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1367548174p5/7073992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crystal Collier" border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1367548174p5/7073992.jpg" width="145" /></a>Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
Connect with Crystal: <a href="http://crystal-collier.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/crystalcollier1" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CrystalCollierAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7073992.Crystal_Collier" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for swimmin' by!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-70526008201137247292014-07-14T21:24:00.000+08:002014-07-14T21:24:10.767+08:00In My Mailbox #6: MADLY, DEEPLY & QUEEN OF SOMEDAY<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzW8EOZ0umY82cshDVnxYs7BaA38rzjhWhyphenhyphenuwmGOT_HUn7I4vy69_G5TSjJRorLifdnI7rOcRCeWiersHC2W-W-mbALKKMWhKdnLgHptH3Lsmhs2-yFUN5GyNqBk1edYf2ynHDalqW-8/s1600/IMM+iphoneFINAL.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzW8EOZ0umY82cshDVnxYs7BaA38rzjhWhyphenhyphenuwmGOT_HUn7I4vy69_G5TSjJRorLifdnI7rOcRCeWiersHC2W-W-mbALKKMWhKdnLgHptH3Lsmhs2-yFUN5GyNqBk1edYf2ynHDalqW-8/s1600/IMM+iphoneFINAL.png" height="289" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">Welcome to <b>In My Mailbox (IMM)</b>! <b>IMM</b> is a weekly meme created by Kristi @ <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/in-my-mailbox" target="_blank">The Story Siren</a> which features books bought/received in the mail, borrowed from the library as well as other awesome book-related goodies in your mailbox.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's been a long time since I've posted an IMM! This is gonna be a short one, though. I hardly get bookish stuff in the mail now, and of late my bookshelf hasn't been starving for new books. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Anyway, NetGalley approved my requests for two eARCs last week—thank you, NetGalley!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">#1: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22678827-madly-deeply" target="_blank">MADLY, DEEPLY by Erica Crouch</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404834997l/22678827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Madly, Deeply" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404834997l/22678827.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
Publisher: <a href="http://www.patchwork-press.com/" target="_blank">Patchwork Press</a><br />
Released: June 17th 2014<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<i><span style="color: #20124d;">It was many and many a year ago,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #20124d;">In a kingdom by the sea...</span></i><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Annaleigh Wells and William Calloway had a love even the angels envied. It was as if the universe spun them toward one another, like the stars crafted their souls to fit perfectly together.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">With a wedding on the horizon, fate had a change of heart. Whispered warnings from phantoms and morbid nightmares darkened every night—but even visions of the future couldn’t save Annaleigh.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #20124d;">Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, Crouch’s period romance <i>Madly, Deeply</i> tells the tale of love so great, it cannot be contained in just one life.</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The cover is so mysterious and dark. I simply adore the flowy-ness of her dress. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The only story by Edgar Allan Poe I've read so far is <a href="http://poestories.com/read/telltaleheart" target="_blank"><i>The Tell-Tale Heart</i></a>, so the fact that <i>Madly, Deeply</i> is based on <i><a href="http://poestories.com/read/annabellee" target="_blank">Annabel Lee</a></i> will be something new for me (hey, that rhymed). Also, that title typography is <i>très</i> sophisticated—I have to identify it!</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">#2: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22360786-queen-of-someday" target="_blank">QUEEN OF SOMEDAY (STOLEN EMPIRE, #1) </a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22360786-queen-of-someday" target="_blank">by Sherry D. Ficklin</a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403633584l/22360786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Queen of Someday (Stolen Empire, #1)" border="0" height="400" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403633584l/22360786.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="padding: 10px;">
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing<br />
Expected release date: October 7th 2014</blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<span style="color: #20124d;">ONE GIRL WILL BRING AN EMPIRE TO ITS KNEES...<br />
<br />
Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.<br />
<br />
Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.<br />
<br />
Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.<br />
<br />
In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?</span></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Again, more cover love! For some reason it looks pure, yet kind of deadly, which is pretty fitting for the blurb (I think). I haven't read historical fiction in a while and I hope<i> Queen of Someday</i> will be comparable to some of the YA historical novels I've enjoyed in the past.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Well, that's it for IMM! I told you it'd be quick ;)</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/eOdOUad.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" class="img-responsive center-block" src="http://i.imgur.com/eOdOUad.gif" height="180" itemprop="contentUrl" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>*winks*</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What's in your mailbox this week? Which of these two novels would <i>you</i> read first?</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'd love to hear your thoughts! Leave a link to your IMM post if you'd like me to swim by ;)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script>Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-19911944066919074452014-07-14T00:12:00.001+08:002014-07-15T07:44:59.268+08:00Review: Salted (Salted, #1) by Aaron Galvin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisE6RKyBxSRDd9K6kh6cbhrL8R9uybJWTxUkAM9hnEIQdzMUdozxQ5CybXdGFJRFPlrKDtvrjh5ct4pMbkt_jWarFHTr0v36C1D4jjnnm0d17V0F1jIxrpD1VRcl6Xtkaec-CMRcpCuPc/s1600/Salted+-+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisE6RKyBxSRDd9K6kh6cbhrL8R9uybJWTxUkAM9hnEIQdzMUdozxQ5CybXdGFJRFPlrKDtvrjh5ct4pMbkt_jWarFHTr0v36C1D4jjnnm0d17V0F1jIxrpD1VRcl6Xtkaec-CMRcpCuPc/s1600/Salted+-+cover.jpg" height="400" width="250"></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996796-salted" target="_blank">Salted (Salted, #1) by Aaron Galvin</a><br>
Publisher: <a href="https://www.createspace.com/" target="_blank">Createspace</a><br>
Released: April 18th 2014<br>
Source: Review copy from author<br>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
Life <i>isn't</i> better under the sea. Lenny Dolan is all too familiar with this reality. A Selkie slave in the realm beneath the waves, he has no choice when charged with leading a crew ashore to capture an elusive runaway. If unsuccessful, the loved ones kept behind will pay for his failure with their lives. <br>
<br>
But when their target leads Lenny and his crew to deeper, darker secrets, the Selkies are faced with a moral dilemma. Secure their own freedom at the expense of others, or return empty-handed to face the grisly consequences? How Lenny and his crew answer the question will teach them the harshest truth of all. Only through the loss of innocence does one become Salted.</blockquote>
<div>
I dove into this urban fantasy not quite knowing what to expect, save the fact that it didn't have any romance. The whole idea of selkie slaves sounded way beyond cool and I wanted to see how Galvin would translate and develop that into a complete story.<br>
<br>
<i>Salted </i>has two main storylines: one storyline sees Lenny and his all-selkie crew on land tasked with capturing runaway selkie, Marisa Bourgeois; the other has bullied high school student Garrett Weaver discovering there's something about himself that doesn't seem quite natural. Both storylines meet around the novel's halfway mark.<br>
<br>
This novel's uniqueness lies in its usage of the sealskin as a symbol of imprisonment and slavery. Sealskin denotes rank, ranging from Elephant Seal suits to Sea Lion skins and many more, with the Leopard Seal coat being the most prized sealskin of all. Freedom can be bought, but this rarely happens unless one can pay for it. Escaped runners live on tenterhooks while Lenny is on their trail, and family members they leave behind will suffer—a great insight to slaves' inner conflict. To escape, or not to escape?<br>
<br>
<i>Salted</i>'s other seafolk comprise of Merrows, Orcs and Nomads. However, basic context on them was non-existent from the start. While more information would've been more helpful, I still got a pleasant surprise in my favourite chapter involving Garrett and Wilda, a Merrow. I loved the connection between them, particularly Wilda's patience and kindness. Being already bullied at school, it was nice to finally have some mer helping Garrett understand the unfathomable changes happening to him.<br>
<br>
However, it's blurry who the central characters are really supposed to be despite the two concurring storylines. <i>Salted</i> seems to be mainly distributed between Lenny, Garrett and Chidi (the crew's translator) third-person POVs, but there are additional POVs from other characters thrown in occasionally. It didn't help that the story pacing was slow in the beginning. It was a little disorienting, not knowing who to focus properly on.<br>
<br>
Lenny doesn't grow throughout the book, and is distrustful and slow to forgive when a crew member screws up. Although his boss has made him the crew leader, a power struggle ensues between him, the boss' son Oscar, and cruel Henry (Oscar's guardian) during the trip. These complications, combined with Lenny's personality, hinder him from being able to lead his crew successfully. The real villain is not August the boss, but Henry, who claims the title with cruel threats and brute strength. That spongehead seems to be unstoppable, and I have to admit it kind of destroys readers' hopes of other characters ever beating him.<br>
<br>
Then there's Chidi, the crew's beautiful, ebony-skinned translator. Being Henry's 'property', she wants to break free from him but is close to losing her will. With that evil spongehead being portrayed as unbeatable, she wasn't able to stand up to Henry as much as I expected her to. Chidi's smart, though, and I like the way she ponders over things. I also loved how she confronted Lenny about being a jerk. BUT, instead of processing that, Lenny merely "shook his head and looked out the window".<br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="color: purple;">"... People don't change."<br>
"Yes, they do," said Chidi. "I used to be naïve."<br>
Lenny gave her a long look. "Ya not anymore."<br>
"No... I changed. You could too, right now."<br>
"How's that?"<br>
"You could stop being a jerk."<br>
Lenny smirked. "Then I wouldn't be me, sista. See? <b>Can't change who I am. Don't got a choice.</b>"</span></i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVkX4taRPpjbPKdSdjjX4iHT5KVE-Nc7Leklvzn7m-JxuCvu4d_joEB4sjJKp5oD8D6dko5MyV8gKOB52QmBYyfZQkBGN2mqn5S3mKD_lsZ9cxXSQ5kKSqHz8RrlYO-lrJXpETLDDn6vc/s1600/tinkerbell+angry+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVkX4taRPpjbPKdSdjjX4iHT5KVE-Nc7Leklvzn7m-JxuCvu4d_joEB4sjJKp5oD8D6dko5MyV8gKOB52QmBYyfZQkBGN2mqn5S3mKD_lsZ9cxXSQ5kKSqHz8RrlYO-lrJXpETLDDn6vc/s320/tinkerbell+angry+gif.gif"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit, monsieur?!</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Holy codfish, Mr-Tough-Selkie totally contradicts himself. <i>Ugh.</i> And then he undergoes a 360º change at the end and becomes Mr-Not-So-Tough-Selkie. </div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://37.media.tumblr.com/33e2a94c3afaf7e5b4e3a68cce809a7c/tumblr_mu7fqfuGzN1sg49umo1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://37.media.tumblr.com/33e2a94c3afaf7e5b4e3a68cce809a7c/tumblr_mu7fqfuGzN1sg49umo1_250.gif" style="-webkit-user-select: none;"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Oh, starfish.</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In retrospect, while Lenny may not be a likeable character, I do remember having a good laugh about Mrs G. and Jamie at the aquarium ;)<br>
<br>
As Lenny's crew consists of selkies from different <strike>walks</strike> currents of life, I thought it'd make for potential story material. A background of each crew member's Salting would've been the best approach to character development, but unfortunately, the absence of this rendered me unable to connect with the characters on a deeper level (especially Racer, Paulo and Ellie) even though I wanted very much to.<br>
<br>
And Garrett... I guess the only thing I didn't like about him was when he exploited his injury to gain sympathy from Sydney, the Asian girl whom he'd set his sights on.<br>
<br>
I am still unclear about the purpose of certain characters and events. Allambee was a sweet character, but what was his role other than being an extra hostage who gives sage-like advice to Chidi? Also, Marisa divulges nothing on this "freedom" she speaks of. When Lenny's crew learns of this "freedom"; they just keep chasing after Marisa without probing further about it, causing chase scenes to become repetitive. Lenny fails to catch her after two action scenes, thereby wasting the build-up of action, and the crew just switches targets after discovering Garrett.<br>
<br>
As for the ending, I don't know why that scene in the police station was needed. And the Silkstealer... <i>why</i> was he needed?! O_o<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img.pandawhale.com/99368-Lion-King-NOPE-gif-Imgur-6EZC.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img.pandawhale.com/99368-Lion-King-NOPE-gif-Imgur-6EZC.gif" height="179" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="320"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I really think the sequence of events leading to the ending could have been less draggy.</div>
<br>
<div>
In <i>Salted</i>, Galvin shows the worst in mankind through most of his characters and discusses tough issues like slavery and bullying. While its relevancy to the real world is commendable, I felt that he could have utilised more of the fantasy elements he created to his advantage, and given more <i>oomph</i> to his characters. <i>Salted</i> might be something worthy of a fantasy action movie, but it needs more undersea action, plot-tightening and character development. My curiosity for Garrett's story still remains, but on the other fin, something must be done about the selkie characters (especially Lenny!) if they are to sustain interest.<br>
<br></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: purple;"><i>"Daar is altyd 'n keuse."</i> — Marisa Bourgeois</span></blockquote>
"There is always a choice." My choice? I'm most likely going to give <i>Salted</i>'s sequel a chance because I honestly want to know more about the other seafolk and what will happen to Garrett. For a debut author, I must say that Galvin has done an admirable job of centring his first novel around the theme of choice through an urban tale of mythical creatures in the Salt.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpIG1tdU6Bu4do_dAWlJpaNvxThSAhxnu4FOH3ThAzv5PG_Va-_q5qF4mMOkinUI_DnAN73HTIgUUrt6pQW9lZZ_TcXmBxh_7ULgfR_tAAdXZ6Szx1LmK2A-e8XCiWaz0AeTbjrGugA0/s1600/three-starfish.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpIG1tdU6Bu4do_dAWlJpaNvxThSAhxnu4FOH3ThAzv5PG_Va-_q5qF4mMOkinUI_DnAN73HTIgUUrt6pQW9lZZ_TcXmBxh_7ULgfR_tAAdXZ6Szx1LmK2A-e8XCiWaz0AeTbjrGugA0/s1600/three-starfish.png"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<br>
<br>
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b><br>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBSxoAnoRfA/U1kiyAOnKYI/AAAAAAAAB8I/-eqS4ZwTkZc/s1600/Salted+-+Aaron+Galvin+-+Headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="irc_mi" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DBSxoAnoRfA/U1kiyAOnKYI/AAAAAAAAB8I/-eqS4ZwTkZc/s200/Salted+-+Aaron+Galvin+-+Headshot.jpg" height="200" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="132"></a><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996796-salted" target="_blank">Salted</a></i> is Aaron Galvin's debut novel. He first cut his chops writing original stand-up comedy routines at age thirteen. His early works paid off years later when he co-wrote and executive produced the 2013 award-winning indie feature film, <i>Wedding Bells & Shotgun Shells</i>.<br>
<br>
He is also an accomplished actor. Aaron has worked in Hollywood blockbusters, (Christopher Nolan’s <i>The Dark Knight</i>, and Clint Eastwood’s <i>Flags of Our Fathers</i>), and starred in dozens of indie films.<br>
<br>
Aaron is a proud member of SCBWI. He lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter.<br>
<div>
<br></div>
Connect with Aaron: <a href="http://www.aarongalvin.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/aarongalvin5" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saltseries" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8075676.Aaron_Galvin" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Get your copy of <i>Salted</i>!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.com/B00JSKYEB4" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Salted-Aaron-Galvin-ebook/dp/B00JSKYEB4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405267212&sr=8-1&keywords=salted+aaron+galvin" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/salted-aaron-galvin/1119222373?ean=9781497588073" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Salted-Aaron-Galvin/9781497588073/?a_aid=mermaidwithabook" target="_blank">The Book Depository</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/427935" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></div>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=wwwmermaidwit-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1497588073&asins=1497588073&linkId=A4ZBXJFD7PZW32IK&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=040C12&bg_color=FFFFFF" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">&lt;br /&gt; </iframe><br></div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png"></a></div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-share-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1403226798.html#_=1404404798325&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-0&lang=en&original_referer=file%3A%2F%2F%2Fvar%2Fmobile%2FApplications%2F23DDE40D-BCED-47A9-B153-1EF4F71F8DAD%2FDocuments%2FBlogger&size=m&url=file%3A%2F%2F%2Fvar%2Fmobile%2FApplications%2F23DDE40D-BCED-47A9-B153-1EF4F71F8DAD%2FDocuments%2FBlogger&via=gohsherlyn" style="height: 20px; width: 109px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe> <script id="twitter-wjs" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div>
Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-231435794652785822014-07-09T00:17:00.001+08:002014-07-09T00:17:10.790+08:00Cover Reveal + Giveaway: VIRTUAL ARCANA by Karen Amanda Hooper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Karen Amanda Hooper, author of <a href="http://www.karenamandahooper.com/#!books/cnec" target="_blank"><i>The Kindrily</i> series</a> and <i><a href="http://www.karenamandahooper.com/#!tangled-tides/c24qy" target="_blank">The Sea Monster Memoirs</a></i>, is releasing a new series, <i><b>Virtual Arcana</b></i>—and today's the cover reveal!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMcXfElDO5Tgsq5-jsHXygUvlBIU8eCpbJMb2ivSqs0EWOYRYwqUZTQRThN4rQ7vco3MmWYqCP9BI73XOptue1PesHBXCTW7NZodepVthReh_kcDBYzZ2Y0Y4HEz9wYhvdQW6sh_7lNE/s1600/va-cover-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMcXfElDO5Tgsq5-jsHXygUvlBIU8eCpbJMb2ivSqs0EWOYRYwqUZTQRThN4rQ7vco3MmWYqCP9BI73XOptue1PesHBXCTW7NZodepVthReh_kcDBYzZ2Y0Y4HEz9wYhvdQW6sh_7lNE/s1600/va-cover-web.jpg" /></a></div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Matrix</i> meets <i>The Notebook</i> (with a sprinkle of <i>The Giver</i>). </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In a faraway future, Kelsey Zellar is starting her senior year at yet another school thanks to her twin sister’s troublesome obsession with outlawed virtual reality games. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Every school they’ve ever attended is pretty much the same: lunchroom drama, rich kids binging on enhancement candies, and classmates rallying for or against the government’s strict control over everything from entertainment privileges to caffeine consumption. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Unlike her sister, Kelsey follows the rules and keeps her nose out of trouble and politics while sniffing out her next flavored latte and favorite novel. But when Kelsey meets a charming book connoisseur, and accepts his offering of a tarot card, she takes the first step toward two new addictions: the guy of her dreams, and his illegal dealing of virtual escapes into her beloved storybooks. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Kelsey straddles the worlds of fiction and reality, but is she a fool for believing in her own happy ending?</div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22231876-the-fool" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">ADD TO GOODREADS</span></b> </a><br />
<br />
Holy starfish. That is one pearl of a cover! Can't wait to read the first instalment ;)<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFlNL6IAzFRGOY4Oz-KqD02mMZe35duRutq6N6dFrN_CSDM2watJVNEdpQ71qkfIXUzxC7bfCBXB4iKgK4QJLJdGHDgjHAclYd50rpB62Q8WFnmYb88u92uqBetQVsImo14Zv-7mluKI/s320/smile_gif__by_ghgallery-d3hrnz8.gif" height="136" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="320" /><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #351c75;">Karen: "I love the cover because it represents the story so perfectly—a blend of old-fashioned and techy, romance and magic, reality and illusion, <i>The Notebook</i> meets <i>The Matrix</i> (with a sprinkling of <i>The Giver</i>). Some friends saw an early sneak peek and asked if the girl was real or a CGI (computer-generated image). That put a huge smile on my face because that is the perfect question for this series."<br />
*inserts mischievous smile here*</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen gives huge thanks to friend and talented cover designer, Steve Graham of <a href="http://www.theinfinitycreative.com/" target="_blank">The Infinity Creative</a> for making her virtual reality-esque vision a beautiful reality.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Virtual Arcana</b></i> will release this fall serial style, meaning short episodes (averaging 15-20k) will be published frequently (official schedule TBA), instead of waiting 6-12 months between each long book in a trilogy. Each episode will be named after one of the major arcana cards of a tarot deck.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Season 1 Episode List:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
0 – <i>The Fool</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 –<i>The Magician</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 – <i>The High Priestess</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
3 – <i>The Empress</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4 – <i>The Emperor</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
5 – <i>The Hierophant</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
6 – <i>The Lovers</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #351c75;">Karen: "It’s an experiment for me as an author and for my readers. If <i><b>Virtual Arcana</b> </i>develops a good following I’ll continue with Season 2 and 3. That would mean 22 total episodes, one for each of the 22 major arcana tarot cards. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #351c75;">"I realise some of my readers don’t/won’t care for episodic storytelling, so of course there will be the option to wait until the first season is complete and read all the episodes straight through as one full-length novel. But I wanted to offer my new series as a serial for those readers who dislike waiting so long to read more.<i>"</i></span></blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In celebration of today's cover reveal, Karen's giving away EIGHT ebooks of the first episode: <i>The Fool</i>! This giveaway is open internationally (:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">GIVEAWAY</span></b><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/860a062/" id="rc-g9zcdvkqj" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: start;">
<b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvLp8YlLKTJPQQTS1-Y-2qMNIXPrIAOzyTdwXh7JZljbb-1h22Itpz9Jl_PqrE1rSjEmvAqxulaKCLEc6smFF-PM5SaE6bYxe8j6hxTe78tqnIupQ3H1WW5n1QqnG0Wvzg_tvH2gp208/s1600/KarenHooper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvLp8YlLKTJPQQTS1-Y-2qMNIXPrIAOzyTdwXh7JZljbb-1h22Itpz9Jl_PqrE1rSjEmvAqxulaKCLEc6smFF-PM5SaE6bYxe8j6hxTe78tqnIupQ3H1WW5n1QqnG0Wvzg_tvH2gp208/s220/KarenHooper.jpg" height="200" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
Karen Hooper writes young adult paranormal and fantasy, and is the author of <i>The Kindrily</i> series and <i>The Sea Monster Memoirs</i>. She is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She’s addicted to coffee, chocolate, and complicated happily-ever-afters.</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
Connect with Karen: <a href="http://karenamandahooper.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Amanda-Hooper/e/B0060RTWFG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1382372698&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5044405.Karen_Amanda_Hooper">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKaren">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Karen_Hooper">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://karenamandahooper.blogspot.com/">Blog</a></div>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What do you think of the cover? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for stopping by, and good luck (:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
</div>
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-527482241267988634.post-30216319661271864732014-06-26T22:56:00.000+08:002014-07-02T14:31:32.841+08:00Giveaway: It's my first blogoversary! (INT + US Only)This post is <i>hours</i> late. The blog's (partially) new look has eaten up most of my waking hours the past month and I'm <i>still</i> trying to clean it up a little, plus add a few of my original illustrations to it in the next few days (or weeks...). Especially the blog header. I am in awful need of a new one.<br />
<br />
But nevertheless—<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Mermaid With A Book has officially turned one!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh1SefQyPZV9F0Q_oUKH2aBF_XVCUJ5ip5f2ognR_v0ZbrgjdckTSgizSGwizLVDRzlqUp9HE42FKLj1cD5hnhNVv7z_qmwUvGbRASdXQab1FFlr_cHmpkbgpdZsmZtWc76XRUsyvabA/s1600/celeb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh1SefQyPZV9F0Q_oUKH2aBF_XVCUJ5ip5f2ognR_v0ZbrgjdckTSgizSGwizLVDRzlqUp9HE42FKLj1cD5hnhNVv7z_qmwUvGbRASdXQab1FFlr_cHmpkbgpdZsmZtWc76XRUsyvabA/s1600/celeb.gif" height="169" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Oh, yeah.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And what's a blogoversary without a giveaway? The thing is, I'm having not one, but TWO giveaways!<br />
Be sure to keep reading and enter ;)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It's hard to believe that my book blog went live on this very day last year. I'd been skulking around Twitter for at least a year and didn't feel as involved in the book community as I would've liked. When I heard of an upcoming <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2013/08/blog-tour-even-in-darkness-by-cyndi.html" target="_blank">a blog tour by amazing author Cyndi Tefft</a> (who writes novels featuring a hot Scottish grim reaper <3), it finally pushed me into creating a book blog because I wanted so, so badly to be ready for the blog tour.<br />
<br />
So yes—I've actually been a book blogger for <i>a year</i>. It may not be much, but I hope it means many more years of book reviews. I honestly never expected to get this far. If this had been a personal blog, it would've been dead<i> waaaay</i> before today. I really envy bloggers who live in the US—they seem to have more time than I do, and more bookish events to attend!<br />
<br />
I am really looking forward to making even more friends in the next year. I feel blessed to have these friends:<br />
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/AngelWriter23" target="_blank">Megan</a>, and <a href="http://sous-ma-couverture.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Manon from Sous Ma Couverture</a> – I feel incredibly lucky to have met you both on Twitter way before I started blogging. You're friends I will never forget, and I hope to meet you in person someday.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/TheresaLargusa" target="_blank">Theresa</a> – Thank you for sharing my reviews and checking up on the blog when you're free! It means loads to me that there's someone like you who cares to do that.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/sultryglebe" target="_blank">Gina</a> – Thanks so much for your words of encouragement, especially when I was down or feeling unsure of myself. You're a gem.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/cynditefft" target="_blank">Cyndi Tefft</a>, author of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/69953-between" target="_blank">the insanely awesome <i>Between</i> series</a> — I still remember you encouraging me to join Twitter that day in 2011. And honestly, Mermaid With A Book would never have started if it weren't for you! THANK YOU <3 I'm really looking forward to <i>Between</i> <i>#4</i> and more of Aiden MacRae! (:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://abookaliciousstory.blogspot.sg/" target="_blank">CYP from A Bookalicious Story</a> and <a href="http://michellechewwrites.com/" target="_blank">Michelle from Michelle Chew Writes</a> – I'm so glad to know other Singaporean book bloggers like you! It's great knowing I'm not alone in the local book blogging community.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thepassionatebookworms.com/" target="_blank">Michelle from The Passionate Bookworms</a> – You're full of fin-tastic ideas and it's been pretty awesome chatting with you on those occasions (:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lite-rate-ture.com/" target="_blank">Chyna from Lite-Rate-Ture</a> – Your reviews are so <i>you</i>! I admire your honesty, uniqueness and humour.<br />
<br />
Last but not least, all the authors I've had the pleasure of working with the past year – you know who you are! Thank you for believing in <b>Mermaid With A Book</b>!</blockquote>
<div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Most of the books in the giveaways are ones I've reviewed and enjoyed. I've provided links to each book's Goodreads page and my review, if any. I would also like to thank the following authors who have very kindly agreed to be part of my blogoversary giveaways.</div>
<blockquote style="background-color: #d6f1ec; border: 1px #8ba69b solid; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.katie-osullivan.com/" target="_blank">Katie O'Sullivan</a>, author of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/129364-mermaids-of-cape-cod" target="_blank"><i>Mermaids of Cape Cod </i>series</a> and <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21802936-my-kind-of-crazy" target="_blank">My Kind of Crazy</a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.emmcole.com/" target="_blank">Emm Cole</a>, author of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/111416-merminia" target="_blank"><i>Merminia</i> series</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.karenamandahooper.com/" target="_blank">Karen Amanda Hooper</a>, author of the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/66189-the-sea-monster-memoirs" target="_blank"><i>Sea Monster Memoirs</i></a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/79804-kindrily" target="_blank"><i>Kindrily</i> trilogy</a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.aarongalvin.com/" target="_blank">Aaron Galvin</a>, author of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996796-salted" target="_blank">Salted</a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amyevansbooks.com/" target="_blank">Amy Evans</a>, author of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/113360-the-pinhold-prophecy" target="_blank"><i>The Pinhold Prophecy</i> series</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You guys are AMAZING. Thank you so, so much. No amount of kelp cake would suffice to show how grateful this mermaid is!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br />
</b> <b><br />
</b> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>GIVEAWAY #1</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The first giveaway is <b>open internationally</b>, with six winners. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Up for grabs are these ebooks...</div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22051353-oceans-deep" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><i><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXB31elCsAmIFkRy-q0IZGrIJpi_F3mimWneIRik_Iur3xo0aNYPUk0J0WrLi61Jta0ccXBMtY-2z63eGIE2Y7OUmQflgsUxmbtCvD92O5n_WZ_kYsC58V0tqtB_ixM8ZPUlggsk7PtA/s320/OceansDeep_400x640_115dpi.jpg" height="320" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="200" /></i></a>The first winner gets the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22051353-oceans-deep" target="_blank"><i>Oceans Deep</i> ebook box set</a> (courtesy of author Amy Evans) which includes 12 Young Adult romance novels that celebrate sun, sea and love to support <a href="http://t.co/wpb5UwGIEe" target="_blank">World Oceans Day 2014</a>: </div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12964326-telesa" target="_blank"><i>Telesa</i> by Lani Wendt Young</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13638450-seaweed" target="_blank"><i>Seaweed</i> by Elle Strauss</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15764736-forsaken" target="_blank"><i>Forsaken</i> by Kristen Day</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18683541-tangled-tides" target="_blank"><i>Tangled Tides</i> by Karen Amanda Hooper</a><br />
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13182274-promises" target="_blank">Promises</a></i> & <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13495244-betrayal" target="_blank">Betrayal</a></i> by Amber Garr<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12233847-artemis-rising" target="_blank"><i>Artemis Rising </i>by Cheri Lasota</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17731788-just-breathe" target="_blank"><i>Just Breathe </i>by Heather Allen</a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20573773-chasing-forever-down" target="_blank"><i>Chasing Forever Down</i> by Nikki Godwin</a><br />
<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19157339-dragonfly" target="_blank">Dragonfly</a></i> & <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19127061-undertow" target="_blank">Undertow</a></i> by Leigh Talbert Moore<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17596261-clicks" target="_blank"><i>Clicks</i> by Amy Evans</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The second winner gets both<i style="font-style: italic;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17946946-son-of-a-mermaid" target="_blank">Son of a Mermaid</a></i> and its sequel, <i style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22041430-blood-of-a-mermaid" target="_blank">Blood of a Mermaid</a></i><i> </i>by Katie O'Sullivan.</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(This series is one of the best ever! Read my reviews <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-son-of-mermaid-by-katie-osullivan.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-tour-blood-of-mermaid-katie-o-sullivan-giveaway-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstPlci29tUIxOVxu8BbBOF32IADQ8hAOlI037A63_yRVcaMmymdwd1ouE47mKRE1UA0jBaeoV11aNsCOy7Dv8BbFeT2Y45ySiYFWDl-nSX8Y6d_mo3MZT1CbOIcH-0FKG8OHFXmeAU9U/s1600/son&bom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstPlci29tUIxOVxu8BbBOF32IADQ8hAOlI037A63_yRVcaMmymdwd1ouE47mKRE1UA0jBaeoV11aNsCOy7Dv8BbFeT2Y45ySiYFWDl-nSX8Y6d_mo3MZT1CbOIcH-0FKG8OHFXmeAU9U/s1600/son&bom.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The third winner swims away with both<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246225-merminia" target="_blank">Merminia</a></i> and its sequel, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246200-keeping-merminia" target="_blank">Keeping Merminia</a></i> by Emm Cole.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(I LOVED <i>Merminia</i>—<a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-merminia-by-emm-cole.html" target="_blank">review here</a>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ93B_QujhtcWbzfIW6Yy0319rAINVy0wfezHMbrDdQj12TJxQKnA3-8Wh4wirZxW99R4c5BBJt4L93HJ2cymUp4_cw7vjQzCXEVpqviX3mdv_2tRNhyAODYUXnBeXfhYkiXT7zG2WQFE/s1600/keeping-merminia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ93B_QujhtcWbzfIW6Yy0319rAINVy0wfezHMbrDdQj12TJxQKnA3-8Wh4wirZxW99R4c5BBJt4L93HJ2cymUp4_cw7vjQzCXEVpqviX3mdv_2tRNhyAODYUXnBeXfhYkiXT7zG2WQFE/s1600/keeping-merminia.png" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The next three winners will each get a copy of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996796-salted" target="_blank"><i>Salted</i> by Aaron Galvin</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(my review to come soon)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21996796-salted" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCF_Q6JUhiDA8kW20bkEFPlFv8d4dSr1kGbGZ-KR3opE9pX6UpRrmsxTpfzNM4MGBnMLgjG8SMNXCzxi4Ropry-zbKqKsrciPGbh_M2SV2bvYQEbWAKNjeT4PYQMeN-xpMXElh61_-AeY/s1600/Salted+-+cover.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/860a062/" id="rc-860a062" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• This giveaway is international.</div>
• Entrants must be 13 or older to enter.<br />
• Winners will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If prizes are not claimed within 48 hours, another winner will be picked.<br />
• I WILL CHECK EVERY SINGLE ENTRY. An entry will be deemed void if the requirement is not met.<br />
• If your Twitter account is protected, I will not be able to see your tweets and the entry will also be deemed void.<br />
• Cheaters will be disqualified.<br />
• Prizes will be sent out by the respective authors.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">GIVEAWAY #2</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The second one is <b>US only</b>. There'll be two winners (:</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The first winner will get signed paperbacks of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246225-merminia" target="_blank">Merminia</a></i> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22246200-keeping-merminia" target="_blank"><i>Keeping</i> <i>Merminia</i></a> by Emm Cole.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ93B_QujhtcWbzfIW6Yy0319rAINVy0wfezHMbrDdQj12TJxQKnA3-8Wh4wirZxW99R4c5BBJt4L93HJ2cymUp4_cw7vjQzCXEVpqviX3mdv_2tRNhyAODYUXnBeXfhYkiXT7zG2WQFE/s1600/keeping-merminia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ93B_QujhtcWbzfIW6Yy0319rAINVy0wfezHMbrDdQj12TJxQKnA3-8Wh4wirZxW99R4c5BBJt4L93HJ2cymUp4_cw7vjQzCXEVpqviX3mdv_2tRNhyAODYUXnBeXfhYkiXT7zG2WQFE/s1600/keeping-merminia.png" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The second winner will get a signed paperback of <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18683541-tangled-tides" target="_blank">Tangled Tides</a></i> by Karen Amanda Hooper. If you already have<i> Tangled Tides</i>, you can choose the sequel, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13412960-dangerous-depths" target="_blank">Dangerous Depths</a></i><i> </i>(<a href="http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/2013/11/blog-tour-review-dangerous-depths-sea.html" target="_blank">review here</a>)<i>.</i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS4xJvKPFKT36K_bfuJg0x5CjfoXxbqrsmzybS0v84OosI-MzSqgr51swrvCuEUH5X0qMt4THOJ7sHvJ0yYEvTnfvV5Waa3PmKrMffNUfbnkSbhy57Zy5BCjrTSEeSkMck3k2X_a6NvQ/s1600/tt-or-dd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS4xJvKPFKT36K_bfuJg0x5CjfoXxbqrsmzybS0v84OosI-MzSqgr51swrvCuEUH5X0qMt4THOJ7sHvJ0yYEvTnfvV5Waa3PmKrMffNUfbnkSbhy57Zy5BCjrTSEeSkMck3k2X_a6NvQ/s1600/tt-or-dd.png" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/860a061/" id="rc-860a061" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• This giveaway is US only. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• Entrants must be 13 or older to enter. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• Winners will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If prizes are not claimed within 48 hours, another winner will be picked. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• I WILL CHECK EVERY SINGLE ENTRY. An entry will be deemed void if the requirement is not met.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• If your Twitter account is protected, I will not be able to see your tweets and the entry will also be deemed void. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• Cheaters will be disqualified.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• Prizes will be sent out by the respective authors.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
• I am not responsible for any prizes lost in the mail.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thanks for swimming by, and good luck ;)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZM5hYBKJAk8XfFRb7H-tPlViDi7L8cn8CxJ6w6oClBJO0RC4NCrkTBZ9R2KHgpk73X3pb-01zJBu5ipwNlp-omSpY9OESHV4Z4mssGJP_9xs6AAX4Tj7MuI-9EBBtvC6aWp5TllSDOI/s1600/emma.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZM5hYBKJAk8XfFRb7H-tPlViDi7L8cn8CxJ6w6oClBJO0RC4NCrkTBZ9R2KHgpk73X3pb-01zJBu5ipwNlp-omSpY9OESHV4Z4mssGJP_9xs6AAX4Tj7MuI-9EBBtvC6aWp5TllSDOI/s1600/emma.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGNeBZAZ4RPyjDPCuB1BIiZ2Lw8-3hF_7Nda0xxIf_DCNaexMnkTovJdXVrvdzfTYHMmCEXe4nwW2MIvN2NhPeUzdwKrBRZb4ED5EdNaHYaXgMBNFz60iJAbj2l8QergwkrlFqs8BGUQ/s1600/merhugs-light.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="gohsherlyn" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');</script> </div>
Sherlynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10004161948825663456noreply@blogger.com21