“Even now, after four years of regular meals, affection, and education, he sometimes felt as if his head were split in two.”
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“Even now, after four years of regular meals, affection, and education, he sometimes felt as if his head were split in two.”
Since being taken under her wing, fourteen-year-old Briar has more than proven himself as a capable Healer, worthy of being Rosenthorn's disciple. So to see him channel his own street-smart ways to protect ten-year-old Evvy from the dangerous ways of the street gangs - ways that painfully remind him of the street rat he once had been, and strangely still a part of him - it was cathartic and tense. ...more
“Speak not of words of disappointment sprouting from rashness and desire. I shall wait for you with you in my thoughts, with you in
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“Speak not of words of disappointment sprouting from rashness and desire. I shall wait for you with you in my thoughts, with you in my heart.”
[image] \ After reading the manhwa (webtoon) adaptation of Perle, I really wanted to read the original novel A Memoir of the Empire Joachim, a rarity on my part.
It starts off as almost a cat-and-mouse game, where the Prince, 'an artist intoxicated in art toys with Jean's hatred of him, and his careful planning of subterfuge in bringing the monarchy down. But, as Jean is forced to spend more time with him, under the pretense of being Maximillian's not only artistic inspiration, but eventually his bedmate, the seeds of attraction, as well as speculation over his involvement in Jean's rise in social status. ...more
“He was a ghost in a place where he didn’t belong, just looking to figure out what to do next. And maybe, so was I.”
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✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“He was a ghost in a place where he didn’t belong, just looking to figure out what to do next. And maybe, so was I.”
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I could totally picture this as a film one of these days. It really did have the makings of an entertaining one - complete with a bewitched, bothered, and bewildered colorful ghost, who is all the more determined in uncovering the truth behind his forgotten past - no matter what. There was a quirky investigative yet quaint charm to the characters' dynamics, that translated nicely into keeping me immersed in the mysteries that unfolded as the plot progressed at a steady pace. ...more
“... a terrible vignette of grief and guilt and horror and lies.”
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I like that it becomes very dif✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“... a terrible vignette of grief and guilt and horror and lies.”
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I like that it becomes very difficult to share parts of her work, because so much can be a give-away for what the story is about. But, this one here captures so perfectly the basis of I Found You - a story that capitulates on all four emotions in a gripping and still emotional way that actually had me tear up at the end. ...more
“... the truth was, he didn’t want to waste the light either. You never knew when you’d need it and not have it.”
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✰ 4 stars ✰
“... the truth was, he didn’t want to waste the light either. You never knew when you’d need it and not have it.”
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There is a magic to how Tamora Pierce was able to wind Briar's Story full circle in which it has been one year since he and his fellow mates, or rather his sisters, arrived at Winding Circle. It's been a far cry from his days as an urchin, one where it comes as an unwelcome shock at how unrecognizable his past self was, when life on the streets was once all he knew. 'Who am I?' he wondered for a moment, shocked. Who am I really?'...more
“When all the world is a lock, boy, you don’t make a key. You become a key.”
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I feel guilty choosing a quote from his father to begin, but it very much captures the definition of what Jess became in order to carry forth many of the events that transpired. After the chaos and catastrophe that shook Philadelphia and the Burners to the core, I was ready to believe that sharp and unsentimental Jess with his Brightwell wisdom and his cohorts would not survive to keep my interest. For much like series that seem to break the trilogy-barrier they tend to become --- tedious. And for a bit, the writing did feel that way. But, I can't explain it; the rising tension that came to light as the stakes heightened for the decisions Jess would have to make to survive for himself and his friends - I can't deny that I was caught up in it. ...more
“People want to do all manner of things, Kim... My theory, currently, is that this is someone who has known something all along whils
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“People want to do all manner of things, Kim... My theory, currently, is that this is someone who has known something all along whilst remaining in the shadows... And for whatever reason they’ve grown bored of the silence. Grown bored of nobody being caught.”
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The longing and desperation for human connection is both humanity's downfall and biggest vice. In our thirst to find the one who can assuage the sting of loneliness or heartache, it overrides our sense of good reason and rationale, thus leading us on a spiral of some choices swayed by our emotions that ultimately have us paying the price. ...more
“Magic is not a toy,” Niko continued. “It is not a convenience. It is a precious thing... It means something different to everyone.”
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“Magic is not a toy,” Niko continued. “It is not a convenience. It is a precious thing... It means something different to everyone.”
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There's something about knowing that you're in capable hands that makes a story all the more promising. And that is a credit to Tamora Pierce for once again dishing out an entertaining adventure, one that shines light on each character without missing a beat in the narrative. It's so fluid that you don't even sense the change, rather are enveloped in it. ...more
“How about we be Baz and Elijah, together forever?”
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Maybe it was their individual group of friends -✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“How about we be Baz and Elijah, together forever?”
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Maybe it was their individual group of friends - from Marius to Walter that staked their claim in providing the most heartfelt comfort. ...more
“You don’t need to know their names to appreciate their beauty.”
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We really need to make 4-H clubs ✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“You don’t need to know their names to appreciate their beauty.”
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We really need to make 4-H clubs a vital part of communities - to pledge the 4 H's - head, heart, hands, and health to better living for all. I'm not sure they are still prevalent in the U.S, but the author did mention that she was part of one, so maybe... But, the values that their doctrine adheres to follow are ones that are so integral to simply being a good person. And it was that good-nature and kindness of Edna that drew her to fourteen-year-old Silstice - mistakenly named that instead of Solstice, because her mother was unable to note the difference ...more
“I wanted to be his, I wanted to give myself to him. Not just my body. All of me. My whole life—my loneliness, my sadness, my happiness.
✰ 4 stars ✰
“I wanted to be his, I wanted to give myself to him. Not just my body. All of me. My whole life—my loneliness, my sadness, my happiness. Everything. There was no going back. Not for me. Not for him.”
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After my recent rage-re-read of my first ever Mary Downing Hahn book from when I was ten years old, I was a bit wary that my re-read of the book that I read when I was thirteen would have a similar reaction. The instance I read these immortal thoughts of seventeen-year-old senior Lauren at her job as library assistant - 'the aisle was empty. I was alone. Just me and hundreds of books—my idea of paradise' - a sentiment that spoke to my soul, I knew that this reread would be something special. ...more
“Fibers by themselves are weak—so are we. Spin them together, and they become strong. I think the spindle will bring our powers together
✰ 4 stars ✰
“Fibers by themselves are weak—so are we. Spin them together, and they become strong. I think the spindle will bring our powers together and strengthen us.”
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The first book I ever read by Tamora Pierce was Alanna, the first book of her famed Song of Lioness series. It's not a book I do wish to revisit anytime soon, because looking back, I remember how uncomfortable I felt about the progression of the romance there. Twelve years old, I didn't quite understand then why it bothered me, but now I do have a better inkling of what seemed off about it. ...more
“Did you think you were the only one who closed his eyes and felt truth in the dark?”
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There is a hidd✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“Did you think you were the only one who closed his eyes and felt truth in the dark?”
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There is a hidden beauty to Amy Lane's unique version of her retelling of Beauty and the Beast. For while there are similarities to the original fairy tale, it is the slight, but significant twist to their respective characters that makes it that more deeply compelling to see how their love story will unfold. The kindhearted and gentle Aerie-smith who was cursed to take the form of a lion-man, for a youthful, but not deliberate indiscretion. And Naef, who is not a Beauty, but feels more like a Beast, instead; victim of a traumatic and graphic assault when he was twelve - turning his hate and pain into anger - '“Naef” had been burned away like my innocence, and all that remained was what I became: “Knife”' - that he uses to craft beautiful woodwork. ...more
“I whine, drunkenly following his mouth, trying to kiss him again. “Arlo,” he says. “I shouldn’t have done that.” “Yes, you should,”
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“I whine, drunkenly following his mouth, trying to kiss him again. “Arlo,” he says. “I shouldn’t have done that.” “Yes, you should,” I say fervently. “Do it again. Do it right now.”
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To quote Arlo, our beloved twenty-four-year-old fool in forever love, 'that’s lovely, “Really lovely.' In a word, that's what this was - lovely. ...more
“When you steal a book, you steal from the world.”
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Y'know a book is good when you're called for lunc✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“When you steal a book, you steal from the world.”
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Y'know a book is good when you're called for lunch and you tell them to wait a few minutes because you're so engrossed in the storytelling that you don't want to be interrupted till you see how it end. ...more
“I think about that all the time. That exact minute. All of history can hinge on a single minute, on one dumb decision.”
[image]✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“I think about that all the time. That exact minute. All of history can hinge on a single minute, on one dumb decision.”
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It has been awhile since I've read a dystopian middle grade read. It is a chilling notion to think about the consequences and the fate of our world had the tide of World War II shifted in another direction. A precedent which would very much unravel the fabric of time and change our very way of living, let alone our existence. It is a terrifying thought - one almost too drastic and terrifying to think about. What if the Allies had not succeeded? ...more
“The clearer his dreams became, the closer the danger loomed.
When the final details distilled, would the end begin?”
— Cass Biehn,✰ 4 stars ✰
“The clearer his dreams became, the closer the danger loomed.
When the final details distilled, would the end begin?”
— Cass Biehn, you have my attention.
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You have my attention, because I was impressed by this engrossing YA historical debut that evoked such a richness of setting & character depth that had it come alive with its words. With meticulous deliberation, the author weaves a tapestry of political intrigue and fated destiny to intertwine as the looming fate of an inevitable volcanic eruption approaches, one which will irrevocably change the lives of all those caught in its destructive path. ...more
“I feel it too, I wished I could tell him. We have chemistry, we have fun. You’re everything I’ve always wanted but thought I couldn’✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“I feel it too, I wished I could tell him. We have chemistry, we have fun. You’re everything I’ve always wanted but thought I couldn’t have
I want to know a hundred thousand random trivia facts about you.”
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No, I was not expecting to get teary-eyed over a Christ-mystery read, but damn, if this wasn't more emotional than I thought it would be. I mean, it's not supposed to mean anything - it was just casual, we can't declare our love over a quick meeting that we might just want it to forever. But, it's No Business Like Snow Business when a small-town bright-eyed museum owner meets an out-of-town city rich kid, it was never meant to become something. ❄️...more
“Even though we’d always had this fear in the back of our minds, I didn’t think it was actually going to come true. Deportation alwa✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“Even though we’d always had this fear in the back of our minds, I didn’t think it was actually going to come true. Deportation always seemed like something that happened to other people… not us.”
How painfully tragic that the proposed Mexican wall is not in existence, and yet the divide that it creates is still such a visceral indomitable and unavoidable one that is more than just a corporeal one. The chasm that incurs upon separating an illegal immigrant with their legal by birth children in the United States is such a heartbreaking notion, that is sadly so very true. I was also reminded of how a couple of years ago, the Pakistani government issued the order to deport all Afghani refugees back to their country. The hue and cry that ensued was rampant at how we could be so heartless to expect them to survive when they had sought asylum here in the hopes for a better life - only for it to be snatched from them without preamble.. It just feels so devoid of emotion and apathy, let alone empathy ... ...more