tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-300156172024-03-07T22:48:25.714-05:00Books, Books and more Booksabout me and my booksnathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comBlogger1391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-67676706311724426932017-01-07T20:41:00.001-05:002017-01-07T20:41:46.100-05:002016 in numbers...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmHozIF2GR_d_yOwz60uNBcwdr5PSKsZ9KDkEV3Ze93SVrg23ozBXDf7VOkCyw9DgbHfx1JHEKi1IoQsQ3a7fbb4hgVzeIgJatoQ0vZPdUss-PJFdnGfIfXPxbZ74ROAOv0Kl/s1600/20160617_101219_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmHozIF2GR_d_yOwz60uNBcwdr5PSKsZ9KDkEV3Ze93SVrg23ozBXDf7VOkCyw9DgbHfx1JHEKi1IoQsQ3a7fbb4hgVzeIgJatoQ0vZPdUss-PJFdnGfIfXPxbZ74ROAOv0Kl/s320/20160617_101219_cropped.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me reading in Trier, Germany - June 2016</td></tr>
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While my blogging has gone down in the past years, there's been one constant: the numbers post :) So to continue my streak, here is the 7th edition!<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Number of books read</u></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">132</span></b></div>
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The year before, I read 153 books with a goal of 180. Taking in account three weddings, travels and curling, I lowered my objective to 160 for 2016. I think I would've been close to my objective, even though everything turned out to be more intensive than I expected, but I forgot something really important: the Rio Olympics. And yes, it did affect my reading! LOL. I was updating my spreadsheet earlier this week and in had this huge gap in August - no books read between August 5 and 23! I was wracking my brain, trying to figure out what I did, if I forgot to log any books... and suddenly, the light went on: the Olympics! So lots of distractions in 2016 :)<br />
<br />
Overall, I'm okay with <b>132 </b>books read. A bit disappointed because it's the lowest number since I've started keeping track, but happy since it's over 100 books. As I mentioned above, lots of distractions this year and as a result, I felt I never really got into a good reading rhythm. There was always something around the corner to break any rhythm. Finally, a lack of excitement... My list of auto-buy authors seem to be down to its core and a few of those authors did not have any releases. In addition, with my lack of blogging, I've been out of the loop when it comes to new authors and book buzz. All combined, I felt this year was quite underwhelming and the eternal question "what to read next" did not go away.<br />
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I do have high hopes that 2017 will end the rut though!! I have a list of most anticipated books in the work that I'm excited to share - hopefully soon LOL. As for my reading goal, I'm keeping it at 160 books. What can I say, I'm an optimist :) With one wedding, one cruise and lots of curling planned for 2017, I still think 160 books is achievable. However, the most important in 2017 will be to have fun :)<br />
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<b><u>Number of books bought</u></b><br />
<br />
I was not very diligent this year, so my number for this section is not accurate. The best I could do was go back to my order history and tabulated those numbers. The break-down is as followed:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Bought print online: 18</li>
<li>Bought print in-store: 15-20*</li>
<li>Bought e-books: 12</li>
</ul>
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For a grand total of...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">45-50</span></b></div>
<br />
Wow, how things have changed... I can't believe that I bought so little books this year. I might be off by 10 books, but even then, kind of sad :( Guess that's life though, things change and my book buying habits definitively have. I think it can be in part attributed to bookstores also changing. There's definitively less promotions and the discounts online are not what they used to be. As a result, I stick to my auto-buy authors list and end up borrowing a lot and only buying books that I've really enjoyed to support the authors.<br />
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<b><u>What did I read</u></b><br />
<br />
Contemporary romance: 50<br />
Young Adult: 25 <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Contemporary: 19, Mystery: 3, Fantasy: 3)</i></span><br />
Urban Fantasy: 12<br />
New Adult <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Contemporary)</span></i>: 11<br />
Fantasy: 8<br />
Romantic Suspense: 7<br />
Historical romance <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Regency)</span></i>: 6<br />
Paranormal romance: 5<br />
Mystery/Thriller/Cosy Mystery: 4<br />
m/m: 3<br />
Women's fiction: 1<br />
<br />
And the trend continues! My favorite genre has always been contemporary romance and it remains so in 2016. The big surprise for me is the number of YA books I read... 25!? How did that happen? LOL. If I have to come up with an explanation for it, I think it's because the authors of contemporary YA have more freedom than romance authors. As a romance reader, I expect certain things from a romance book and the authors know it and have to adhere to it, thus inevitably creating some predictability. I'm not saying YA are not predictable, but there is less expectations/limitations. If a main character dies, there will be less outcry. If the H/H don't end up together, well they're young - who knows what will happen in the future and anyway, not sure they would have stayed together forever. With more freedom, YA authors can shake things up, be more original, try different things and styles... and I think that's what I was looking for in 2016, some refreshing reads to spur my reading.<br />
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At the same time, my hunt for new urban fantasy and fantasy series continue. I love series such as Kate Daniels, the Dresden Files and I'm always on the look-out for new ones. Also hoping to find more romantic suspense books featuring cops or FBI agents. Have a weakness for those :P<br />
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As for my historical romance reading, it's probably at its lowest ever. It's funny because most of the ones I read, I enjoy... but they're all from auto-buy authors. I haven't had the urge to pick up outside of that selection and I don't know what it's going to take to make me to.<br />
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For the other genres, the numbers are pretty consistent with last year.<br />
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<b><u>Who published them</u></b><br />
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1. Penguin (all imprints): 27<br />
1. Self-published: 27<br />
3. Macmillan (all imprints): 13<br />
4. Harlequin + Carina Press: 12<br />
5. Harpercollins (all imprints): 10<br />
6. Hachette (all imprints): 8<br />
7. Simon & Schuster: 7<br />
8. Kensington: 5<br />
8. Sourcebooks: 5<br />
10. Amazon: 3<br />
10. DAW: 3<br />
10. Scholastic: 3<br />
13. Entangled:2<br />
14. Bloomsbury: 1<br />
14. Dreamspinner: 1<br />
14. Hyperion: 1<br />
14. Random House: 1<br />
14. Samhain: 1<br />
14. Sky Pony Press: 1<br />
14. Other: 1<br />
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The numbers are pretty consistent with last year with Penguin and self-published way ahead. For self-published books, I think it's because self-published authors can release more books in a year than with regular publishers, so it skews that number :) Not that I'm complaining because I'm very selective when it comes to self-published authors and so, that means more books by authors I enjoy :)<br />
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I'm still very reluctant to step out from the traditional publishers. Partly because I know them - I know which imprints I like, which don't work for me. Also, in my mind - and I might be wrong, going through traditional publishers is a more rigorous process and they are more selective when they pick new authors.<br />
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<b><u>When they were published</u></b><br />
<br />
2016: 111 (84.1%)<br />
2015; 12<br />
2014: 1<br />
2013: 1<br />
2012: 1<br />
2011: 2<br />
2009: 2<br />
2008: 2<br />
2006: 1<br />
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I've alwaysbeen a very current reader and 2016 was no different. What helps is that I'm pretty much up-to-date on all my series, so I'm always waiting for the new installment to come out and as soon it does, I read it :) And books I don't get to right away fall off my radar, kind of like ... "out of sight, out of mind." At least this year, I did go back further than 2012! Mostly because I was looking up specific reads.<br />
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<b><u>How much did I enjoy the books</u></b><br />
<br />
A: 4 (1 A, 3 A-)<br />
B: 69 (18 B+, 32 B, 19 B-)<br />
C: 58 (17 C+, 31 C, 10 C-)<br />
D: 1<br />
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Only 4 As books, same as last year.... Technically though, it's better than last year since I read less books. Know what I mean? In any case, this just contributes to the feeling of an underwhelming reading year.<br />
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I have a reputation for being a tough grader... but honestly, I think I'm not tough enough. I was filling my spreadsheet and in many instances, I had to lower the grade that I originally given. In addition, I feel like I'm not objective enough. I think I'm easier with authors that I like - have difficulty giving a harsher grade :( Is it only me?<br />
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<u><b>Random numbers</b></u><br />
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<ul>
<li>I wrote <b><span style="font-size: large;">13</span></b> reviews in 2016. Given how sparingly I blogged, 13 is good :) After all, it's 4x more than in 2015 :P At least, thanks to Ames' 30 Days Blogging challenge, I have more than 16 posts :P</li>
<li>New-to-me authors: <b><span style="font-size: large;">36</span></b> - Another pretty consistent number. This is good, because it means I'm taking risks in my reading :)</li>
<li>Part of a series: <b><span style="font-size: large;">97 </span></b>- Last year, I read 137 books part of a series... To put things in perspective, I read 132 books this year. So proportionally, I think this number is down from 2015... but I know why!! Because most YA books I read were stand-alones :) </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
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That's it for me :) No real surprise in 2016 except perhaps for the number of books bought ^_^; Otherwise, I've been pretty consistent over the years... which makes me wonder, is this post still relevant? Do you still find it interesting?</div>
nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-65907222258025983572017-01-04T16:28:00.003-05:002017-01-04T16:28:38.182-05:00Happy New Year!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbRIg8bI3rBLDn9Newqbhyu-pmbYOfn8JtCEF0H7hRsd-7shb6n4EOVspkZhkEKbI24kBM6VvEgdRpDPQ3B4ldvAiGSnjFPHXf6F245EJP5KvVPho5EXveguuGGZa8R7Lgh21/s1600/christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbRIg8bI3rBLDn9Newqbhyu-pmbYOfn8JtCEF0H7hRsd-7shb6n4EOVspkZhkEKbI24kBM6VvEgdRpDPQ3B4ldvAiGSnjFPHXf6F245EJP5KvVPho5EXveguuGGZa8R7Lgh21/s320/christmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">Happy New Year!!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">May 2017 be awesome!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">Full of great moments and good books :)</span></b></div>
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<br />
Yep, it's me... I'm alive LOL. How have you all been?<br />
<br />
I haven't written anything since August and was resigned for this to be the end of my blog. I really thought that was it. I've kind of disconnected - still reading, but no longer blogging, thinking of blogging or blog-hopping. To tell you the truth, I haven't missed it that much ^_^; Life is just so busy - sometimes with fun stuff, but most of the time, with routine. Then, I was off during the holidays, had a bit of spare time and decided to check out everyone's recaps for 2016... and here I am again LOL. There's just something about reading everyone's recaps, best of lists and anticipated books for 2017 posts that stirs up my blogging muse and make me want to post. So that's what I'm going to do :)<br />
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I think in the past few years, I've forgotten that reading and blogging were for fun. I put a lot of pressure onto myself to read more and review. I also cared a lot about comments and numbers. I'm not saying that it's all going to change, that this is a new beginning... because I've said it all before. Obviously, I hope that some people are still/will read my blog :) However, I know my days of blogging 3-4x/week are gone... and that the posts will most probably be quite infrequent. So new attitude needed. No goals, no promises... let's just go with the flow :)<br />
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Let 2017 be a good year in every aspect :)nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-17542635701327674402016-08-29T22:54:00.001-04:002016-08-29T22:54:55.365-04:00Review: Sunset in Central Park by Sarah Morgan<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Disclaimer: I've received <b>Sunset in Central Park </b>as an eARC from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="color: #da7aa7; text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></i><br />
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<b>Sunset in Central Park </b>by <b><i>Sarah Morgan</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7H2_EHreCGOkxAbXwg4UMvIuqtm4-pUydARawaVKsawCebMhq6TXgTrjxm8c2fCyKzK7QQV1lFb8o7GxeQ-7V4d1xxlmqAGuLKordX5WXzoE_ZyE5JVv4mxmsrPXGbFpeb0_/s1600/sunset+in+central+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7H2_EHreCGOkxAbXwg4UMvIuqtm4-pUydARawaVKsawCebMhq6TXgTrjxm8c2fCyKzK7QQV1lFb8o7GxeQ-7V4d1xxlmqAGuLKordX5WXzoE_ZyE5JVv4mxmsrPXGbFpeb0_/s200/sunset+in+central+park.jpg" width="126" /></a><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">published by Harlequin (HQN Books) in August 2016</span></i><br />
<blockquote>
In the chaos of New York, true love can be hard to find, even when it's been right under your nose all along…
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<br />
Love has never been a priority for garden designer Frankie Cole. After witnessing the fallout of her parents' divorce, she's seen the devastation an overload of emotion can cause. The only man she feels comfortable with is her friend Matt—but that's strictly platonic. If only she found it easier to ignore the way he makes her heart race…
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<br />
Matt Walker has loved Frankie for years but, sensing how fragile she is beneath her feisty exterior, has always played it cool. But then he uncovers new depths to the girl he's known forever and doesn't want to wait a moment longer. He knows Frankie has secrets and has buried them deep, but can Matt persuade her to trust him with her heart and kiss him under the Manhattan sunset?</blockquote>
<b>Genre</b>: Contemporary romance<br />
<b>Series</b>: From Manhattan with Love, Book #2<br />
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<b>The Story</b>: After witnessing her parents' divorce and seeing how it transformed her mother, Frankie Cole doesn't believe in love. She's actually quite anti-love; not the best stance when you are co-owner of an event and concierge company whose bulk of business mainly have to do with weddings, engagement parties and bridal showers. So when Matt Walker - best friend's older brother and landlord - needs a floral designer to complete the landscape of a roof garden, Frankie jumps on the occasion to get away from all the romance for the summer.<br />
<br />
Matt Walker has been in love with Frankie for years, but had to play it cool because he knows Frankie's views on love. However, Matt's patience has run out and he's decided that now is the time to make his move as they will be spending more time together for work. <br />
<br />
<b>My Opinion</b>: I read the first book in the series, <b>Sleepless in Manhattan</b>, and liked it well enough to continue the series. The truth is the one I really want to read is Eva's book, but it's not coming till November. So for now, I went with <b>Sunset in Central Park</b>, figuring that it'd be fine since I usually like grumpy/prickly characters... but I was wrong ^_^; Now, I'm going to sound like the heroine scrooge because this will be the second book in a row that I review where I didn't like the heroine :(<br />
<br />
Basically, Frankie has issues. One of them is her mother who, after the divorce, decided to boost her confidence by having sex with any willing male, even if it meant affairs with married men and coming onto Frankie's friends (notably Matt and Jake). Even now, she still hooks up with men younger than Frankie and is not shy about sharing details. In short, Frankie is mortified and has moved away from her hometown to escape a bad reputation and all the rumors. She likes New York City for its anonymity. She's also determined to be the complete opposite of her mother - stays away from men, tries to look unattractive and scoffs at romance. While I understood where the issues stem from and sympathized with Frankie, I have to admit I didn't like Frankie much. I just never connected with her and to a certain extent, found her annoying. Or actually, immature. She went out of her way to avoid/run away from things that bothered her - her mother and men. Her grumpiness was actually a front, an armor to keep people away. That's fine at first, but don't you eventually have to grow up and confront reality? How long can you keep running? All those panicky moments because she didn't know how to deal with Matt's attention and her attraction to him because she hadn't let herself feel like an adult. I don't know, I just felt Frankie should have been at a point where she should have worked out some of her issues already... and I wish she'd have gotten there on her own and not because of Matt's nudging. Later in the story, readers find out that there's more to Frankie's issues... but by that point, I didn't care anymore. And one last thing... glasses are bad disguise and don't make you look unattractive.<br />
<br />
Aside from Frankie, I also had some issues with the storyline... First, I thought it was really unrealistic to have Frankie go to Puffin Island - their hometown - to attend a wedding with Matt. Those are like the two things she hates the most and I can't see her doing them unless it was unavoidable and it wasn't. I just didn't buy it. I also thought it was a bit tactless of Matt to ask her to do it knowing how she felt. Besides, the series is supposed to take place in New York City... My second niggle with them going to Puffin Island is... sometimes, cross-over between series are fun; unfortunately, they don't always work. Puffin Island was Ms Morgan's last trilogy before this one and frankly, I didn't read it all. It didn't hold my interest then and it didn't now either. Personally, I found it pointless to have them in this book ^_^; It would have been better to focus on Matt and Frankie or the current trilogy's characters instead of bringing back previous characters just for a peek. Finally, the secondary story with Matt's employee was meh. I felt it didn't add much to the romance other than show was a great guy Matt was.<br />
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Last but not least, I thought Matt was a great hero. Very patient and caring guy - perhaps a bit too much. I did think it was tactless for him to bring Frankie back to Puffin Island, but he did it to help her out. He's the perfect beta hero. I also enjoyed the friendships in this book a lot. Whether it was between the guys or the girls or the girls and guys :) And the sequel baiting did work because I still want to read Eva's book!<br />
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<b>My Grade</b>: <span style="font-size: large;"><b>C-</b></span>. Perhaps I was in a bad mood when I read <b>Sunset in Central Park</b>, but this one just didn't work for me on many front. However, I know I'm going to be in the minority, so if you've enjoyed Ms Morgan's writing, don't let my review deter you :Pnathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-1705441058738936512016-08-23T21:29:00.001-04:002016-08-23T21:29:08.708-04:00End of an era...So I just found out tonight that Bleach is over. Bleach is one of the first manga I've ever read. I followed that series for years... and have about 40 volumes at home. Yes, I eventually lost interest or more accurately, didn't follow as obsessively as I used to... but to know that after 15 years, Bleach has come to an end... It truly feels like the end of an era.<br />
<br />
I find that the end of a series is always emotional. You never want it to be over, you always want more of the characters you've come to love so much. The longer the series has gone on, the more heart-wrenching the end is... because in many instances, the mangaka is asked to wrap up the series due to loss of popularity/decrease in ratings and therefore, the ending is rushed and not exactly what the mangaka has envisioned :( This is exactly the case with Bleach. Lots of unanswered questions, sigh.<br />
<br />
Oh well. We don't get a say :( Now that it's over, perhaps I'll go back and read the parts that I haven't. Even though I haven't been following the series as closely in the past few years, I'm going to miss Bleach, know that it's over... The plot might not have been as strong and stellar as from the beginning, but the art has :)<br />
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<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-43148723517538168572016-08-22T20:51:00.001-04:002016-08-22T20:51:31.651-04:00Olympic Games: Days 12-16The Olympics are over T_T I'm happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I really enjoyed the games this time around. I think it's the fact that I was practically in the same time zone, so got to watch a lot of events live. Also, for many athletes, it wasn't their first game and therefore, I was familiar with a lot of them... so it just added a little something. There were so many good moments and good performances. I'm sad because it's over. Although I have to admit that by Sunday, I think I was ready for it to be over LOL.<br />
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My sister and I joke at every Olympic games about Canada being best at finishing 4th ^_^; Fourth place is always tough, but I think it's even tougher at the Olympic games because they come every 4 years... and Rio Olympics wasn't an exception. We probably had close to 10 4th place finish... and every one of them were heart-breaking. Especially the last night of athletics where we got 3 and all of them were personal/season best performances. Perhaps we care too much about medals? What really matters is the athletes doing the best they could and being happy with their own performances...<br />
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Some of my highlights:<br />
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1. Ryan Cochrane and Hilary Caldwell<br />
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This is somewhat bittersweet. For the past 8 years, Ryan Cochrane has been the pillar of Team Canada's swimming team. He's been the one to make it on the podium consistently at all the important events. He got bronze in Beijing and silver in London. This Olympics, he really wanted to make it on the podium in honor of his coach who passed away last year... but alas, it didn't happen. It's most probably his last Olympics and I'm so sad :( Hilary Caldwell had the same coach as Ryan and the same goal. She emerged in 2013 and has been quite consistent ever since. It was just really beautiful to see the two of them swim in memory of their coach.<br />
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2. Evan Dunfee<br />
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It sounds weird, but one of the most interesting event I got to watch this Olympics was the men's 50km walk. 50km walk!! And do you know how fast they walked that?! About 3h40m!! Crazy! LOL. The walk event actually caught my attention at last year's world championship, so I knew to look out for it at the Olympics. Anyway, Evan Dunfee... Wow. Evan came in 4th which is impressive in itself, but what amazed me even more was the man itself: his sportsmanship and his integrity. Halfway through the walk, everyone thought the Olympic champion was already determined and the rest of the field would be fighting for silver and bronze as world record holder, the Frenchman Yohann Diniz had taken over a 1.5 minute lead. However, he started having cramps and other issues and had to stop. When Evan who was leading the chase group took over, he actually pat Yohann on the back and encouraged him to continue. That was already an amazing gesture... but there's more. Two kilometers before the finish line, Evan was fighting for the bronze with Japanese walk racer Hirooki Arai. Evan passed Arai, but the Japanese came back. When he did, he bumped into Evan... disrupting Evan's rhythm. Don't know if you've ever seen it, but these walkers walk funny LOL. And when they've been doing it for more than 4 hours, they're into this rhythm... and once disrupted, it's really hard to get back into it. So Hirooki got bronze and Evan 4th place. However, the race officials decided to disqualify Hirooki for the bump... giving Evan the bronze. The Japanese athletics committee protested and Hirooki was re-instated and got back his bronze medal and Evan was bumped down. It was Evan's decision whether to lodge a protest or not and he decided against. After reviewing the tape, he thought the officials' decision was fair - that Hirooki didn't mean the bump... and also, he was happy and proud of his race and didn't want a medal that way. Seriously, how many athletes would have acted the way Evan did? and for that, he's earned my respect. I'll forever support him LOL. And look at him and Hirooki at the closing ceremony!!<br />
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3. Catharine Pendrel<br />
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In London, Catharine Pendrel was the favorite to win, but came in 9th. I don't know what was the expectations for Rio, but race didn't start well because she was involved in a crash. At one point, she was 15th and had to come back from behind to win bronze... She displayed such grit and determination and was simply awesome. Just too unfortunate that her fellow Canadian, Emily Batty, was 4th...<br />
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There were tons of other moments that were great for me and not just from team Canada... but it'd be too long to list them all :) Lots of high emotions and good performances. I'm already looking forward to Tokyo 2020!!<br />
<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-52041497572163481412016-08-19T23:25:00.000-04:002016-08-19T23:25:14.539-04:00Book Haul - Doing maths at the bookstoreIt's crazy how things change so fast and sometimes, you don't even realize it. A few years ago, I used to go to the bookstore at least once a week. I might not have bought something every time, but I'd at least browse the aisles. Sometime, even sit and page through books! Nowadays, it's pretty much hit and run when I step in a bookstore. I know exactly what I want and after purchasing it, I'm out. And these trips are even rarer now that prices of books have increased. How things have changed...<div>
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There's been a promotion at Indigo: buy 40$ and get a 10$ card... I've been meaning to go to the bookstore, but I've been so involved in the Olympics I almost forgot! Finally remembered last night and checked out what I could buy LOL. Had a list and decided to hit the bookstore during my lunch break. One of the bookstores - the one near the curling club - had a few more books that I wanted in comparison to the one near my house, so that's where I went. I started gathering the books that it had and the other store didn't... and realize I should get all the books there! Why go to another bookstore? LOL. Funny how sometimes, you're so focused on certain things and can't look past it. So I started gathering the books and realized I could make three purchases of 40$! Yay! Except I was missing 2 books... and it was a challenge to decide what books to buy to fill that gap. Then, it was putting the right books together so I could be over 40$ with the smallest margin possible LOL.</div>
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Anyway, here are the books:</div>
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And I did really good putting the right books together, because I paid 40.61$, 39.63$ and 38.72$ respectively. (I had to reach 40$ before the Ireward discount of 10% :P) Yay me! and I hit the jackpot because some of the books are technically not out yet :)</div>
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So now, I have 3 10$ cards to use... Guess what I'm pre-ordering? :)</div>
nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-42629999011792637662016-08-18T22:12:00.001-04:002016-08-18T22:12:12.589-04:00I've become...... a shoeaholic!!<br />
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I used to laugh at people who bought so many shoes and had closet full of them. I mean, how many shoes can you wear aat once? However, in the past few years, I've finally grown out of my running shoes... and started to accumulate quite a few pairs. Gotta have the right shoes with the right outfit for the right occasion!<br />
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So yesterday, I didn't put up my post because I finally fell asleep! I've been staying up really late in the past couple of weeks... but there was a warehouse sale for Toms shoes which my sister and I went. We spent about an hour there and I guess the heat and looking for shoes and the best deal finally tired me out :)<br />
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The prices were okay. We saved about 50% on each pair of shoes. Here is what we got:<br />
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The upper row are mine and the bottom row, my sister's. The shoes were divided by sizes, but dumped into boxes. As a result, you really had to go through the boxes to find shoes. Some models were a lot rarer than others. The flats went particularly fast and those black flats - I found them in a corner and there were the only pair I saw. My sister was also looking for flats. Unfortunately, did not find any in her size; however, she did see a lady holding a red/orange pair she liked. After stalking the FB page and learning that they were re-stocking everyday, we decided to go again today... but earlier than after work. I think the strategy worked, because here is our 2nd haul:<br />
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The two bottom pairs are mine, and the six others are my sister... LOL. She did find the red/orange flats! Those shoes were really her goal today and she was lucky she found any! Because besides the pair we bought, I didn't see any other... and she was actually lucky to get her hand on these, since at first, she only found the left foot! I didn't think we'd find the right foot, but I guess it was meant to be :) Then, she started finding the other pairs... and just couldn't choose LOL.<br />
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So yep, we're okay for shoes for a few years...<br />
<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-6827658588137937302016-08-16T23:59:00.001-04:002016-08-16T23:59:20.870-04:00Olympic Games: Days 6-11Only a few more days till the Olympics are over already!! How did that happen? I feel like it just started! Once it's over, I'm going to go into serious withdrawal ^_^;<div>
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Here are my highlights for days 6-11:</div>
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1. Derek Drouin</div>
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Derek Drouin is a high jumper and the first Canadian since 1932 to win gold at an Olympic in that event!! He caught my eye in the London Olympics when he won bronze. Ever since then, I've been following his career. Last year, he won his first world championship... and to follow that with an Olympic title, that's just impressive as hell! :) I'm really happy for him, especially since he won in such a beautiful fashion - clearing all the heights on his first attempts. Seriously though, the high jump competition tonight was really thrilling! Had me, my dad and my sister on the edge of our seats :) Something else that I like about Derek is his attitude: so composed during the competition and humble afterwards. I hope he continues for another Olympic cycle!</div>
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2. Brianne Theisen-Eaton</div>
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I've been following heptathlon for quite a while. Initially, it was because of Carolina Kluft from Sweden whom I admired a lot. Then, Canadian heptathletes started to do really well and there's nothing better than cheering for your own country right? :) During the London Olympics, Brianne Theisen-Eaton stood out for me. She was the future of Canada in that event. Plus, it's no secret I'm a big romantic and there's nothing cuter than a couple competing together at the Olympics :) In Rio, Brianne and her husband, Ashton, were both aiming for gold... and they were both favorites coming in, Brianne being the wold vice-champion and Ashton, the world champion and world record holder. Unfortunately, the first day didn't go so well for Brianne... but she made an incredible comeback in day 2, especially in javelin throw, to climb back up from 6th place to bronze :) I'm so happy she made it on the podium after all the work she put in and the expectations she had. By the way, seeing Brianne with Ashton makes you believe that love really exists... their love is palpable when they support and cheer each other.</div>
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3. He Zi & Qin Kai</div>
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Speaking of love, did you guys see Qin Kai propose to He Zi just after she won silver in the 3m springboard diving? Both of them are Chinese divers and have been dating for 6 years. Qin Kai won a bronze earlier in 3m synchronized swimming and He Zi won silver on that day. After the medal ceremony, he walked up on the stage and proposed. A lot of people criticized Qin Kai's gesture, saying that he stole her thunder or whatever. In my opinion, he just wanted to start their new chapter in life. Rio was most probably the last olympic game for the two of them and what a way to end them, right? Also, it was so cute to see the female divers coming to congratulate He Zi and ask to see her ring LOL. Remind us that these athletes are also regular people :P</div>
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4. Rosie MacLennan</div>
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Rosie MacLennan is a trampoline gymnast. Four years ago, in London, she won the only gold medal for Canada. As a result, she was chosen to be our flag bearer for Rio... where she successfully defended her olympic title!! It was such a great routine and another really exciting event to watch. So awesome to see her reaction and know that four years of hard work and perseverance have paid off. Especially since she suffered a brain concussion in the last year. Winning a gold medal at the Olympic games is hard... but defending a title is even harder. So I'm really happy for Rosie that she did :)</div>
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Also, isn't that photo amazing?</div>
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5. Canada's men volleyball team</div>
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Congrats to Canada's men volleyball team for making it to the quarter-finals after a clutch win against Italy. It's been 20 years since Canada last had a men volleyball team in the Olympics and it was a tough road for them to even just qualify! So to make it out of the "death" pool was awesome! Going to be knocking on wood and crossing every fingers for the game against Russia tomorrow!!</div>
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That's it for me now! Hopefully, I'll have plenty more highlights in the next few days!!</div>
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nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-63397939213903903712016-08-15T23:46:00.000-04:002016-08-15T23:46:29.205-04:00Review: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaa0SCZDPwHtaRzt3Byr8mZet6tOpNcQe1GMX6-HytQ2B5LVSo57XImy6nzx1pq-LUqmgBA2lSXWTOBtsnQfxObhg3ItKUe5q1nr9iYk0MhsXXUZ-8sUCMu08UxmvTPMhzZxL/s1600/a+promise+of+fire.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/AVvXsEjYaa0SCZDPwHtaRzt3Byr8mZet6tOpNcQe1GMX6-HytQ2B5LVSo57XImy6nzx1pq-LUqmgBA2lSXWTOBtsnQfxObhg3ItKUe5q1nr9iYk0MhsXXUZ-8sUCMu08UxmvTPMhzZxL/s200/a+promise+of+fire.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
<b>A Promise of Fire </b>by <b><i>Amanda Bouchet</i></b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">published by Sourcebooks in August 2016</span></i><br />
<blockquote>
Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…
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Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.</blockquote>
<b>Genre</b>: Fantasy romance<br />
<b>Series</b>: Kingmaker Chronicles, Book #1<br />
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<b>The Story</b>: In <b>A Promise of Fire</b>, magic exists and Greek gods are real. The world is divided into three countries - Fisa, Tarva and Sinta - and magic is strongest the closer you are to the North, the Ice Plains, the Frozen Lakes and the ocean. The Magoi - humans with magic - are the ones in power and rule the world... except for Sinta which has just been overtaken by the Hoi Polloi - humans without magic.<br />
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Catalia "Cat" doesn't care about the future of Fisa, Tarva and Sinta and its rulers. All that matters is that they do not find her. Cat possesses the rare magic talent of discerning truths from lies - a talent that appears every 200 years - and makes her invaluable to those in power since she knows who can be trusted, etc. Tortured as a child by her own family to "develop" her gift, Cat ran away when she was 15 years old and has spent the past 8 years hiding in a circus... but her days of hiding are over.<br />
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Griffin's family has recently overtaken Sinta and become the new royal family. They are Hoi Polloi... but Griffin is not naive. He knows that in order to consolidate their power, he will need to work with Magoi, especially with the Power Bid coming up. What his family wants is to change the way society is. However, he won't ally with anyone. But never in his wildest dream did he expect to find the Kingmaker...<br />
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<b>My Opinion</b>: I picked up <b>A Promise of Fire</b> because of the positive buzz it was getting in blogland. Also, it's been a while since I last read a true fantasy romance and was really in the mood for it. Unfortunately, once again, my opinion seems to differ from everyone else :(<br />
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My main issue with <b>A Promise of Fire</b> is that I found Cat annoying ^_^;; First, I felt she didn't really fit the fantasy feel of the story. Take away her magic and the swears based on the Greek gods and she would have fit perfectly in a contemporary romance book. So that was jarring for me. Also, the whole book was written in her 1st person POV and seriously, it was tiring to follow all her thoughts. Especially since she rarely said what she really thought or felt. For example, she would tell Griffin she wasn't attracted to him... but of course, she was. Then, there was all the little discussions with herself... It was just too much for me - I wanted out of her head. I think it would have been better if it had been in the 3rd person POV or having Griffin's POV. Many reactions of hers were very immature and in a lot of instances, I found her bratty. Personally, I think Ms Bouchet tried too hard to create the perfect strong, kick-ass heroine à la Kate Daniels that readers would fall in love with. Sure, it resulted in a heroine that ticked all the right boxes, but also that felt forced and was a pale copy of all the strong heroines in urban fantasy series that we love so much.<br />
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Other than Cat, <b>A Promise of Fire </b>had potential. While not original, the story was interesting and intriguing enough for me to want to at least try the next book. Then again, I do love power struggles LOL. Especially since near the end, Ms Bouchet introduces a bunch of interesting characters and dangle the Power Bid - which I'm guessing is a competition between the three countries for power - as bait sequel and it works :) The world building was also well done, the information peppered throughout the story instead of an info dump. It was also logical enough that Ms Bouchet only had to give us a few tidbits and the rest could be figured out. I'm not huge on maps, but this time, I think one would have helped. One thing that I found unfortunate though is that the whole plot lacked the subtlety that makes a book stand out. Unless I'm completely wrong about Cat's secret, the foreshadowing was painted with a huge brush and red paint... and it makes you question Griffin's intelligence for not figuring it out yet ^_^;<br />
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For me, the best aspect of the book was the secondary characters. I really enjoyed them - they made the story fun and appealing. I hope Ms Bouchet is able to develop them, but I'm not sure I would want whole books about them. Those who enjoy sexual tension will also be pleased because there is ton in <b>A Promise of Fire</b>. The romance was okay... I'm not totally sure I buy it, but I can see Griffin and Cat being together.<br />
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One last thing that bothered me is Griffin's ex-lover. I don't think that part was necessary at all - it was there just to create conflict in the romance and it felt really superfluous. Plus, I don't think it painted women in a really good light. Why go down that path then?<br />
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<b>My Grade</b>: <b><span style="font-size: large;">C</span></b>. This book definitively had potential, it's just too bad it didn't deliver and the heroine got on my nerve :( While reading <b>A Promise of Fire</b>, I kept thinking I wanted to re-read <b>Warprize </b>by <b><i>Elizabeth Vaughan</i></b> ^_^; Still, it had enough though to pique my interest and make me want to check out the next book to see what happens.nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-22630132405980467132016-08-12T22:28:00.003-04:002016-08-12T22:28:58.644-04:00Vacation memories 2016: FrankfurtHappy TGIF!<br />
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Once again, I have nothing. My mind is really tired too. I haven't been sleeping well this week... dunno if it's from the adrenaline from watching the Olympics or what LOL.<br />
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Anyway, here are some pictures from my vacation, taken in Frankfurt.<br />
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Frankfurt was an interesting mix of old and new. It's the financial center of Germany and perhaps why people told us there wasn't much to see. However, I beg to differ LOL. I really enjoyed walking around and seeing the contrast of old and new. Lots of pretty buildings and of course, churches :) Wished I had a bit more time to really research the city and make of list of what to see. All in all though, I liked :)nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-22694964616171523752016-08-12T00:03:00.000-04:002016-08-12T00:03:01.097-04:00Re-Reading MoodAfter reading <b>A Promise of Fire</b> by<b><i> Amanda Bouchet</i></b>, it made me really want to re-read <b>Warprize </b>by <b><i>Elizabeth Vaughan</i></b>. <i>The Chronicles of Warland series</i> is one of the best fantasy romance out there in my opinion. I'm also really excited because it seems the author is working on Simus' book!! :) Anyway, after re-reading <b>Warprize</b>, I couldn't stop just there... so I went on and read <b>Warsworn </b>and <b>Warlord</b>. With the Olympics on my mind, I find I'm not paying a 100% my attention on what I'm reading... so re-reading seems to make perfect sense. As a result, I picked up <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2007/01/demon-angel-by-meljean-brooks.html">Demon Angel</a> </b>by <b><i>Meljean Brook </i></b>next. The only frustrating thing is I've lent out both <b>Warprize </b>and<b> Demon Angel</b> out to a friend and I can't find my keepsafe copies. Sigh. Luckily, I do have the ebooks.<br />
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So I'm curious... What is the last re-read you did? What books have you wanted to re-read, but haven't had time? Are there any books you re-read regularly?<br />
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These are actually books that I haven't re-read in a while. So I'm happy to get to them. Another book I've wanted to re-read is <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2006/10/reviews.html">Poison Study</a></b> by <b><i>Maria V. Snyder</i></b>. I also want to read her new trilogy, but have decided to wait for the third book to come out first, so I can read the whole thing :)<br />
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As for books that I regularly re-read... <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2007/02/you-cant-hide-and-count-to-ten-by-karen.html">Count to Ten</a></b> by <b><i>Karen Rose</i></b> is up there. <b>Cursor's Fury</b> by <b><i>Jim Butcher </i></b>and <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2009/04/review-queens-thief-series-by-megan.html">The King of Attolia</a> </b>by <b><i>Megan Whalen Turner</i></b>. Also, I regularly go into a NR mood which usually means <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2010/08/review-search-by-nora-roberts.html">The Search</a></b> and <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2006/07/july-tbr-challeng-no-2.html">Angels Fall</a></b> :)<br />
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<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-60874799691590700062016-08-11T00:57:00.001-04:002016-08-11T00:57:05.375-04:00Olympic Games: Days 1-5Are you enjoying the Olympic Games so far? Because I know I am :)<br />
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It's really been a long time since the Olympic Games were in the same time zone as me or almost. Gotta say, I'm loving the one hour difference with Brazil right now! My days have all been about Olympic Games since Saturday :) When I wake up, it's already started with rowing and when I go to bed after swimming and/or beach volleyball, it's usually past midnight LOL. I predict I'll be crashing soon though ^_^; I could feel it tonight...<br />
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And the coverage has been awesome :) Because both English and French are Canada's official languages, we've always "double" coverage of the Olympics - English and French :) So I'm able to watch both... and they don't always feature the same events at the same time. Plus, there's all the live streams online. I've really been in heaven :)<br />
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Anyway, long story short, here are some highlights of the Olympics so far for me :)<br />
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1. Penny Oleksiak:<br />
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This young lady is going to be the queen of Rio Olympics for Canada :) She's a 16-years-old swimmer and have won 3 medals so far (1 silver 100m butterfly and 2 bronzes in relays), with potential for a few more! In the last couple of Olympic games, Canada has gone through a drought in swimming, earning 3 medals. They have had to rebuild the program and guess what? We're seeing the results this year!! What makes it so sweet too is that her results are unexpected. Oh, people knew that Penny Oleksiak was talented and a strong swimmer... but being only 16, this is her first big international meet! They didn't know how she'd fare with the competition... and now, all of Canada knows :)<br />
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2. Djokovic vs Del Potro:<br />
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I didn't see the match, but the number 1 seed being eliminated in the first round was big news!! My first reaction upon seeing that it was Del Potro who won over Djokovic was joy :) I love Del Potro and has been wondering what he's been up to. I know he's had a few wrist injuries and it seems it's taken him time to recover and build back his ranking. To see him win over Djokovic is such a big accomplishment! Very happy. And then, I saw Djokovic leaving the court in tears and I felt so sad for him. I've never been a huge fan of Djokovic, but seeing how important the Olympics were for him made me like him more. There are so many "professional" athletes, especially in golf and tennis, who backed out of the Olympics and I found it so disrespectful. For so many athletes, the Olympics is the ultimate accomplishment for them. To be able to make it to the Olympics mean everything... and then, you have those who makes millions of dollars turning their noses at the Olympics! Yes, they were all concerned about the zika virus and so on... but do you see all the other athletes there?! So to see how important the Olympics were for Djokovic, it made me respect and like him better.<br />
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3. Antoine Valois-Fortier:<br />
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Antoine Valois-Fortier is Canadian judoka who won bronze at the London Olympics. That medal was somewhat a surprise and his breakthrough moment. In the past 4 years, he trained really hard and did everything so he could be on the podium again at the Rio Olympics. Unfortunately, Antoine's draw was very difficult and he ranked 7th. His matches were hard fought and his losses were heart-breaking... but what I'll always remember is his disappointment. Right after he lost his last match, he was interviewed... and he was bawling his eyes out. Could not lift his face to face the reporter, he was crying and kept swiping at his tears. I felt the reporter was very insensitive and Antoine should have been given time to settle down before these interviews. We all want to know how our athletes feel and what are their thoughts; however, this level of voyeurism is unnecessary.<br />
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I hope to see him again in the Tokyo Olympics.<br />
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4. Kohei Uchimura:<br />
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The Japanese gymnast has been nicknamed King Kohei because of his dominance in men's gymnastics. The man has won the last Olympics' all-around gold medal as well as 6 world championships in a row!! That is unheard of! I've been a fan of Kohei for, hmmmm, 5 years I think, and was rooting for him to win today... and he did!! However, today, King Kohei had big competition. Oleg Verniaiev, a 22 year-old Ukrainian, gave the performance of his life. The two were competing in the same rotation, one after another, and it came down to the last apparatus, the horizontal bar, with Oleg in the lead. In the end, Kohei nailed his routine while Oleg's was not as difficult and not as clean and as a result, Kohei won by a margin of 0.1. Talk about a thrilling finish!!<br />
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Kohei has already announced that he intends to go to the next Olympics which will be held in Tokyo, Japan. I wonder if he'll be able to maintain his position and face all these youngsters who have him as a role model :)<br />
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So those are some of my highlights so far :) Overall though, Canada is doing really well at Rio, especially in team sports! Shout out to the women's soccer team for beating Germany for the first time ever, the women's rugby 7 by making history by finishing 3rd in the sport's debut at the Olympics and to the men's volleyball team for upsetting the US in their first game :)<br />
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What about you? What has been your moments so far?<br />
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<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-21773368453476742692016-08-09T23:52:00.000-04:002016-08-09T23:52:01.064-04:00Review: Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh<b>Allegiance of Honor</b> by <b><i>Nalini Singh</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQh6bgGr49Oe29PuvpT32I42-4bbO20WN2Pi9eWArjdnfYugz13Axs4vx1zRtJBMVSv5uXk31e4Ci619_8FSPsu1HfTzdq8rLpF9KTsZSdcBcChKerT38ktk58ga7KTL1iw31F/s1600/allegiance+of+honor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQh6bgGr49Oe29PuvpT32I42-4bbO20WN2Pi9eWArjdnfYugz13Axs4vx1zRtJBMVSv5uXk31e4Ci619_8FSPsu1HfTzdq8rLpF9KTsZSdcBcChKerT38ktk58ga7KTL1iw31F/s200/allegiance+of+honor.jpg" width="131" /></a><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">published by Berkley in June 2016</span></i><br />
<blockquote>
The Psy-Changeling world has undergone a staggering transformation and now stands at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: Old enemies. New allies. Wary loners.
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But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten and threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: A child who is both Psy…and changeling.
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To find the lost, protect the vulnerable—and save Trinity—no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst? </blockquote>
<b>Genre</b>: Paranormal romance<br />
<b>Series</b>: Psy-Changeling, Book #15<br />
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<b>The Story</b>: It's pretty much as the blurb describes. The world Ms Singh has created have undergone a lot of changes since <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2006/10/review-slave-to-sensation.html">Slave to Sensation</a></b>. The Psy no longer have a Council, Dark River and Snow Dancer packs are allied, the Arrows are independent and humans have proved they are not as weak and fragile as the Psy and changelings thought. Now, all of these people have to figure out how to live together harmoniously instead of separately. However, the task is not simple because decades of grudges and distrust are hard to overcome. In addition, there are still individuals looking out for their own only... and of course, not everyone is happy and in favor for an unified world.<br />
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Aside from politics, some people still face big challenges. Parts of the PsyNet is still rotting and nobody knows the reasons. A bounty has been put on the head of Naya, Lucas and Sascha's daughter and the first Psy-changeling child in this new era. Finally, the BlackSea pack is still dealing with its missing members...<br />
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<b>My Opinion</b>: The <i>Psy-Changeling series</i> is one of the most popular series in blogland and for good reasons. The writing is excellent, the characters are intense, interesting and appealing, the romance is hot and the story is interesting and actually moves forward! You can feel that Ms Singh knows where she's going with the story and each book was a step in the direction she wanted. For years, there were rumors that Ms Singh would be writing a spin-off of the <i>Psy-Changeling series </i>and this year, it was confirmed. The first story arc is over and Ms Singh used <b>Allegiance of Honor</b> to wrap things up.<br />
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To tell the truth, I actually have mixed feelings about <b>Allegiance of Honor</b>. I always enjoy seeing characters from previous books and see what they are up to and where they are now. And that was basically the purpose of <b>Allegiance of Honor</b>. It's usually fun and sweet and logically, I should have loved this book... but the reason why I have mixed feelings instead is that I felt it was too much ^_^; I don't mind when it's novella, but a whole book dedicated to past characters? It was just a bit too much, especially since there were so many of them! Plus, everything was wrapped up too neatly. Every issue, every question was addressed. Yes, it's satisfying... however, when it feels like a list being ticked off, it's just not as enjoyable. Also, I have an excellent memory when it comes to characters and stories. I know not everyone is the same and therefore, recappings are necessary... but those recappings probably made up a quarter of the book!<br />
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Basically, <b>Allegiance of Honor</b> reminded me a lot of <b><a href="http://breezingthroughbooks.blogspot.ca/2012/07/review-tangle-of-need-by-nalini-singh.html">Tangle of Need</a></b> in the sense that both are transition books. <b>Allegiance of Honor</b>'s purpose was to wrap up the story arc and set up for the next. In that aspect, it did the job. There was no romance like in <b>Tangle of Need</b>; instead, there was a mystery thread about the disappearance of a member of the BlackSea pack and most of the action and exciting bits came from that thread. At times, I felt this mystery thread didn't bland well with the rest of the story, but overall, it was interesting.<br />
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<b>My Grade</b>: <b><span style="font-size: large;">B-</span></b>. <b>Allegiance of Honor</b> was not as intense or exciting as the last few books in the series. It had a purpose and fulfilled it well. Yes, it was fun to catch up with the past characters... but was it really necessary? I'm not convinced. If you enjoyed <b>Tangle of Need</b>, then I'm pretty sure you will like this one as well :) No matter how I feel about this book, one thing I know for sure: I'm looking forward to Ms Singh's new book and see where she takes us for her new story arc!nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-31277435509343759252016-08-08T21:46:00.000-04:002016-08-08T21:46:41.118-04:00Annual BBQ 2016Wassup everyone? So during this week-end, I took the executive decision that I would do the 30 Day Blog Challenge during the week days LOL. So I'll try to blog everyday for 6 weeks instead of the whole month of August... because the upcoming week-ends are going to be busy and I need inspiration and frankly, a break also :) For everyone and everything, I think it'll be better that way :)<br />
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So this week-end was our annual BBQ. I think this is our 15th edition in 16 years. Not bad right? :) Everything went without a hitch - guess we've finally fallen into a good routine. This year went especially well and we finished cooking the food before sunset - which meant we weren't in the dark for cleanup and avoided the mosquitoes! Yay! And the weather held up!! We had a bout of rain in the morning that got me worried, but after that, we had really nice weather :) That's always a gamble since we set the BBQ date so early - usually months ahead.<br />
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Here are some pictures ;)<br />
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Fun day overall :)<br />
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Other than that, I've been having a blast watching the Olympics!! Oh and I'm re-reading <b>Warprize </b>by <b><i>Elizabeth Vaughan</i></b>. Don't know why I haven't re-read it for so long... but still love it!!nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-29539791066282479792016-08-05T19:14:00.003-04:002016-08-05T19:14:57.544-04:00Week-end plans!Friday, finally!! It was a 4-days week, but it just felt sooo long! To tell the truth, I was ready for the week-end already yesterday LOL.<br />
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So, what's your plans for the week-end? Tomorrow, my mom turns 65 years old, so we're celebrating by going to the restaurant with some of her friends :) Then, on Sunday, it's my annual BBQ. Once again, I'm hosting. So this week-end is going to be quite busy for me. Plus, the Olympics are starting!! Actually watching the opening ceremony right now!<br />
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What about you? Any plans?nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-20609136227450818752016-08-04T22:09:00.000-04:002016-08-04T22:09:07.567-04:00Vacation memories 2016Okay, so I'm coming up totally empty. I have no idea what to blog about. I thought of posting a music video of my current favorite TV couple, but somehow, it felt like taking the easy way out ^_^; Instead, here are some pictures from my trip in Germany. Since I took the pictures, it feels like I'm putting more efforts into this post LOL.<br />
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We have a lot of relatives and friends in Germany. So during this trip, we stayed with them and took one-day-trips to several places. Sometimes, we'd visit a bit city like Munich or Frankfurt. Other times, we'd go to very quaint, little towns. One of my favorite days was spent in Esslingen. Esslingen is an university town just outside of Stuttgart... and it was just so peaceful! I wished we had spent more time. In any case, I got some awesome pictures that I'd like to share with you :)<br />
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I really enjoyed Germany and hope to return soon :)<br />
<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-49378242892787064102016-08-03T23:13:00.004-04:002016-08-03T23:13:59.598-04:00Olympic Games: Rio 2016Ever since I was young, I've always loved watching sport events... I don't know where this love comes from. Other than curling, I've never really practiced a sport. Sure, I enjoyed track and field and phys ed classes in school, but that's about it. There's also a lot of sports I would not try... Yet, when it's on TV, I'm there. And when you add patriotism to the mix, I'm your leading cheerleader LOL. Needless to say, the Olympic Games are my version of TV heaven :)<br />
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Officially, Rio 2016 is starting on Friday with the opening ceremony. Unofficially though, it started today with the first games in the women's soccer tournament. Canada did well, upsetting Australia 2-0! There's been a lot of drama revolving around Rio 2016 and more so than usual, especially with the doping scandal. However, I believe that in the end, the beauty of sports will prevail... and I seriously can't wait for the Olympic Games to start and the first medals to be awarded :)<br />
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So I'm curious... are you a fan of the Olympic Games? What events will you be watching? Any particular athletes you'll be following?<br />
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When it comes to Olympic Games, I almost watch everything. Although I admit that basketball, boxing, field hockey, golf and water polo aren't much my cup of tea. Also, I prefer events that don't have too many qualification rounds or that don't span on too many days. I guess if I really had to choose, track and field, swimming, rowing, gymnastics and all the racing events are my favorites LOL.<br />
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As for athletes, I definitively have a list of people I want to follow during these games. Most of them are veterans and have been to the Olympics already and that's why I know them :) Others are medal hopes for Canada and have been featured predominantly as we neared the games. However, I don't have one in mind particularly ;)<br />
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Last, but not least, kudos to Team Canada on FB. They did a really fabulous job showcasing athletes, the qualification process and just stir up excitement for the Olympic Games. It was a lot easier this year to get ready for the Olympics :)nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-91487322730035437322016-08-02T21:30:00.000-04:002016-08-02T21:30:31.039-04:00Review: No Breaking My Heart by Kate Angell<br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Disclaimer: I've received <b>No Sunshine When She's Gone </b>as an eARC from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="color: #da7aa7; text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></i><br />
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<b>No Breaking My Heart</b> by <b><i>Kate Angell</i></b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">published by Kensington in July 2016</span></i><br />
<blockquote>
Relationship Status: Complicated
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Professional baseball player Halo Todd doesn't like failure, but he can never turn down a challenge. Especially when there's a pretty woman involved. How else would he end up dressed as a rooster, helping a complete stranger compete on a wacky game show? Even when they're eliminated after the first round, Halo isn't about to lose the girl…
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Alyn is stunned when gorgeous, generous Halo whisks her off for a dream vacation to the beach--she's been let down by friends and even family so many times, she's lost count. Later, he offers to lend a hand getting her vintage shop up and running. But his constant--and ridiculous--purchases are the last thing she needs. How can she convince the stubborn man that she doesn't need his help--not when all she wants is his heart…</blockquote>
<b>Genre</b>: Contemporary romance<br />
<b>Series</b>: Barefoot William, Book #5<br />
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<b>The Story</b>: The blurb of <b>No Breaking My Heart </b>makes the book sounds a lot more breezy than the story is ^_^; It got the main details right... Just before leaving for spring training, Halo Todd, professional baseball player for the Richmond Rogues, is accosted and roped in by Alyn Jayne, a complete stranger, to participate in a game show. Alyn's dream is to open an antique/vintage shop and after her potential business partner bailed on her, cleaning out their bank account at the same time, she figures out the prize money from the game show is her best bet. What it leaves out is that yes, Halo is intrigued by Alyn and wants to spend more time with her... so he whisks her <i>along with </i>her younger brother - Halo's guest for spring training, mother and injured pug to Barefoot William where spring training is taking place. Halo can feel the chemistry between them and in order to spend more time with Alyn, comes up with an arrangement: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend/fiancée for the season and he'll be a silent partner in her business.<br />
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The secondary romance in the book involves Halo's best friend and teammate, Landon Kane. Landon is tired of playing the field: partying and hooking up doesn't interest him anymore. In fact, he's looking for a significant relationship... and seems to have found the perfect woman in Eden Cates, photographer and owner of the Old Tyme Portraits.<br />
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<b>My Opinion</b>: Ever since Ms Angell started writing the Barefoot William series, these books have become my go-to beach reads. I simply love the beach town and atmosphere Ms Angell has created. It's so vivid that sometimes, I can almost smell the sea and sunscreen LOL. Every year, I look forward to going back to Barefoot William and this year was no exception... unfortunately, I did not enjoy <b>No Breaking My Heart</b> as much as I hoped :(<br />
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I think the biggest issue I had with <b>No Breaking My Heart</b> is that Ms Angell reverted back to the multiple couples book. This is usually my biggest complaint with her books; however, I thought we were done with it after <b>No One Like You</b> featured only one couple. So it was kind of disappointing to find out we were getting Landon and Eden's romance as well in <b>No Breaking My Heart</b>. Disappointing because I actually liked Landon and Eden's chemistry better and felt their relationship didn't get the focus it deserved. I felt Landon and Eden's romance was more honest and straightforward. It was nice to see two people knowing that they wanted more and going for it. While there was more sexual tension between Halo and Alyn, their romance was too complicated. Why couldn't Halo just tell Alyn he was interested in her and wanted to date her? Instead, he had to invent excuses and came up with the deal and Alyn never really knew where she stood with him. Their relationship was over-complicated for nothing... and that's unfortunate because there was a lot of good elements. First, the way they met was just hilarious. Definitively something Ms Angell could have built on. Also, I loved Halo's interactions with Alyn's younger brother and her injured pug. When a man acts the way Halo did, it's just swoon-worthy. Also, Halo and Alyn had the perfect backdrop for an awesome romance - Barefoot William. Every element was there for a great romance... so I'm really bummed that Ms Angell went the fake engagement/business deal route.<br />
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Otherwise, the rest of the book was fun and fluffy. As usual, the setting was perfect for a beach read :) I loved the activities and promotional events depicted in the novel. The characters were a bit one-dimensional, but still quite lovable. I particularly liked Alyn's younger brother, Danny, and her pug, Quiggley.<br />
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<b>My Grade</b>: <b><span style="font-size: large;">C+</span></b>. All in all, not a bad read... but not as good as I expected either.nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-63236395927995172512016-08-01T21:24:00.003-04:002016-08-01T21:24:44.214-04:00Summer Chinese DramasAside from my blogging mojo deserting me, I've also been in some kind of reading slump. I don't know if it's me, but I find this year's summer releases... not lacking, but perhaps not as exciting as usual. Or perhaps it's because I'm not in the mood for contemporary romance and that's the bulk of the releases in the summer. Add to that, I haven't been feeling 100% healthy in the past two weeks :( So yeah, my reading hasn't been stellar lately.<br />
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Therefore, I've been looking for something to do... and turned towards Chinese TV dramas. I recently skimmed through Clouds of the World, aka Chinese Paladin 5, for which I'll share my thoughts with you soon. For now, I'd like to introduce this summer's blockbusters that I'm planning to watch... eventually :)<br />
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1. Singing All Along (Chang Ge Xin)<br />
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This is perhaps the weirdest title ever for a period-era, political drama... but aside from the title, the rest of the production looks top-notch. It features Ruby Lin, one of the most popular and talented Chinese actresses, who also happens to be the drama producer. As it's the case with most dramas she's in, the series follows her character's ups and downs. The main attraction for me is Yuan Hong who's playing the male lead! :)<br />
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Singing All Along is based on a novel and also, in part, on real China history. They synopsis is as followed:<br />
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A tale of a farmer who became an Emperor and a woman he married twice. Following a civil war, Liu Xiu (Yuan Hong), a distant descendent of Emperor Liu Bang, was tapped to lead the restoration of Han Dynasty. To amass political power, he annulled his marriage to first love Yin Li Hua (Ruby Lin) in order to marry Guo Sheng Tong, a niece of a powerful warlord. Upon unifying the country, he remarried Yin. Although he wanted to make her his empress, he bowed to political pressure and bestowed the position to Guo. When scandals erupted in Guo's family, he used the opportunity to depose Guo and promote Yin to the position.</blockquote>
Anyway, this drama was filmed in 2013, but for reasons unknown, warehoused till now. I was looking forward to it for Yuan Hong, but have to admit I'm not currently in the mood for harem intrigue. It does have the best broadcast schedule though - 2 episodes a day during the week and 1 per day on the week-end. That means we're almost halfway through the series already and I'll probably give it a go soon.<br />
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2. Ice Fantasy<br />
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Ice Fantasy is one of this year's blockbusters. You simply know looking at the quality of the production. The aesthetic of the drama is quite exceptional, probably because they invited The Hobbit's art director to join. As a result, we get sublime decors and costumes... and Chinese elves LOL.<br />
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Ice Fantasy is the adaptation of best-selling novel City of Fantasy, written by Guo Jing Ming. However, from what I gather, there's been quite a few modifications. Long story short:<br />
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This drama depicts the wars between the Fire and Ice Clans, the loss and then return of Ka Suo's true love Li Luo, and the eventual reunion between two brothers Ka Suo and Ying Kongshi after multiple obstacles set up by their archenemy Lian Ji.</blockquote>
Aside from the aesthetics, I'm drawn to this drama for two characters: the younger prince of the Ice clan and Fire clan's princess. It seems there is a romance between the two, but I doubt it'll be a happy ending. Sigh.<br />
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3. The Legend of Chusen<br />
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Another very anticipated drama, mainly because one of the female lead is Zanilia Zhao Yi Ling (the women on the left of the poster). This lady is on fire!! She has three dramas scheduled to broadcast this summer. Anyway, the rest of the cast is not shabby either as they were able to secure Li Yi Feng and rising star Yang Zi :) Gotta say, out of the three dramas, I think this one is the one I'm looking forward the most. I love the color scheme and clean lines... hopefully, the story will deliver as well.<br />
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Speaking of story, The Legend of Chusen is another novel adaptation. Here is the synopsis:<br />
<blockquote>
Zhang Xiaofan (Li Yifeng), who along with childhood friend Lin Jingyu (Cheng Yi), are the sole survivors of a village massacre. The two are later accepted into the Qingyun Sect (Noble Sect), where they learn the ways of the Immortal Sword. Although hard-working, Xiaofan struggles to catch up to his peers due to his slow wit. Fortunately, he has the support of Bi Yao (Zhao Liying), daughter of the Ghost King (Fu Chengpeng), who supports him through thick and thin. Pivotal circumstances made Xiaofan grow, and his relationship with Bi Yao takes a meaningful turn. For power, the villainous Ghost King attempts to overthrow the Qingyun Sect, and Xiaofan gets his life on the line. Bi Yao sacrifices herself to save him, falling into an endless sleep. With courage and strong faith, Xiaofan devotes all his strength to take down the Ghost King, fulfilling a promise he made to Bi Yao and Jingyu when they were youths.</blockquote>
This one has just started airing on Sunday and I'm still a bit confused about the schedule. Hopefully, we get a few episodes a week.<br />
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And there you have it, what I'll be watching this summer :) And what you can expect me to praise or rant about LOL.nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-28800559076473255222016-07-31T13:38:00.002-04:002016-07-31T13:38:59.493-04:00Another 30 Day Blog Challenge!Hello everyone :)<br />
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So coming back from vacation, I thought I'd have so many things to share with you all... and I do. However, it seems that my blogging mojo has deserted me again. Sigh. Even sadder, it seems I'm not the only one - Ames too :( In a bid to find our blogging mojo, we're turning to the 30 Day Blog Challenge again. Last time, Ames was the host... so it's only fair I'm hosting this time :) Any other takers?<br />
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Basically, we just want to get back into the routine of blogging by posting something everyday. It can be short, long, book-related or not. It can be a picture, a video, a thought. As long as a post goes up :)<br />
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So for the next month, you can expect to hear about books, Chinese dramas and Rio Olympics from me!! Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-80615739778331778742016-07-05T17:42:00.000-04:002016-07-05T17:42:36.287-04:00Review: Bittersweet by Sarina BowenFinally, my first review for a <b><i>Sarina Bowen</i></b> book! Woohoo! I discovered Ms Bowen a couple of years ago and promptly fell in love with her writing. Many of her books have become favorites, but I've been in a blogging funk for so long that I never got around to review them. Hopefully, I'll remedy that... but for now, here's my review for <b>Bittersweet</b>, the first book in her new <i>True North series</i> :)<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Bittersweet </b>by <b><i>Sarina Bowen</i></b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">self-published in June 2016</span></i><br />
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If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.
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The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.
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At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.
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Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.
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They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some. </blockquote>
<b>Genre</b>: Contemporary romance<br />
<b>Series</b>: True North, Book #1<br />
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<b>The Story</b>: A few years back, Griffin Shipley was forced to take over the family farm after his father's sudden death. Armed with a bachelor in chemistry, Griff hopes to forge a new path for the farm by brewing cider. All he wants is to keep the farm afloat, at least until his youngest siblings head for college. With the busiest season upon him, Griff doesn't need any distraction... which Audrey Kidder definitively is.<br />
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After a few colleges and years of self-discovery, Audrey finally knows what she wants to do in life: be a chef and own a restaurant. She's completed culinary school and is now working for one of Boston most prominent restaurant conglomerates. Each year, the conglomerate holds a contest to open a new restaurant and Audrey is determined to win. For now, she needs to impress them with her work even if it doesn't involve cooking. When she is sent to Vermont with a price list to find local produces, the last person she expected to run into is Griff.<br />
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Five years ago, Griffin and Audrey shared a couple of steamy nights together. Now reunited, they realize the chemistry is still present and as hot as ever.<br />
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<b>My Opinion</b>: As much as I enjoy Ms Bowen's writing, I have to admit I didn't really know what to expect from <b>Bittersweet</b>. In all the books I've read by Ms Bowen previously, sport has been the central theme, the common element. With this new series, it feels like Ms Bowen is branching out, deviating from the familiar path... and it's always a bit scary when it happens. We all like authors for certain specific reasons. Often times, it's because they excel in a genre and when they decide to write something else, readers never know if they'll pull it off. Ms Bowen has become one of my favorite authors and I didn't want her to fall from my personal pedestal. Good news - she didn't :)<br />
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Overall, I really enjoyed <b>Bittersweet</b>. My favorite part was the setting. I think Ms Bowen did a marvelous job with the Vermont setting, bringing it to life for the readers. Reading <b>Bittersweet</b>, I had the deep feeling that Ms Bowen knew what she was writing about, especially when it came to farming life. I could also imagine myself at the market or in the orchard :) It definitively set the right mood for <b>Bittersweet </b>and made my read more enjoyable!<br />
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I also thought Grumpy Griffin was a good, solid hero LOL. I have a thing for grumpy/grouchy character and Griffin definitively fit that mold :) In all seriousness though, he was a great guy. A good son/grandson, a caring big brother, a dependable friend, fair boss and great boyfriend. What more can you ask? What I liked most about Griffin is his honesty though. He didn't bluff, didn't pretend that everything was fine when it wasn't. He shared his burden with his family and tried to include them in the decision-making. Griffin was tough... but the kind of toughness that comes with the hard, physical work from the farm. Not street toughness if you know what I mean. And I enjoyed this different kind of tough :) Griffin also felt real... he was in no way perfect. He had worries like everyone else and they were believable. I appreciate that he wasn't bitter about having to take over the farm. You could feel that he loved his life, even when it's not an easy one... but it didn't stop him from wondering what could have been. I thought Griffin was a well-layered character :)<br />
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Unfortunately, I didn't have the same feeling for Audrey. Not that she was a bad heroine, but she just didn't give off the same "solid" vibe as Griffin. Perhaps it means Ms Bowen wrote her character well though, given Audrey had some self-esteem issues... It was easy to understand where those issues came from because Audrey had a very demanding mother. To her mother, she came off as an airhead simply because she didn't know what she wanted in life and that was sad :( Also Audrey seemed to lack a support system - she didn't seem to have any friends of family. Anyway, I liked Audrey well enough. She was nice, friendly and it was fun to see her so passionate about food and cooking. What didn't work for me though was her dream of owning a restaurant. It's not that I didn't believe it feasible, but it was her attitude towards it. As if it was on the verge of happening. I felt she was very naive about it. Perhaps I've watched too much cooking shows, but to be the sort of chef Audrey seemed to aspire and own her restaurant... it's a lot of hard work. Years of apprenticeship, working in different kitchens, etc. It doesn't happen in an instant because you've won a contest. I felt Audrey lacked the experience. Maybe if she wanted to open the restaurant in Vermont, something low-key... I could see it. But Boston? I felt that was the weakness of <b>Bittersweet</b>.<br />
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I also liked the romance quite a bit. It always helps when the H/H have a previous connection. In the case of Griffin and Audrey, it was nice that they had a second chance for something more, especialy now that both of them are more mature. From the blurb, it sounded like Griffin and Audrey were going to be adversaries, the kind that couldn't have a relationship between them... but it wasn't and I appreciate that. I think it would have felt too forced if they had to stay away from each other, especially given their chemistry. I liked that Griffin helped out Audrey and that there wasn't any huge conflict. I don't think this book needed it. All in all, a lovely and intense romance :)<br />
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Finally, I loved all the secondary characters :) They were all great without stealing the spotlight. I'm definitively looking forward to Jude and Zach's books!<br />
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<b>My Grade</b>: <b><span style="font-size: large;">B</span></b>.<br />
<br />nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-75914199955368646402016-06-29T14:28:00.003-04:002016-06-29T14:28:54.367-04:00Back in action!Hey there :) Miss me?<br />
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Sorry for the disappearing act ^_^; However, I had a very good excuse this time... I was in Europe for my cousin's wedding! :) As usual, I was hoping to blog while away, but you know how it is: lack of time and internet access. The good news though is that I have plenty of blogging material for the next few posts!<br />
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For now, here are some pictures of the wedding :)<br />
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By the way, it's good to be home :)nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-323136376885759422016-06-04T00:16:00.003-04:002016-06-04T00:16:46.559-04:00Friday Girls' Night - Hotpot!I've been meaning to blog for the past two days - don't want to lose the 30 Days Blogging Challenge blogging mojo, but it's just been so hectic! I knew going into the 30 Days Blogging Challenge that if I completed it, there'd be another big challenge awaiting me: maintaining my blogging through the month of June. June this year is ultra busy for me!! Mainly because my cousin is getting married on June 18, so there's a lot of things to get ready for. Family get-togethers, dinners, the wedding! I'm going to try my best to continue blogging regularly this month, but if you don't hear from me, you know why!<div>
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Tonight, I had an impromptu girls' night at home. My friend E had gum graft at the beginning of May and therefore has missed all the gatherings. Earlier this week, she had the stitches removed, so I jumped on the occasion to have dinner with her. However, she still needs to be careful and is preferable for the food to be soft. So I was wondering what to go eat... and thought hotpot would be a great option. So that's what we had!! And I finally got the portions right!</div>
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The upper right picture is friend E enjoying hotpot :) The bottom two is us before and after eating... Food coma!! LOL.<br />
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My sister's been doing a DIY project: coasters. This will be her little, personal gift for all the weddings she's attending this year :) First up is my cousin. Basically, she printed pictures and stuck them to tiles she bought. Here she is, applying resin to them so it'll protect the pictures like a varnish.<br />
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So far, the coasters look great! We're waiting for them to dry to see the final result. After, only one more step: stick felt under them... and voila!<br />
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That's it for me tonight! Hoping to do the New Releases post for June this week-end :)<br />
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nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-50002651788340158122016-05-31T21:30:00.000-04:002016-05-31T21:41:24.022-04:0030 Days Blog Challenge - Complete!!Woohooo!! I made it!! With this post, I complete my 30 Days Blog Challenge!! Yay me!!<br />
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Okay, so I missed one day, but that's acceptable. 30 days of blogging out of 31... for someone who's been having such a hard time, it's awesome! :) Big thank you to Ames for the challenge!! Also, thanks to everyone who participated to the challenge, visited and left comments :) You made a difference!</div>
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I'm pretty happy because out of the 30 posts, I have 7 reviews and 11 books related posts. So more than half were about books :) Which is pretty much what I wanted! Now that the challenge is over, I know I'm not going to be blogging daily. It was really hard to come up with relevant topic everyday ^_^; However, for sure, I found my groove and will do it more regularly! :) I'm really excited about it and I think that's what I was missing for so long... That little spark of excitement :)</div>
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On that note, I'm leaving you with some nice pictures... In the past month, I was able to blog about another of my hobbies, Chinese dramas :) In one of the post, I mentioned one of my favorite Chinese actor, Yuan Hong. Well, he got married last week-end!! Check out some of the pictures!! </div>
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They make such a pretty couple! His wife is also an actress; however, I'm unfamiliar with her. They were a pretty low-key couple. I heard they were dating... at the beginning of this year IIRC. Can't believe they already got married :)</div>
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Loved Yuan Hong's groomsmen!! So handsome... and Hu Ge was one of them! One Chinese tradition is for the groom to go and pick up the bride. Usually, the bridesmaids and bride's good friends will block the groom's passage in order to evaluate his worth through some challenges :P Groomsmen usually help the groom out... It was fun to see Yuan Hong's groomsmen come prepared with bags and equipment. They look like agents on a mission LOL.</div>
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In the end, they did succeed in getting the bride! :) Congrats to the couple!!</div>
nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30015617.post-43672635049096393142016-05-30T23:10:00.003-04:002016-05-30T23:10:56.808-04:00Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily AndersonI finished reading this book on Saturday and have been recommending it left and right ever since :P I thought it'd be nice to review it, so people know why I've been pushing it on them :)
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<b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You </b>by <b><i>Lily Anderson</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-bzls6av3ThLNUNtotPuKfixiZlkJoPOQiVT5J-XXMV1D_GSznp78NXiYf2rACN84vAIkG29sq8aFWN4pyZghT1T5t-Xu1vp1bXP7vX7l_AQYkIBu17RzOXfdIAF4bnPxGHG/s1600/the+only+thing+worse+than+me+is+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-bzls6av3ThLNUNtotPuKfixiZlkJoPOQiVT5J-XXMV1D_GSznp78NXiYf2rACN84vAIkG29sq8aFWN4pyZghT1T5t-Xu1vp1bXP7vX7l_AQYkIBu17RzOXfdIAF4bnPxGHG/s200/the+only+thing+worse+than+me+is+you.jpg" width="132" /></a><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">published by St. Martin's Griffin in May 2016</span></i><br />
<blockquote>
Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Doctor Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing—down to number four.
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Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books—well, maybe not comic books—but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all.
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The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on—and they might not pick the same side.</blockquote>
<b>Genre</b>: Young Adult, Contemporary<br />
<b>Series</b>: None<br />
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<b>The Story</b>: Trixie Watson and her two best friends, Harper and Meg, are seniors at Messina Academy for the Gifted - Mess for short - basically a high school for genius. The entrance exam is 3 hours long, there is a gag rule about disclosing their IQ numbers, they take courses such as "History of the American Immigrant" and "Economics of the Third World," they all willingly take on assignments for extra credits... and on the first day of each month, an updated ranking list is posted. Trixie's goal this year is to graduate third, thereby putting an end to her Rank Tango with her arch nemesis Ben West and beating him once for all. That means, between school work, comic books and sleep, Trixie will have time for little else... and she's dumbfound to find out her best friends have a different plan for their senior year - they want some interaction with the opposite sex! When Harper starts dating Cornell, the two groups of friends become one, bringing Trixie and Ben together without them having a say. The more they spend time together, the more Trixie and Ben realize that perhaps there is more to their bickering than the monkey bars episode when they were 8 years old... While they figure out their relationship, they also need to find out what's happening with the rank list.<br />
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<b>My Opinion</b>: I've been in a contemporary YA kick lately and picked up <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You </b>on a whim after the cover caught my eye (I was wondering if this book was from a traditional publisher or self-published ^_^;)... and I am sooo glad I did because it was such a great, fun read!! You know when you go into a book without any expectations at all and it turns out to be a gem? Well, that was <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You </b>:)<br />
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One of the reasons why I enjoyed <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You</b> is because the Mess wasn't a regular high school. Every student was a genius and so, as Harper pointed out, they were all nerds. It effectively took out the usual cool vs. geek conflict and just like that, <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You</b> wasn't your usual contemporary YA. Obviously, they were not all friends, but it did feel like the characters were all on equal footing. Also, it was refreshing to actually see all the students care about their studies and their grades. The atmosphere was also different because of the pressure these kids were under, their motivation and ambition... and I enjoyed the camaraderie that resulted from it. To some extent, the setting reminded me a lot of the one in <b><a href="http://natuschan.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-take-bow-by-elizabeth-eulberg.html">Take a Bow</a></b> by <b><i>Elizabeth Eulberg </i></b>- another book which I loved - where the characters were attending a performing arts high school.<br />
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I also really liked all the characters. While they were nerds, they were not one-dimensional. They had hobbies, they had likes and dislikes beyond studying. Obviously, it goes without saying that they were very smart and more mature than most teens... but at the end of the day, they were still young adults and act so at certain times. Ms Anderson did a great job balancing everything :) I have to say, I very much enjoyed Trixie and Ben and their chemistry. I loved their verbal duels... both of them were witty and quick-minded and it gave rise to some interesting conversations. I thought their romance was believable as well... because for two persons to snipe at each other the way Trixie and Ben did, there must be some attraction somewhere. Yes, it was really hidden deep, but it had to be there :) I thought the romance was sweet and the reveal at the end, so funny LOL. I loved their circle of friends. I enjoyed their dynamics and it was a lot of fun seeing the guys and girls interact and integrate the bigger group. Their loyalty to one another was admirable... particularly between Trixie, Meg and Harper. It's always nice to have someone at your back who believes in you. I also appreciate that there was no purposely unpleasant character.<br />
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There was no emotional conflict in this book. Instead, there was a mystery and I have to say, it was quite unusual! It was very well-done, interesting and definitively pulled me in. My only complaint would be the resolution of it was a bit rushed and hard to follow at times. Still, very refreshing.<br />
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Finally, I have to commend Ms Anderson's writing. This was her debut novel and it was very well executed. I really enjoyed Ms Anderson's voice. There was a snappy rhythm to it and Ms Anderson has great timing and is quick-witted. Personally, I never thought that discussions on a club's quorum would make me laugh... but it did in <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You</b> :)<br />
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As much as I loved <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You</b>, I don't think it'll reach everyone unfortunately. I feel that for maximal enjoyment of this book, the readers have to have an inner geek. There is a lot of references to "geeky" pop culture such as Doctor Who, Marvel comics, Joss Whedon, etc. If you don't have some background info on these topics, you'll miss some jokes and references and that could lessen your enjoyment. <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You</b> has a definite Big Bang Theory vibe to it. If you enjoy that show, then you should be fine! :) I'd still give it a chance regardless, but like I said, it'll be a lot more fun and enjoyable if you catch everything :)<br />
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<b>My Grade</b>: <b><span style="font-size: large;">A-</span></b>. I smiled and laughed throughout <b>The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You</b>. It truly was a fun read for me and I'll definitively be checking out Ms Anderson's next book :)nathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02626894830238717124noreply@blogger.com