Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

"I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."

What can I say? There is no way that I could write everything that I am currently feeling. And still do this book justice.

This book is one everyone should experience at least once -- if not ten times over. It's not an easy or light read, it doesn't even have a happy ending -- how can it when it is told from Death's POV -- , but it is raw, haunting, and dare I say it, inspiring. This book shows an honest, raw look at a street called Heaven. Where a girl, her family, and a community try to understand -- even more so survive -- Hitler's hate filled Germany. Told from the POV of Death and set during the Holocaust, we get an up close look at the heartache that a German family faces when they try to hide a Jew.

Even if you read through this book and hate everything -- it will make you think. And for me, it was inspiring to see the power of good souls and kind hearted people in such dark places. People that still strived to make the world a better place.

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with these characters. This book made me think. About a lot of different things. Amazing, moving read. Journey into the world of a Book Thief named Liesel. And let your heart grow, love, and break with hers.

I cannot recommend it enough.

Specials thanks to my Secret Santa, Rebecca from The Library Canary, for gifting me this amazing book. You rock!

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Follow Friday [10]: 2014 Can't Wait for Books (part II)

This meme is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read.

I got my wires crossed last week and answered this question early. Opps. But, this week I had a little extra time, so I was actually able to expand my list of one to ten. From historical fiction to a whole lot of contemporary, here are some of the books that I'm most excited for in 2014.

Q: What books are you looking forward to reading in 2014?

• Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
• Fury by Fisher Amelie
• Reaper's Legacy by Joanna Wylde
• Undying by Madeline Sheehan
• Perfect Lies by Kiersten White
• Deluge by Lisa Tawn Bergren
• A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
• Five Ways to Fall by K.A. Tucker
• Scare Crow by Julie Hockley

If want to follow me, any which way will make me do the happy dance.

Find me via bloglovin, GFC, or linky.

You can also #followfriday me on twitter -- @BookBeats15

If you leave your FF link in the comments below, I'll be sure to stop by and see your reading list for 2014.

 

 

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Book Review: Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

 

Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

3 Stars

Meet Rule:
Mohawked, tatted, and pierced, Rule doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks. His parents have a hard time excepting him ever since his identical twin Remy died. He lives a wild life full of girls and drinking, and that's the way he likes.

But all that starts to change when the one girl that always saw past his defenses, ends up drunk at the same bar as him. The only problem? She's Remy's girl, or was.

Rule was complicated; he was brash, mouthy, careless, thoughtless, often cranky, and generally an insufferable pain in the ass. But when he chose to be, he was charming and funny, artistically brilliant, and more often than not, the most interesting person in the room.

Meet Shaw:

Shaw is the exact opposite of Rule. Forced to become the "perfect" daughter in order to please her rich parents, Shaw has always lived her life organized and on top of things. The only problem, she's had a crush on wild Rule since she was fourteen years old.

She needed someone strong, someone not afraid of all the things that tormented her day in and day out...

And when Shaw gets drunk on her birthday, she throws caution to the wind, and goes after the one things she always wanted....Rule.

“...opposites don’t just attract, they freaking catch fire and burn the entire city down.”

Rule by Jay Crownover has been on my TBR list for a while. I couldn't wait to give this book a chance, especially when I saw all the love for this and other books in this series on GR. When I finally picked it up, I fell in love with the Archer boys. Especially Rome.

However, for me, this book had its up and down moments. There were points that I couldn't relate to the characters at all, which in turn made for a very slow read. But at other points, I connected with the characters and enjoyed being inside their heads. And was routing for them to figure out all their issues.

The romance overall was sweet, fun, and a bit wild (come on, it's Rule we're talking about here). Add in a crazy ex, and you get to see the alpha male, protective side of Rule. Who doesn't love that?

“Shaw, I’m the one who feels the need to burn the house down when the faucet springs a leak. I know I tend to go the extreme and I need to back off. However, if you think I’m ever going to stand by and watch you purposely put yourself in danger with that asshole again, be prepared for us to do battle.”

The Archer family dynamic is very strained because of Remy's death. And the Mom was just plain evil to Rule. And even when she explained some of the history there, I had a hard time understanding her. But I did love how Shaw fit in so well, and had for years, with the group. And of course, Rome won me over with his overprotective, sweet self.
Even if I thought the middle was a bit bumpy at points, the ending was strong. It flowed well, even had some suspense, and completely absorbed me into their world.

If you are a fan of friends turned lovers then you should definitely give Rule a try.

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Book Review: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I finally get the hype about this series. Don't get me wrong, the first book was entertaining, but I spent most of my time wondering what all the blogger peeps saw in the infamous Daemon.

But after Onyx, I totally get the Daemon love and the love for this series. Why did I wait so long to pick up the second book?

JLA builds this book perfectly. Giving just enough details in each chapter to make your mouth water and wanting more, this book will have you staying up late just to see what happens. And even though I was a little rusty about all the Alien talk/mojo, because of the time lapse between this and Obsidian, JLA quickly pulled me back into this intense world.

Katy and Daemon have great chemistry, and because of their new alien bond it grows even more. I love that she gets a tingly feeling in her neck when he's near. And how protective of Katy -- and Dee for that matter -- Daemon actually is.

This book is a whirlwind with a lot of twist and turns. And even though the last pages were hard to stomach, and gutted me at points, I loved seeing Katy grow and adapt through everything. JLA moved the action from simmer to boil in Onyx. I can only imagine what the next book holds.

 

 

 

 

Review of Previous Books: | Obsidian (Lux #1) |

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Stacking the Shelves [14]

***Meme is hosted by Tynga's Review.***

I haven't bought too many books lately. I've a small haul this week:

Vain (The Seven Deadly #1) by Fisher Amelie

This is one of my TOP favorite books. So when it went on sale this week for .99 cents, I couldn't resist buying my own personal ecopy. If you've not read this book -- and enjoy New Adult reads -- I can not recommend this book enough. Don't judge it by the blurb or even the cover, it is sooo much more than that. Just jump into it blind and prepare to have your heart moved.

 

Fighting For Irish (Fighting for Love #3) by Gina L. Maxwell

I've not read the first books in this series, but I've heard so many awesome things about Fighting for Irish that I had to have my own copy. It was definetly added to my building one click-problem. Hope to read it soon.

Short, but sweet. What's your haul?

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Follow Friday [9]: 2014 Can't Wait for Book

This week has been crazy for many reason. One, I've dealt with some crazy family issues. My grandma, who died this past year, had her SSN stolen. I've had to help my grandpa deal with the fallout and trying to solve the issues that this has caused. This resulted of a lot of time on hold. On a better note, I've been trying to pick up my studying of French again. Very slowly though. I'm glad it's Friday! Hope you've a great weekend, my dears :D

This meme is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read.

What books are you looking forward to reading in 2014?

Deluge (River of Time #4) by Lisa Tawn Bergren

The final installment of the River of Time series is coming out this year. *takes moment to fangirl* AHHHHHHHHHH! Set in medieval Italy, this series is full of suspense, family bonding, swoon worthy males, tough heroines, and a lot of adventures. It may actually be my favorite YA series. I can't wait to read the final book in the series -- hopefully with a reread of the others first -- though it will be bittersweet when I finally finish.

There is many more books that I'm eargerly awaiting. But mostly, I'm excited to pick up some old-but-new-to-me-series that everyone else raves about. I love the VA books, so starting the Bloodlines series makes that list. So does the Slammed series by Colleen Hoover.

This blog prefers bloglovin. But you if want to follow me, any which way will make happy. Find me via bloglovin, GFC, or linky.

You can also #followfriday me on twitter -- @BookBeats15

If you leave your FF link in the comments, I'll be sure to stop by and see your reading list for 2014.

 

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Book Review: Ceaseless by Abbi Glines

 

 

Ceaseless (Existence Trilogy #3) by Abbi Glines

3-Rushed-Stars

“I knew then that I had never understood what humans called love. But if that was anything close to the power....held over me, then no wonder they searched for it so passionately."

Ceaseless felt like classic Abbi Glines, which I of course loved. I'm a huge fan of her Sea Breeze series in particular. However, I wanted more from the end of this paranormal series. Existence introduced an awesome set of characters. And then, Predestined showcased their growth and fierceness. However, the ending of Ceaseless let me down. I still enjoyed it overall, but It felt rushed, overly sexual, and a bit redundant.

Guess it stands to reason that I'm (some people might be) not a huge fan of: the lead lady, in this case Pagan, being forced to forget and then fall in love again with the main hero, Dank. This plot line (in any book) frustrates me because 1) I want my favorite characters to be together, 2) it feels almost redundant to have the characters face the same issues and problems that they have already dealt with in the first book.

“What if she never remembers?"

"Then you better make her fall in love with you, again."

"How did I do it the first time?"

"You let her in."

This book is not as steamy as some of Abbi Glines more recent books. However, this book kicks it up a notch from the first two in the series. Nothing too wild, but not really what I was expecting for a YA? series.

Ceaseless felt rushed -- the book and just the ending of the series in general. And I wanted some more closure in different areas.

And even though I didn't like Leif in the last book. I didn't necessarily hate him. But this book, he REALLY bugged me. And it made me wonder if I even wanted to read his book at all.


OKAY, all of that being said. I still gave this book three stars for a couple of reasons.

First, the fact that Miranda found a good guy and soul mate. The way that this played out actually gave a lot of closure for Miranda.

And, of course, Dank Walker was still sexy and sweet as ever with many swoon-worthy moments.

“You're mine, Pagan Moore. You will always be mine.”

I didn't hate this book, by no means, but I was expecting more.

I would recommend this series as a whole to anyone who enjoys Glines writings (especially her cocky, alpha males) and paranormal romances. While Predestined was my favorite, Ceaseless did bring overall closure to the series.

Book Review of Predestined by Abbi Glines -- here.

 

 

 

 

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Follow Friday [8]: Resolutions

my First Follow Friday of the 20 FOURTEEN year, FTW. Sorry (but not really) about that -- I'm a bit hyper. And excited to be back with this awesome meme.

This meme is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read.

Resolutions: Put together your blogger resolution list for all of us to see!

I already put together a list of bookish resolutions for TTT, which you can see here. But that mostly focused on books. As far as blogging goes: This year it'd be great if I could blog at least two-three times a week. Improving my html/css skills would be an amazing accomplishments. But mostly, I just want to have fun and keep blogging low key.

I want to make this the year of catching up on sequels. The more series I can knock off of my TBR list, the happier I'll be.

This blog prefers bloglovin. But you if want to follow me, any which way will make happy. Find me via bloglovin, GFC, or linky.

 

You can also #followfriday me on twitter -- @BookBeats15

If you leave your FF link in the comments, I'll be sure to stop by and see your resolutions.

 

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TTT: Bookish Resolutions

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Here's to a great 2014, cozy reading corners, hot chocolate, being a better you, and putting a dent in the TBR list.

Read 100 books. I have challenged myself to read a 100 books this year. And if I complete it, it will be a new record for me.

Read two - three more books in the Outlander series. These books are super intimidating because of length, but at the same time keep you turning pages. I just finished Outlander, and cannot wait to see where Jamie and Claire's journey takes them.

 

Put the kindle down and pick up copies from my shelf. I have so many GREAT books waiting for me on my shelf, but the ease and convince of eBooks keeps getting in the way.

 

Become KA junkie. I hear she is the queen of Alpha males (my very favorite), and all my Goodreads friends rave about her books. I need -- must -- find out for myself. So, I want to start and finish her Rock Chick series.

Read the older books that I've one-clicked, but somehow managed to slip away to the dark corners of my kindle.





Don't shy away from the classics. I still need to read Pride and Prejudice.




Finish, or at least catch up with, the following series (most of which are YA):

Read Divergent before the movie. This goal isn't too hard, but I've yet to pick up this book. And I MUST read it before the movie comes out. Along with movies, I want to reread Mocking Jay this year.

Finish the HP series. I read most of them when I was young, but never finished.

Have fun. I don't want reading or blogging to stress me out to the point that I don't still enjoy it.




What made your list? Link up in the comments and I'll be sure to stop by.

 

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Book Review: Everblue by Brenda Pandos

 

Everblue (Mer Tales #1) by Brenda Pandos

3.5 Mermaid Stars

Summary

Twins, Fin and Tatchi, have never spent much time in the underwater merworld of Natatoria. Spending most of their time on land has given them a distaste for the ways and culture of Natatoria. But when their dad is called on by the King for a secret mission, Fin, Tatchi and their mom are forced to live in Natatoria till he returns.

When her best friend (and crush) leaves without even saying goodbye, Ash feels abandoned and slightly worried for her friends. But when an accident happens, bringing Fin back to help, Ash gets drawn into the secrets of the mermaid world.

Thoughts
This was my first mermaid book, and surprisingly enough, it was very well done. Even if the world building felt rushed or confusing at the start, the details of Natatoria eventually smoothed out to created an awesome underwater world. The POV jumps back and forth betwen Ash and Fin. The writing flowed well, keeping me captivated in both of their lives, and curious as to what what going to happen next.

It was also super cute and had a lot of moments that just made me smile:

“Don’t you be filling this boy with nonsense. I won’t have it in my house.”
“Oh quiet, woman! Let me talk—you stick to cookin’.”
“You better not speak to me like that! I’m not your mermaid!” I cringed, expecting a fight to erupt when a ruckus of laughter poured from both rooms. I wrinkled my forehead, unsure what was so funny.
Badger winked. “Get it? She’s not me ‘mer’ maid? What a sense of humor she’s got.”

It was nice to see a YA novel -- especially in the paranormal genre -- that have parents actually involved in life of their kids. Both Fin and Ash have both sets of their parents that love them. It was a nice change from the "norm" usually seen. And even though Ash's mom annoyed me at times, it was clear that she cared for Ash. And her dad:

“Would I like this boy?” I bit my lip to keep from smiling.
“Yeah. I think so. He’s nice.”
“So, I imagine you’ll need a dress.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“And I’ll need a gun.”

A romance built on years of previous friendship was nice. And even if I found them a little too young for the whole "you're my everything, and only" view point on romance, it built to that point and explained the "mermaid connection." And they were cute.

The plot builds slowly and separately, but ends with a boom and a few twists (One that I'm still a bit mad about). I enjoyed reading about Fin, Tatchi, and Ash -- and even though this is not a book that I'd normally pick up -- I'm gonna read the rest in this series. If you like paranormal YA, mermaids, or just looking for something different, give Everblue a try. (It's currently FREE on Amazon).

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2014: IN WITH THE NEW

2014 has arrived and so has a new me. Err -- at least, the new blogging me. Giving my blog a facelift was not on my New Year resolution list. But somehow it happened.


I'm not complain though. In with the new -- layout, name, style -- and out with the old. Hope you like the new as much as me.

Here's a quick run down of what's new here at Book Beats:

First, which you've probably noticed by now, is the name. One of my favorite quotes inspired the new name, "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies...". A book has the ability to transport the reader to another time, life, or place. Traveling is one of my favorite activities, but money doesn't always allow. However, with a flip of a page, any place or time becomes a possibilty. And so, From Here to There (with a flip of a page) was born.

The content will generally be the same -- book reviews, memes, random giveaways. But instead of focusing on only YA, I'll begin to branch out (which I already started doing in 2013). And I'll include other genres, such as adult fiction, romance, maybe even a classic, and a whole heck of a lot New Adult.

Along with the new name came a new layout. Cheers, to that!


Second, I have just recently been introduced to Feedly. And I LOVE it so far. I do most of my surfing (and blogging) from an iPad, and this app organizes everything to my liking. So I've added a Feedly button to the right of the page. I've not got all the bugs out of it yet, but the button should be up and working soon. Or if you don't want to wait, you can search for my blog under the add content button on Feedly.

Speaking of the sidebar, I realize that mine is still a little haphazard at the moment. I'm still working on that, and it should be up and running smoothly over the next few days.

That's the major things that I've changed so far in 2014. A few more should pop up around the site in a few days, along with working the problems out of the exsiting changes. And please, please, feel free to leave any critique, advice or tips on the new layout, design, etc.. I've had this blog for a while, but I'm still learning a lot, and could use any advice given.

Y'all are gems. Thanks for stopping and hope 2014 is the best year yet!

 

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End of Year Book Survey – 2013

***This survey was created by Perpetual Page Turner***

This seemed like a good way to reflect back through my reading year. I read 90 books this year, so many of these questions have more than one answer. I just couldn't narrow it down that far, but what book nerd can?

 

Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

New Adult -- Making Faces by Amy Harmon, Vain by Fisher Amelie, Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker, Back to You by Priscilla Glenn

Contemporary YA – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Historical Fiction – Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Paranormal — Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Fantasy — Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Sometimes It Lasts by Abbi Glines I love me some Cage York, but this book just didn't live up to my expectations.

 

Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

Back to You by Priscilla Glenn not only ripped out my heart and made me cry, but I never saw it coming. Amazing love story and one of my TOP favorites.

Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

I recommended Making Faces and The Fault in our Stars to my RLFs. And from the feedback I got, it was a success.

Best series you discovered in 2013?

Adult Romance Series -- I read the first in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward, and can't wait to meet the other brothers. The MC Sinners series by Bella Jewel had me sighing and drooling a whole lot! Those bikers are hot. I discovered this series this year and finished it this year.

Also, Ten Tiny Breaths has been an excellent series so far. Love Tucker's writing style.

Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Amy Harmon and KA Tucker

Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

The MC Sinners pushed a lot of my boundaries. Also, Find You in the Dark by A. Meredith Walters messed with my head SOO much.

Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

I lost MANY hours of sleep reading the McCabe Trilogy by Maya Banks. Like awake to 5AM -- missing sleep. I read all three insanely fast and love the McCabe brothers.

Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Back to You -- I want to know if I'll cry again. And I wouldn't mind re-reading The Fault in Our Stars before the movie.

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

 

Most memorable character in 2013?

Ian from Vain stole my heart. But I have to -- have to -- mention Bailey from Making Faces. I also really enjoyed being inside of Cain's head during Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker.

Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Daughter of Smoke and Bones blew me away. Such beautiful prose and craftmanship of the plot.

 

Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller was phenomenal. The power of forgiveness and family shines through. But I related to Vain a whole lot too -- her trip to Africa and falling in love with the country made my heart ache (in a good way).

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Can't believe it took me till 2013 to meet the green-eyed alien from Obsidian by JLA. My Initial thoughts and why it took me so long to read.

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

So many. But the writing in Daughter of Smoke of Bone is poetic and so romantic:

They stood like that for a long time and they were quiet but their blood and nerves and butterflies were not --- they were rampantly live, rushing and thrumming in a wild and perfect melody matched note for note.

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest– Existence by Abbi Glines -- 161 pages

Longest — Outlander -- 850 pages, but worth every mintue spent reading.

Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The "beating" moment in Outlander. Actually Outlander had a few WTF moments. Slave by Sherri Hayes really messed with my head, and I ranted my confusion over and over in my review.

 

Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc.)

Romance - (this one could on and on..) Eleanor & Park won me over; Augustus and Hazel from The Fault in our Stars -- gah, my heart; Dirty and Ellie from Unattainable by Madeline Sheehan are side characters and they have a dark yet beautiful story; Katsa and Po from Graceling; Hadley and Oliver in The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Friendship – Bailey and Fern in Making Faces; Will Grayson and Tiny Cooper in Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Family — all the Merrick brother moments in Secret by Brigid Kemmerer, the story of sisters Tess and Kristina in I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler really stuck with me

Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

I finished the VA series in 2013, but I started it in 2012. And Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead made me clutch the book to my chest in pure happiness at one point.

Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

I only picked up Making Faces because my friends on Goodreads kept raving about the amazing story. Thank you, Goodreads friends!

Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

It was the year of Romance and New Adult. And the year of bikers. Oh yes, easily, the year of bikers.

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Jamie from Outlander. Muff from the MC Sinners. The McCade brothers. Ian from Vain. Michael Delaney from Back to You.

Best 2013 debut you read?

--

Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Daughter of Smoke and Bones = incredible world building.

Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally was a lot of fun. A girl as the quarterback and the dash of romance won me over. Plus, I was reading the end of VA at the time too and this book held its own.

Also, Dare You To by Katie McGarry was a lot of fun becuse it was my first ever ARC from NetGalley. I was ecstatic.

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

Back to You made me ugly cry. The Fault in Our Stars and Making Faces also makes the tears list. Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken and a scene in Calmly, Carefully, Completely by Tammy Falkner, both jerked at my heart strings.

Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

Crow's Row by Julie Hockley has lot of great elements and not much hype. Also, Something Like Normal by Trish Doller is fabulous.

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Divergent is a must. Can't see the upcomming movie if I've not read the book.

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Deluge (River of Time #4) by Lisa Tawn Bergren -- I don't want this series to end! But, at the same time, I can't wait to get my hands on this book. I also read a teaser from Reaper's Legacy by Joanna Wylde and now I'm about to bust to see what's going to happen next.

2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Maybe not most, but it's late and this is what comes to mind: No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

Isla & the Happily Ever After -- seriously how long have we been waiting for this book? Not much longer now till we get to read the ending to this great series.

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

Read the next book in the Outlander series. They're huge books, and sequels to books I loved make me nervous anyway.

If you took the time to read all of that...just let me say THANK YOU and bless ya. I know it was long. Please link up your own post in the comments, and I'll be sure to stop by. Also, did you agree or match up on anything?

 

 

 

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