tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20622719542631673732024-03-12T22:07:38.604-07:00The Bookstore Intern ChroniclesOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-88843207802370639242016-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:002016-02-04T12:29:02.696-08:00UpdateHey you guys<br />
<br />
I know, it's been too long, and it brings me such joy and surprise that this blog still gets hits.<br />
<br />
I didn't have enough time or interest to write reviews, but now that I've been reading more, I can't stop myself.<br />
<br />
I feel like a different person than the original sophomore in high school who started this blog, now that I'm a freshman in college. So I'm keeping this for the memories, and I'm using my new blog (slightly under construction still) called "<a href="http://collegereads.blogspot.com/">CollegeReads</a>". I hope you check it out!<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-43966196439696432022014-12-05T08:46:00.001-08:002014-12-05T08:46:11.875-08:00Book Review: Girl OnlineNOTE: I got this book as an ARC the day it was published.<br />
<br />
As an avid internet fanatic, I am a huge fangirl of YouTube. Especially British vloggers. One of my favorites is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/zoella280390">Zoella</a> (Zoe Sugg), and she is a bubbly, beauty-focused vlogger who happened to write a book!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(I chose this gif because Doctor Who is British, not because he's shirtless psh no)</td></tr>
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The premise of <i>Girl Online</i> hooked me: a sixteen-year-old girl decides to blog anonymously about her life, from fun things like shopping excursions and hanging out with her friends to more serious things like dealing with heartache and panic attacks. As her blog gains popularity, she goes to New York with her parents and her best friend Elliot and meets Noah, a mysterious, amazing musician, who has a secret of his own.<br />
<br />
Disregarding my fangirl stance on Zoella, it was a really good book. I do have one bone to pick with it, but I'll list the things I liked first!<br />
<br />
*NO SPOILERS BECAUSE I FEEL BAD*<br />
<br />
One: I loved the characters. Penny, Noah, Elliot, and Tom, especially, were all fun to read, relatable, and had great dialogue. Especially Penny/Elliot and Noah/Penny. I, like everyone, fell in love with Noah because wow, that boy was fantastic.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SWOON</td></tr>
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Two: Like I said, the premise was intriguing and I was instantly captivated. The internet and how teenagers use it (especially near the end) is a really cool bit to add to novels, especially YA ones. And Sugg did a great job of integrating the blog posts and the actual story, keeping the voice authentic to both.<br />
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Three: Noah and Penny's romance was one of the most adorable ships of this year. Don't even try to tell me otherwise.<br />
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<br />
I was super sad by how quick the ending was untIL I SAW IT WAS A SEQUEL so I'm okay now. I can't wait for the sequel! And I hope you all check out this book, it was so much fun!<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-50175016422858697442014-11-28T12:51:00.002-08:002014-11-28T12:53:05.816-08:00ARC Review: The BooksellerNOTE: Guys, I read a book for adults dammit, I'm growing up.<br />
<br />
So today, I am reviewing the book <i>The Bookseller</i> by Cynthia Swanson, that comes out in March. It's about this woman Kitty, a single bookseller in 1962 Denver (REPRESENT) who starts having these vivid dreams that she's Katharyn, a married mother of three. As Katharyn's life becomes more real, she must decide which one is the real world and which one is imagined.<br />
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*NO SPOILERS AHEAD, OTHER THAN WHAT'S ON THE SUMMARY ON GOODREADS*<br />
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First off, this premise is without a doubt one of the coolest I've seen. Plus, it's a bookstore! Look at the name of this blog. Swanson did a great job crafting the story and drawing parallels between the two universes. I personally loved this part a lot because it was fun seeing the similarities and differences between the lives of Kitty and Katharyn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(get it? because they didn't have gifs back in the 60s)</td></tr>
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I also loved the almost/kinda two points of view. While Kitty and Katharyn are technically the same person, their lives are vastly different. It became very interesting to see how Kitty became Katharyn and Katharyn became Kitty. Confused?<br />
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Plus, the twist at the end. God, when I read it, I had to set the book down for a second (which was very hard because I refused to set this book down) and just <i>pause</i> because <i>wow</i>. Swanson did a great job writing this story because it makes so much sense in hindsight but when I read it, I was very much shocked.<br />
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<br />
I rate this book 134 bookstores out of 134 because this debut is just THAT good.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Owyn the InternOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-10563880982817728372014-08-31T19:42:00.000-07:002014-08-31T19:42:56.643-07:00Trilogy Review: Anna, Lola, IslaNOTE: I've been waiting a long time to review these :D<br />
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The three books I'm reviewing are by Stephanie Perkins and are technically companions to each other, rather than a series. The first is <i>Anna and the French Kiss, </i>then <i>Lola and the Boy Next Door</i>, then finally <i>Isla and the Happily Ever After</i>.<br />
<br />
So I keep myself organized, I'm going to first tell you about the series as a whole.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in every other aspect of my life but my blog</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>THE SERIES</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>The characters and dialogue, since these often go hand in hand. </i>Perkins delivers realistic, complex, dynamic characters that offer sparkling, hilarious dialogue. I was in awe the entire time I read it, and I've read each book multiple times. They just make me so happy and flail-y with their awesome character development.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>The plots</i> They're actually very simple (even beyond the who girl-meets-boy) but Perkins weaves these stories in such interesting and fascinating ways that they seem brand-new.<br />
<br />
<i>The romance</i> I think these books might have given me the worst relationship-envy I've ever gotten from a book that isn't Nora Roberts. THESE COUPLES ARE SO CUTE AND AMAZING AND DESERVE EACH OTHER LIKE GAH EMOTIONS.<br />
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Now individually.<br />
<br />
<i>Anna and the French Kiss</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
This one was probably the most dramatic and charming. Anna is such an awesome character and you instantly root for her, and St. Clair is just drool-worthy. Personally, I'm a sucker for guys with great hair but St. Clair just took that up a notch. I thought their romance was just sweet and the way they hit it off and stayed amazingly adorable just made me want more and more.<br />
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<i>Lola and the Boy Next Door</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Lola is probably the most interesting character of the trilogy. I totally envied her ability to wear whatever she wanted however she wanted. And Cricket was that kind of awkward adorable nerd that just warmed my heart. I think their plot line (no spoilers!) was realistic and sweet and also a great message, especially towards the end. Plus, it was awesome how Anna and St. Clair showed up. The fact they remain the ultimate power couple just reinforces every hope I had for this as a companion series.<br />
<br />
<i>Isla and the Happily Ever After</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
This one was the cutest, but at the same time heart-stoppingly realistic. It showed consequences and talked about mental disorders all while juggling one of the fluffiest beginnings to a romance I've seen. And it brought me so much emotions and cuteness. I read this on an airplane and I was awwing the whole time and I don't even want to know what the stewardesses thought of me. The only critique I have is that Anna/St. Clair and Lola/Cricket were not shown enough in the book. While I'll admit their appearance towards the end was very impacting, I'm greedy and I wanted more ;)<br />
<br />
But yes, 98 SOAPs out of 98. Perkins did a great job. Definitely read them, especially since the story is now complete. Which both breaks my heart and warms it.<br />
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me</div>
Farewell!<br />
<br />
Owyn<br />
<br />
PS Senior year is hard okay I'll try to post/read more though!Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-90210992406565055062014-07-31T17:28:00.000-07:002014-07-31T17:28:15.415-07:00ARC Review: HorrorstorNOTE: This book comes out in September, and also features a fancy double-dot thing on top of the third "o" that I don't know how to replicate on my computer.<br />
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Today, I am going to talk to you about a book called <i>Horrorstor</i> by Grady Hendrix. It is a haunted house story set in a store that is a lower-priced Ikea.<br />
<br />
So this book is unlike most things I read. I don't normally read horror books, because I find them too slow. The first 40-60% of the book is tension/build-up with too many descriptions and I honestly don't have the patience to deal with it.<br />
<br />
But this book is different.<br />
<br />
It's slightly humorous, and gives you more about character dialogue instead of pointless build-up in the beginning. The build up is actually there. In fact, with the way that it presents itself, I thought it was going to a satire on horror movies. Especially since it's set up like an Ikea catalog and starts with snappy dialogue.<br />
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And then I read it.<br />
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I was so terrified in the middle of reading it, I had to put it down and just pet my dog for a while.<br />
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<br />
But this book is also terrifyingly good. Allow me to list the ways.<br />
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*SPOILER FREE DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOU*<br />
<br />
<i>It's like real-life people got trapped in a horror movie</i>. Yes, there were the standard tropes, like the Badass Girl, Badass Boy, True Believer, Horny Bastard and the Innocent, but their dialogues and actions weren't over the top ridiculous. You rooted for the characters to survive and winced at their downfall because they were so true.<br />
<br />
<i>The horror aspect. </i>This book probably scared me more because I went into it thinking "oh this is a satire" but I was very, very wrong. It has the satirical aspects, but this book is straight-up horror. With intense action and cringe-worthy torture (physical and mental), I was instantly enthralled and frightened.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in the middle of reading it</td></tr>
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<i>It was clever as hell</i>. The dialogue, characters, plot, and what caused the horror were all really well done. I was so pleased that the time I wasn't mentally screaming in terror, I was mentally praising the book and Hendrix.<br />
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When this book comes out, definitely check it out! It's awesome. 99 Brookas out of 100.<br />
<br />
Until next time,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-71721127417654475982014-07-27T09:12:00.002-07:002014-07-27T09:12:49.057-07:00The Moaning IncidentNOTE: I realized that I've never actually chronicled my time as an intern, and therefore this blog title was very misleading. Too lazy to change it, I'm going to tell you a story that happened almost a year ago.<br />
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I won't be going into too much detail in this part, but there was an incident at my bookstore involving a adolescent boy. He tried to aggresively hit on a customer, but he got rejected and left the store crying.<br />
<br />
I read about this on our little news site, and of course I was a bit concerned, even though the situation was handled.<br />
<br />
But reading about that is probably why I was so freaked out about the...<br />
<br />
MOANING INCIDENT.<br />
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So I went downstairs into the basement of the store, going to work on replacing the recommended tags when all of a sudden I heard a soft moan.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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I didn't think anything of it at first, but then I heard it again.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And I froze. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As an awkward teenager (*cough cough* still am,) I did a "covert" turn around to try to find who was doing this.</div>
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<div>
It was a tall, older man. To be honest, he looked a bit homeless but he could've easily been a hipster. We get both of those around our store sometimes.</div>
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When I was looking at him (COVERTLY,) he did it again.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was <i>my</i> reaction, not him moaning btw</td></tr>
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Even though it was kind of under his breath and he didn't make any uncomfortable facial expressions at me or another customer, it still terrified me a bit.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Luckily, one of the business people I knew (who I shall name "May") was walking past at the same moment I couldn't find one of the books to put a rec tag for.</div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"May! May." I tried to have composure but I'm never composed. "Mind helping me find this book? I've been looking but can't." I make an "oh you" face at myself. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She nodded, "Sure. This section is always terribly shelved for some reason."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We both looked for the book, and I wanted to tell her so badly about the moaning man but he was less than two yards behind me and he would've heard me. So I kept waiting for her to acknowledge it, but she never did.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I wanted to do, to be honest</td></tr>
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<div>
After like two minutes, she just shrugged and said, "Sorry, Owyn. I can't find it. I'm sure (your boss) will understand." Then she had to leave to do businessy things.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I just nodded and tried not to cling to her legs sobbing so I wouldn't be alone.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I finished the rest of the rec tags as quickly as possible and then ran to my friend in the Used section, "Mia."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Hey what's up?" She greeted, spinning around on her swivel chair because she's cool.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Okay I'm kinda freaked out right now." I told her.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
She froze as well, "What happened?" She said, instantly concerned because I was essentially the baby of the store employees at 15 then 16-years-old. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I told her everything. And she went downstairs to check on it while I manned the Used section. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And by "manned the Used section," I mean "spun around in the swivel chair and waited for people to show up but no one did." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<div>
In a total reversal of my bad timing, right as Mia was about to tell me what she discovered about the Moaning Man, a customer came in with a lot of books and I had to head back up to my boss "Elaine" anyway.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When I walked the flights upstairs to the office I worked at, I explained to Elaine what happened and she was concerned too, even though I explained that I was fine.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We called Mia, and Mia said that she went downstairs to the section I told her, and waited for him to make the moaning noise. She said he did it a couple of times (while reading an architecture book for the record) and she approached him as a bookseller and said, "Is there anything I can help you with?" </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Apparently, he was totally polite and nice and said, "No thank you!" Before turning back to the book.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My boss and I shared a look, then Mia explained, "I think he might just breathe like that. I don't think those weird noises had any ill-intentions towards anyone." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After that phone call, my boss and I had a nice laugh about it and I went back to work. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I remembered this incident the other day, and I was like: "This needs to be a blog post." So hear it is. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yay!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hope you liked the story, and tell me if you want more!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Owyn the Intern</div>
Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-19041816628251451982014-07-18T07:57:00.002-07:002014-07-18T07:57:39.059-07:00Book Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?NOTE: It's been a while. Whoops.<br />
<br />
While traveling the East Coast looking for colleges, I spent my spare time <i>not</i> having an existential crisis reading memoir-ish books. One of them was <i>Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Concerns</i> by Mindy Kaling.<br />
<br />
Now I've never seen <i>The Office</i> or <i>The Mindy Project</i> but I just might have to now because WOW she is hilarious.<br />
<br />
This book had so many good things going for it, I'll just list the bigger ones for you.<br />
<br />
<i>Straight up hilarious. </i>If I could repeat this seven billion times, I would but that would bore you. Kaling just has this great diction/voice to her writing style that instantly endeared you to her. Her whole book is like a friend telling you something stupid they did and you're allowed to laugh while still remaining their friend.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMZAz5l7iyiO_s6gKc_ro_VeesEXmtpEf5DJ1gXzSjoiHMXLzZJlwr7LIwdUufcB6kj_0XVf02HUwyM_n_Cifw3PxK1DwdUbJ07qAo97BXo6zXilkKsZABB0WKex6AaweQtO0IqiDRFQ/s1600/jimmy+fallon+laughing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMZAz5l7iyiO_s6gKc_ro_VeesEXmtpEf5DJ1gXzSjoiHMXLzZJlwr7LIwdUufcB6kj_0XVf02HUwyM_n_Cifw3PxK1DwdUbJ07qAo97BXo6zXilkKsZABB0WKex6AaweQtO0IqiDRFQ/s1600/jimmy+fallon+laughing.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me the entire book</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Amazing interspersed pictures.</i> I, for some reason, hate little packets of pictures in the middle of biographies/memoirs, so when this book had pictures of Kaling's childhood and her Broadway life, and selfies from her Blackberry throughout, I was ecstatic. Plus, pictures always make better sense in context, so it's awesome the book does that.<br />
<br />
<i>Inspirational</i>. She details her rise to stardom, playing Ben Affleck and Kelly Kapoor and writing for <i>The Office</i> as the only woman writer on staff, along with essays about her childhood stories and friends in a hilarious and self-deprecating way. Truly inspiring.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/XxU2girlyxX/gifs/tumblr_lg9q1bU1031qcypet.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/XxU2girlyxX/gifs/tumblr_lg9q1bU1031qcypet.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But yes, definitely pick up a copy of this book and read it and laugh. The essays are charming and funny and cute and awesome so read them all and enjoy.<br />
<br />
Giving this book a 30/30! For teh lolz.<br />
<br />
Farewell!<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-24043494582239127012014-06-29T14:31:00.000-07:002014-06-29T14:31:59.519-07:00ARC Review: MagnoliaNOTE: This book comes out August 5th, 2014.<br />
<br />
I was just talking about <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/05/trends-in-ya-lit.html">How Much I Hate <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> Adaptations</a>, this review might seem a bit weird, so I'm prefacing this by saying "I do not mean <i>Magnolia</i> by Kristi Cook."<br />
<br />
So today, I am talking about <i>Magnolia</i> by Kristi Cook.<br />
<br />
This is a retelling of <i>Romeo and Juliet</i> where instead of there being feuding families and teens who love each other, the teens are feuding and the families love each other.<br />
<br />
THAT'S SUCH A FANTASTIC PLOT TO ME. AND THIS IS SAID BY SOMEONE WHO HATES <i>ROMEO AND JULIET</i>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1398235150/9388895.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://p.gr-assets.com/540x540/fit/hostedimages/1398235150/9388895.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My emotions, except for happy tears.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here are the main reasons why I love it:<br />
<br />
*KINDA SPOILERS SORRY*<br />
<br />
<i>It's such a good modernization</i>. I'm not actually sure what makes a "good" modernization, but Cook changed the names slightly (Juliet-Jemma, Romeo-Ryder, Capulet-Cafferty, Montague-Marsden,) she switched up the deaths, and made the dialogue modern. Plus, she gave homage to a very classic play with an awesome modern twist.<br />
<br />
<i>There was action and it was awesome</i>. The kind of tense, dramatic action that happens as the climax kept me on the edge and totally hooked. It was clear with great descriptions, so I could perfectly visualize it and almost feel I was there. It was so INTENSE YOU GUYS WOW.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://shechive.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/intense.gif?w=500&h=228" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://shechive.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/intense.gif?w=500&h=228" height="145" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>The Southern aspect</i>. This is more personal, but I was totally enamored with the Southern details, like the debutantes and the gun-shooting and the Southern hospitality because it was integrated so well without being all over the top.<br />
<br />
But yes, this book was really well-done, one of the best R+J modernizations I've seen. 55 guns out of 60. Definitely check it out in August!<br />
<br />
(Sorry I haven't been on much, I suck.)<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-34352231708026767362014-05-23T18:58:00.003-07:002014-05-23T19:01:35.988-07:00I WENT TO THE TFIOS PRE-SHOWING<div>
(This about the act of going to the pre-showing and a little of the movie itself, I will write a full Book vs. Movie on the <a href="http://boulderbookstore.blogspot.com/">Boulder Book Store's Blog.</a>)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Okay, I've expressed my <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/08/why-im-not-excited-for-tfios-movie.html">fears</a> and <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/09/reasons-why-i-am-excited-for-tfios-movie.html">hopes</a> about <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-fault-in-our-stars.html"><i>The</i> </a><i><a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-fault-in-our-stars.html">Fault in Our Stars</a> </i>on this blog many a time. And since I know some awesome people (Liesl, the children's buyer from the Bookstore, and Jill from Penguin Young Readers,) I got pre-showing tickets to the showing of <i>TFIOS</i> in Denver.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.13749700.7411/fc,220x200,baby_blue.u1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.13749700.7411/fc,220x200,baby_blue.u1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MY EMOTIONS WERE VERY MUCH HAYWIRE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
It was a school night the week before finals, but HELL YES I said yes because if I didn't I would be an idiot.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Taking my mom (who introduced me to the book,) my sister (because family,) and my friend from Teen Advisory Board, Zoe, we drove to Denver to see <i>TFIOS </i>TWO WEEKS-ISH EARLY.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhyphenhyphenPCvBf7ycdekI6yP57o-cwCY-zU4KqDdyTvlHd5HpaOD_nbvM7BJwQkQVx-GM_hBHYYbVx9zxvyfWuEQSjwNMhc6H7ME2YMQHc4418p4qOsdP4qL8WEvrn7pUsvsziKEI4LrKXpR7U/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhyphenhyphenPCvBf7ycdekI6yP57o-cwCY-zU4KqDdyTvlHd5HpaOD_nbvM7BJwQkQVx-GM_hBHYYbVx9zxvyfWuEQSjwNMhc6H7ME2YMQHc4418p4qOsdP4qL8WEvrn7pUsvsziKEI4LrKXpR7U/s1600/photo1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Zoe and I (before the show because after we were too busy crying to take a good #selfie)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The people were (understandably) paranoid about people filming the movie on their phones so we had to sign a waiver, get a ticket with a number, and then put our phones into plastic baggies, then leave them with a legitimate security. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://31.media.tumblr.com/c24c05288edc6386c6201d38fa15e566/tumblr_inline_n50v6cMdso1rt6qr4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/c24c05288edc6386c6201d38fa15e566/tumblr_inline_n50v6cMdso1rt6qr4.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My emotions before/during/after the movie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
In order to get into the theater, we had to get scanned like TSA with handheld detectors. Again, I understand the precautions but it was still so weird but still awesome I WAS SEEING THE FAULT IN OUR STARS TWO WEEKS EARLY EVERYTHING IS SUNSHINE AND RAINBOWS AND TEARS OF JOY BUT ALSO SADNESS BECAUSE TFIOS IS SAD.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><u>My thoughts on the movie itself</u></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
This is abridged, but I was so pleasantly surprised with how they handled the movie. Seriously, I was very scared because it's a movie adaptation of one of my favorite books and since when do those do well?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But they actually did a great job.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Like, all of us were so awed and pleased and crying throughout the movie.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was moving and sweet and heartbreaking and fantastic.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.elle.com/cm/elle/images/3r/Cryinggifs_01_1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.elle.com/cm/elle/images/3r/Cryinggifs_01_1.gif" height="148" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I chose this gif because it makes me laugh and cry. Just like the book.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
But I will say this, I hate the fact they cut a lot of stuff that I REALLY REALLY wanted to see. Like a lot of stuff with Isaac, and cute Hazel/Augustus moments. But I definitely understand that they had to cut stuff to make the movie commercial length, and what they left was awesome and told the story well and kept to the book. So I forgive them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If it were up to me, the movie would be seven hours long with extra stuff with Gus and Isaac and the parents and the college friend and everything and everyone ;) slash :D and also a little of :'(</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
BEFORE I FORGET LOOK AT THE THING ATTACHED TO OUR SEATS FOR THE RESERVATION I TOOK HOME BOTH OF THE SIGNS:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V5hvfFMR3VT5Aw5SkV3QTm8-FL3bHDJpwXx8Dz53fVtUDt_zbpzKVMjxWVhidxhl_vrIzwy8mniBqqE9GyNQYyt4zy4u7g6bU1q0dLua0DGJIu_6qGZ2zefpsOQGJVyWmHBt3Z9pLfU/s1600/photo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6V5hvfFMR3VT5Aw5SkV3QTm8-FL3bHDJpwXx8Dz53fVtUDt_zbpzKVMjxWVhidxhl_vrIzwy8mniBqqE9GyNQYyt4zy4u7g6bU1q0dLua0DGJIu_6qGZ2zefpsOQGJVyWmHBt3Z9pLfU/s1600/photo3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'M VIP!!! (and also apparently called "Liesl" but just ignore that part ;) )</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We all enjoyed the movie and the experience, and you all need to see my sister's snapchat about the heartbreaking aspects of the movie:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
I am so glad to have this opportunity, thanks to Jill and Liesl for giving it to me, I'm so grateful. Everyone needs to see this movie!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well... after they read the book ;)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sincerely, </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Owyn</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
P.S.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
THE DIRECTOR FAVORITED MY TWEET HE KNOWS I EXIST</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM6BYUqM-u3fv_L7OJ30WjI-NaMcMZe-3mE8op-SvnN1x7PPt77v5NhB7IhQLNLy373RpgbnW0XBCkZANc1VfL206uta1IJY893DgK72Y6RKUenyrm2TI3gZm1LGu5nMYAgNlGJZ6-S8/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM6BYUqM-u3fv_L7OJ30WjI-NaMcMZe-3mE8op-SvnN1x7PPt77v5NhB7IhQLNLy373RpgbnW0XBCkZANc1VfL206uta1IJY893DgK72Y6RKUenyrm2TI3gZm1LGu5nMYAgNlGJZ6-S8/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>EVIDENCE</b></i></u>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
IT WAS AN AWESOME BUT HEARTBREAKING-BECAUSE-THE-BOOK-AND-MOVIE-ARE-SAD DAY. </div>
</div>
Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-85394873738520693702014-05-13T14:52:00.000-07:002014-05-13T14:52:24.966-07:00Reader QuirksI've revealed to you guys my <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/11/bad-reader-habits.html">Bad Reader Habits</a> and my Readability Scale. Now I'm going to tell you my reader habits.<br />
<br />
What are reader habits, you ask? (okay you're probably not asking but I'm still going to explain) It's the things you do while you're reading.<br />
<br />
I know.<br />
<br />
Revolutionary.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://31.media.tumblr.com/a30572e21fa72fbd70b5a3207b05b564/tumblr_inline_n46d82EXND1qcxesa.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/a30572e21fa72fbd70b5a3207b05b564/tumblr_inline_n46d82EXND1qcxesa.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Maybe you sit in the same chair. Maybe you need complete quiet. Maybe you're upside down hanging from a chandelier and that's the only situation you can read. Maybe you like drinking tea while you read.<br />
<br />
I have couple different reader quirks myself. Allow me to share.<br />
<br />
Reader Quirk #1: I can read <i>anywhere</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I can read in a car, plane, airport, room, bed, sofa, school desk, etc. I can read outside, inside, on the beach, in the snow, in the dark (if my iPhone light is on, otherwise it's a pain.) I consider this a quirk because I have not met many people who can read in cars. People get carsick or headaches (my mom and sister are pretty bad offenders) and they always always ask me "how I do it" when they see me reading in moving vehicles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ72zIak7_mWUavp8BBOxsKC8ObF1HGyL2L62Sd30YCFxVkijLRDuF4AjLA3WA2iUIt2L3s7qTmupWyitzAnU5Ew44EKo4feKAvmiQF2xXIJMKQyPrT_bCMi_6mApTA0HWZ7nQu3I7q5I/s400/its-magic-shia-labeouf-gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ72zIak7_mWUavp8BBOxsKC8ObF1HGyL2L62Sd30YCFxVkijLRDuF4AjLA3WA2iUIt2L3s7qTmupWyitzAnU5Ew44EKo4feKAvmiQF2xXIJMKQyPrT_bCMi_6mApTA0HWZ7nQu3I7q5I/s400/its-magic-shia-labeouf-gif.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Reader Quirk #2: I will often react physically when a book is making me feel things.<br />
<br />
And I'm not talking about crying. I'm talking about shoving my face in between the pages I'm reading when something cute happens between love interests, shouting "GAH" whenever a character does something stupid, or throwing it somewhere when it's pissing me off. NO. NO.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cannonballread5.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/tumblr_mgi9ryyzxj1qekhbno7_r1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cannonballread5.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/tumblr_mgi9ryyzxj1qekhbno7_r1_250.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I *had* to use this gif</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Reader Quirk #3: If I find a passage interesting, I earmark the page.<br />
<br />
This is actually my favorite quirk because I love re-reading books so I can just jump around from bookmark to bookmark, looking at the parts of the book that either make me happy, emotional, or laugh out loud/mentally.<br />
<br />
Here are some examples:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGu4Pz0AddEFkC3EQUxkZJ-f-EKzc6BEgBLYeprCC4xwGBjcLY-K88siitgMTpqchGbqRVNMsENtMIXG-fba2CGbcqtVM9_bngU_7s7d9CLIjuiBWbUfi4zp_GUb0731AU11WXmduOyOk/s1600/photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGu4Pz0AddEFkC3EQUxkZJ-f-EKzc6BEgBLYeprCC4xwGBjcLY-K88siitgMTpqchGbqRVNMsENtMIXG-fba2CGbcqtVM9_bngU_7s7d9CLIjuiBWbUfi4zp_GUb0731AU11WXmduOyOk/s1600/photo1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My copy of *<a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/05/arc-review-art-of-lainey.html">The Art of Lainey</a>*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNclQGO724uVpRTXm5TrSa0azlLTHb2GzCZXknp1HK1xV1y-L2ajTcxcq-4iVXyU8Q5r8KwnfnSqoLwo-LxMR8z3X4qyZMgQfGvpCq6T3-9-2euAr0I4lHCtoKh6jQDelFdybfRAIk6I/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNclQGO724uVpRTXm5TrSa0azlLTHb2GzCZXknp1HK1xV1y-L2ajTcxcq-4iVXyU8Q5r8KwnfnSqoLwo-LxMR8z3X4qyZMgQfGvpCq6T3-9-2euAr0I4lHCtoKh6jQDelFdybfRAIk6I/s1600/photo1+(1).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My copy of *<a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/02/arc-review-to-all-boys-ive-loved-before.html">To All the Boys I've Loved Before</a>*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What quirks do you guys have? Leave them in the comments!<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-85032180409193414912014-05-10T15:08:00.001-07:002014-05-10T20:14:22.306-07:00NEW TO-READ LISTI have decided my Summer Resolution for myself is to read more classic/older books and recent/maybe older memoirs and maybe just some books geared towards adults because I'm almost 18.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I've realized I read a lot of teen stuff, and not that there's anything wrong with that, I just really want to check these out.<br />
<br />
I may not finish them (just because they're "classic" and "long revered" doesn't mean they necessarily please my personal tastes) but I will write a review for each book I read on this list. And still post reviews of the teen books I read.<br />
<br />
DISCLAIMER: This list might expand because BOOKS. And it's not in order.<br />
<br />
<b>Classic/Classic Enough Stuff: Will be referred to "Classic Stuff Reviews"</b><br />
<i>Catch-22</i> by Joseph Heller (1951)<br />
<i>The Country Girls Trilogy</i> by Edna O'Brien (1987)<br />
<i>Taming of the Shrew</i> by William Shakespeare (1590)<br />
<i>The Princess Bride </i>by William Goldman (1971)<br />
<i>Pride and Prejudice</i> by Jane Austen (1813)<br />
<i>The Heart is a Lonely Hunter</i> by Carson McCullers (1940)<br />
<i>Heartburn</i> by Nora Ephron (1983)<br />
<i>The Importance of Being Earnest</i> by Oscar Wilde (1893)<br />
<i>Thank You, Jeeves</i> by P.G. Wodehouse (1934)<br />
<i>Death of a Salesman</i> by Arthur Miller (1940)<br />
<i>Portrait of a Lady</i> by Henry James (1881)<br />
<br />
<b>Modern Adult Books: Henceforth known as "Adultish Book Reviews"</b><br />
<i>Wallflower at the Orgy</i> by Nora Ephron (2007)<br />
<i>Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe</i> by Jenny Colgan (2013)<br />
<i>When in Doubt, Add Butter</i> by Beth Harbison (2012)<br />
<i>Sweet Love</i> by Sarah Strohmeyer (2008)<br />
<i>Vanity Fare</i> by Megan Caldwell (2012)<br />
(more will definitely be added but I can't think of any more at the moment)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Memoirs of Young and Old: AKA "Memoir Review"</b><br />
<i>I Don't Care About Your Band</i> by Julie Klausner (2010)<br />
<i>I Feel Bad About My Neck</i> by Nora Ephron (2006)<br />
<i>My Misspent Youth</i> by Meghan Daum (2001)<br />
<i>Popular</i> by Maya Van Wagenen (2013)<br />
<i>Crazy Salad and Scribble Scribble</i> by Nora Ephron (2012)<br />
<i>I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections</i> by Nora Ephron (SHE'S MY IDOL) (2010)<br />
<i>Nickel and Dimed</i> by Barbara Ehrenreich (2002)<br />
<i>Let's Pretend This Never Happened</i> by Jenny Lawson (2012)<br />
<br />
Plus all the teen books I want to read.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<b><br /></b>Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-38110308157365917232014-05-10T13:21:00.002-07:002014-05-10T13:21:47.996-07:00ARC Review: Art of LaineyNOTE: I read this back during spring break but I was re-reading it and I almost forgot how awesome it was so I needed to share.<br />
<br />
<i>The Art of Lainey</i> is the tale of Lainey Mitchell, who decides to use Sun Tzu's <i>Art of War</i> to win back her ex Jason who dumped her in public. This plan includes being mysterious, stealth ops, and fake-dating her punk co-worker Micah.<br />
<br />
First off, this book is an AWESOME teen romance summer read. It has the elements of drama, sexual tension, and fun plot.<br />
<br />
*IN DETAIL BUT NOT SPOILERS*<br />
<br />
<i>The ROMANCE</i> I loved the romance in this book. And not just the sexual tension (but definitely that too,) I really enjoyed what the book had to say had about the topic of "all's fair in love and war." I loved Lainey's parents' relationship and how people need to take a break after long relationships and the fact they used a "Dead Chinese Warlord's" military strategies to win back your ex because that's just awesome.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<i>Fun but plot-filled</i>. Not all summer reads have to be devoid of all thought, and this one had great character development (especially for Lainey) but it wasn't those long, ceaseless books that ponder things and mull them over. There was action (romance action, not cars exploding) and drama and awesomeness.<br />
<br />
<i>Sexual tension</i>. I mentioned this earlier, but this deserves some more words on the subject. The dialogue that came into play with the tension between Micah/Lainey, Lainey/Jason, and Leo/Bianca was just so awesome and clever and every time there was a particularly good burn I mentally cheered because when done well (and this was DEFINITELY done well) I love sexual tension.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Definitely keep your eye out for this book this summer! It's fun, awesome, and hilarious! 49 Wars out of 51!<br />
<br />
Have a lovely day!<br />
<br />
Owyn<br />
<br />
<br />Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-35863399720101866712014-05-06T17:24:00.001-07:002014-05-09T19:36:55.880-07:00Trends in YA LitContinued title: And whether or not I'm a fan of them.<br />
<br />
Most kind of medias have trends that ebb and flow. Thankfully, some are good and stay a while (like empowering female leads,) and some are bad but eventually dissipate (paranormal romance THANK GOD WOW.) Here's a breakdown of trends I've been noticing and whether or not I approve (and why.)<br />
<br />
<i>Modernizations of Classic/Older Lit</i><br />
<i><br /></i><u>
Is this good?</u> Occasionally<br />
<br />
<u>Why?</u> Sometimes, re-doings of things have gotten to the point of cliche, like the billion <i>Romeo & Juliet</i> adaptations that are out there that make me want to bash my head in because IT'S NOT A LOVE STORY DAMMIT BUT THAT'S HOW THEY MARKET IT AND IT MAKES ME ANGRY, ALONG WITH STORIES ALONG THE SIMILAR VEIN.<br />
<br />
But, on the other hand, these can be good because re-doing things in new light can be AWESOME. Awesome-but-similar like Elizabeth Eulberg's <i>Prom and Prejudice </i>or a badass extension like Dorothy Paige's <i><a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/05/book-review-dorothy-must-die.html">Dorothy Must Die</a></i>. I think putting well-written modern twists on stories help keep the classic alive and well so I think some modernizations have merit.<br />
<br />
<i>LBTGQ Themes </i><br />
<i><br /></i><u>
Is this good</u>? YES<br />
<br />
<u>Why?</u> Teens are going through a lot of changes and discovering their sexuality. Books often offer different perspectives and solace for them. While I think it's awesome there are stories for those discovering/having problems with coming to term with their sexuality, there need to be more books about the relationships and them as people and not just gay people.<br />
<br />
<i>A Guy's Point of View</i><br />
<br />
<u>Is this good? </u>Definitely<br />
<br />
Why? I kind of feel like the majority of teen/YA/New Adult are written about and for girls, and not that that's wrong, I just think there needs to be a balance. I also think it's fun to read things with more POVs than I think I'd read normally. Plus, I haven't met enough boys who read and "girls are icky" so we need to work on expanding their demographic because they certainly aren't themselves.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn4.gurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/clueless-cher-picky-about-shoes1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn4.gurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/clueless-cher-picky-about-shoes1.gif" height="152" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boys *scoffs*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Sex</i><br />
<i><br /></i><u>
Is this good?</u> Depends...<br />
<br />
<u>Why?</u> I'm not really sure how to write this so I'm just going to say it: Showing consequences of unprotected sex and showing couples making mature decisions are great because sex is a BIG DEAL and I don't care what some movies/people/TV shows (initially) say and I think not addressing that is the bad part. But look at Judy Blume's <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-forever.html"><i>Forever...</i> </a>! It was published almost forty years ago, and I can't think of more than five books that handled sex as well as Blume did. So this trend needs to be improved, but I still think it's helpful.<br />
<br />
<i>Death of a loved one/Cancer/Memory Loss</i><br />
<i><br /></i><u>
Is this good?</u> I AM NOT EQUIPPED TO ANSWER<br />
<br />
<u>Why?</u> I don't think I'm in a position to actually judge whether this is good or not because I have not really lost a loved one, had cancer/had someone close to me get cancer, or experienced memory loss. I'm never really sure if the emotions are being accurately described and, personally, I feel a bit awkward that I can't relate as well as things I have gone through. But I also think it's a good to get new perspectives on things and I like to think that people can find solace in books, especially in ones that are relating to what they've been through, so I'm glad this trend is a thing.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Abuse/Rape/Sexual Assault</i><br />
<i><br /></i><u>
Is this good?</u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOT AS EQUIPPED TO ANSWER AS WELL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<u>Why?</u> I think if it's well-handled, then it needs to be out there because people are too afraid to discuss this topic and it's something that definitely needs to be discussed. Otherwise, when it's poorly written (cough cough <i>The boy who sneaks in my bedroom window</i>,) I genuinely think it's an insult to the people who have gone through it. They deserve the things representing what happened to them (not necessarily their exact transcript of what happened, mind you) to be well-done. Not poorly like the author wrote it in one go without consulting anyone and thinking everything's happy and awesome and flowers.</div>
<br />
<i>Travel</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<u>Is this good?</u> YES<br />
<br />
<u>Why?</u> I've noticed this in some ARCs I read over spring vacation, but books like <i>Royally Lost</i> and <i>Wish You Were Italian</i> are just two that I've noticed in the (hopefully) growing trend of teens travelling to different countries and the experience they gain. It's awesome because maybe people who can't travel can live vicariously and people who can travel can relate to those experiences and I just think it's an awesome way to tell the fabled "hero's journey" by having a literal journey.<br />
<br />
Plus, hot foreign people are always a bonus.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
If you have any you've noticed, feel free to leave them in the comments! Or list some examples of these that you'd like to recommend. You can never have too many books to read ;)<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Owyn<br />
<br />
<br />Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-84160226190012862332014-05-02T10:22:00.000-07:002014-05-02T10:22:26.499-07:00Book Review: Dorothy Must DieNOTE: I read this as an ARC but it was published on April 1st.<br />
<br />
<i>Dorothy Must Die</i> is the start of a trilogy by Danielle Paige. It's about Amy Gumm, a Kansas girl who is whisked away to a dystopian Oz and roped into a dangerous, mysterious plot to murder Dorothy, who's gone mad with magic and power.<br />
<br />
This book was <i>badass</i>. Allow me to explain:<br />
<br />
*WITH MINIMAL SPOILERS*<br />
<br />
<i>The characters</i>: With quirky names, traits, and back stories, the Ozians were fun companions to Amy's story. I really liked that everyone was flawed and "wicked" because, for a fantasy involving a girl being taken from the "real" world to a crumbling, famous one, they were fairly relatable. I really liked how I ended up feeling about the characters, like how I rooted for the witches, flying monkeys, and the munchkins...<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YOU GO, GUYS! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And rooting against Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Lion.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GO AWAY AND LOSE, DAMMIT</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>The realm:</i> <i>The Wizard of Oz</i> was one of my favorite stories and movies when I was younger, and I had the twisted pleasure of seeing it morph into something terrible that needed to be fix by a seemingly run-of-the-mill "trailer trash" girl. It's an awesome world to get sucked into, and the aesthetics of it are awesome.<br />
<br />
<i>The premise: </i>Everyone knows that there are no "original" ideas anymore, but we could at least have interesting twists on the old ones. I'm sick of the same reboots being done over and over and over. We should do more stuff like this. I think Paige did a great job taking the conventions of the original story and putting them in a fucked-up world with ideas and new conventions that our current world can offer.<br />
<br />
Fancy phrasing aside, this book made me feel badass reading and hopefully you'll feel that as well when you read it. *cough cough*<br />
<br />
9 Demented Dorothys out of 10. Yay!<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-29674419567122669722014-04-23T17:25:00.000-07:002014-04-23T17:25:51.005-07:00Book Review: Faking NormalNOTE: This is a review of a book that I read as an ARC.<br />
<br />
<i>Faking Normal</i> is a book by Courtney C. Stevens about Alexi Littrell, a girl who had a terrible thing happen to her over the summer and is having a tough time coping with it (in fact, scraping at her skin with her fingernails.) At the same time, Bodee Lennox, the odd boy who dyes his hair constantly, moves in after his own personal tragedy and they learn to cope with each other along with dealing with other dramas.<br />
<br />
I want to start with saying that I was just about to put this book down when the book picked up.<br />
<br />
Thirty-two pages in, and I was annoyed with the annoying friends and the fact she clawed at her skin made me uncomfortable and fidgety and I was just about to close the book.<br />
<br />
And I almost lost the opportunity to read a fantastic book.<br />
<br />
Because I got sucked in.<br />
<br />
This book is severe in themes, and tragic, but also addicting and hopeful.<br />
<br />
<i>Severe</i>: This book is about a girl who gets raped by someone she knows, because he's sad and she's there and he coerces her into it. It was well-written and well-handled, but also severe because it entails lots of other things. Especially like what it does to her family and friends when/if they find out. Plus, there's murder and abuse and difficult relationships that were all intricate and amazing to read.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y180/Orochimari/REACTION%20GIFS/tumblr_m3l0c3dR5B1qd6qvo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y180/Orochimari/REACTION%20GIFS/tumblr_m3l0c3dR5B1qd6qvo.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My feelings while reading</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Tragic: </i>This is a story about rape. And, from what I've seen in news stories, it's accurate in how people handle it. And how people approach it. Fair warning to all if this is a triggering subject for you.<br />
<br />
<i>Addicting</i>: As soon as I got to the part Bodee moves in, this book took off. It was fast-paced and had good dialogue and interesting characters and plots. I couldn't stand to put it down.<br />
<br />
<i>Hopeful</i>: I don't want to spoil, but the ending. The ending, man. Wow.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://31.media.tumblr.com/efc5e0033040a8514650a200e56975a7/tumblr_inline_n1w8iwlNaA1rhignx.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/efc5e0033040a8514650a200e56975a7/tumblr_inline_n1w8iwlNaA1rhignx.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HOPEFUL AND AWW AND YES</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you're interested in a heavy read, then I definitely recommend this book. It was amazing. Check it out.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-10049449539935534732014-04-23T16:36:00.001-07:002014-04-23T16:36:38.864-07:00QUICK UPDATEI changed my twitter handle from @AGirlNamedOwyn to @OwynWriter.<br />
<br />
You should follow me.<br />
<br />
Thank you,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-28011528593079379402014-04-23T16:25:00.000-07:002014-04-23T16:26:53.912-07:00Book Review: Love Letters to the DeadNOTE: I read this as an ARC but it was published on April 1st.<br />
<br />
The book <i>Love Letters to the Dead </i>by Ava Dellaira is about the young teenager Laurel, who chronicles her freshman year of high school through letters to famous celebrities, ranging from Kurt Cobain to Amelia Earhart.<br />
<br />
*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD SORRY*<br />
<br />
This book is...<br />
<br />
Wow.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGH6oTcz4sn29Q76Ley0W3O-ZPFduR6cEhw6_RGLpXy1ixQwuorYVzGcuArSTsqonhrgmo-F75KJROvAdq3Wm58uhreSNUq2AcI4Ss-l8HaccAxymH-JouGKWOmR5O8Jv4RS-eMF5aAk/s1600/moriarty+can't+handle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGH6oTcz4sn29Q76Ley0W3O-ZPFduR6cEhw6_RGLpXy1ixQwuorYVzGcuArSTsqonhrgmo-F75KJROvAdq3Wm58uhreSNUq2AcI4Ss-l8HaccAxymH-JouGKWOmR5O8Jv4RS-eMF5aAk/s1600/moriarty+can't+handle.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moriarty can't handle the WOWness of this book</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's intense, and written with beautiful diction that you don't normally find geared toward the 12-18 demographic. And I appreciated that. Laurel used astounding comparisons and descriptions that made the book fun to picture.<br />
<br />
Back to the intense thing, this book isn't for the faint. There are some very triggering things, like drug use, abuse, sexual assault, and death of a loved one. I don't say these to spoil, I just know some things can be harsh to read and I think it's fair to warn.<br />
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Plus, one of the things Dellaira did well was juggle all the story lines. Like Laurel coming to terms with what happened to her, and falling for the cute "bad" boy, and her new friends' romantic lives and drama, and her parents' inability to be truly there for her after her sister died, and the mystery of what happened on the night her sister died.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDVlILnuktKjrhY9eib63gz8TGxF3IiV7kdVCo4ioCtOCjfU72m_2T7BQ7hroSAA2HTxoM1CLOz-T-sDIrwJsPfQy5cbEYpquM2HRA0cZuZnQLIENyQtnifFwTQha8giMN-CrzmLZYhM/s1600/too+much+pain.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDVlILnuktKjrhY9eib63gz8TGxF3IiV7kdVCo4ioCtOCjfU72m_2T7BQ7hroSAA2HTxoM1CLOz-T-sDIrwJsPfQy5cbEYpquM2HRA0cZuZnQLIENyQtnifFwTQha8giMN-CrzmLZYhM/s1600/too+much+pain.gif" height="160" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I couldn't, but Dellaira definitely could, damn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It's a heartbreaking, beautiful, emotional read. I absolutely loved it. I hope everyone reads it. </div>
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488/490 Poems.</div>
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Farewell,</div>
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Owyn</div>
<br />Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-48596817957579378862014-04-05T17:31:00.000-07:002014-04-05T17:31:13.202-07:00Colorado Teen Lit Conference 2014!!NOTE: I switch tenses when I'm tired. <div>
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If there's ever a good reason to get up at 6 in the morning, the Colorado Teen Lit Conference is one of the best. </div>
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I walk in at 8 in the morning. Even though <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/04/colorado-teen-lit-conference.html">I've been here before</a>, I still manage to get a bit lost.</div>
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Luckily, there are little pink feet taped around the floor so I was able to find registration.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTR8_cc40cPOKFGvWEYbQlYAs0W_uFdP-N7_y3PV2BC1TFsfwu1lfhnqLidvP2FU-yuPHb0WJvf6RmebLW9IwlxmP4Ol0-KPbvdJZA0jSUt3lFp_A8txf8s6dE9L1ZPPeq9soDEYepew/s1600/photo7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTR8_cc40cPOKFGvWEYbQlYAs0W_uFdP-N7_y3PV2BC1TFsfwu1lfhnqLidvP2FU-yuPHb0WJvf6RmebLW9IwlxmP4Ol0-KPbvdJZA0jSUt3lFp_A8txf8s6dE9L1ZPPeq9soDEYepew/s1600/photo7.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">follow the pink-taped-foot road</td></tr>
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<div>
I go outside the main hall and see Maggie, one of the heads of the CTLC who helped me do a lot of awesome stuff last year. Since I had such a great time last year, I was very excited.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqux4-AR9xGnG6CVvsORzzZB7mr1EFwS2r1KccOff2HReqUEbzpbBYCUjegjDdxd6WjAvZw7ePLYBZfp1pktQ5tcN15hI2nAZgK512PhhCnEm-WcACVY7m_Iw_kgUg1qemNvYWKiTAR8Y/s1600/photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqux4-AR9xGnG6CVvsORzzZB7mr1EFwS2r1KccOff2HReqUEbzpbBYCUjegjDdxd6WjAvZw7ePLYBZfp1pktQ5tcN15hI2nAZgK512PhhCnEm-WcACVY7m_Iw_kgUg1qemNvYWKiTAR8Y/s1600/photo2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how excited</td></tr>
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<div>
As you know from last year (and if you don't, check out <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/04/colorado-teen-lit-conference.html">this blog post</a>,) I was a kinda-participant of last's years podcast interviews through the <a href="http://teens.denverlibrary.org/">Denver Public Library</a> with the authors last year, Lauren Oliver and Jay Asher. I also got to be on the Teen Connections Panel and ask those two lovely authors questions in front of a crowd. </div>
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Since you can't be on the panel twice, I knew I wasn't doing that this year. </div>
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OR SO I THOUGHT.</div>
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But then Maggie offered me to sit in on the interviews with <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-ask-passengers.html">A.S. King</a> and <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/10/book-review-boy-meets-boy.html">David Levithan</a>.</div>
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Of course I said HELL YEAH.</div>
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So after checking in (my name not being spelled "Owen" made my day much more awesome,) I meet Amy, a Denver Public Library librarian in charge of the podcast. I find out I need to be there for the interviews between 10-12, which means I miss the first two sessions out of three but SINCE I GET TO MEET DAVID LEVITHAN AND A.S. KING I THINK I'M OKAY. Plus, if the contest winners who actually get to interview say it's alright, I get to ask them a question.</div>
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I find my friend Jake and his friends from the Boulder Public Library Teen Advisory Board.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_tEnrxzg733kfiAHmHDSbzMrvcZ9Iy_CR7z57uTPuJ8FQPa7US8AErENjiqY_HnIXpwStyj3kr7gsL8D5r7HG6kTTom7-ejz7mFJhtxvPwYhrn3Ed2rU2NKbZh5ZjTvUfK55bacdbLQ/s1600/photo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_tEnrxzg733kfiAHmHDSbzMrvcZ9Iy_CR7z57uTPuJ8FQPa7US8AErENjiqY_HnIXpwStyj3kr7gsL8D5r7HG6kTTom7-ejz7mFJhtxvPwYhrn3Ed2rU2NKbZh5ZjTvUfK55bacdbLQ/s1600/photo4.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake is awesome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also meet both Will Graysons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvsyrPQCpDpgNNZSgAsBziZZaS2-jSntTAcdc2olPZy6H_1gg86QA0jWDTyGm8udN-ZfjNXEY2KrW8yaPomQ8ZvH6udlbkowKmm3d8InqQM6ae91tvqs6ziufudMarvUNINpUXFfRHYU/s1600/photo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvsyrPQCpDpgNNZSgAsBziZZaS2-jSntTAcdc2olPZy6H_1gg86QA0jWDTyGm8udN-ZfjNXEY2KrW8yaPomQ8ZvH6udlbkowKmm3d8InqQM6ae91tvqs6ziufudMarvUNINpUXFfRHYU/s1600/photo3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Played by Sami</td></tr>
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I also get to talk to some of the librarians from my school and some teens from Monarch who are totally rad.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbKU66dWCPZGfLo29W_fHubkJESL6GRiouj-MGOhk4_crxU5211j6rbcIxmVSGEhjppS8CIA1uXI5cwGS6dnB4u_FfVgLQyMoWkJl5X8Od_QozHKdv-QazB9sD8jFLmZ3cF9p_7B-gnE/s1600/photo10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbKU66dWCPZGfLo29W_fHubkJESL6GRiouj-MGOhk4_crxU5211j6rbcIxmVSGEhjppS8CIA1uXI5cwGS6dnB4u_FfVgLQyMoWkJl5X8Od_QozHKdv-QazB9sD8jFLmZ3cF9p_7B-gnE/s1600/photo10.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignore the rivalry for the sake of books</td></tr>
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And then the morning keynote speech was done by A.S. King, who had an amazing oration with lessons, symbols, metaphors, and just a great story that was inspirational and genuine and honest and I love hearing it.<br />
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When that amazing speech ended, I got to go to the room where I had the interviews with A.S. King and David Levithan. I'm going to post that whole experience through Statement, so I'll link that when it's up. For now, enjoy the selfies I took with both the authors.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulnh80TPfzfS_7f481_lt-DpGf8EzghS9U7z8j5Umz8juf3cqMOEjPa7PGbpvbUzEyThlMKmQGCeKhTOUsgM-gjUIw9P5MT6I5r523PFwox-5D2SyMbP_qxVMFV3TSZfKzqwllM5ZrYg/s1600/photo2+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulnh80TPfzfS_7f481_lt-DpGf8EzghS9U7z8j5Umz8juf3cqMOEjPa7PGbpvbUzEyThlMKmQGCeKhTOUsgM-gjUIw9P5MT6I5r523PFwox-5D2SyMbP_qxVMFV3TSZfKzqwllM5ZrYg/s1600/photo2+(1).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with A.S. King</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lbv_v8bwluEpyeBALYC5TD-DaDYadgsF1vxjKVAy1Nb1BAKwemvD_d6DParzfgyLIR6rb4jwR8bG2nO5WPCk_0kXsGaa2zRyQ-CPkD7Yq2V9LI4qB-Y8lmbX-oPofyZf5-5BZCBL18E/s1600/photo5+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lbv_v8bwluEpyeBALYC5TD-DaDYadgsF1vxjKVAy1Nb1BAKwemvD_d6DParzfgyLIR6rb4jwR8bG2nO5WPCk_0kXsGaa2zRyQ-CPkD7Yq2V9LI4qB-Y8lmbX-oPofyZf5-5BZCBL18E/s1600/photo5+(1).jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with David Levithan</td></tr>
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Then we have lunch, and I eat with Jake, Sami, others from BTAB. We spend most of lunch eating food and candy and talking about sessions, book recs, tattoos, and why we can't stand classic literature (sue me.)</div>
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David Levithan, for his lunch keynote, read aloud from <i>Boy Meets Boy</i> and <i>Two Boys Kissing</i>. And it was such an awesome experience. Especially with <i>Boy Meets Boy</i>, which I love, it was so awesome to hear the author reading his words in a way that I had kinda always heard them along with the laughs of everyone in the crowd. Truly amazing. </div>
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Afterwards, I make my way over to room 320 for the Local Author Panel, where I got to see a discussion five lovely authors.</div>
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Alane Ferguson: A <i>freaking</i> ghost hunter! That's amazing. She was vibrant and intellectual and also scanned me to make sure I wasn't haunted.</div>
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Anastasia Zhivotov: She had so much to say about life and her book seems fascinating and dark. I wish her and her self-publishing endeavors the best of luck.</div>
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Rebekah Crane: She told an awesome story where she inspired an urban criminal to get passionate about a Charles Dickens novel.</div>
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Barbara Wright: I thought her backstory for writing <i>Crow, </i>which is about a race riot she had never heard of and therefore wanted to write about it to correct her ignorance (paraphrased,) was intriguing and noble.</div>
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Rebecca Green Gasper: I find it very admirable to tackle dating abuse, especially when she told a story where most people didn't even know they were being abused at a conference about such a topic until she defined it.</div>
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It was fantastic, fun, dark, and interesting to sit in on, and I'm very excited for their books.</div>
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Then, the Teen Connections Panel starts.</div>
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So many hilarious things happened.</div>
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-A.S. King talked about her new book about an invisible helicopter and David Levithan "held" an invisible book.</div>
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-A.S. King's crazy roommate. </div>
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-David Levithan saying that the worst thing about co-authoring was splitting the profit</div>
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-Swearing</div>
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-Awesome David/Amy friendship</div>
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-Lots of amazing questions *cough cough including mine*</div>
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--Mine was about how they don't really plan characters, but do characters ever manifest from people they know and have people ever called them on it? Amy (A.S. King) said her relative is completely stubborn on the fact Vera Dietz is based on her, even though it isn't. David says no one ever has said that they're a character to his face.</div>
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That was such an fantastic and amazing experience and I can't wait for next year!</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Owyn</div>
Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-29861864683044334892014-03-30T07:34:00.000-07:002014-03-30T07:34:57.540-07:00ARC Review: Dear KillerNOTE: This is a review of an ARC that comes out in April.<br />
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The book <i>Dear Killer</i> is by Katherine Ewell and it's about Kit, a girl who has a part-time job as the most notorious serial killer in London.<br />
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When I say it like that, it kind of seems campy. But trust me, this book definitely isn't.<br />
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This book was intense. I finished reading it in February and I'm still not over how intense it was wow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mf4vi4zw441rxx2de.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mf4vi4zw441rxx2de.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me before/during/after reading <i>Dear Killer</i></td></tr>
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And it was good, in that wow-I-just-read-something-really-intense-and-life-is-weird-now.<br />
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Here are reasons why YOU (yes you) should read this book when it comes out.<br />
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<i>It has serial killers. </i>This probably just makes me seem really creepy/crazy but serial killers really fascinate me and Ewell did a great job of getting into that mindset and writing believable murders and motives and ways to kill people and it was just really fascinating to read.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i'm not crazee i sware</td></tr>
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<i>The moral dilemma aspect</i>. One of the themes of the book was moral nihilism and how Kit was taught by her serial killer mother to kill people without feeling bad about it. Kit, at first, is fine with killing people without emotion/guilt because she believes in the ideal that there are no such things as morals because of the way they very and she used that as her justification of murder. Plus, Kit as a serial killer was interesting and unique.<br />
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(I mean this in the nicest way possible) It made me feel very dirty while reading it because of all the talk of "Morals don't exist, let's kill people" was actually kinda plausible and intelligent in its debate.<br />
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<i>The plot</i>. This book was addicting and intense, and definitely not a beach read so read this when you feel like questioning everything.<br />
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But yes, this book was well-written and I hope you do check it out when it's published. 200 Serial Killers out of 203.<br />
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Farewell!<br />
<br />
Owyn<br />
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<br />Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-53294430264996435092014-03-08T16:07:00.000-08:002014-03-08T16:07:15.458-08:00ARC Review: Don't Call Me BabyNOTE: This is a review of a book comes out April 22nd, 2014.<br />
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The book <i>Don't Call Me Baby </i>by Gwendolyn Heasley is about Imogene, a girl who's been the focus of her mom's parenting blog since before she was born. Major moments of her life like her name, her first period, and other embarrassing moments have been documented on the blog "Mommylicious," with Imogene being "Babylicious." And Imogene's kind of done with this, and her mom won't listen, so she uses her new school assignment of starting a blog to fight back against this.<br />
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I really enjoyed reading this book. And here are the reasons why:<br />
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<i>The voice. </i>Imogene's voice is really well done. The character is confused and still trying to figure out who she is, but also knows what she wants, and you really sympathize with her situation even though you probably haven't been in it.<br />
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<i>The premise</i>. God, I'm still in such awe of the idea of this book and it was executed really well. And, Heasley did a great job of showing the pros and cons of having the blog, and how you shouldn't hold grudges and the whole story was just well executed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://24.media.tumblr.com/6cd52073e75e96ad7e12469a109c505c/tumblr_n23r2fRwDp1r4k0b8o1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://24.media.tumblr.com/6cd52073e75e96ad7e12469a109c505c/tumblr_n23r2fRwDp1r4k0b8o1_250.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How happy I am with the premise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>The Blog Posts</i>. Along with traditional first-person-POV of Imogene, the book also featured excerpts from Imogene's, Sage's, and Imogene's mom's blog. These were so much fun to read. I kinda wanted more but, honestly, the amount in there was good.<br />
<br />
<i>The romance</i>. THE ROMANCE WASN'T A HUGE THING DO YOU KNOW HOW HAPPY THAT MAKES ME! As much as I love romance, this book didn't stray from the fact that it should really be geared more towards good mother-daughter relationships and friendships and that made me so happy. It was like <i>Brave</i> with a blog.<br />
<br />
This book was awesome and amazingly fun to read, so I hope you all check it out when it's published.<br />
<br />
Rating: 13 Blogs out of 14 :D<br />
<br />
Thank you for reading!<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-39679726167420644422014-02-26T19:33:00.001-08:002014-02-26T19:33:40.452-08:00ARC Review: To All The Boys I've Loved BeforeA/N: This is a review of a book that comes out on April 22, 2014. I read and finished this book back in December, but decided it'd be too early to post a review, and I was recently re-reading it so I decided it was a good time now so here it is.<br />
<br />
<i>To All The Boys I've Loved Before</i> is a YA book by Jenny Han (name familiar? <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2013/12/trilogy-review-summer.html">I reviewed her Summer trilogy</a>) and it's about Lara Jean Song, a girl who writes love letters, but not in the strictest sense. She writes letters to boys that she was in love with and trying to get over. She pours her heart out, maybe even attacks them, and then they all get sent to their recipients.<br />
<br />
I really, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hell, I read it during math class. And here are the reasons why:<br />
<br />
<i>The characters</i>. I'd already known Han had a great talent for writing characters from her books <i>Shug</i> and the <i>Summer</i> trilogy, but this book just reinforced this. Lara Jean was an intricate, awkward, sweet, naive character with a fresh voice and dynamic relationships with Peter, Kitty, her father, Margot and Josh that were amazingly awesome to read.<br />
<br />
Plus, that dialogue the characters have with each other was fantastic and I loved reading it and was often like OH SNAP.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEXoRP4LFfrMxQ3FPSM9bJNLV5TSuHMPJhMHl_FboCSTs6G7ep9uxUmPNANsSUQgKnsUkdP9mNkb6Kw1w2kqrVfixRTqgs8eSbIRsNKcbWstrywnzRi2hCOdZlK4UwT2_USbN3RGJq4I/s1600/lily+and+marshall+snapping.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEXoRP4LFfrMxQ3FPSM9bJNLV5TSuHMPJhMHl_FboCSTs6G7ep9uxUmPNANsSUQgKnsUkdP9mNkb6Kw1w2kqrVfixRTqgs8eSbIRsNKcbWstrywnzRi2hCOdZlK4UwT2_USbN3RGJq4I/s1600/lily+and+marshall+snapping.gif" height="147" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>The drama</i>. Han writes teen-soap-opera level drama minus the bullshit. It's refreshing and addicting to read. I could barely put this book down, I read it on the bus, in between classes, during classes (shh don't tell my parents) and as soon as I got home.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRW0JApOiC3lXjyJKdx7ZWVfwzgKf0ONro0ISRy_9rDc_I33Pbms2A63EaSJR0U-uswLCDpYn9RdNGCNMiBPjWXdmkjCXqohOoTknbdILLPZL9c1D_Q6WkJYE2FeghfayFw-OdRQL6Nk/s1600/intrigued+GO+ON.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRW0JApOiC3lXjyJKdx7ZWVfwzgKf0ONro0ISRy_9rDc_I33Pbms2A63EaSJR0U-uswLCDpYn9RdNGCNMiBPjWXdmkjCXqohOoTknbdILLPZL9c1D_Q6WkJYE2FeghfayFw-OdRQL6Nk/s1600/intrigued+GO+ON.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>The relationships</i>. I already kinda mentioned this but it deserves a reiteration. The relationships in this book (whether they be between crushes, fake-boyfriend/girlfriends, friendships, parents, or sisters) were immensely fascinating and just so well-written.<br />
<br />
Read this book yes. 494 Christmas Cookies out of 495.<br />
<br />
Minus one for the fact that this is STANDALONE GOD DAMMIT.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOOK AT THIS SAD CAT. THIS IS HOW SAD I AM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The book is good read it when it comes out.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-88107930934108145642014-02-03T12:40:00.001-08:002014-02-03T12:40:50.540-08:00Book Review: Ask the PassengersNOTE: This is a review of a book by an author, A.S. King, I'm going to meet in April. Yay!<br />
<br />
<i>Ask the Passengers</i> is about Astrid Jones, a girl who lives in a small town, and about her struggle with her sexuality, family, friends, and relationships.<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed reading this book, I practically flew through it because I was really invested in Astrid's story.<br />
<br />
Here are the more in-depth reasons for why I enjoyed the book so much.<br />
<br />
*SLIGHT SPOILERS KINDA*<br />
<br />
<i>The premise and writing story</i>. It's hard to explain but I loved the book's idea and the way it was executed. King did a great job of writing this, and<br />
<br />
<i>The passengers' stories</i>- Interspersed throughout the book, there are these little excerpts from the lives of people flying in planes over Astrid's town. She'd "send them love" and ask questions about love and life. And they would have parallels to some of the passengers' problems. These little clips were probably my favorite part of the book. They were so interesting, the voices, the mini-plots, everything was just so well done. Plus they were so cute and emotional and AWW<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TzF77HSkYCrWWeEjd8ntJEVkn2zTp4CSVK56_VY30PF_q9GkQ_yg3kJByqN8Ev32T9_IAZXUvZSPYny-EjuvrqG8oDRxtGIsnkRjLkJ9sRAc4niJ8iBU-uLYhPCQZL1cT6raJ-cd2t4/s1600/i'm+an+emotionally+compromised+teen+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TzF77HSkYCrWWeEjd8ntJEVkn2zTp4CSVK56_VY30PF_q9GkQ_yg3kJByqN8Ev32T9_IAZXUvZSPYny-EjuvrqG8oDRxtGIsnkRjLkJ9sRAc4niJ8iBU-uLYhPCQZL1cT6raJ-cd2t4/s1600/i'm+an+emotionally+compromised+teen+girl.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>The LBGT aspect: Writing Gay People</i>- This book is about a girl falling for a girl, and I think it told a beautiful story. Plus, in some stories out there portray the gay characters as stereotypes, but they were <i>people</i> in this book. They were assholes, amazing, and human. Plus, the stories were cute.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDwWgjBuPf0nZEByw5292rjULHPBMQS76m-d9YprAK49RmWQfKj08aXZysHtDcuIfzzyGf-R9RONFh1hKJ6N5ipP6Qih_Q6grVCSoGwPPn_Y40uRaWson8C0Z5z5l_VZkH5lgazdYN6Q/s1600/gay+love+can+pierce+through+the+veil+of+death+and+save+the+day.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDwWgjBuPf0nZEByw5292rjULHPBMQS76m-d9YprAK49RmWQfKj08aXZysHtDcuIfzzyGf-R9RONFh1hKJ6N5ipP6Qih_Q6grVCSoGwPPn_Y40uRaWson8C0Z5z5l_VZkH5lgazdYN6Q/s1600/gay+love+can+pierce+through+the+veil+of+death+and+save+the+day.gif" height="181" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>The LBGT aspect: Coming out</i>- I'm not gay, and I've never had to come out to anyone, but I feel like this book did a great job of highlighting the struggles, like family and friend and school reactions that you have to put up with. There's a great speech on page 203 that I loved about sexuality, along with the frustrating reactions from her family.<br />
<br />
<i>Magical Realism- </i>You don't understand how much I love magical realism, I haven't read much but I really respect the genre. King did a great job of putting the hints of the magical realism without hitting you over the head with it.<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed this book. 150/154 Shrimp Veins<br />
<br />
Read it.<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Owyn the Intern <br />
<br />
BLOGGER'S NOTE: Wow, my last post was December I am going to upload more, I'm sorry I haven't been.Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-14927561147417134662013-12-30T12:31:00.001-08:002013-12-30T12:31:19.634-08:003 Fictional Schools I Would Love To Go ToSchool is boring. You know what it needs? THE MAGIC OF THE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MAGIC</td></tr>
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*IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER*</div>
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Hogwarts from <i>Harry Potter</i></div>
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If Hogwarts isn't on your list for this kind of thing then you're lying to yourself. Who hasn't taken a Which-House-are-you-in test (I'm Ravenclaw BTW) or just wanted to have magic? I would love to have magic. And Hogwarts is just beautiful and I like the riddles and the paintings that move. Screw education there I would just stare at the building the whole time and it'd be FANTASTIC.</div>
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Castle Heights High School from Robin Palmer's books</div>
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It's a fairy tale high school! Fairy. Tale. High. School. "And all your dreams will come true." Wouldn't that be fantastic? A school filled with magical tales and Prince Charmings and happy endings? ENROLL ME. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4dnFB-3v69qRzWvpr96YXViGGI1v1yRDGLitc5sfTQZzGhZw0Fugj80Itzfwk89i5ZnAINUzeKczg82G-W59BFYUH4g_i4EsHatWel-ZB128vbknXVDsvoyQmQxiBb8ks_eRL_fk5Pw/s1600/the+oc+dancing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4dnFB-3v69qRzWvpr96YXViGGI1v1yRDGLitc5sfTQZzGhZw0Fugj80Itzfwk89i5ZnAINUzeKczg82G-W59BFYUH4g_i4EsHatWel-ZB128vbknXVDsvoyQmQxiBb8ks_eRL_fk5Pw/s1600/the+oc+dancing.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me if I got accepted to Castle Heights</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality from <i>Finishing School.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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It's always been a struggle for me to kill people with elegance and grace, so I think that I would really benefit from attending this Academy. Plus, it <i>floats</i>. It's a dirigible in the sky that teaches me how to fancily kill people. What's not to like?</div>
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<br /></div>
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But yes. Why can't those schools exist in real life??</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVLeP87U84TCN7_2DHTh9_S5ke1EOfVSLgt2DFk5kaJKNGgiudHBxaY6UFhWmdJiv3p2BoBhytOmao6sun1YTBor2dAPbDbv5cETEnbzxRlNaiR8vyif8YWDBMGKo8FCfzlG4jyatndo/s1600/hysterical+crying+giraffe.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVLeP87U84TCN7_2DHTh9_S5ke1EOfVSLgt2DFk5kaJKNGgiudHBxaY6UFhWmdJiv3p2BoBhytOmao6sun1YTBor2dAPbDbv5cETEnbzxRlNaiR8vyif8YWDBMGKo8FCfzlG4jyatndo/s1600/hysterical+crying+giraffe.gif" /></a></div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Owyn the Intern</div>
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POST SCRIPT</div>
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I have never killed anyone. I was being sarcastic above. Not about going to the school. I still want to go to the school.</div>
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Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-82925662900393128972013-12-23T19:41:00.002-08:002013-12-23T19:41:27.905-08:00ARC Review: What I Thought Was TrueNOTE: This is a review of an ARC that is due to be published in April of next year. Whooo!<br />
<br />
Damn, Huntley Fitzpatrick is back with <a href="http://thebookstoreinternchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/11/book-review-my-life-next-door.html">another awesome summer romance</a> because her new book <i>What I Thought Was True</i> was more than I could have ever hoped for.<br />
<br />
This book is about Gwen Castle, a poorer girl in a working class family, worries about her future and her relationships with her family, friends, and the rich boy Cassidy Somers over the course of her summer. (Better summary on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15832932-what-i-thought-was-true">Goodreads</a>)<br />
<br />
I liked this book a lot. I have a lot of reasons to think so, like it was amazingly well-written, it was hilarious, and it touched on important points so I SHALL EXPLAIN THEM TO YOU.<br />
<br />
*GONNA TRY NOT TO SPOILER BECAUSE THE BOOK WON'T BE OUT FOR A WHILE AND THAT IS NOT FAIR TO YOU PEOPLE*<br />
<br />
One of the main things I liked about the book is that the characters were so well-rounded. Some of them were great people who did great things, some of them were bad people that did bad things, some were good people who did bad and some were bad who did good. AND THAT'S SO INTERESTING. It made reading the book so <i>interesting</i> and it made the characters so human because you rooted for these dynamic characters even though they made mistakes. And, there were kind of flashbacks where Gwen looks back on what she did and it shows what she thinks now, and it was almost like two POVs and it was done very well.<br />
<br />
Plus, all the mistakes being made gave the book a certain cringe factor. But Fitzpatrick made the cringe factor good and fun.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59Dn764eIzB23TcO2oT5JG23wTOLt3559wbAqTiYaDe3ze26YWdbjUZCFca1tThlgFasAfS-XDDi9KXX1AeVm3vmRbY7nQ6IpdKkYKyOTnvP4aJk6-3zw4QTYSQ9i4giqt5aaT_pSoS0/s1600/charlieissocoollike+fangirling.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59Dn764eIzB23TcO2oT5JG23wTOLt3559wbAqTiYaDe3ze26YWdbjUZCFca1tThlgFasAfS-XDDi9KXX1AeVm3vmRbY7nQ6IpdKkYKyOTnvP4aJk6-3zw4QTYSQ9i4giqt5aaT_pSoS0/s1600/charlieissocoollike+fangirling.gif" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I visualize when I think of "cringe factor"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also like the fact that the book had a moral, without being annoying about it. I'd say the main question posed was "Do you speak up if you witness something bad, or do you shut up?" I think this is important because I consider myself very honest, but I've never had the consequences of honesty. And I think it's important to explore it. Fitzpatrick did a great job weighing the pros and cons, then showing the benefits or consequences of the actions.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSAuEif2RumAoDjKe08Y9JxLzffpOdEfAAn4JrILLgth1C7FkwgQtZ1LBCZB0YNTK1YgCzohfDf7CTe0rVPkNdcvTaiew2nKCyTXbOCm6ONI3eBlRxbqwJt-VTM5rCP7OVR8RuMcy9cU/s1600/cute+thing+clapping.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSAuEif2RumAoDjKe08Y9JxLzffpOdEfAAn4JrILLgth1C7FkwgQtZ1LBCZB0YNTK1YgCzohfDf7CTe0rVPkNdcvTaiew2nKCyTXbOCm6ONI3eBlRxbqwJt-VTM5rCP7OVR8RuMcy9cU/s1600/cute+thing+clapping.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This thing is pleased by how Fitzpatrick handled this. And so am I.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were other things I liked, but the last thing on this list was the romance. It's so hard to explain without revealing too much, but I <i>really really</i> liked and appreciated the romance in this book. It wasn't some silly romance novel (like the ones they happened to make fun of in this book,) there were mistakes and outside influence and sex was a thing but it wasn't a be-all-end-all thing. I loved it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPWFuGQkF_ngz5Bd3KDPLtGqFfqk_L7DSDeWjcpD02IXm7wAbCFMmVdSImhb4YAFRuvr4jAg8cNWVNQWjdxedELlXfQjwHm-CAUY8lNmN98jcrGNaLRalxxAcm1AYU7LmoYhGqHDpfEM/s1600/wayne+brady+whoop.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPWFuGQkF_ngz5Bd3KDPLtGqFfqk_L7DSDeWjcpD02IXm7wAbCFMmVdSImhb4YAFRuvr4jAg8cNWVNQWjdxedELlXfQjwHm-CAUY8lNmN98jcrGNaLRalxxAcm1AYU7LmoYhGqHDpfEM/s1600/wayne+brady+whoop.gif" height="148" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAPPY DANCE IT OUT</td></tr>
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Yeah this book is awesome. Definitely buy it when it comes out. 88 out of 89 Starfish. Because I said so ;)<br />
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Farewell!<br />
<br />
OwynOwynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2062271954263167373.post-16425630782139490222013-12-08T19:51:00.003-08:002013-12-08T19:51:46.979-08:00Trilogy Review: "Summer"NOTE: This is a review of a trilogy I re-read over the summer, and originally read like 3 years ago or something but I figured this series deserved a blog post.<br />
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So this is a review of the "<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/52015-summer">Summer</a>" trilogy by Jenny Han, and the books include <i>The Summer I Turned Pretty</i>, <i>It's Not Summer Without You</i>, and <i>We'll Always Have Summer</i>.<br />
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Now my feelings vary on each book, so I'm just going to divide the review into the three parts. But I'm going to start with the overall praise.<br />
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Han. Can. <i>Write</i>. She captured this voice so elegantly, of this girl with a long-time crush on a family friend while struggling with death, adolescence and puberty. While, as an author and a book reviewer, I liked the story... my fangirl side struggled with it.<br />
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*PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR SPOILERS AND ALL-CAPS EMOTIONS*<br />
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<i>The Summer I Turned Pretty</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
This one is definitely my favorite. Han wove this story really well, and I was instantly enrapt with the characters and felt for them. I wanted Susannah to live, I wanted Belly to date Jeremiah because I considered him better for her, and I just wanted everything to work out for the characters. You know when books do that and you just care for the characters so much you just want everything to be okay for them? I definitely felt that in the is book. Plus, she did this great thing where she wrote it in the present but then interspersed flashbacks during the different times she lived in the house. I found them really fun to read because it provided such amazing context to the people in the book. I loved it.<br />
<br />
350 Jingle Bells out of 355.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix51fULsV3UowTQ9EXpHYYnZ2lk1g6PCXmqMwh9ns0CNQ7F0GnvnXpPnsvdB5r2KcH25f4NYK-m6rnbNjtoY5qRDV4_IDaGHxnkIt8J3GDZsuBHbGSYONiDAWU2MfcInKfxpIL8qS-2Rc/s1600/ashton+attacked+with+feels.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix51fULsV3UowTQ9EXpHYYnZ2lk1g6PCXmqMwh9ns0CNQ7F0GnvnXpPnsvdB5r2KcH25f4NYK-m6rnbNjtoY5qRDV4_IDaGHxnkIt8J3GDZsuBHbGSYONiDAWU2MfcInKfxpIL8qS-2Rc/s1600/ashton+attacked+with+feels.gif" height="138" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This book attacking me with its emotion-causing things</td></tr>
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<i>It's Not Summer Without You</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I'm going to be completely honest, I didn't exactly like this one as much as the first one. But I did still enjoy it. There was sexual tension and drama and angst and I think Han did a great job again writing it. <i>And</i> it had smatterings of another POV, and that POV happened to be Jeremiah's, which made me very happy. I was really happy when Belly started dating him instead of Conrad. Because Conrad was annoying. I may be the only one, but I was totally fed up with Conrad's bullshit. And I really wanted her to be with Jeremiah... but I'll get to that... I will say, I liked the book a lot.<br />
<br />
340 Jingle Bells out of 355<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAmSENYBA18FoxLjJRDghCOqtNTNZi49DlZxvYDdjzfBiCymfMsaXMI18EC9p2gAGk_Tyx9aqg2sOyVHcnl7-lGi-n8SS79GWrlVN-ZRQvZWxSzbhQ-SbveHTi0zUqy5wM08-ZRdgBjw/s1600/tobuscus+now+I'm+annoyed.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAmSENYBA18FoxLjJRDghCOqtNTNZi49DlZxvYDdjzfBiCymfMsaXMI18EC9p2gAGk_Tyx9aqg2sOyVHcnl7-lGi-n8SS79GWrlVN-ZRQvZWxSzbhQ-SbveHTi0zUqy5wM08-ZRdgBjw/s1600/tobuscus+now+I'm+annoyed.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Conrad</td></tr>
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<i>We'll Always Have Summer</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Okay this book bothered me. Not because it was poorly written or something like (just the opposite, but I'll get to that) but because of the ENDGAME SHIP. Endgame is the couple that "wins" in the end, and that couple happens to be Belly and Conrad. I never wanted them together. But at the same time, and this is why I find myself frustrated with the book, HAN MAKES JEREMIAH CHEAT ON BELLY. I automatically hate it when that happens and no longer ship the ship. So I really wish that hadn't happened. At the same time, I was really annoyed with the fact that Conrad refused to see Belly as a potential girlfriend until she started seeing other people because I find that pretentious. If I can be completely honest, I hoped that she ended up with someone completely different. But that wouldn't be as satisfying as her choosing between the love angle of the Fisher brothers so I AM VERY CONFLICTED AND CONFUSED ALSO NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED YET I DON'T HATE IT DAMMIT.<br />
320 out of 355<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_mK9MO5DEEVnsDM_Xyp8aYtSKNkq4qlH3D7M7AGDyvCTQMu0Mfsv0WaJuo7uAV7jWOf_663iFuhkXGHYSyFdvZD_oQsBnVWzCGZO5Z4771-xH3KVzA2D8rNJIv4ihgqoIRBuRgWhqL8/s1600/whale+cat+what.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_mK9MO5DEEVnsDM_Xyp8aYtSKNkq4qlH3D7M7AGDyvCTQMu0Mfsv0WaJuo7uAV7jWOf_663iFuhkXGHYSyFdvZD_oQsBnVWzCGZO5Z4771-xH3KVzA2D8rNJIv4ihgqoIRBuRgWhqL8/s1600/whale+cat+what.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accurately describes my emotions: Confused and Majestic ;)</td></tr>
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TL;DR I actually really recommend just reading the entire series in one sitting because it's really well-written and very realistic and tells a good story.<div>
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So yeah.</div>
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Have a lovely day!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Owyn</div>
Owynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03159831883807694362noreply@blogger.com0