tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24337434592950841802024-03-05T12:44:03.715+01:00Living My Adventure Filled LifeKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-53072123473925721622022-12-05T11:03:00.001+01:002022-12-05T11:03:57.988+01:00Book Review: Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmeLea6qylItIxY1vKkEW-6qQtA_4dAMkM3DvGl-xxSWdIzAO9j-TDKkdHr_HMZwAxXcI5CrTllxa9WpSJLDcx0CkdMZLcMklUI17WjZf0CA_qM3fcEGG7W2TT_XhXLc-i8nmGw3UqozP1P1T5pddvYvKeuCtxYWmiKmxflrquKItd2NHkye7zhdt/s475/57366942._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="301" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmeLea6qylItIxY1vKkEW-6qQtA_4dAMkM3DvGl-xxSWdIzAO9j-TDKkdHr_HMZwAxXcI5CrTllxa9WpSJLDcx0CkdMZLcMklUI17WjZf0CA_qM3fcEGG7W2TT_XhXLc-i8nmGw3UqozP1P1T5pddvYvKeuCtxYWmiKmxflrquKItd2NHkye7zhdt/w254-h400/57366942._SY475_.jpg" width="254"></a></div><br>Death Comes to Marlow is the sequal to The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, the creator of BBC serie <i>Death in Paradise.</i> The Marlow Murder Club follows Judith Potts, a 77-year old lady who lives in Marlow. She is enjoying her life, solving crosswords and swimming in the river. Not worrying about a thing, until one night she becomes the witness of a murder. Except, the police doesn't believe it's a murdercase. Judith will have to take matter into her own hands and starts solving the murder by herself. Along the way she meets two women, who become her friends and help her solve the murder. Together they are The Marlow Murder Club. <p></p><p>In Death Comes to Marlow we go back to Marlow and the ladies of the Marlow Murder Club. Life has been quiet in Marlow since last year's murder. But things are about to change when Judith gets invited to the party of Sir Peter Bailey, who is about to be married to his nurse. Everyone is having a fun time when suddenly they hear a crash and the body of the groom is found crushed under a havy cabinet. The door to the study was locked, which makes the police think it is an accident, but Judith believes otherwise.</p><span></span><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/12/book-review-death-comes-to-marlow-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-11538677909139319352022-11-29T09:42:00.001+01:002022-11-29T09:42:39.186+01:00Book Review: The Hiking Trip by Jenny Blackhurst<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIzb9w5T7HWWlOX_-lFIDFpxzlThkqMB8CAIgBnrZZ9R29AqZX_AmaQ7nnq3QlQPZpuxkPKsLP5bmzS-7dFIFKBSwicRo8abq_-wUFHr5PTV3rUilGEzTfYpwUzG0Jgs8X0ufqzD2Bb0Y86v6TKtsQBE7W3zj5XqebK6XhCUk-TY9xk_eVgcPFEnS/s475/62367110._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIzb9w5T7HWWlOX_-lFIDFpxzlThkqMB8CAIgBnrZZ9R29AqZX_AmaQ7nnq3QlQPZpuxkPKsLP5bmzS-7dFIFKBSwicRo8abq_-wUFHr5PTV3rUilGEzTfYpwUzG0Jgs8X0ufqzD2Bb0Y86v6TKtsQBE7W3zj5XqebK6XhCUk-TY9xk_eVgcPFEnS/w261-h400/62367110._SY475_.jpg" width="261"></a></div><br><p></p><p>This time I got to read the ARC of The Hiking Trip by Jenny Blackhurst. Blackhurst writes psychological thrillers, and she can call herself the author of books like How I Lost You and Before I Let You In.</p><p>Maisie leaves her home for the hiking trip of a lifetime. Left behind by her friend, she meets Sera and Ric, brother and sister. What should have been the best trip of her life turned into a terrible experience. </p><p>Twenty years later a women named Laura hears about human remains found in Canada about to be identified. If these remains are identified, her secret might come out and the life she build will get ruined.</p><span></span><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/11/book-review-hiking-trip-by-jenny.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-91282769943717832002022-11-24T09:42:00.002+01:002022-11-24T09:42:42.984+01:00Book Review: A Love to Last a Lifetime by Clare Swatman<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOipH5WQN_8CdhHTt3t1eloAqVwces4wZErAP10KvjATcBScoHjx6j3K9JmyicrdwqdZaxpTflZrwYf2uPgK0DuoKyMDoKhJ-rbnxik5xejMM0T4e3Zeq7nPtFIwWoWS7ZPc1-oLuEJZrt0NuR_fQkd7OmVWZorksfhP4ySDFcPccJhQ2vEKWhGE31/s475/62827988._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="310" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOipH5WQN_8CdhHTt3t1eloAqVwces4wZErAP10KvjATcBScoHjx6j3K9JmyicrdwqdZaxpTflZrwYf2uPgK0DuoKyMDoKhJ-rbnxik5xejMM0T4e3Zeq7nPtFIwWoWS7ZPc1-oLuEJZrt0NuR_fQkd7OmVWZorksfhP4ySDFcPccJhQ2vEKWhGE31/w261-h400/62827988._SY475_.jpg" width="261"></a></div><br> A Love to Last a Lifetime is the sixth novel by Clare Swatman, an author of novels and journalist of several different women's magazines. The book follows Erin, a music-therapy-therapist, who has been married to Greg for quite some years. They live their lives and struggle with each their own troubles, when suddenly Erin walks into Adam. Her university boyfriend, who she never really stopped loving. Now that he is back in their hometown, will she leave Greg for the love of her life, or will she stay faithfull to the man she married.<p></p><span></span><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/11/book-review-love-to-last-lifetime-by.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-73737541488429857422022-06-29T14:14:00.004+02:002022-06-29T14:14:46.008+02:00The Rose (Vol. 2) - P.D. Alleva<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLh1_CuhcSnEkfgQV6ddZ2x1RmjLewztG-n5PcAAiXDw3T4V7vvWKDrrQnaxErBjl-i0zWJgbipYxMWeSeQ5H725JIxgH4wpm-j5WmqUr-FW8snyFnGYy7OEcc3P5VdCo6D7hgaMtG9jh1WWgp1_u_tCpH5jB1OBJqQDBmwFJSoA_o168pv5ZnoT_S/s475/59664926._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLh1_CuhcSnEkfgQV6ddZ2x1RmjLewztG-n5PcAAiXDw3T4V7vvWKDrrQnaxErBjl-i0zWJgbipYxMWeSeQ5H725JIxgH4wpm-j5WmqUr-FW8snyFnGYy7OEcc3P5VdCo6D7hgaMtG9jh1WWgp1_u_tCpH5jB1OBJqQDBmwFJSoA_o168pv5ZnoT_S/w250-h400/59664926._SY475_.jpg" width="250"></a></div><br><i><br></i><p></p><p><i>The story continues. Beginning at the conclusion of Vol 1, The Rose Vol 2 follows rebel freedom fighter, Phil as he battles alien vampire Sanos. Phil's mission is to follow Sanos into the depths of hollow earth to infiltrate Drac City and rescue sandy from the clutches of the alien vampires.</i></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/06/the-rose-vol-2-pd-alleva.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-63505552509221404112022-06-29T13:53:00.002+02:002022-06-29T13:59:03.953+02:00The Storyteller's Death - Ann Dávila Cardinal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvOTmEOdY0cifA_HDON4MshnTDUYb8IWLSjY1o4LgyiaGXMbZkhTueLCI4Oarc_N2S-Kwr69121pPj42bo42-_tooZ0MBgNkJ2lNjLlhRrWWIJtPyQoH5SKrnf6O7kg5MJFho-gDMCkRzkm1fYtPcTpw-QUdBMy7-bLgHdbzP00xIG61KNWgBNHxQ/s475/57695734._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvOTmEOdY0cifA_HDON4MshnTDUYb8IWLSjY1o4LgyiaGXMbZkhTueLCI4Oarc_N2S-Kwr69121pPj42bo42-_tooZ0MBgNkJ2lNjLlhRrWWIJtPyQoH5SKrnf6O7kg5MJFho-gDMCkRzkm1fYtPcTpw-QUdBMy7-bLgHdbzP00xIG61KNWgBNHxQ/w268-h400/57695734._SY475_.jpg" width="268"></a></div><i><p><i><br></i></p>There was always an old woman dying in the back room of her family's house when Isla was a child...</i><p></p><p><i>Isla Larsen Sanchez's life begins to unravel when her father passes away. Instead of being comforted at home in New Jersey, her mother starts leaving her in Puerto Rico with her grandmother and great-aunt each summer like a piece of forgotten luggage.</i></p><p><i>When Isla turns eighteen, her grandmother, a great storyteller, dies. It is then that Isla discovers she had a gift passed down through her family; s cuentistas. The tales of dead family storytellers are brought back to life, replaying themselves over and over in front of her.</i></p><p><i>At first, Isla is enchanted by this connection to the Sanchez cuentistas. But when Isla has a vision of an old murder mystery she realizes that if she can't solve it to make the loop end, these seemingly harmless stories could cost Isla her life.</i></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/06/there-was-always-old-woman-dying-in.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-35809822426908220062022-06-07T14:26:00.004+02:002022-06-07T14:27:07.365+02:00Henry Hamlet's Heart - Rhiannon Wilde<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDRTVlK-eeJOicjtJfbIEBakgaG0R3CRBDD9eAdsgzoK6Sogyj5CEib8OT2NN022dqeAcZJn0OZ9Cmd44K9FHvhgA8mYoybj_um-CVmc8oK-iOBtDajS3PbFHjFDyJg1ShQ3eBksdZvhZD_oy1fHmcXssQCuhJEPfvXUE1RBe3Y2p9wcOCJ-cP-BN/s394/cover253401-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDRTVlK-eeJOicjtJfbIEBakgaG0R3CRBDD9eAdsgzoK6Sogyj5CEib8OT2NN022dqeAcZJn0OZ9Cmd44K9FHvhgA8mYoybj_um-CVmc8oK-iOBtDajS3PbFHjFDyJg1ShQ3eBksdZvhZD_oy1fHmcXssQCuhJEPfvXUE1RBe3Y2p9wcOCJ-cP-BN/w259-h400/cover253401-medium.png" width="259"></a></div><br><p></p><p><b><i>3 stars</i></b></p><p><i>A sparkling queer YA romance set in Brisbane, Henry Hamlet's Heart follows one guy and his sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking journey to love.</i></p><p><i>Henry Hamlet doesn't know what he wants after school ends. It's his last semester of year twelve and all he's sure of is his uncanny ability to make situations awkward. Luckily, he can always hide behind his enigmatic best friend, Len. They've been friends since foreber, but where Len is mysterious, Henry is clumsy; where Len is a heart-throb, Henry is a neurotic mess. Somehow it's always worked.</i></p><p><i>That is, until Henry falls. Hard. For the last person he imagined.</i><br></p><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/06/henry-hamlets-heart-rhiannon-wilde.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-3343816739125641032022-06-07T13:45:00.008+02:002022-06-07T14:00:41.156+02:00The Socialite's Guide to Murder - S.K. Golden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JhrB8bJhKKzX9F6MQgq9PGyj4aGvyY7XdQ3zaaIaegAsVjpkgsEJ-NSmQY8T8zxbiEgUzeeeZw1vulvuRw4FBwVd3JUdl9qIsnwUt28xkphe9wao0Nlja2zlRslkT_4JKK_2xPGQ0d-RbTvadJoYE-haDThoZO5a2yFcrKQ2o_bn64uf4oa0Acz7/s385/cover256131-medium.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5JhrB8bJhKKzX9F6MQgq9PGyj4aGvyY7XdQ3zaaIaegAsVjpkgsEJ-NSmQY8T8zxbiEgUzeeeZw1vulvuRw4FBwVd3JUdl9qIsnwUt28xkphe9wao0Nlja2zlRslkT_4JKK_2xPGQ0d-RbTvadJoYE-haDThoZO5a2yFcrKQ2o_bn64uf4oa0Acz7/w265-h400/cover256131-medium.png" width="265"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i>3 stars</i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><br></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The hotel was her refuge, but scandal is afoot—and a killer stalks the halls in this charming series debut perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">It’s 1958 and Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy has not left the Pinnacle Hotel in fourteen months. She suffers from agoraphobia, and what’s more, it’s her father’s hotel, and everything she needs is there. Evelyn’s always been good at finding things, she discovered her mother dead in a Manhattan alleyway fifteen years earlier. Now she’s finding trouble inside her sanctuary. At a party for artist Billie Bell, his newest work is stolen, and Evelyn’s fake boyfriend (and real best friend), movie star Henry Fox, is accused of the theft. But just as Evelyn sets out to prove Henry’s innocence, she finds Billie Bell dead.</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span></span></i></div><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/06/the-socialites-guide-to-murder-sk-golden.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-28726188949478041642022-05-22T10:43:00.000+02:002022-05-22T10:43:04.657+02:00The Rose (Vol. 1) - P.D. Alleva<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW6AHAhg5WFMww5piyAhBzZl0Q6aPx0AChontCzXmKS9AQR2g2gqvDZ-gj-b_hKdxAylckLfXalrXCjFS0viem0z9wb6fjaQApbJZbOXDVJlKWEs0LGdbDfnj3VJg38lt7LMyAR7F1NlUgwdxlxiQBp4fha8Gq4LN1heeXLfrPGviBkj0wrIwe3hr/s2560/53768681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAW6AHAhg5WFMww5piyAhBzZl0Q6aPx0AChontCzXmKS9AQR2g2gqvDZ-gj-b_hKdxAylckLfXalrXCjFS0viem0z9wb6fjaQApbJZbOXDVJlKWEs0LGdbDfnj3VJg38lt7LMyAR7F1NlUgwdxlxiQBp4fha8Gq4LN1heeXLfrPGviBkj0wrIwe3hr/w250-h400/53768681.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i><b>3 stars</b> </i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">"Sandy Cox believed WWIII was over. But for those Alien Vampires, War Has Just Begun.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Forty-eight hours after a World War III treaty is signed, Sandy Cox awakens in an underground compound unable to move. Tied to machines she screams for help but no one answers. At least no one human.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">And they’ve taken her unborn child.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Phil is a rebel freedom fighter who has had more than his share of Alien Vampires. Armed with THE BLADES, a sacred alien martial art, he enters the compound on a mission to find Sandy. But as he battles through the compound, Phil discovers Sandy has her own agenda. Finding her stolen child is all that matters.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But the vampires have their own plan and Sandy’s baby is at the heart of their diabolical plot. Joined by a crew of rogue soldiers, they must navigate the underground compound, battling genetically mutated humans, aliens and monsters.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">When battling Alien Vampires, one thing is certain…Get Ready To Bleed!"</span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Before I start my review, I want to thank P.D. Alleva for reaching out to me and letting me review his books. This will be my first review, but later a review about Volume 2 of this book will follow!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">When I heard this book was about Alien Vampires I was immediately intrigued. What was this going to be about? How does it work? So, I started reading and wrote down my thoughts.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The first thing I thought was that sometimes I would encounter sentences that could have been better written. They were not always as clear. Which made it harder to understand what was meant, but this was especially at the beginning of the book. When I had reached a farther point in the book it did not occur is often. Next, to it not always being clear I felt like their could have been more details added to the story. The descriptions were often not very detailed, and to me it made it hard to imagine scenes accurately. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Also, the starting point of the book felt a bit off to me. It was like you landed on one big question mark. There was so much information missing, that I started doubting whether I was going to like this. You just drop in the middle of big happenings in the world, but you have barely any context. And to be honest that context was still missing at the end of the book. I hope to find more about it in the second volume. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">But the more I read, the more I started to like the story. It took me till the 30% mark, but then I was really invested in the story and I did want to know what was going to happen. I loved how original the story is and everything that is happening in it. Hopefully this will continue in the next book. </span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">The last thing I want to discuss are the characters. I liked them and I wanted to love them. But in order to love them I need to know more of them. The felt a little flat. At the end of the story I still felt like I did not know most of them. I'm eager to find out if this will change when the story continues. </span></span></p>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-18808402356368978782022-04-21T13:37:00.001+02:002022-04-21T13:37:57.699+02:00The Cabin in the Woods - Sarah Alderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGvvfzAgIegvV3e-pbDYDETCBXEOerddKvGSaRpLnPrE8zJYOav257DQbv9Izt-a0QQ6oa69gJm0Px0_zeK_Pj23o3FV1Ogr-Vdbcmw-KR949-1s31wrWdxFMjVElWeb_1E1Ek7P_bsTI3UpHkVnpckegP2wp36RqNiDL-UF9x5wOlLUhAv2PHpp3/s394/cover246116-medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGvvfzAgIegvV3e-pbDYDETCBXEOerddKvGSaRpLnPrE8zJYOav257DQbv9Izt-a0QQ6oa69gJm0Px0_zeK_Pj23o3FV1Ogr-Vdbcmw-KR949-1s31wrWdxFMjVElWeb_1E1Ek7P_bsTI3UpHkVnpckegP2wp36RqNiDL-UF9x5wOlLUhAv2PHpp3/w259-h400/cover246116-medium.png" width="259"></a></div><br><div style="text-align: center;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In a cabin in a wood,</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">A woman by the window stood.</div></span><p></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Glancing out, she thought she heard</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Footsteps, whistling, something stirred.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Hiding here, she fears the night,</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">For what’s done in the dark will come to light.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">She must run fast to escape her lie</div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: center;">Or she’ll be the next to die…"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><span></span></span><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/04/the-cabin-in-woods-sarah-alderson.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-61474820276264529262022-04-04T09:00:00.002+02:002022-04-04T09:00:00.201+02:00Heir of Blood and Secrets - Linda Xia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdNsMSQ7QV9EqxYZlD1fSFH089MyZf8g3q3-SukZBPqDv8rOCAkt-Wik32Yzoykai-vRuAXPNZB8md464mxOmTuVLocwQk6X_cAsh-jYKbhY_UNxiMG_nAAyx4MVzolaRj5Pg5aBZA_OJe-l-8YTOQ6ZpngbYS4Xd3vS81WblFOMcDPepOy3g2NhX/s475/58870833._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="292" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdNsMSQ7QV9EqxYZlD1fSFH089MyZf8g3q3-SukZBPqDv8rOCAkt-Wik32Yzoykai-vRuAXPNZB8md464mxOmTuVLocwQk6X_cAsh-jYKbhY_UNxiMG_nAAyx4MVzolaRj5Pg5aBZA_OJe-l-8YTOQ6ZpngbYS4Xd3vS81WblFOMcDPepOy3g2NhX/w246-h400/58870833._SY475_.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><p>Before I start this review I want to thank Linda Xia, the author of this book, for reaching out to me and offering to send this book to me in exchange for an honest review. I got so excited when I read what <i>Heir of Blood and Secrets </i>is about, that I had to read it! So here we go!</p><p><i>Heir of Blood and Secrets </i>follows Scylla, the daughter of an important magistrate of Devovea. On a very important night, an important magistrate gets killed, and her father is the number one suspect. Scylla has to do everything in her power to find the actual killer. Her father could not have done this, right? In the meantime, she discovers many things about her home, things that have been tightly locked away, until now.</p><p>I rated <i>Heir of Blood and Secrets</i> with four stars. It was a great read, but there were a few little things that could have made it so much better. Let's get into what I liked and what I think could have made it better.</p><p>First, I want to say that I loved the author's note at the beginning of the book. It was so inspiring to read the road Linda Xia has walked to get where she is now. As an aspiring writer, it was inspiring and pushed me to keep going and follow my dreams.</p><p>Now for the actual story. These characters have fought their way into my heart. They are inspiring, realistic, and have such an amazing dynamic. Scylla is such a fierce girl. She knows what she wants and she learns that she can stand against those who do not have the same opinions as her. She has been through quite some things during her youth, but she is standing tall and preparing herself for the future. <br />Ilya is Scylla's good friend, and the son of another magistrate. He is quite the opposite of Scylla, more reserved, maybe not as willing to stand up for himself. But they have been best friends since they were little and they are on this adventure together. He is often there to give Scylla an important reality check as well! <br />The friendship between these two is written very realistically. It is not all perfect, but they really have this dynamic that only exists when you no each other through and through. They have inside jokes, amazing memories, and are basically like family.</p><p>The writing style this author has was really easy to get into. It sucked me into the story and it read really smoothly. There was barely any focus needed to read. I genuinely could read this while on a very noisy train. I think that says a lot.</p><p>The worldbuilding is very well done, especially for a book that does not have that many pages. Everything that I needed to know about the city-state, the government, and the people was explained, but it was incorporated into the story in a way that did not make it boring to read. If there is one thing I don't like it is big parts of just text about worldbuilding.</p><p>Some twists and turns were a little too predictable to me. I had guessed some things that were going to happen, not into the full details, but the major plot lines I had figured out pretty quickly. This is why I decided on four stars for this book, instead of five. </p><p>Also, sometimes I just missed a little bit of the description of Scylla's thought process. It was there most of the time, but then sometimes she would do something, and it left me wondering why she would decide on doing that. </p><p>I wanted to finish with one thing that I absolutely loved. After I finished the book, I realized that there was no focus on romance. It doesn't mean it was not there, but it was not the main focus. I love reading a YA book that is not focused on romance, but instead focuses on the adventure or quests the characters are on.</p>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-3704502846766341412022-04-01T09:00:00.003+02:002022-04-01T09:08:51.444+02:00April TBR 2022It is time for my second TBR of this year. But before I tell you what I am hoping to read during April, I want to look back on last month's TBR.<div>During March I planned to read four books: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, Six of Crows (& Crooked Kingdom) by Leigh Bardugo, and The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa. I almost exactly followed this list. I read all books except for Crooked Kingdom. The reason for not reading Crooked Kingdom was that I had gotten an opportunity that I wanted to accept. You will hear more about said opportunity on Monday! </div><div><br /></div><div>Now for the month of April, my goal is to read four books again. I think this is workable with the amount of work I have to do for school. Let's get into what I want to read this month and why I can't wait to read them!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkvLO5oQNvcerB8__Kapgh1N0nbwE74ssZB97opeOIr0EL1FMU_8OJaYX5VPb6s8TgObO51WNw1GYnh28WNmAONOzlaSak1TgPfK0moie1qpHSvhyQayVB69sAtXSoN9P5Osi5LUqs-N_YXDdBVjlGOQGYXKQ5tHr9BZrLxxoVBdCwVBcpxhFeTEl/s4624/20220330_143213.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkvLO5oQNvcerB8__Kapgh1N0nbwE74ssZB97opeOIr0EL1FMU_8OJaYX5VPb6s8TgObO51WNw1GYnh28WNmAONOzlaSak1TgPfK0moie1qpHSvhyQayVB69sAtXSoN9P5Osi5LUqs-N_YXDdBVjlGOQGYXKQ5tHr9BZrLxxoVBdCwVBcpxhFeTEl/w300-h400/20220330_143213.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></div><div><b>Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo</b></div><div>Well, since I could not get to this book last month I will have to read it now! I mean, Six of Crows was amazing and I need to read more. It is that simple. I can't wait to read about what Kaz and his gang of thieves are up to this time.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRijmq5MeBW9PNeZLVu1CSCPG_5WJFk8PsVt71-6G01aZEvEyWrRL7YzryIX-XnN25RLEvt5VM-uVcbeWtIMX_czXi1iGIqxMOWo_8LNyj_-K-TRils0G_NSZX84GP5PnZQICPTZrlHs7CXgGwNK9JvdLha7IWw6Fd_gAsqXJxIJC5eC3Js0tCl_K_/s4624/20220330_143250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRijmq5MeBW9PNeZLVu1CSCPG_5WJFk8PsVt71-6G01aZEvEyWrRL7YzryIX-XnN25RLEvt5VM-uVcbeWtIMX_czXi1iGIqxMOWo_8LNyj_-K-TRils0G_NSZX84GP5PnZQICPTZrlHs7CXgGwNK9JvdLha7IWw6Fd_gAsqXJxIJC5eC3Js0tCl_K_/w300-h400/20220330_143250.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Fifty-Fifty - Steve Cavanagh</b></div><div>'Two sisters on trial for murder. Both accuse each other. Who do YOU believe'</div><div>That is the line on the cover of the book, read that and tell me that does not sounds like a thrilling read. I have read one book by Steve Cavanagh before called Thirteen, which is part of the same series. That book was an absolute pageturner, so I only expect good things about this book!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtTeQcoS3OYPYkmBcs4NwEwJ2FjoskdV-P9xbdHTg31stSE5LPbJLQTNX4gh7z3jhzGP51_uUCk1qk00ztr2GCSiMU5sZYlpUDpldRVmfE1DxLajg64BQ02pi6xyEGOcYodP6oUIQGz5aSiu_CjD2-1r3ipRGF4FJV-5Ul8kI4-y01H0Q8bwOY8Gb/s4624/20220330_143319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtTeQcoS3OYPYkmBcs4NwEwJ2FjoskdV-P9xbdHTg31stSE5LPbJLQTNX4gh7z3jhzGP51_uUCk1qk00ztr2GCSiMU5sZYlpUDpldRVmfE1DxLajg64BQ02pi6xyEGOcYodP6oUIQGz5aSiu_CjD2-1r3ipRGF4FJV-5Ul8kI4-y01H0Q8bwOY8Gb/w300-h400/20220330_143319.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles</b></div><div>I hear so many good things about this book, that I had to buy it. Me being a history student, I also love the idea of reading this. Unfortunately, after I bought the book I started to hear bad things about it as well. So I think it is time to read it myself and I'll judge who I agree with.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mavTxyOMm4fMgv7xxFCbUHB5XoodsoAvRMI73VB6njMwMYMpExV0h4cP2r3SVhMXr3RuccLiEPOry4mlJt7lEnFSF4vkyNxpXkm8SwesXn3s8lWX6Ni1ssp1r_l6keCwTVbw2uJJfauubwOus3R_FLJIHWbPto47XUqrCKJ-OPf4SlDMLX8FioiT/s4624/20220330_143344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mavTxyOMm4fMgv7xxFCbUHB5XoodsoAvRMI73VB6njMwMYMpExV0h4cP2r3SVhMXr3RuccLiEPOry4mlJt7lEnFSF4vkyNxpXkm8SwesXn3s8lWX6Ni1ssp1r_l6keCwTVbw2uJJfauubwOus3R_FLJIHWbPto47XUqrCKJ-OPf4SlDMLX8FioiT/w300-h400/20220330_143344.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><b>Tales of Connection - Matt Haig</b></div><div>I heard so much about Matt Haig and then one week when I went to the bookstore I got a free little booklet of maybe 90 pages, which is this book. I haven't gotten around to reading it yet but I am incredibly looking forward to reading this. Since it is such a small book I squeezed it into this month's TBR</div><div><br /></div>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-19919712575459892472022-03-24T10:38:00.000+01:002022-03-24T10:38:00.032+01:00All The Tides of Fate - Adalyn Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZM6wKh3sLdhkJx3UEluRWNjlawPnzrrgU-Hq3wAIQDjmLYetC16pjvhPCP833zA1DHDC-u5H6cDDWyRxHVz38ePT_WhvwHXiBxW_y6SWeCTgELjaK4TYXO8JQ176BVnCgJg2ASJhxWSWFBF9gJc3EK8MWVNZXT3IcDgt5leLjGyHWXp0oxkgjlcZ/s4624/20220222_114716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZM6wKh3sLdhkJx3UEluRWNjlawPnzrrgU-Hq3wAIQDjmLYetC16pjvhPCP833zA1DHDC-u5H6cDDWyRxHVz38ePT_WhvwHXiBxW_y6SWeCTgELjaK4TYXO8JQ176BVnCgJg2ASJhxWSWFBF9gJc3EK8MWVNZXT3IcDgt5leLjGyHWXp0oxkgjlcZ/w300-h400/20220222_114716.jpg" width="300"></a></div><p>Before I could start my March TBR I first had to finish the book I had already started. Said book was All The Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace. The book is the sequel to All The Stars and Teeth, which I read last summer and I just could not wait to get to it.</p><p>The story continues with Amora as queen of Visidia. She is leading her people like she was meant to be, but the people can't know her weakness. They can't get to know what Bastian and she found out on their adventure. If they find out Amora won't be safe. The only thing that might save her is a quest in search of a mythical artifact. It is all she can do to rule her country.<span></span></p><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/03/all-tides-of-fate-adalyn-grace.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-2669075076013946022022-03-03T09:59:00.001+01:002022-03-03T10:24:09.846+01:00March TBR 2022<p> Hi Everyone,</p><p>It is March already, time for a To Be Read-list for this month. I have to warn you though, I am a mood reader, so I can't promise that I will stick to it! The past months I read 4 books each month and that is why I decided to stick with the number four for this month as well. Let's have a look at the books I want to read this month!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi87dijqkHIU4rCiqxDWhzhJi-zQPsGXgTungq4KJ9_9kVwBBYJqCCRCp-xcqwCYWELBq0omk4pzWsqa_-HYFUyhyQgE_FRhzUe_y-7FWiF4hUn6xc1EdWQO251JEx0TF38tHB9FRaKRfgwLAQhPk46n6qPaswQJSiMCi3q05PcVNkUHCmQNFMJdhHt=s4624" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi87dijqkHIU4rCiqxDWhzhJi-zQPsGXgTungq4KJ9_9kVwBBYJqCCRCp-xcqwCYWELBq0omk4pzWsqa_-HYFUyhyQgE_FRhzUe_y-7FWiF4hUn6xc1EdWQO251JEx0TF38tHB9FRaKRfgwLAQhPk46n6qPaswQJSiMCi3q05PcVNkUHCmQNFMJdhHt=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><b>1. Conversations With Friends - Sally Rooney</b></p><p>I have already started reading this one actually! I read Normal People before and I heard great things about this book. So I could not wait to read this one. Since I already started reading it, I can already tell you my opinion until now. I like it, but I do not love it. I can't point out yet what it is I don't like but I will figure that out before I write the review for it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYwDSCWEgHw3dMvsO8ARb21YS0MR7z08t5KtLaLm2T2sT_DCXiEqMos8B3lV7JeiyYgPWrIyC3Y6EPvlLaSXmDRzDAZBGg2zFZjmvpQNv-mEG1gVtlP2hevZRiheLpaG7E2lkHfj9Jldy7FtiEW0h8NxVhM9IPLro_sgbc5FjgD2A5lHAUh0X6dH4S=s4624" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYwDSCWEgHw3dMvsO8ARb21YS0MR7z08t5KtLaLm2T2sT_DCXiEqMos8B3lV7JeiyYgPWrIyC3Y6EPvlLaSXmDRzDAZBGg2zFZjmvpQNv-mEG1gVtlP2hevZRiheLpaG7E2lkHfj9Jldy7FtiEW0h8NxVhM9IPLro_sgbc5FjgD2A5lHAUh0X6dH4S=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p><b>2. The Cat Who Saved Books - S</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: "Roboto Slab", serif;"><b>ōsuke Natsukawa</b><br />I immediately wanted to get this book when I saw the cover and title. I mean it is literally about a cat saving books, what else do you want? I do not know what to expect and at the same time, I have high expectations. I know, that sounds contradicting, but it is true. When I read the blurb all I can think is: 'wow, this could only be amazing', but I do not know what it is going to be like. We'll see! It is a totally different book than Conversations With Friends, and it will be different too from the other two books I am planning on reading.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUZoQn80zsxn7PanpDBbbYYXfZRLztLqoKqDyB37FsK9AH1_wCSLZOEgNSpwExw7XLhAVlvZQSCcNhPGm8uyK2lMzaW3hhV1hl5rQmME9fWQAmlX46cvx2VHDXNiQID-mMe7Icj7vhns9BTOSnqCecuXmnBd2Ye7NAvfTlKaxJk8LCYKpDUd5LXhhc=s4624" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUZoQn80zsxn7PanpDBbbYYXfZRLztLqoKqDyB37FsK9AH1_wCSLZOEgNSpwExw7XLhAVlvZQSCcNhPGm8uyK2lMzaW3hhV1hl5rQmME9fWQAmlX46cvx2VHDXNiQID-mMe7Icj7vhns9BTOSnqCecuXmnBd2Ye7NAvfTlKaxJk8LCYKpDUd5LXhhc=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>3 & 4 Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo</b><br />I just love Leigh Bardugo and the way she writes stories, so after having read Ninth House and the Shadow and Bone series, it is time to start these two books. I can't wait to get to them and fall in love with the Grishaverse all over again. After having read these I am finally going to watch Shadow and Bone as well. I have read some disappointing books in the past month, so I need to read some good books and Fantasy usually does the trick for me. Let's see how it goes!</p><p>At the beginning of April, I will update you all about how this month went and if I followed my TBR. Of course, I'll also tell you what my TBR will be for that month!</p>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-68343850282324283442022-02-18T10:35:00.001+01:002022-02-18T10:35:46.266+01:00The Heartstopper Novels<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5txkk9kSkHogaSJ9GC6wHROXbVi1ABeC5aKsXD8BIL5GkM-gQiLIuRRR85E8S1Pn1zSUBuiwKZdF8w37_Xu00u5Jktgf0kB4nlezOiC_7EhMEn3_E32EmydlyBCyUAw0X2BzfDJkheXHMoIVXCTlNfbNfKSahF8NOnae8rjiI9QpsqJku6eYkdLbj=s4624" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5txkk9kSkHogaSJ9GC6wHROXbVi1ABeC5aKsXD8BIL5GkM-gQiLIuRRR85E8S1Pn1zSUBuiwKZdF8w37_Xu00u5Jktgf0kB4nlezOiC_7EhMEn3_E32EmydlyBCyUAw0X2BzfDJkheXHMoIVXCTlNfbNfKSahF8NOnae8rjiI9QpsqJku6eYkdLbj=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Hi everyone, </p><p>Today's post is an appreciation post for these graphic novels that I started reading at the end of 2021. If you are as submerged in the Young Adult genre as I am you probably already know them. Yes, I am talking about the Heartstopper Volumes by Alice Oseman. Here we go!</p><p>Heartstopper is a romantic LGBT story following Charlie and Nick. The two of them meet and Charlie slowly starts to fall for Nick, but does he feel the same or is Nick actually straight like many people are saying. They instantly become good friends, but is there room for more?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidKcgd2gjve5Q9HXlWHp0yGTmZnsu5_5BeR7bMeyzlWUxhc5-oxMOI51DJete-zMq6ObMk0Q_rmPI1FhBFjUqtgRBaXArdnrtqyt-69Vs-4iGtdH9s7PsK7L-TX_AKiIlFGU2eBeEnkHoBO84hh9GnJZm9KcV6lIKkcXhd4vgtwdvCFilK-V3HMgLk=s4624" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidKcgd2gjve5Q9HXlWHp0yGTmZnsu5_5BeR7bMeyzlWUxhc5-oxMOI51DJete-zMq6ObMk0Q_rmPI1FhBFjUqtgRBaXArdnrtqyt-69Vs-4iGtdH9s7PsK7L-TX_AKiIlFGU2eBeEnkHoBO84hh9GnJZm9KcV6lIKkcXhd4vgtwdvCFilK-V3HMgLk=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>This is basically the storyline that is being covered in the first Volume. When I was writing this post I had just finished reading Volume 2. Let me tell you that I absolutely fell in love. These characters are just adorable. It is a quick read since it is a graphic novel, but there is so much to look at. I love that the drawings can be very simple, yet the next page can be very detailed. The emotions characters are feeling are so easy to notice. It genuinely makes me happy to read these novels. The fact that it is a quick read helped me for instance when I had just read a terrible book, and I just wanted to read something that I knew was going to be fun. And I honestly can't wait to read the next Volume. There are currently four volumes, but according to Alice Oseman, there is definitely more to come. I simply can't wait till I have the third volume in my hands. The Heartstopper novels are books that will be reread often for sure! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgg0W3Ov0o3ec81gtWZSxV6_gUd4n5jeP8WAFGpAifqmz_kmn94fMUf2a7GQemHhnhJiMN2-qlDBVOHVUjVHcZ2UuKuxxyGAWNoDA4irYPZNjmbSBKvnkaa5OTRgHxxu8h1NQUKgfYqN1QLDwNVvOh1JjyJokJslurnibCYjpCnLtw2Q-Dc5p_x7wj=s4624" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgg0W3Ov0o3ec81gtWZSxV6_gUd4n5jeP8WAFGpAifqmz_kmn94fMUf2a7GQemHhnhJiMN2-qlDBVOHVUjVHcZ2UuKuxxyGAWNoDA4irYPZNjmbSBKvnkaa5OTRgHxxu8h1NQUKgfYqN1QLDwNVvOh1JjyJokJslurnibCYjpCnLtw2Q-Dc5p_x7wj=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHGbiCfC6FS9Avhlii3CT3VycWDlgS_oQhAIaHL8TJ3pdAMqnQBHCbpF0h0Q30zMn2o1EAtGmXhVmmL0YBW3-Kd3Mil7TvLzdtwd5QKL_SmsRly7G_8QDZxcZjS4ug_ccVqoSBh3MNpu-s_bLHhsQXQgWh0z1f2VBIu7t6fqg6_fydAY5msOcjOQhY=s4624" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHGbiCfC6FS9Avhlii3CT3VycWDlgS_oQhAIaHL8TJ3pdAMqnQBHCbpF0h0Q30zMn2o1EAtGmXhVmmL0YBW3-Kd3Mil7TvLzdtwd5QKL_SmsRly7G_8QDZxcZjS4ug_ccVqoSBh3MNpu-s_bLHhsQXQgWh0z1f2VBIu7t6fqg6_fydAY5msOcjOQhY=w300-h400" width="300" /></a><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br />Next to having written these graphic novels, Alice Oseman also has YA novels published. An example is Solitaire. This book is actually about Charlie's sister, Victoria. I have not read it yet, but I heard many good things about it, and honestly, I can't wait to get into more of her work.</p><p>One warning from me: please check trigger warnings for these books. There is a lot of talk about mental illnesses etc. in Oseman's books. So if this is something that is a sensitive topic for you, check those out. My advice is to check her website. There is a list with trigger warnings for all her works. </p><p>I hope you enjoyed this post! And let me know if you love Heartstopper just as much as I am loving it!</p>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-90115740019395343542022-02-13T15:57:00.003+01:002022-02-13T15:58:11.860+01:00The Knave of Secrets - Alex Livingston<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGO1EG9soX8xdPmOiDR3yKwHDxCx53hQ4QukWawv9YRzSJ-OG-pXL0D1Zyk0mzQQplcKP8DmU4WdDT3Dx1Kz4gyo_F77owyqK2yrKD6VOUl3eIR6H85_14JfUMraizfW9kw0i18P2sSon3NBoRvta90J7wQVPOFwkaMo5Re3s6c6a3aR4Fv9rago4U=s4624" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGO1EG9soX8xdPmOiDR3yKwHDxCx53hQ4QukWawv9YRzSJ-OG-pXL0D1Zyk0mzQQplcKP8DmU4WdDT3Dx1Kz4gyo_F77owyqK2yrKD6VOUl3eIR6H85_14JfUMraizfW9kw0i18P2sSon3NBoRvta90J7wQVPOFwkaMo5Re3s6c6a3aR4Fv9rago4U=w300-h400" width="300"></a></div><br><p></p><p>Con artist Valen Quinol gets the chance to compete in the Forbearance Games, and he can't resist the invitation. Valen is sent by a gangster to defeat a certain man. When Valen accomplishes this task and wins the valuable secret the man had. Valen and his crew are now being chased by gangsters, thieves and many other people. The secret is worth a fortune and can start a war.<span></span></p><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/02/the-knave-of-secrets-alex-livingston.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-58648974611315955732022-02-10T15:36:00.002+01:002022-02-10T15:50:11.672+01:00The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-EnbfRKQCPjNq48o1bP--LS_CVCxU550g-hesOeQx43UN3Ousqv8RqXLbIeqdIB-DOgFwdDYcrmk5j2kNgTyZq0oxf0YTwbpz5TZO8uApu-WMgxGe4JmP4ouEFYTntlbA9bwgikv9ALSGEkBj25L_KCBiFwnn7QHKTu8_jignoLQrSRXpQGhRKOA9=s4624" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-EnbfRKQCPjNq48o1bP--LS_CVCxU550g-hesOeQx43UN3Ousqv8RqXLbIeqdIB-DOgFwdDYcrmk5j2kNgTyZq0oxf0YTwbpz5TZO8uApu-WMgxGe4JmP4ouEFYTntlbA9bwgikv9ALSGEkBj25L_KCBiFwnn7QHKTu8_jignoLQrSRXpQGhRKOA9=w300-h400" width="300"></a></div><p> The world's most famous actress, Evelyn Hugo, invites Monique, a reporter for <i>Vivant</i>, to write her biography. She will tell the story of how she became famous, but more importantly how she managed to marry seven (yes, you read that right, seven!) husbands. All the drama and scandals will be told and made available to the public. But, that is not all there is. Will this interview change Monique's life forever? This book is so intriguing, I could not put it down. I could only rate this 5 stars.</p><span></span><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/02/the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-12557164150439289472022-02-03T09:22:00.001+01:002022-02-10T15:50:44.888+01:00Breath and Count Back From Ten - Natalia Sylvester<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcJHwD0QVD7hVWXSL7G8biFKPXv5_zgvZYIHG9GjopkhiqvoDZS-h6YBARlJ5aBnZM1dRpJEneOZcalye-7x1XZi-W0iq2JruxCBH8wpC8ZgUMFmHvew53teDyiAsCfID1TPkdeC5CiIfRAFTeCcPxnj7FoQCsXcSK2B4SidtwBgZ22-7f4RgHGu-9=s2475" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcJHwD0QVD7hVWXSL7G8biFKPXv5_zgvZYIHG9GjopkhiqvoDZS-h6YBARlJ5aBnZM1dRpJEneOZcalye-7x1XZi-W0iq2JruxCBH8wpC8ZgUMFmHvew53teDyiAsCfID1TPkdeC5CiIfRAFTeCcPxnj7FoQCsXcSK2B4SidtwBgZ22-7f4RgHGu-9=w266-h400" width="266"></a></div><br> Verónica has needed many surgeries to deal with her disability. After these surgeries, the best way to recover is to swim often, and this is what she does. But that is not the only reason why Verónica is so crazy about swimming. She lives near a place called Mermaid Cove. No, no mermaids are living in the waters near her house! Mermaid Cove is an entertainment centre where they have been giving mermaid shows for decades. Now happens to be her chance to get a spot in the team at Mermaid Cove, and actually become a mermaid as a summer job. There is one problem though, her parents would never allow her to be a part of this.<p></p><span></span><a href="https://www.livingmyadventurefilledlife.nl/2022/02/breath-and-count-back-from-ten-natalia.html#more">Read more »</a>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-42442318441762788502021-12-16T09:21:00.002+01:002022-02-10T15:51:31.112+01:00Changing Majors - Ana Hartnett Reichardt<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4N3bUHdyNFS0_kdKYZBqEhiRX-tpq8K1vHfizxvA9Jf5wlVpkT2Hhq0hFVASeYtldBSro7eV-zwLa5xGCtycLgLEeFr3FftxptrAdqVo6tHnO8FPgQcdTPQBqFjCEMUKWokdg4wQKkSdoRvzdG8n2JDcItIRQjcMO4DuaBq7LMevhORAT4a1pbdzk=s1356" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="897" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4N3bUHdyNFS0_kdKYZBqEhiRX-tpq8K1vHfizxvA9Jf5wlVpkT2Hhq0hFVASeYtldBSro7eV-zwLa5xGCtycLgLEeFr3FftxptrAdqVo6tHnO8FPgQcdTPQBqFjCEMUKWokdg4wQKkSdoRvzdG8n2JDcItIRQjcMO4DuaBq7LMevhORAT4a1pbdzk=w265-h400" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover artist: Tammy Seidick</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I started this book I had no idea what to expect, to be honest. But the second I started to read, it felt like coming home. I ended up rating this book 4 stars and here is why.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's the first night at Alder University for Bailey Sullivan. She is here to start a new part of her life. Starting her educational major while meeting her new friends. Noelle stands out and makes this a story about figuring out who you are and what you want in life.</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ae994f28-7fff-35b2-9cf3-c6fe70f2f555"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Immediately I fell in love with the friendship that Matt, Luke, Priya, Cassie, Noelle and Bailey have. They meet each other at college and start this new adventure together. They are going through a rollercoaster but at least they do it together. They all value each other for who they are. The group felt so realistic and was fun. Especially the realistic part was important to me. All the characters have their problems, but they find one another and help their friends through the bumps on the road. They had become a second family.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All the characters had such important roles, and I just really like that when it happens in books. Sometimes it feels like characters are just there. They are not that important to the story, but not in this case! Everyone was there for a reason. They all add to the story.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bailey was figuring out her life in the story. Mainly, what is her sexuality and what does she want in life? Reading this I thought: This is so relatable for so many people. Everyone is figuring out where to go with their life. Want they want. I loved how we were taken on her journey to experiment and grow. I definitely cried a few times. Some parts of the story are very emotional and hit quite hard.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do keep in mind that religion and sexuality are both an important part of the story. I can imagine that this would be tough to read for some readers. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book was such a quick read. If I had not been so busy with coursework, I would probably have finished it in one day. Typically, I would read this for instance in the summer at the beach, or when I need a quick and simple read next to my coursework. I do think though that at times the story moved too quickly, which just made it less realistic for me. Also, it felt like things moved so quickly that I barely had the time to process them. Some problems were just resolved too quickly.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Overall, it was a fun, quick, diverse read!</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-78249579294596908642021-12-08T10:35:00.003+01:002022-02-10T15:51:43.824+01:00The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester - Maya MacGregor<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKfXQ4dU0eb_N9NKwISo5tX8pPpGbQNa6xP0--Mweewy1niFGzfeB0ak7WqgBIIXaY9foQMp-DBNiE3Xdi4TBOIAKQz8i0KrnxFutZvuWZCq9WhI1e3TcMsmuG2lQRnTt0SZT3DqJMGVLK6BcHZYoapyDiFqWeIGFxTchw79riD5SVIlp4h6MmnDVa=s450" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKfXQ4dU0eb_N9NKwISo5tX8pPpGbQNa6xP0--Mweewy1niFGzfeB0ak7WqgBIIXaY9foQMp-DBNiE3Xdi4TBOIAKQz8i0KrnxFutZvuWZCq9WhI1e3TcMsmuG2lQRnTt0SZT3DqJMGVLK6BcHZYoapyDiFqWeIGFxTchw79riD5SVIlp4h6MmnDVa=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover belongs to Astra Publishing House<br /> and Maya MacGregor</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sam Sylvester is a non-binary teenager with autism, who moves to a new town. Thirty years before this, a boy died in the house they are moving into. Many think his death was not an accident. Sam wants to figure this mystery out while starting their life in a new place. A new beginning is very much needed after some traumatic events in their previous hometown.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This book did not disappoint! I love some good mysteries that need to be solved. Halfway through the book, I was not sure whether I wanted to rate it 3 or 4 stars. I decided to rate it four stars because of the ending. I’ll explain everything in this review. My advice, check the triggers before reading the book!</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4a44d488-7fff-32b8-6ea4-9d237d6c833f"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, the characters. Wow, they are well written. Sam is awesome. I think they could make a lot of people feel represented. Their backstory is impressive and well thought through. It is tied to the story, and I’m so happy that at the beginning of the book you are informed about their past, but you are told what is necessary to know at that moment. You get bits and pieces throughout the story and eventually, everything makes sense. It all unfolds when the time comes for details to become important. The relationship between Sam and their dad is so lovely. Their dad is the sweetest, and I think I can say that everyone wants a dad like him! So supporting!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shep and Sky are Sams friends, but I do not love both of them. Shep was amazing, such a great character with her own problems, but also so accepting and supporting. I really liked her, she might even have been my favourite character. Sky, not so much, I often forgot he was part of the story and this made me feel like he was not that important for the story. I feel like we get to know Shep way better than we get to know Sky. I would have liked for him to get more time in the story. More about him. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I said before check the trigger warnings for this book. It is intense, the harassment Sam goes through and their past. I can imagine this could trigger someone. So no harm in checking those out. It is not a heavy read though, but I think it is important to keep this in mind.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reason I rated it four stars instead of three? The ending. I did not expect that and It really baffled me. I actually was reading this on the train whilst on my way to meet a friend and when I arrived there was so much happening, I just wanted to keep reading. Looking back, there were definitely some clues that could have pointed you to how it was ending, but I did not figure that out. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reason I did not give it five stars? I had to get used to the writing style. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it took me a while to get into the book, because of the way it was written. It did not grasp my attention at first. But eventually, maybe halfway through the book, I could not let go of the story.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book is set to be published on March 3, 2022.</span></p><br /></span>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-53196548499894912512021-11-24T09:23:00.001+01:002022-02-10T15:52:24.473+01:00The Map to You - Rachel Stockbridge<span id="docs-internal-guid-72b3ddf6-7fff-d3fd-e6d2-9330589e1e90"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAgvT8bbLcBz5sjokSxScjSki4Se_MjSBaTZz6uboAYcPK02gU1J9pv0684rg08h6Ifu8RowpUf60VB7_1fdATsDlJ508JObcOm3YpKWDZXATkzkXYR2RR-71J7tiWmtyOI-AadxNcGg/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSAgvT8bbLcBz5sjokSxScjSki4Se_MjSBaTZz6uboAYcPK02gU1J9pv0684rg08h6Ifu8RowpUf60VB7_1fdATsDlJ508JObcOm3YpKWDZXATkzkXYR2RR-71J7tiWmtyOI-AadxNcGg/w255-h400/image.png" width="255" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover belongs to Rachel Stockbridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hi everyone,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is my review for The Map to You by Rachel Stockbridge. It is set to be published on January 25, 2022. I rated it four stars, and think it is definitely worth the read.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The book is about two girls who are both desperately in love with each other, Kinsey and Sasha. One always falls hard for the girls she can't get, and she seems to think this is the case again. The other seems a bit grumpy to the outside world and, even though she is crushing hard on Sasha, she thinks Sasha deserves better. But then Kinsey experiences a family emergency and Sasha is there to help her through it. Will they grow closer or stay at arm's length to make sure they won't lose each other forever. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Officially this book is part of a series, but trust me, you can definitely read this as a standalone. The characters are different from the first book! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That being said, I can tell you that I really liked this book. It was really good and entertaining. It was a book that was fun and a pretty quick read. In the way, that it is not a difficult book to understand. It’s a book I would read if I needed a break from studying or my head was just overflowing. The book is fun, a bit cheesy, and so sweet. It’s a love story, but so much more than that. It’s about friendship, family, trust. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This immediately leads me to the second thing I loved about this book, the characters. Sasha, being a bit grumpy and thinking no one likes her because of that, and Sasha feeling like she can’t share her issues with others. They both are made to be seen as very realistic characters, having their issues and insecurities. Their chemistry is adorable, and I immediately wanted them to get together. The mental struggles Sasha is going through are relatable to everyone to some degree, at least I think so. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story moves smoothly, there are no questions left unanswered and everything develops at the right pace. The girls get closer and their story gets entangled more and more. You just start rooting for them. There were so many cute moments that made my heart flutter and feel all warm and happy. Of course, there also were moments that I wanted to scream at Sasha and Kinsey: “These two idiots, why don’t they see it!”. In a good way of course. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reason I’m giving it four stars though is that I had some trouble getting through the middle part of the book. It failed to grab my attention and keep me interested. I would read a few pages and then I would want to do something else again. When I was at the 70 percent mark of the book I got into it again and finished it in one go. But that is why I can’t say this is the perfect book.</span></p><div><br /></div></span>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433743459295084180.post-24787790260681552672021-11-18T14:09:00.001+01:002022-02-10T15:52:44.412+01:00A New Start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDzMvOWRbZrgSW1m-UuSyB2O0MXPdcbdrRRmAYBvpaxlEQnh-cvB44pEv6Gfh3QbO8WUWKjrMygn4q4cZlgNpec8EyCGA70X8eI29V6xy6mY-vLEIbYQjll1PNUowMLUYeP3Xo6qHl6c/s2048/2020-01-20-015901000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDzMvOWRbZrgSW1m-UuSyB2O0MXPdcbdrRRmAYBvpaxlEQnh-cvB44pEv6Gfh3QbO8WUWKjrMygn4q4cZlgNpec8EyCGA70X8eI29V6xy6mY-vLEIbYQjll1PNUowMLUYeP3Xo6qHl6c/w640-h426/2020-01-20-015901000.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p> Hi Everyone,</p><p>The readers who read my blog before might have noticed that I have not been actively posting in over two years. What might also have caught their eye is the fact that all my previous posts have been deleted. To the new readers: hi, welcome!</p><p>So, it has been a while and a lot has happened in the meantime. I will explain it all, I promise! A lot has changed since the last time I posted here. We are currently in a pandemic, this is probably no news for you. If it is, where have you been the past two years? But I have changed in the past two years as well. And that is why I wanted to start with a clean slate.</p><p>In these past two years I did not sit still, I promise. I continued studying history, for instance. I also looked and my blog quite frequently. I was not happy with it and did not know what I wanted. I knew that eventually, I wanted to start using it actively again. But what needed to change in order for me to do that? When I looked at the website I saw a mess. And yes it was a mess that represented me. It had reviews, photography and life updates. But I am not focused on photography anymore, so it felt wrong to continue my blog like it was still the main focus. Not that photography is not a part of my life anymore. Do not get me wrong. But it is something that I'm doing less because for a long time I just simply did not really love it anymore.</p><p>Instead, I found my love for reading and writing back. This is something that I love doing and I need a place to share that. I still want to do life updates as well and combine that with photography. But now I just want to capture moments that I love, that inspire me, or I simply find beautiful. So this will really be a blog about me, who I am, and what I love doing. </p><p>Honestly, it is probably still going to look like a mess, but it is going to be <i>my</i> mess. Whether I am happy with it is all that counts. So, I hope you are ready for this new adventure because I am for sure!</p><p>Love,</p><p>Kirsten</p>Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06863176954365236589noreply@blogger.com0