Tuesday, December 22, 2020

I'm back? Maybe

 I honestly don't think people are reading this - and I'm really only wanting to do this to try and 1) add some order to my life and 2) try and get my NetGalley percentage up...I'm running an embarrassing 26% right now and I keep checking out Netgalley ARCs from the library because I'm so far behind they are no longer ARCs...or close to them.


But I found some book challenges this year! I am starting with just 3 this year. 

1. AROUND THE YEAR IN 52

   This one seems to be the most rigorous of the challenges - keep to the assigned topic for the week rather than going out of order. Challenges include topics such as "My Favorite Things" "Written by or featuring a Muslim" and "A book set on an island"  I have gone through and picked my tentative 52 titles for the year - and yes I only pulled them from my TBR pile (I mean it's almost 5k long surely I have something that can fit any sort of prompt...)


2) THE 52 BOOK CLUB

    Also with a book for each week but more loosey-goosey on what order or even if you stick with one book a week. I've tried to make sure for any that work on one of the ATY challenges I'm doubling up with 52 book club. (Listen I can't read 140+books every year. That's strictly a pandemic thing. 

3) THE NETGALLEY CHALLENGE

    Something to motivate me to up my percentage on NetGalley. As of right now I'm at a measly 26% I'm hoping to get that up to 40% by the end of the year. And I'm also trying to use some of the NetGalley books as prompts for my ATY or 52 Book club challenge. 


Do I promise to be consistent? nope, but I'm going to try. Use this as something to post when I'm done with books - at least with books worth sharing.  

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Wrapping Up

Another ReverseReadathon has come to an end. I really love doing things, but boy am I exhausted.
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That's about where I'm at right now.

But here's the final count:
Books read: 4
Pages read: 1196

I didn't catch up entirely in what I wanted to do for my reading list (I'm still 5 books behind schedule apparently), but I would say that reading 4 books over 24 hours, with sleeping and working for about 10 of those hours is no mean feat. 

Closing Survey:

How would you assess your reading overall? It was just how I wanted it to be. I wish I had some better books in the pipeline I think, but hey they can't all be winners. 
Did you have a stategy, and if so, did you stick to it? I had zero strategy and it worked out pretty decently this time around.
What was your favorite snack? I had some delectable garlic triscuts that really seemed to hit the spot. 
Wanna volunteer for our next event? Definitely! I was a moderator in a past readathon and would love to do that again in the future. Especially now that I am officially done with school!
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We did it guys! Can't wait to join you all again at the next Dewey's 24 hour Readathon!

Fourth and Final

So while yes there still is 30 more minutes of the Reverse Readathon left, I know I won't be finishing a book in that time frame so this is my last review from the readathon and I can honestly say last the best of all the game.



The Sisters Mederos (Tales of Port Saint Frey, #1)The Sisters Mederos 

By: Patrice Sarath
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary:

House Mederos was once the wealthiest merchant family in Port Saint Frey. Now the family is disgraced, impoverished, and humbled by the powerful Merchants Guild. Daughters Yvienne and Tesara Mederos are determined to uncover who was behind their family's downfall and get revenge. But Tesara has a secret - could it have been her wild magic that caused the storm that destroyed the family's merchant fleet? The sisters' schemes quickly get out of hand - gambling is one thing, but robbing people is another...

Together the sisters must trust each another to keep their secrets and save their family.

My Thoughts:

This was so much fun! It was well paced, characters well developed, and the build up to the end had me wishing I could read so much faster.

What I greatly enjoyed was having two such very different sisters working together to bring their family some of their previous prestige. Tesara, broken hands but still deft with cards - she is quiet, she is calculating and she learns to control her magic.  Yvienne grows cold, cunning and can't seem to quit the game as the notorious robber. 

I loved my growing suspense as I read it. Reading it in 2 sittings was great. Lots of thoughts of "don't trust them - don't do it" or "calm down! Quit while you're ahead!" Books that getting me to physically root for a character make me happy and this was one of those books. 

Points I would have liked more of - Is magic a common thing or at least a known thing in this particular world? What exactly was the fallout at the end? It did feel just a titch rushed as they were trying to tie everything up with enough bows that I was happy with it, simultaneously leaving enough loose ends that I want a sequel.

Points I would have liked less of - THE PARENTS ARE THE WORST! like I get they are broken and whatnot from what happened to them, but they seem to have no redemptive qualities. ZERO. They snipe at each other and their daughters and for all Mama goes on about bettering the house, she doesn't seem to be doing much does she? They felt a little bit one dimensional and more like plot devices rather than characters.

All in all this was a fun read and one that I can't wait to follow up on. 

Finished Book 3!

And I'm still at work, but I finished listening to this one. I have another one lined up until I can get home and start reading.

The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted 

By: Bridget Asher
Genre: Women's Fiction
Rating: 4.5  stars.

Summary: 

Every good love story has another love hiding within it.”
 
Brokenhearted and still mourning the loss of her husband, Heidi travels with Abbott, her obsessive-compulsive seven-year-old son, and Charlotte, her jaded sixteen-year-old niece, to the small village of Puyloubier in the south of France, where a crumbling stone house may be responsible for mending hearts since before World War II.

There, Charlotte confesses a shocking secret, and Heidi learns the truth about her mother’s “lost summer” when Heidi was a child. As three generations collide with one another, with the neighbor who seems to know all of their family skeletons, and with an enigmatic Frenchman, Heidi, Charlotte, and Abbot journey through love, loss, and healing amid the vineyards, warm winds and delicious food of Provence. Can the magic of the house heal Heidi’s heart, too?

My Thoughts:
This was another one I listened to and the reading was just as good as the writing. You  have to have a good reader when you're listening, otherwise it could be the most beautiful book and the world and you will still hate it. 

This was a beautiful slower paced novel. And the second one this summer I've read about a newly widowed mother who is trying to come to terms with her grief. Granted at the start of the story it has been 2 years since her husband has passed away, but who can put a timeline on grief, who am I to say when one should have "moved on." Heidi felt real, raw. She wasn't perfect - she yelled, blamed others at times and honestly is no good in an emergency. I loved her.

Charlotte was another character who I loved. She is your standard 16 year old girl, wanting to be punk and fight against the corporate system, but also with the childlike vulnerability that teens try so hard to hide. Unlike Heidi - she IS good in an emergency and a good balance to the emotional fragility that is presented in Heidi. 

The descriptions of France - the country side, the food, little snippets of French coming here and there -really made me want to go back and lock down my French better and then go and visit and stay in a little bed and breakfast in the south of France.

Asher did a wonderful job creating this world that I would give anything to step into grief and all. 

And We're Back

So guess what, I woke up pretty easy! So maybe there is something to the whole self affirmation thing from the book yesterday.

Anyway, sadly I had to come into work today.

So I will be typing away while listening to The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted.

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Hour 9 means Nap Time!

I used to say that sleep was for the weak. Then I turned 25 and realized that maybe it was a good thing to have around.
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So since I've been awake for way, WAY too many hours I'm going to take a break for some sleep and come back in the morning!

Thankfully I finally picked a pretty dang good book - The Sisters Mederos. I was kind sad the first two were "meh". But hey we read and learn right. So now I'm going to practice some of that positive thinking I learned from The Miracle Morning and tell myself "I will wake up refreshed and ready to go. I will wake up refreshed and ready to go." Let's see if this works....
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Hour 7 and Book 2

I'm starting to flag. I wish I hadn't had to go to work today - then I could have napped and prepped better for this - but it is what it is.
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For my second book, I chose a short one that had been recommended to me during my MBA program - WHICH I'M ALL DONE WITH - called The Miracle Morning. 

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life: Before 8AMThe Miracle Morning

By: Hal Elrod
Genre: Self-Help
Rating: 3.5

Summary:
What if you could miraculously wake up tomorrow and any—or every area of your life was transformed? What would be different? Would you be happier? Healthier? More successful? In better shape? Would you have more energy? Less Stress? More Money? Better relationships? Which of your problems would be solved?

What if I told you that there is a "not-so-obvious" secret that is guaranteed to transform any—or literally every area of your life, faster than you ever thought possible? What if I told you it would only take 6 minutes a day?

Enter The Miracle Morning. What’s now being practiced by thousands of people around the world could perhaps be the simplest approach to creating the life you’ve always wanted. It’s been right there in front of us, but this book has finally brought it to life.

Are you ready? The next chapter of your life—the most extraordinary life you've ever imagined—is about to begin.

YOU DESERVE AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE. IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP TO YOUR FULL POTENTIAL.

My Thoughts:
So, I don't do a lot of self-help books, the most I have read were some for my management classes for my MBA - the ones I have read weren't try to sell me something nearly as hard as this book was. Goodness, every single page was telling me to go to his website, download this program, get his special journal. Crap man, you are presenting some pretty good ideas here, stop it with the selling! 

It ticked me off.

But it didn't tick me off enough that I'm not going to try this. Granted I find it funny that I came across this when I'm doing a 24 hour readathon and so my sleep schedule is going to be whack for a couple of days, though I feel I can implement his ideas to improve my life.

Things I'm excited to try: 

  • Going to bed thinking that I will wake up just fine. He says that if I do this it doesn't matter how much sleep I get, if my mind thinks I got enough sleep then I will be able to get up in the morning.
  • A daily affirmation. I'm going to try this with the write down something 15 times to make it true thing that my friends got me started on.
  • Visualization - I have forgotten the future I want to have and so feel like the wheel is spinning but the hamster is dead. I'm hoping taking the time to conscientiously picture my ideal future will give me purpose.
Things I'm not excited to try:
  • Going to his website.
  • Getting an accountability buddy.
  • Sharing this book as though it was gospel.
Am I going to try this? Yes - on my own terms. Will you ever know about how it turned out?...probably not because well that's not how I roll. All in all it was a fine book. Definitely short and I think he added in all the self-promotion in order to get more pages out of it. Though I'm hoping it will at least add a little value to my life. 

Book one is done

Alrighty, so we are heading into hour 4 and I have finished my first book.
Finding Anne de Bourgh Finding Anne de Bourgh 
By: Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen


Summary:
As heiress of Rosings Park, Anne de Bourgh’s health is of utmost importance to her mother, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Thus, following the shock of a recent fire at Rosings Park, the young woman is spirited away to Brighton to take the cure. While her domineering mother is bent on healing her daughter’s sickly constitution to secure her a suitable match, Anne herself is far more concerned with sketching the flora and fauna of the lovely sea town. It is in pursuit of artistic inspiration among the flowers that Anne becomes acquainted with Mr. Owen Talbot, a charming man with whom Anne feels an immediate connection, notwithstanding their differing stations.



With Anne being so sickly, her mother has determined to bring her to Brighton in order to restore some health before going to London in the hopes of scraping together a match for her. As Anne gains not just physical strength but also inner strength to begin to defy her mother and live life at least somewhat on her terms. Over time she begins to make more decisions to her daily routine and even gasp what unsuitable gentleman she keeps company with.

I liked seeing her gain her voice. My favorite quote from the book is "Be assertive. Follow your heart. Be the woman you want to be." That is some good empowerment right there. She didn't turn into a domineering shrew, she simply became who she was meant to be. A daughter of the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh was NOT meant to be a doormat - not even for her mother. I am so very glad she came to herself and found some backbone. 

My critisims come with spoilers - if you would like them simply highlight between the *** We knew right off the bat who the bad guy was. He has his own chapters trying to explain his motive and we know there is a plot against Anne. I feel like this would have been a MUCH stronger novel had we not known. Let Mr. Lambert b e a Willoughby or a Wickham - someone who at first seems charming but then suddenly is not at all who we thought he was. We did get to see him change sides because of his daughter, but seriously that would have been amazing to have us feel the same betrayal as Anne. Bad editor for not catching and fixing this. Yes there was a little bit of rug pulling with Mrs. Webb but honestly not nearly enough and I was left unsatisfied.***

If you enjoy Austen for the funny wit and biting commentary, this isn't the book for you. If you enjoy Austen for sweet romance and want a light little read, this definitely does the job. I will most likely read something else of Hinrichsen if I come across it. 

Friday, August 2, 2019

Reverse Readathon! Hours 1/2

Hello all!

The Provence Cure for the BrokenheartedOh how I love the Dewey Readathons. The fact that this is a reverse one - more relaxed, and more on my time table (I'm a night owl after all) really makes me happy. I have been listening to The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted for the first couple of hours. I didn't get off work until right when this started.

The Sisters Mederos (Tales of Port Saint Frey, #1)I haven't prepared for this nearly as well as I have for the past readathons, I don't have snacks, I don't have a stack of specific books to read, I don't know what this is exactly going to look like. I do know that I need to plan a lesson for my church meeting on Sunday and that I will be missing the last hour because I will be picking my parents up from the airport. But this is what I love about the Reverse 'Thons - they are relaxed.

Finding Anne de BourghThese next couple of hours will have me finishing Finding Anne de Bourgh, The Sisters Mederos...and from there I don't know. I'm currently 8 books behind my goal of reading 75 books this year, so I would say that my biggest goal is to catch up. I also know I will be sleeping on this one. But I'm so happy that I have the chance to set aside some time to just read.

The Get to Know you Questions:
1)What fine part of the world are you reading from today? And what time is it where you are?
I'm reading from SLC UT - It's currently 7:40 PM
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
As my stack doesn't have many books actually planned I don't really know. But I do think I'm going to reread my favorite Dragon Singer and I love that one. 
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? 
GARDEN SALSA SUNCHIPS!!!!
4) Do you have a #reversereadathon plan of attack? 
Nope
5) Are you doing the readathon solo or with others? 
Riding Solo, I've never been able to get this organized with friends I know in person. 

Let's get this going!
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Sunday, October 7, 2018

The Girls in the Picture


Image result for The Girls in the PictureThe Girls in the Picture

By: Melanie Benjamin
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

Summary: An intimate portrait of the close friendship and powerful creative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female superstars: Frances Marion and Mary Pickford. An enchanting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator’s Wife.

Hollywood, 1914. Frances Marion, a young writer desperate for a break, meets “America’s Sweetheart,” Mary Pickford, already making a name for herself both on and off the screen with her golden curls and lively spirit. Together, these two women will take the movie business by storm.

Mary Pickford becomes known as the “Queen of the Movies”—the first actor to have her name on a movie marquee, and the first to become a truly international celebrity. Mary and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, were America’s first Royal Couple, living in a home more famous that Buckingham Palace. Mary won the first Academy Award for Best Actress in a Talkie and was the first to put her hand and footprints in Grauman’s theater sidewalk. Her annual salary in 1919 was $625,000—at a time when women’s salaries peaked at $10 a week. Frances Marion is widely considered one of the most important female screenwriters of the 20th century, and was the first writer to win multiple Academy Awards. The close personal friendship between the two stars was closely linked to their professional collaboration and success.

My Thoughts:
This book came out at such an incredible time. It's a story of the power of women - as most books are by Benjamin. It demonstrates the power that women could claim for themselves, but also the imbalance of power that was/is prevalent within the industry.  I personally didn't know much about the beginnings of Hollywood and to see it here, through the eyes of some of the most influential women in the industry, delighted me. I had no idea the female collaboration behind the beginning of the movies. The friendship and power between Marion and Pickford was refreshing and enjoyable to read.

Benjamin poured herself into this book. She meticulously researched the topic and brought her usual depth to all characters involved. She created a world I didn't want to leave and this book was almost impossible to put down. 

This is a definite must-read for anyone who loves the movie business and seeing how it developed, from the evolution from flickers to talkies, to seeing the rise of some of the studios we know today. There were also appearances by the likes of Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplain. This was a novel steeped in detail that brought true color to the era of back and white movies.

I can't recommend this book enough. I've put it down to be read for book club and have told so many friends that if you could only read one historical novel from 2018 it really needs to be this one!

By the Book



By the BookBy the Book


My Thoughts:
Persuasion by Jane Austen is my favorite of all of her books. (I know there aren't a lot, but the competition is steep) So I love to find re-tellings of that particular story. This one most definitely didn't disappoint. Located in the Ivory Towers of academia and with characters that lend themselves close to readers hearts I read this in one sitting. Should I have been doing other things such as laundry, homework and housework...yes, but as most readers understand, the book was just too good.

I loved Larry, Anne's dear friend who also was facing love troubles of their own. As I was reading all I could think of was Peter MacNicol from his time in numbers. The dedicated professor with a few little quirks. I'm not sure if that's who Sonneborn was thinking of when she wrote him, but I found him to be endearing - even with his clandestine affair.
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I think this is a book that I will return to again. It's hard to bring Austin to the modern day without being overly sappy, and I think that this was one of those stories. It's a great feel good book - you know the end from the beginning (at least you do if you read the original story) and it carries a sweetness that was a perfect way to spend a Saturday.

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Friday, July 13, 2018

Keturah

Keturah (The Sugar Baron's Daughters, #1)Keturah
By: Lisa Tawn Bergren
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father's estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

Although it flies against all the conventions for women of the time, they're determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, proper gender roles are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined--and that's just the start of 
what their eyes are opened to in this unfamiliar world. 

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives. 

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book well enough and read it in 3 sittings. I haven't been able to read a lot since starting my MBA program so it has been fun to get back to something that offered the familiarity found in the plot lines of Christian Historical Romance yet the difference of the time and place of 1700 Caribbean.  

Keturah is a woman who is battered from her abusive marriage with her now deceased husband (a question I have is how did he die? and did she maybe help with that? That would have been cool to explore.) I did appreciate her strength and ability to rise to the occasion when her sisters needed her to. While stilted at times, she felt like an independent woman who was intent on trying to fix her own problems rather than sit back and let others take over.  But at the same time she seemed to switch back and forth so quickly between being an independent woman who don't need no man to "oh my goodness he's so handsome!"  I felt like that made her more shallow that intended.

I also appreciated the bonds of sisterhood between Ket, Verity and Selah. They were the things that rang the most true to me throughout the novel.

Overall, while this was a fun beach side read, it felt shallow.  There were a lot of darker themes here that could have been explored. The ability to overcome abuse, the complexities of slavery in the 1770s and trying to reconcile with Christian beliefs, inherent sexism of the times. So many ways this could have gone deeper with an emotional payoff that almost was there but never seemed to come to fruition.

It was good enough for what it was, and if I see the sequels in the library I will probably snag them, but this wasn't something that was overly memorable for me.



Tuesday, May 1, 2018

The Draper's Daughter


The Draper's DaughterThe Draper's Daughter


By: Ellin Carsta
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars

Summary:
Cologne, 1351: Elisabeth and Stephen Hardenstein are twins, but they could not be more different. While Elisabeth is inspired by the family business, absorbing everything her father shows her about the cloth trade, Stephen enjoys a leisurely life and pays little attention to their father’s teachings. Elisabeth recognizes her true vocation as a tradeswoman, and though the odds are stacked against her, she pursues her passion.
When the twins’ father suffers a tragic stroke, the tables turn. Suddenly Stephen is interested in running the draper’s shop his father left behind, and he takes the lead in managing the family business. But Elisabeth can’t sit idly by and watch as he makes bad decisions and accumulates debts. Stephen pushes her to marry as soon as possible, even proposing a suitor, but Elisabeth has her own ideas about matters of the heart. Are her talents in the art of negotiation enough to win her both the job of her dreams and the man she truly loves?
My Thoughts:
I just finished this amazing novel and am on a total girl power high! This isn't the first German novel translated into English I have read, and each time I do it makes me want to learn to at least read the language even more. I love German novels and story telling.

Carsta does a great job of pulling me into 1300's Germany - the details of the terrible pogroms, the plague that still goes around, the medieval views of depression and women's place - they all combine to set the tone for Carsta's story in Cologne. Elizabeth is amazing. She is strong, she is kind, she tries over and over and keeps getting set back. (I feel sorry for my coworkers as they watch me read. They could tell there were times when I just wanted to yell at Elizabeth "Don't do the thing, that is a bad thing, don't do the thing!" But they are great sports and only teased me about it a little bit.) She deals with misogyny, with slut-shaming, with actual physical assault to her person, but she comes through. She comes through wiser for it. I want to be Elizabeth when I grow up.

Another point I loved - the interplay between Christian and Jew, especially in a business setting was great to see. We are in a world of rising tensions between any groups who are viewed as "other" and more often need to emphasize there is more that pulls us together than tears us apart. This was true between business women centuries ago and it is true between all of us today. Part of me wishes that more was spent in their relationship (and maybe there was in the German version...I really need to learn to read this language!) but I am content with the glimpse that we got.

The only bit that I wish was different **Spoilers, click and highlight between the asterisks to read** was that she ended up with her Notary at the end of the novel. Let her stick with her mantra of looking to the future rather than pining for the past. She could have continued on with her business, known that she would always have amazing contracts (typically skewed to her favor) and a husband who was her business equal. I would have loved to have that move forward rather than going back to Raphael her girlhood love. ***Spoilers over

All in all I love it. I think this is a book I could come back to - it's definitely one I have on my "to read in German when I learn how" shelf and I will be finding more to read from this author. Also, something practical I took away from this - get things in writing, always get things in writing. Anyway, go give it a try, I bet you'll enjoy it.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Hour 20

I'm losing steam, I'm not going to lie, I don't think I am going to make it through this year.

My brother will be speaking in church tomorrow...today at 9 AM and I'm not sure if I can stay awake for it...

I will see if I can get another hour out of it.

Just finished Cloaked by Alex Flinn, now I'm looking around to figure out what I want my next book to be. When it comes to my TBR list it's obnoxiously long, impossibly long. So when it comes to Readathon days I simply surround myself with too many books so that no matter what mood I'm in I will find something that I want to read.

I'll let you know once I figure out my next bit of reading :)

read stop motion GIF by A. L. Crego
So many books to choose from! And they all are calling my name!


Heading into hour 17

So this Readathon is killing me this year. I'm exhausted and have fallen asleep more than a few times. But I have liked my choices thus far.
1. The Five Daughters of the Moon by Leena Likitalo - It was one that intreagued me for a long time, sadly I just wasn't feeling it. Quick read, and I bet in a different mood it might strike my fancy.

2. Willpower Doesn't Work by Benjamin Hardy - loved it, might have been the wrong day for this one...I gotta admit all I wanted to do for a while was clean my room, through out all of my extra accumulation of things and stop reading...

WHICH I DID NOT DO! It is Readathon day! We must hold strong! We are going to keep going!

keep going dragons' den GIF by CBC

3. The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Kalssen - This one killed me. Persuasion is the best of Austen's novels - I will fight you over this and I will win because it is simply the best one hands down no battle. So any book that references or builds off of that amazing piece of literature makes me happy and I instantly find swoon worthy. Gah, it's the best and deserves it's full review at a later date.

For Now, back to the Readathon!

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I'm back? Maybe

 I honestly don't think people are reading this - and I'm really only wanting to do this to try and 1) add some order to my life and...