reading
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Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking
I had a full volume edition of the Trylle trilogy sitting on my TBR shelf for years. A beautiful and thick volume, I really don’t know why it took me so long to dive in. When I finally got to reading the book, I devoured all three installments! In the trilogy, we follow Wendy Everly. In… Continue reading
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Guest Post: An Author’s Thoughts on Labels in Literature
People often ask me why I became a writer, and the answer is actually quite simple: I’ve been in love with stories all my life. And that love began with reading. I became enthralled by stories at a very young age. Ballerina Bess and Dr. Suess were my first loves. I’d listen with rapt attention… Continue reading
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Review: Alice in Zombieland
I had never pictured Alice—the Alice we know and love—as a really tough girl. She was brave, certainly, but not tough. In Alice in Zombieland, Gena Showalter takes a beloved classic, making it intense and disturbing. Alice Bell’s father lives in a state of paranoia. For years she’s tolerated his claim that monsters exist. He stays up all night, keeping watch… Continue reading
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Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Find on Goodreads In Dorothy Must Die, the heroes from your childhood are villains. It was a delicious feast for my imagination, each page rich with descriptions of a place that–despite its darkness and corruption–I really wanted to visit. Amy Gumm stole my heart and loyalty from the beginning. Her mother is so self-centered, so broken, she doesn’t… Continue reading
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Advice for the Struggling Novelist
Sometimes it’s hard to write–oh, fine. It’s always hard to write. We lack motivation, ideas, or support from fellow writers; when that happens, it’s tempting to draw a blank and give up. That’s when we need pep talks to motivate us; it hurts when our passion becomes a challenge. I’m sure you’ve asked at some point in a… Continue reading
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Review: Off the Page by Jodi Picoult
I probably should have waited before reading Off the Page; I only learned after devouring half the book that it was a sequel, and I was missing out on a great deal of the story. Fortunately, this fact didn’t keep me from enjoying the book; I finished it in love with the characters and settings. Off the Page chronicles… Continue reading
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3 Reasons I Read Classic Novels
A few people who’ve read Dissonance this year claimed to enjoy my writing style. Some have asked how I manage eloquent prose. When posed with that question, my first instinct is to argue (“It’s not that great!”) My second is to urge people to read classical literature, because it makes noticeable changes in your style. If my writing is eloquent,… Continue reading
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5 Reasons I Forget to Blog
It seems every other week I’m publishing an excuse about why I was absent the week before. I’ve decided never to do that again; instead, here’s an open letter explaining why you can go days without hearing from me, even after I make my fifteenth promise never to slack off on blogging again. 1 – The… Continue reading
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Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Even a book can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and when that happens, you blame the hands, but you also read the book. ― Erika Johansen, The Queen of the Tearling The Queen of the Tearling is gripping, with beautiful writing and bold characters forming a powerful story. At nineteen years old, Princess Kelsea already faces battles. Her… Continue reading
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Bookworms Don’t Run Out of Adventures
It’s so easy to get caught up in the writing and reading. It’s easy to forget that life is a story; it deserves to be chronicled. I used to be so good at keeping a journal. I don’t know why my enthusiasm in journal writing faded; maybe I have too many journals and not enough drive… Continue reading
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Review: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure
Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing… Continue reading
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New Release: Bloodline Inheritance by Lindsey Sablowski
Not long ago I participated in a cover reveal for Bloodline Inheritance by Lindsey Sablowski, and wrote a review on the first book of her series, Cursed With Power. Cursed With Power was an engaging read with a fantastic setting and realistic characters. Now I am glad to announce that the final book of the Dark Magicians series is… Continue reading
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 