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dearrivarie

Hi friends! I've been in a tiny reading slump recently and haven't really known what to post, but I have the wonderful opportunity of spotlighting some authors and their works! 

50001299. sx318 sy475 First off, we have one of my favorite authors of all time - Amy Harmon! She has a new novel that's releasing today called Where the Lost Wander. 
In this epic and haunting love story set on the Oregon Trail, a family and their unlikely protector find their way through peril, uncertainty, and loss.
The Overland Trail, 1853: Naomi May never expected to be widowed at twenty. Eager to leave her grief behind, she sets off with her family for a life out West. On the trail, she forms an instant connection with John Lowry, a half-Pawnee man straddling two worlds and a stranger in both.
But life in a wagon train is fraught with hardship, fear, and death. Even as John and Naomi are drawn to each other, the trials of the journey and their disparate pasts work to keep them apart. John’s heritage gains them safe passage through hostile territory only to come between them as they seek to build a life together.
When a horrific tragedy strikes, decimating Naomi’s family and separating her from John, the promises they made are all they have left. Ripped apart, they can’t turn back, they can’t go on, and they can’t let go. Both will have to make terrible sacrifices to find each other, save each other, and eventually…make peace with who they are.

   

I adored Amy Harmon's previous historical fiction works and I'm sure this one will be no different so I'm super excited to pick it up! Since I haven't read this yet, I thought it'd be fun to make a prediction mood board of some pictures that give me Where the Lost Wander vibes - then once I get to read the story, I can compare my initial ideas and make an updated one.


The covers and teaser quotes give me lots of mist-covered landscape vibes which both highlight the mystery and unknown that come with trekking across the uncharted territory. If this sounds like something you'd love - don't forget to pick it up today!!

My next spotlight goes to author Craig Herdern, author of Palimpsest - a multiverse story that follows Lucinda Soames-Parker as she gets caught up in a drug trial with doppelganger universes and the worst of humankind. He was kind enough to share some of his experiences as a writer and working on the MSD series. 
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It is true that I came to writing late in life – and though I have always made up stories – I had just never thought of writing them down until I was laid off from work five years ago.

I wrote the prologue over a coffee in a café. A freak/stupid accident had stymied my intention to get a new keyboard - I had somehow managed to snap a tendon in my finger – a story for another time – and was reduced to using one hand on my mobile…

The prologue I came up with just created the blank canvas – I had no idea where it would lead. Since I started writing, I just follow the story, and am not committed to any specific genre. I do have a weakness for Sci-fi and Thriller though. The former comes from books read as a kid, the latter from later…

I could spend time talking about the books in general, but I would rather, in this guess post, focus on just a few of the chapters that involve someone struggling with a specific disability.

First, some basics: The MDS series covers the possible implications of humans accessing dimensions that go beyond the four that we inhabit naturally. Up/Down, side to side, back and forward and time. The latter we cannot control, the first three we can.

The central character is thrown into a situation where they have to deal with the extraordinary implications of inadvertently accessing the Multiverse highway – the route to the infinite universes that coexist with our own. She is introduced to unfamiliar and familiar individuals, possessing potent abilities, their malicious objectives, and the implications of accessing this reality. The story is, of course, fiction, but where possible, I attempt to include aspects that are not.

Two of the chapters in Palimpsest focus on a character that, by ill-advised actions, has developed Multiple Sclerosis. Writing these was unusual, as being a fiction writer, I am used to covering areas that I do not necessarily have personal experience of. For some of the sufferings described by the character in this case – Geraldine – I do. I have lived with MS for over thirty years, and so when writing some of her struggles, it was very real to me… Fortunately, I have always been supported by my family, whereas Geraldine has not. Also, I am fortunate not to have a psychopathic sister…

In Winter, the story develops further into the realms of the true implications of the multiverse. In this novel, further characters, histories, and timelines are introduced, covering just four
universes, each with their own objectives. Many revelations and tragedies ensue. This story will be further developed in book three.

My current WIP is the first in a different series – the Caretaker Chronicles – which is scheduled for release next year. This will appeal to those with an interest in alien intervention, with a twist.
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Check out the first two novels in his Multi-Dimensional Series -Palimpsest and Winter on Amazon today! 

That's all I have for today! I'm really hoping to finish at least another book before the end of April and put up one more review, but this random slump came out of nowhere 
(and all I want to do is scroll through bunny photos). 

Hope your week is off to a more fantastic start than mine! ❤️
8:00 AM 2 Comments
Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the stunningly beautiful instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them, they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.


In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.

isbn: 978-1501132872 | pages: 530
publication date: May 6, 2014 | source: own
genre: historical fiction
beauty in the simplicity 
All the Light We Cannot See is a story that is timeless in both its delivery and its structure. The writing isn't extravagant or lyrical, but it somehow manages to capture the everyday lives of all the characters. The writing style manages to act like a camera by capturing snapshots of both the familiar routines and unfamiliar interruptions from the war, providing a sense of nostalgic reflection that permeates the reading experience. 

It's definitely not a fast read, but it feels incredibly personal and that gives the story its own unique intrigue. I ended up staying up until one in the morning because I got so emotionally invested in what was going on that I couldn't risk putting the story down. 

the myths and the reality
The museum's most valuable jewel is this mythical stone called the Sea of Flames - fabled to give the owner immortal life at the cost of those around them. I loved how the mysticism around the jewel didn't overpower the story but posed to be a supporting element that drove the plot forward. The Sea of Flames is both an item that offers hope as well as a lot of frustration and panic. It almost helped to shine a spotlight on the different sides of human nature, particularly greed and selflessness - effectively demonstrating that while war brings out the worst in people, there are also acts of honor and love that should be remembered.

the story of human lives
Throughout the novel, we primarily follow Marie-Laure and Werner's lives as children growing up in the backdrop of war. Their individual timelines are so fascinating to read about with Marie-Laure's highlighting the beautiful bonds of family and finding wonder in the world around you and with Werner as a talented youth drafted to work for Hitler's conquest. I love both of them so much because their characters allow readers to see the effects of World War II on the loss of youth through a different perspective that focuses on an early maturity rather than a destruction of innocence.

My personal favorite takeaway from this overall is the resounding message of finding the beauty in the world despite the current circumstances - a fitting theme in light of what's going on globally. There is something precious about the everyday experience that deserves to be appreciated and treasured because no matter how repetitive it may seem, there is always something unique that happens.
10:03 PM 2 Comments
Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. 
They will live forever. 

Jude Duarte was seven years old when she was stolen with her sisters to live in the High Court of Faerie and her parents were murdered. As she grows up surrounded by the luxury and tricks of the fae-folk, she wants nothing more than to hide evidence of her mortality and become one of them. To win a place at the Court, Jude has to immerse herself in the deceptions and bloodshed that come with the high-stake politics in order to prove her worth - even if that means making bargains with those she most despises. 
(linked to Goodreads page)
Formats read: Ebook/Audiobook

addicting plot
I have put this series off for so long but once I started, I could not stop. Holly Black crafts a very addicting story that once you become invested, you just have to keep reading. My favorite has to be The Wicked King simply because the stakes were so high throughout. My qualms that I had with the plot and characters from The Cruel Prince began to be resolved in the sequel and propelled me forward to continue to the finale. 

There are a lot of elements that could have been improved with pacing throughout the overall trilogy, which I think is the general consensus for many people. The Queen of Nothing has a lot of major events happen in a very short amount of pages. As a result, the ending can come off feeling anti-climatic and rushed. Personally, I was too overwhelmed by what was happening to really register that while reading, but looking back I can definitely see where some scenes could use more development.

dimension and depth
When it comes to characters, Holly Black did an incredible job with changing my perspective on the different leads. I did not care for either Jude or Cardan in the first book, frankly, I didn't care for anyone which was a big turnoff since I'm a pretty character-motivated reader. However, when I switched to audio for The Wicked King, I began to enjoy reading from Jude's perspective and observing her character grow and become more fleshed out.

One really interesting element of the cast is how they're all pretty horrible to some extent (minus Oak cause he's innocent and a sweetheart). Each character displays and embodies self-preservation in very interesting ways that usually come to light in the form of pride and ambition. With this comes different lines of morality that are continuously crossed until no character can quite call themselves "good." 

However, this gives each character so much dimension and depth. You don't have to love any of the characters, but at the end you have to admit that they were very interesting people to read about (the main cast as least). As for Jude and Cardan, I still think they're horrible, but at least they're horrible together? 

final thoughts
Needless to say, I do think the audiobooks saved this series for me. The narrator, Caitlin Kelly, did a wonderful job bringing the story to life in a way that got me invested in the plot. This series isn't perfect and I'm actually really interested to finally go around and read some other reviews because of how polarizing people's opinions are. It was definitely a fun reading experience and while not my favorite, I enjoyed following the story from start to finish.

Have you read The Folk of the Air series? Who's your favorite character? 
2:07 PM 4 Comments
Next week marks the start of week number 5 of social distancing and I'm starting to experience the restlessness that comes with feeling unsatisfied by my recent accomplishments. Since I've been home, I've settled into a pretty low-energy routine that consists of waking up, doing my homework, and attending Zoom conferences for my student teaching practicum. I have also been trying to re-explore different favorite pastimes such as reading, blogging, journaling, and watching new kdramas that are currently airing.

As I slowly venture back onto the bookish sphere of social media, my mind has been reflecting a lot on my own contributions to the community that I have participated in for so many years. In short, I came to the realization that I love reading and watching other people's book reviews as well as creating my own, but I don't feel proud or satisfied with the end results. 

I spent a good couple of hours last night trying to formulate what exactly I felt was missing from my reviews - what I thought was making them sub-par in my mind. Essentially, I think there are two overarching umbrellas when it comes to reviews: emotional reactions and critical analysis. Personal preferences will swing towards one side of this pendulum or the other and of course, the "perfect review" is always subjective to the reader.

From the writer's perspective, my reviews have always swung more towards having an emotion-based foundation. I'm terrible when it comes to remembering details about books and so I find myself including moments that have triggered an emotional response during the reading process. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, I can't help but feel like I haven't encapsulated everything I want to say about a book if I just talk about the feels.

I went through and read a couple reviews for books that have recently climbed onto my favorites list and for most of them, was left feeling like my thoughts were incomplete. This entire post, for which I spent too long agonizing over every single word being written, is basically to say that I want to work on writing better reviews that I can feel proud of. Hopefully, since we have more time on our hands, I can finally cut down on my massive TBR pile and practice finding a better sense of what my "review voice" is. 

What do you typically look for in a review and who are some of your favorite reviewers?

7:50 PM 2 Comments
Happy April everyone! March was quite a tumultuous month for the world and I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe. It's been rough transitioning onto online learning especially from a student teaching perspective, but I am grateful for the internet and for the adaptations we can make.
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wicked as you wish by rin chupeco - 3.5 stars
a magical firebird and the return of a king
This story feels both new and incredibly familiar at the same time. Rin Chupeco brings together so many fairytale favorites with a new quest for Avalon. The thing that really shines here is her ability to create characters that feel like family even if you just met them a couple of pages ago. I also adore Tala's family and would like to sign up for their family gatherings please, thank you.
R E V I E W
I N T E R V I E W    W/     R I N    C H U P E C O

the wicked king by holly black - 3.5 stars
Cardan and Jude go at each other and lots of backstabbing happens
The decision to audiobook this was the best thing I could've done for this series. I don't know if it's the narrator or some faerie magic but I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I expected. The political schemes were intriguing, the desperate grabs of power kept me on the edge of my seat - and I somehow am starting to join the Jude/Cardan ship. Seriously, what is happening?

harley in the sky by akemi dawn bowman - 4 stars
flying across the circus colored skies
This is probably my favorite book that I read this month because I still cannot get it out of my mind. Akemi Dawn Bowman takes family, passion, identity and just throws them together in a backdrop of a circus. It's beautifully written and full of moments that just resonated so much with me. 10/10 would recommend for this quarantine season.

the kingdom of back by marie lu - 3.5 stars
fantasy and classical music from a different Mozart pov
I didn't think I'd actually sympathize with Mozart after spending hours cursing his name in a practice room, but this story is both wholesome and powerful. By following Mozart's equally talented but lesser-known sister, it gives a different spin on the harsh world of classical music with a touch of a fantastical kingdom of faeries and underwater queens.
R E V I E W

anna k by jenny lee - 3 stars
rich NYC kids take on Leo Tolstoy 
Honestly, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I loved Anna Karenina but was still wary going into Anna K because it seemed to be so out of my usual comfort zone. I do think, in a different time and place I would have DNF'd this book - the excessive partying and double standards just aren't my thing. However, with that said, Jenny Lee does a fantastic job addressing these skewed standards and how toxic they are so I'm still glad I ended up finishing the story.

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(I promise I'll actually get to Ruthless Gods this month...)

March just keeps throwing curveballs and it's difficult to stay afloat of it all. The constant bombardment of news doesn't help either, but it's heartening to see people still sharing bits of positivity where they can. I hope everyone's well as the world continues to battle this pandemic and soon there will be sunny skies again. ðŸ™‚

9:19 AM 6 Comments
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DearRivarie

DearRivarie
Hi there! My name is Rivalie (Riv for short). Welcome to my blog where I share book reviews, discussions, and more fun things! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic day! 🌸

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