tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34789025708651632022024-02-18T21:10:21.070-08:00The Bengali NomadI mostly blog about my life now. Think of it as an online journal of sorts. Enjoy!dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-76137544951793213722018-02-15T09:01:00.000-08:002018-02-28T17:15:13.371-08:00Book Review + Giveaway! (U.S. only) The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani Dasgupta<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;">Title: </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Serpent's Secret</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: bold;">Author: </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sayantani Dasgupta</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Publication:</b></span><b style="color: #0b5394;"> </b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">February 27, 2018 by Scholastic Press</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b style="color: #0b5394;">Purchase details:</b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Scholastic Press for Review</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Get your own copy!:</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">MEET KIRANMALA: INTERDIMENSIONAL DEMON SLAYER</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Before I begin this review, I’d like to personally thank the author. I grew up reading fantasy and adventure novels that mainly featured white/western protagonists. Sure, I did enjoy the occasional dose of</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6aa84f; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meena_(character)" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: magenta;">Meena Raju</span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6aa84f; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ,</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thakurmar_Jhuli" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: magenta;">Thakurmar Jhuli</span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6aa84f; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #e69138;">and</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6aa84f; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopal_Bhar" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: magenta;">Gopal Bhar</span></span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">, </span><span style="color: #e69138;">but none of them sported characters whose world I could actually step into. Back then, my mind was far too young to see this as an issue, so I just stuck to role playing characters like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Reading The Serpent’s Secret brought back all those memories. Despite being a 21 year old, Kiranmala still allowed me to become a part of her adventures. For the first time, I thought that maybe my culture's folktales were decent after all. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that tuntuni, pakkhiraj and rakkhosh could ever aspire to rise to the ranks of mythical creatures like satyrs, dragons and griffins. So for all this and more, thank you, Sayantani Dasgupta. Thank you for giving me a book that makes me look forward to my nephew reading it by himself in a couple of years. Also, thank you for allowing me to dream of the</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span><span style="color: magenta;">#Neelkamala</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span><span style="color: #e69138;">fandom. I really hope that this book does well in stores. </span></span></i></span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The Bengali Nomad's Rant</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Onto the more serious review. The Serpent’s Secret is a middle-grade fantasy adventure story. It is also an immigrant story, of a Bengali(Indian)-American girl trying to fit in between two cultures. I've only been living in the U.S. for three years, and even I have an identity crisis every now and then. Therefore I can’t imagine what this would be like for someone having cope with balancing two cultures throughout her life. And as a heroine in her pre-teens, Kiranmala portrays this common dilemma reasonably well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Furthermore, gone are the days where the phrase “prince charming” is only synonymous with the image of a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes. In Kiranmala’s story, a prince charming can also be a desi boy in a silk turban. I know I’ve mentioned this before but may I just mention one more time about HOW MUCH I wish I had this book during my early teens? Back when I thought that I’d outgrown tales of Rakkhoshes and tuntuni? Even if one is unfamiliar with Bengal’s folktales and culture, I really hope that they pick up The Serpent’s Secret and (more importantly) enjoy it because this book is a vivid renovation of my childhood tales. Also, the end of the book contains some detailed information on the sources of these folklore characters (so that no one is left in the dark regarding the context behind the story-building).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Kiranmala is a strong and feisty female lead whom I couldn’t be more proud of. But the attraction she feels towards the princes shows that a strong personality doesn’t condemn feeling attraction towards the opposite gender. One does not have to cancel out the other. This, for me was a very important aspect of the story. Considering the target audience, the concept of desiring another was well incorporated into a fun and adventurous plot.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6aa84f; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Serpent’s Secret also contains some good humor to please its readers. From references like ridiculous desi ads to common American middle-schooler dilemmas, its humor creates a bridge between two cultures. Here are some of my favourites </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">(Please note: Quotes taken from an Advanced Copy and may slightly vary in the final copy of the book)</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #6aa84f; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On poking fun at government repulsion of undocumented immigrants:</span></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Those upstanding royalty, citizens, animals, and demons holding papers (this way)</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> While the second said:</span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All the rest of you good for nothing undocumented scoundrels (this way)</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">”</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">On poking fun at desi commercials:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Lazy? A slowpoke? Running from a rakkhosh? Try Mr. Madan Mohan's motivational motion device! (PATENT PENDING) </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also, did I mention how much the occasional </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Hau!! Mau!! Khau!!”</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> made me smile? Back when I was a child baba (my father) would come home from work and yell </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Hau!! Mau!! Khau!! Manusher gondho pau!!”</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> in a scary voice and this would make me squeal in delight! </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Hau!! Mau!! Khau!!”</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> has no particular meaning; it is considered to be the scary sound that a rakkhosh makes. </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“Manusher gondho pau!!”</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> on the other hand, means that </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">“I smell human flesh!!”</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> So basically, it’s a typical rakkhosh punchline. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Final verdict: This is an amazing story: it is well written and has some fascinating world building in it. And hopefully once it's out, it will generate a new fandom. I am counting on everyone who reads this book to convert into an avid </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">#Neelkamala</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> , the details of which you’ll have to find out **by reading the book**. Once you’ve read it (or if you already have), hop onto twitter and tweet me all your </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">#Neelkamala</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> woes </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">@1102Daydreaming</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">. Till then: Happy reading! And may you steer clear of any serpents (or as we bengalis call it: ojogor shaap) !</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;">The Bengali Nomad's Rating:</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span><span style="color: orange;">5/5 Palanquins</span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">GIVEAWAY!</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scholastic has offered to give away a finished copy of The Serpent's Secret to ONE lucky winner! You can also enter if you're based in Bangladesh, because I can bring it back for you! Giveaway ends on March 8th. Good luck! Enter using the rafflecopter widget below. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Terms and conditions:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">- You must be at least 18 or have parents' permission </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">- I am not responsible for any shipping or handling damage, as the book will be mailed by Scholastic </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Cheating disqualifies entries (I do check!)</span></div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="3170480a44" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3170480a44/" id="rcwidget_50q9p5cd" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">a Rafflecopter giveaway</span></a>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com6Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-84204974543202671332018-02-11T02:28:00.000-08:002018-02-28T15:12:07.196-08:00The Bengali Nomad vs. The Book Blogging World: 411 on physical review copies and ARCs (the South Asian version, at least)<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">** If you found this post useful please follow and share because a lot of work goes into these posts. For fun book haul/ARC photos visit </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebengalinomad/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TheBengaliNomad</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on instagram. More followers will encourage me to do giveaways!**</span></b></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Rock Salt";"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;">The Bengali Nomad's Rant</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-d38a2e10-8454-12ea-4dac-f6d0266beabd" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">First of all, I initially started blogging in 2012, and took a long hiatus between 2014-2017? Ish, relocating to the US (for educational purposes) in between. Therefore some of the publicity contacts I have provided here may not be valid. But if such a problem occurs, you are more than welcome to leave a comment on this post and I would be more than willing to help you out. Regardless, I will still provide details on finding the right contact.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Let us start with the basics. What are review copies/ ARCs? Well, if you are a book blogger/bookstagrammer/booktuber or any person actively involved in book publicity, then chances are that you might be eligible to receive review copies of books from either authors or publishers (in most cases). Review copies can either be finished copies or Advanced Reader Copies/Galleys (abbrev. : ARCs). ARCs are copies that are released about a few months (sometimes even a year) before the actual publication date, with the sole purpose of generating buzz about the book before its release. As someone involved in book media, I consider receiving review copies a huge honor and you should as well. Publishers are spending money to send these books out. And if they decide to send you a review copy, then it means that they consider you to be a credible source for feedback. But back to the point. The difference between receiving a finished copy and an ARC for review is that with a finished copy, you are allowed to sell it if you want. Since an ARC/galley is a pre-publication copy, you are not allowed to sell it. Because that would mean destroying the credibility that you’ve worked so hard to earn. Frankly speaking, I’ve never sold review copies. I gave them away because giveaways generally help with promoting books (which was the initial reason behind me receiving the copy).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Moving on from the ethical aspects </span><span style="color: magenta;">(DON’T YOU DARE SKIP OVER THEM)</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">, here is how you can receive review copies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Digital versions:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The most popular websites for requesting digital galleys are </span><a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Netgalley</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a href="https://www.edelweiss.plus/#dashboard" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Edelweiss</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I have never done it but I think that you can also request for physical copies from Edelweiss. I rarely use Edelweiss though. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Physical copies:</span></b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now there are a number of ways to score physical review books/ ARCs, aside from asking the publisher. I will list all of them down (at least, all that I can remember) here. If you’ve got extra sources that could help with this list, please let me know. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>a) Requesting directly from publishers (and sometimes authors):</b> </span></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now it is more professional for you to request from publishers, as authors only receive a limited number of copies. But sometimes an author might just be willing to send you the book, so it never hurts to ask. But remember, publishers are always your first source. It is always intimidating to write an email to a publisher, but trust me, these people are super friendly. Don’t be disheartened if they say that they can’t send you a copy, sometimes they just have a limited number in store. Keep trying and eventually you’ll receive a response! Now in terms of what a publisher is looking for, here is what I have for now:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1-6 months min. of blogging/bookstagramming/booktubing experience. When I first started out (back in 2012) they cared more about the number of followers but I think that these days it’s mostly about regular page views. The follower count might be important for bookstagrams though (I just started mine: thebengalinomad either in Jan. or Feb. so I am still new to this arena). </span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Consistency.</span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Being able to post/share your review on multiple platforms. The more outreach you have, the better.</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Also one other thing, some publishers may not respond to your email but may still send you a review copy. That has happened to me several times. Other publishers might have a blogger mailing list (a form) that you would have to fill out to be in the system. It’s always good to do your research about these things. I’d always recommend people to check for mailing list forms before directly emailing the publishers. Or wait for a response for about a week and then go on a mailing list hunt. Either way works. So a list of publicity contacts that had worked for me (back when I was based in Bangladesh):</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: magenta; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Abrams and Chronicle Books: </span><a href="mailto:publicity@abramsandchronicle.co.uk" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">publicity@abramsandchronicle.co.uk</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">HarperCollins: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">marketing@harpercollins-india.com </span><span style="color: magenta;">; </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Penguin Random House UK: </span><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/media/media-contacts/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/media/media-contacts/</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This link contains a bunch of contacts separated by imprints.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Penguin Random House India: </span><a href="mailto:PRH_Publicity@penguinrandomhouse.in" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PRH_Publicity@penguinrandomhouse.in</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scholastic: </span><a href="mailto:publicity@scholastic.co.uk" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">publicity@scholastic.co.uk</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">HMH Teen: </span><a href="http://hmhteen.com/ARC_request" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://hmhteen.com/ARC_request</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Macmillan: </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://us.macmillan.com/about/contact" target="_blank">http://us.macmillan.com/about/contact</a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Bloomsbury: </span></span><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><u>marketing.temp-in@bloomsbury.com</u></span></span> </span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sourcebooks: <a href="mailto:publicity@sourcebooks.com">publicity@sourcebooks.com</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Now this a very old list. Since I am used to emailing the US publicities now, I haven’t actually used these in a while. BUT, should you find yourself in a situation where you really want to request a review copy of a book but don’t know who to contact: go to the author’s website. Find their publicist’s email in the contact section. That’s the best way to go about it. Or just shoot the author/publicist at hand an email asking them about the book’s rights in Asia/South Asia and whether they can help with connecting you to someone. You will be surprised at how helpful people are. You can usually find the UK/International publishers by going to the book’s Goodreads page and checking out the other editions. But by general rule of thumb, it’s usually the UK/India branches that have rights to Bangladesh (South Asia). Contacting the UK publisher first is a better decision, as the Indian counterpart may take awhile to receive rights/review copies. (I know, publishing rights are weird).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>b) Shelf awareness:</b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-weight: 400;"> Shelf awareness is basically like a goldmine. You can sign up for their newsletter by going to this </span></span><a href="http://www.shelf-awareness.com/" style="color: #6aa84f; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">link</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6aa84f; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and entering your email in the subscription box to the right. The blinking ads on each issue (sign up for both the Reader and Book Trade newsletters) are mostly links to forms which allow you to sign up to receive books/ ARCs. Some of these are giveaways, where others are actual ARC request forms. While this website is mostly US based, I still managed to receive a decent number of books back in Bangladesh. In fact, I received one of my most anticipated HarperTeen ARCs in the past from a Shelf Awareness newsletter. Trust me, it’s a good source to utilize. And NEVER be disheartened when you don’t receive a book. I used to send out TONS of emails back in the day. I even kept a list of the books I wanted(still do), along with their respective publishers. It’s a good list to have. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: large; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>c) Participate in giveaways! :</b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-weight: 400;"> Bloggers do giveaways ALL THE TIME! Including myself. So always keep an eye out for those. The odds are never too low. I myself have won several giveaways myself. HINT: This might be a good reason for you to follow my blog (if you’re on a mobile device, scroll all the way down and go to web version ; then on the right, follow by Google+ and subscribe via email in the subscription box) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">d) If you’re based in Bangladesh, you can always join my </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/903253996495950/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ARC Circulation Group</span></a></b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>. </b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-weight: 400;">All I require is that you at least have a Goodreads account and that you post a review there as well as on any other social media platforms/blogs that you have. And be punctual with passing on the ARC. And of course, take good care of the book.</span></span></span></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com1Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-11299838731886577802018-02-07T12:20:00.001-08:002018-02-15T12:04:41.276-08:00Book Birthday Celebration at The Bengali Nomad: Shadowsong by S. Jae Jones (READ AN EXCERPT!!)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY SHADOWSONG AND S.JAE JONES!!!</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQtEek0m83VhFsz-5TaBrRXWUXb7Hzu9pkQOQN0z3naGGDcF4ZilGtCzL_IBOTm3Zfx8kpNVrWh62hboCqkEWQ_FHwLfoS3z0txjZCYjVXN_0iwm3Jk8Z_n-ftDnJWBeqRWh_FqNmrUIO/s1600/Shadowsong_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b></b></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQtEek0m83VhFsz-5TaBrRXWUXb7Hzu9pkQOQN0z3naGGDcF4ZilGtCzL_IBOTm3Zfx8kpNVrWh62hboCqkEWQ_FHwLfoS3z0txjZCYjVXN_0iwm3Jk8Z_n-ftDnJWBeqRWh_FqNmrUIO/s1600/Shadowsong_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1092" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQtEek0m83VhFsz-5TaBrRXWUXb7Hzu9pkQOQN0z3naGGDcF4ZilGtCzL_IBOTm3Zfx8kpNVrWh62hboCqkEWQ_FHwLfoS3z0txjZCYjVXN_0iwm3Jk8Z_n-ftDnJWBeqRWh_FqNmrUIO/s400/Shadowsong_cover.jpg" width="271" /></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Synopsis:</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: white;">Six months after the end of </span><i style="background-color: white;">Wintersong</i><span style="background-color: white;">, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: white;">When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands?</span> </span></span><br />
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<b style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;">About S. Jae Jones (taken from Goodreads): </span></span></b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">S. Jae-Jones, called JJ, is an artist, an adrenaline junkie, and the NYT bestselling author of </span><em style="background-color: white;">Wintersong</em><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, she lived in New York City for ten years before relocating down to Dixie, where she is comfortably growing fat on grits and barbecue. When not writing, she can be found rock-climbing, skydiving, taking photographs, drawing pictures, and dragging her dog on ridiculously long hikes.</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Rock Salt";"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;">The Bengali Nomad's Rant</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">S. Jae Jones' Wintersong had been one of my favourite YA novels from last year. And it's sequel, SHADOWSONG, came out yesterday (2/6)! And thanks to St. Martin's Press, I had the opportunity of reading the ARC! I personally thought of Shadowsong to be even more exciting (not to mention heart wrenching) than Wintersong, and cannot wait for everyone else to read it! I really hope that everyone gets an opportunity to read it soon. Until then: I have an excerpt from St. Martin's Press to share with everyone.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Read the excerpt <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12vrVbREL_UwVAPTHkNT7ZzFc-A8RyIXr/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What I personally like about this excerpt is that it signals the turn of events in the story. If you've read the excerpt, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Also, keep an eye out for my Shadowsong review on the blog tomorrow. (Bengali readers, keep an eye out for a how-to-receive-ARCs-post as well)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy reading! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-76408191062548765922018-01-22T11:10:00.000-08:002018-01-22T11:10:57.789-08:00Snippets of the Past #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg16Y9m3NLxqrWlsOPCwEV8_V2Y0avxdMmjNRylGvIlqsGNve9smZuGKYh_irgyD0tRdCrcYMgxMVbKXfRYuyKdF7ykC6xW7nvIycABWon88m83dJWLRoSj9sWjtLehgNoxIrC7AU_NBQx/s1600/snippetsofthepast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg16Y9m3NLxqrWlsOPCwEV8_V2Y0avxdMmjNRylGvIlqsGNve9smZuGKYh_irgyD0tRdCrcYMgxMVbKXfRYuyKdF7ykC6xW7nvIycABWon88m83dJWLRoSj9sWjtLehgNoxIrC7AU_NBQx/s400/snippetsofthepast.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Snippets of the Past is a weekly feature which is meant to highlight a book you've read a while back. A lot of the books that I will be highlighting for this feature are books I've reviewed in my old blog but that does not necessarily have to be the case. People are more than welcome to join in! Simple use the photo above on your post and be sure to explain to your readers what it is! Once you're done posting, come back and link up your post on the linky widget on this blog post. Also, be sure to include the link to my blog on your post so that other bloggers can also come back here and link up, should they choose to participate. </i></span><i style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></i><br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608l/13112915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401852218l/8235178.jpg" /></a><span style="color: purple; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Title:</b> Across The Universe</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Author:</b> Beth Revis </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Publication details : </b>Razorbill, January 11th 2011</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Purchase details: Purchased paperback.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Blurb:</b> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship —tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.</span></span></div>
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Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.</div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">You might enjoy this if you liked: </i><br />
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<i style="color: magenta; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I used to think that Bring Me To Life was the perfect background music for this story.</i><br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1293651959l/9917938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blood Red Road (Dust Lands, #1)" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1293651959l/9917938.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
<img alt="Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1507557775l/36381037.jpg" width="210" /></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>I was a wee little babe when I <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/260123896" target="_blank">reviewed</a> Across the Universe, so I am going to link you all to a more professional (and less cringeworthy) <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/103373264?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank">review</a>. Also, click the button below to add the link to your own Snippets of The Past post. Happy Reading!</i></span></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com0Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-77671371530322565632018-01-21T11:45:00.000-08:002018-01-21T11:51:22.203-08:00Weekly Recap @ The Bengali Nomad #3<br />
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<a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2017/07/sunday-post-273-countdown-to-vacation.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sunday Post" src="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0abf9b9e-b7ac-4d59-b451-7eb7c64ea1b9_zps47hi5hue.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2017/07/stacking-shelves-262.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Stacking the shelves" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfccUg9lRat8y02BysgsHWs2lIXoOK2wT4SCMP9IgHqMJ5SMgJG3zNitUWG5jM8WzfKsUTzoeNJqWumyMbDGTykn6Le0xdfS7793S_F6np7oSNYNKlCmpM3F-jKS7evoft-gKcaJtrWgc/s200/new+sts.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since this weekly blog post will be linking up to both <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme" target="_blank">Sunday Post</a> and <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html" target="_blank">Stacking the Shelves</a>, I've decided to label it as Weekly Recap, just to keep things simple. </span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week has been what I would say generally my more laid back week, with just two ARCs in the mail. Can't say that I'm not looking forward to reading them though! Ink, Iron and Glass is a fantasy novel based around the concept of people known as <i>scriptologers</i>, who can create new worlds with their writing. Daughters of the Storm, on the other hand, is a "<i>Norse-flavored fantasy epic</i>", which comes out in March. I had already gotten a copy of this from the publisher before so I wasn't expecting another copy in the mail. But hey: two is better than one right?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-jYG8zNBlEXryyF_O2r_LBCMSOPoWKZdhNdNKQ5HGczhLQ4nf3GvWE7UPcMQsw0gBrChSb_jzii-jvtsL7s7vkS_ABJ4W2ePO0s1qHVMe2OmIixXYXpR6Wcw78NHCUr3Cs_6UZrS1gjr/s1600/26910607_10213114319306246_3592663559385600312_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-jYG8zNBlEXryyF_O2r_LBCMSOPoWKZdhNdNKQ5HGczhLQ4nf3GvWE7UPcMQsw0gBrChSb_jzii-jvtsL7s7vkS_ABJ4W2ePO0s1qHVMe2OmIixXYXpR6Wcw78NHCUr3Cs_6UZrS1gjr/s320/26910607_10213114319306246_3592663559385600312_o.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6NO4CvYwowgiFri3pBNdvxJXcH_OCqT_S5wRNWJ_BZBR3u2x3Cm5riAjwLVRlbkOay6S-SH31-nZqlmk_sYcbVLhPRwsX_NrLxQpbLzql7GtCdwSk6Rxc0Vl2hi5pUQblEhLkzD1OP5U/s1600/26910763_10213114319506251_3195293072673420619_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq6NO4CvYwowgiFri3pBNdvxJXcH_OCqT_S5wRNWJ_BZBR3u2x3Cm5riAjwLVRlbkOay6S-SH31-nZqlmk_sYcbVLhPRwsX_NrLxQpbLzql7GtCdwSk6Rxc0Vl2hi5pUQblEhLkzD1OP5U/s320/26910763_10213114319506251_3195293072673420619_o.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the other hand, I finally went to the local public library this Saturday! I've been in Annapolis since late August but I hadn't visited the public library till now, particularly because I walk everywhere and the library is a 30 minute walk away. But I really wanted to change that. So I placed some books on hold online beforehand and picked them up yesterday. It was a nice, sunny day outside, and definitely a huge improvement from the cabin fever I'd been having throughout the entirety of last week.</span></div>
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Library hauls:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan (Finally getting back to the PJO universe, YAY!)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray (I received an ARC of Defy the Worlds from the publisher but I hadn't read the first book before.)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Empress of a Thousand Skies (Same reason for borrowing as Defy the Stars)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Everless by Sara Holland</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If any of you have read these books, please leave me a feedback or links to reviews. I'd really appreciate it!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I get a 200$ gift card for the campus bookstore each semester (because my college is awesome!) and I still had 188$ left after buying books for this semester. So this Friday, I went on a little book buying spree at the college bookstore. I still have more than a 100$ left on my gift card, but I'm saving that for later. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Books I bought:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ithaca by Patrick Dillon (A retelling of The Odyssey from Telemachus' POV)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (My father had a really old edition of this back at home, but I liked the Harper Perennial paperback way too much)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">War Poems by John Hollander (editor) (My campus bookstore has a large collection of Everyman's Library Pocket Poets poetry books. They are so cute and pocket sized that I HAD to get one. I would recommend anyone to buy an </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Everyman's Library Pocket Poets poetry book, even if it's just to have it in their collection.)</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">That's it from me! What do you think about my haul? Anything you've already read or would love to read? Let me know in the comments below and feel free to leave a link to your weekly haul post as well. Happy Reading!</span></i></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com3Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-72775331296006747522018-01-16T14:55:00.002-08:002018-01-16T16:40:39.307-08:00Book Review: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Title:</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">To Kill a Kingdom</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b></span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Alexandra Christo</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Publication (of my edition):</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">March 6th, 2018 by Feiwel and Friends</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Purchase details:</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Received an Advanced Reading Copy from Macmillan U.S.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><b>Blurb:</b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508244685l/34499221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img alt="To Kill a Kingdom" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508244685l/34499221.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">** A huge thanks to Macmillan U.S. for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book**.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;">To Kill a Kingdom </i><span style="background-color: white;">starts off with an unexpectedly dark twist. The female protagonist is a siren who literally steals hearts, whereas the male protagonist is a prince turned pirate/siren hunter. In the sea kingdom, sirens are only allowed to kill a human and steal their heart on birthdays. Lira was well known for stealing the hearts of princes; her actions earning her the nickname of "The Prince's Bane". But when she ignores the rules and steals a heart well before her eighteenth birthday, the Sea Queen turns her into the very creature which she has spent her entire life hunting: a human.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">The story was a very refreshing portrayal of Hans Christian Anderson's original tale. Yes, there is romance. But it is a different form of romance, one with a more presumptuous undertone. Both protagonists exude dominating personalities. There are no damsels or lads in distresses. Only two egotistical individuals with remarkable chemistry between them. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Prince Elian's personality reminds me a bit of Roronoa Zoro from the anime </span><i style="background-color: white;">One Piece</i><span style="background-color: white;">. In fact, this entire story could be a crossover between</span><i style="background-color: white;">One Piece</i><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><i style="background-color: white;">The Little Mermaid</i><span style="background-color: white;">, followed by a storyline that takes its own route. There is also a reference to the Greek myth of </span><i style="background-color: white;">The Midas Touch</i><span style="background-color: white;">, which was used to shape Prince Elian's kingdom. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Overall, To Kill a Kingdom was brilliantly written, with surprisingly marvelous worldbuilding. One thing's for sure: the author had gone out of her way to make the novel as creative as possible.</span></span><br />
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-9087412607365023312018-01-14T23:33:00.000-08:002018-01-14T23:47:04.180-08:00Snippets of the Past #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Snippets of the Past is a weekly feature which is meant to highlight a book you've read a while back. A lot of the books that I will be highlighting for this feature are books I've reviewed in my old blog but that does not necessarily have to be the case. People are more than welcome to join in! Simple use the photo above on your post and be sure to explain to your readers what it is! Once you're done posting, come back and link up your post on the linky widget on this blog post. Also, be sure to include the link to my blog on your post so that other bloggers can also come back here and link up, should they choose to participate. </i></span><i style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>My recommendation this week: </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608l/13112915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="In the Shadow of Blackbirds" border="0" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348721608l/13112915.jpg" width="265" /></a><b style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Title:</b><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> In The Shadow Of Blackbirds</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Author:</b> Cat Winters </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Publication details : </b>Amulet Books, April 2nd 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Purchase details: </b>Advanced Reader's Copy received from Abrams and Chronicle books U.K. in exchange for an honest review. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Blurb:</b> <span style="background-color: white;">In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.</span></span><br />
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You might enjoy this if you liked:</i></div>
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<img alt="Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor, #1)" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1380647463l/17073749.jpg" width="209" /><img alt="The Picture of Dorian Gray" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1424596966l/5297.jpg" width="206" /></div>
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<img alt="The Diviners (The Diviners, #1)" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1336424966l/7728889.jpg" width="212" /><img alt="Masque of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death, #1)" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1341716702l/12924275.jpg" width="211" /></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Check out my full review of In The Shadow of Blackbirds at <a href="http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydreamer3.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-intl-giveaway-in-shadow-of_12.html" target="_blank">Daydreaming Bookworm</a> and on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/443390034" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>. Click the button below to add the link to your own Snippets of The Past post. Happy Reading!</i></span></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com3Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-38391848445703637332018-01-14T02:53:00.000-08:002018-01-14T03:59:22.773-08:00Weekly Recap @ The Bengali Nomad #2<br />
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<a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2017/07/sunday-post-273-countdown-to-vacation.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sunday Post" src="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0abf9b9e-b7ac-4d59-b451-7eb7c64ea1b9_zps47hi5hue.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2017/07/stacking-shelves-262.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Stacking the shelves" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfccUg9lRat8y02BysgsHWs2lIXoOK2wT4SCMP9IgHqMJ5SMgJG3zNitUWG5jM8WzfKsUTzoeNJqWumyMbDGTykn6Le0xdfS7793S_F6np7oSNYNKlCmpM3F-jKS7evoft-gKcaJtrWgc/s200/new+sts.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since this weekly blog post will be linking up to both <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme" target="_blank">Sunday Post</a> and <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html" target="_blank">Stacking the Shelves</a>, I've decided to label it as Weekly Recap, just to keep things simple. </span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been a while since my last weekly recap, so I thought that I'd do an overall recap on things that have happened between my last Weekly Recap post and now. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I went to my second New York Comic Con on October 2017, and managed to score a decent number of autographed books and ARCs there. I also caught a glimpse of The Weeknd from afar. But without further ado, here is my comic con haul:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a pretty good convention overall. And unlike my first time at New York Comic Con, this time I had planned ahead so things were a lot less hectic.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I went back to Bangladesh over winter break and right before leaving I received a bunch of ARCs in the mail. (For those of you who don't know, I am an international student in the U.S so I return to Bangladesh at least twice a year) Regardless of whether or not I actually get to read them, finding books in the mail always make my day.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can read my review of Reign the Earth </span><a href="http://bengalinomad1102.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-reign-earth-by-ac-gaughen.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I also got some books over the course of this week. Particularly looking forward to reading If You Leave Me, which is a romance novel set in the midst of the Korean War. But I promised myself that I'd finish the ARCs with closer release dates first. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read my teaser review of To Kill a Kingdom <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2234067990?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Despite receiving all these books for review, I still ended up buying a lot of books for leisure reading over this past month. I bought some of them in Thailand (I went to Phuket for New Year's with family) and some between the U.S. and Bangladesh. </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read my review of Mrs. Funnybones </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2240262292?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and The Cruel Prince </span><a href="http://bengalinomad1102.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-cruel-prince-by-holly-black.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">. </span><b><span style="color: magenta;">There is also an international giveaway of a hardcover of The Cruel Prince happening with that post. Don't miss out!</span></b></span><br />
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<i style="color: magenta; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Thats it from me! What do you think about my haul? Anything you've already read or would love to read? Let me know in the comments below and feel free to leave a link to your weekly haul post as well. Happy Reading!</i><br />
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com8Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-55208177495628136752018-01-13T01:15:00.000-08:002018-01-13T01:35:32.555-08:00Book Review: Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Title:</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Reign the Earth (The Elementae #1)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b></span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A.C. Gaughen</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Publication (of my edition):</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">January 30th, 2018 by Bloomsbury U.S.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Purchase details:</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Received an Advanced Reading Copy from Bloomsbury U.S.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"><b style="color: #0b5394;">Blurb:</b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shalia is a proud daughter of the desert, but after years of devastating war with the adjoining kingdom, her people are desperate for peace. Willing to trade her freedom to ensure the safety of her family, Shalia becomes Queen of the Bonelands.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">But she soon learns that her husband, Calix, is motivated only by his desire to exterminate the Elementae—mystical people who can control earth, wind, air, and fire. Even more unsettling are Shalia’s feelings for her husband’s brother, which unleash a power over the earth she never knew she possessed—a power that could get her killed. As rumors of a rebellion against Calix spread, Shalia must choose between the last chance for peace and her own future as an Elementae.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This intense, richly drawn high-fantasy by the author of <i>Scarlet </i>will hold readers spellbound.</span></span></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> ** A huge thanks to Bloomsbury U.S. for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book**.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b> </b>This story was well written. I'd like to think that it had some particularly unique characters. If you're looking for another defiant heroine like Katniss Everdeen, then Shalia can't give you that. Her philosophy is rather different. Remember that scene in <i> Captain America: Civil War</i> where Sharon Carter gives a speech at Peggy Carter's funeral? (if you've seen the movie that is. If not, check out this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezYQMJRb8cM">link</a>) There, she relays an important piece of advice from her aunt Peggy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>"Compromise where you can. And where you can't, don't."</i> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Shalia's approach towards her situation is similar to what Peggy Carter had told her niece Sharon. Her (Shalia's) timidness towards the beginning made me want to gnaw my nails out. But as the story progressed, I realized that she was being strong in her own way. It made me think about what strength actually is, and how we have come to perceive it. Just because someone isn't outright defiant doesn't mean that they aren't strong. Being able to compromise and make sacrifices are also signs of strength. And in Shalia's case, it is a sacrifice being made for entire groups of people. If that in itself isn't a sure sign of strength then I don't know what else is. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The overall novel revolves around much heavier themes; themes like domestic abuse, child marriage and marital rape. At times, it was emotionally frustrating for I was expecting a more lighthearted story. And I hated the fact that all this was happening while she still had her seemingly protective brother near her as guardian. So yes, while this is a well written story, it is also an emotionally frustrating one. This is also one of the very few novels for which I'd recommend that people read the Acknowledgements section. It will help you see the story from a new light. During the process of getting this book published, the author, much like the protagonist, was fighting her own battles. And instead of adorning herself with defiance, she, like Shalia, decided to pick up another weapon of strength: resilience. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Reign the Earth, this amazing yet terrifyingly eye opening YA fantasy novel, hits the shelves on January 30th, 2018.</span><br />
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com4Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-4888798908213677782018-01-09T23:27:00.000-08:002018-01-09T23:29:04.732-08:00Book Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black + Giveaway! (International)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Title:</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Author: </b></span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Holly Black</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Publication (of my edition):</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">January 2018, Little, Brown Books</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Purchase details:</b> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ordered online from the Strand Book Store <a href="https://www.strandbooks.com/index.cfm" target="_blank">website</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b style="color: #0b5394;">Blurb:</b><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br />And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.</i><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Rock Salt";"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;">The Bengali Nomad's Rant</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One fine day, while browsing through Goodreads, I stumble upon an upcoming YA Fantasy novel about Faeries. It reminds me of the reading days back in my teenage years. Back then, I was completely obsessed with Julie Kagawa's The Iron Fey series. But unfortunately, like all good things, The Iron Fey series came to an end. Yet the teenage me held on to the hope of finding another remarkable series about fair folk. Fast forward back to January 2018: Completely enticed by the cover and the blurb, I buy the YA Fantasy book online on an impulse. For a moment, I do question my terrible life choices (seeing that I already had so many review books left). But alas, it was only for a moment, and before I knew it, the moment had passed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>The Book Reading Experience:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I breezed through The Cruel Prince in one sitting. I started reading on a Monday night, promising myself an hour of leisure reading before going back to doing schoolwork. But one hour proceeded to two, and so on. By the time I finished reading, I glimpsed out of my dorm room window only to see the sunlight peeking in through leafless, frost covered branches. Inside, my heartbeat was a fluctuating mess. My mind was a flurry of emotions. I can't remember the last time I've felt so giddy upon finishing a book. The Cruel Prince was one of my first reads of 2018, and it might just be one of my best as well. The main character, Jude, was so... raw. Her conflict of emotions, between desiring to truly become a part of the faery world and wanting resist for the sake of staying true to her biological roots, was a feeling that I could relate surprisingly well with. The plot was full of twists and turns, guided by intriguing characters making the most unpredictable decisions along the way. The book has everything: vivid imagery, a mysterious and suspenseful story line, and above all, an epilogue that may be the biggest plot twist in the novel. (Marvel post- credits scene anyone?) This isn't your usual "damsel in distress falls in love with handsome fair folk" story. Jude is too strong and cunning of a protagonist. This is a story about vengeance, honor, politics and suspense. And anyone who likes indulging in YA fantasy novels will enjoy every minute of it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All hail YA fantasy novels with fair folk and strong female leads!! 👏👏👏👏👏 I hope to see more of them out there. </span></div>
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<b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Giveaway Ti</span></b><b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">me!</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If any of you were familiar with The Strand Book Store, or even if you've just read the New York Times over this past week, then you might've heard that the owner Fred Bass had passed away recently. The Strand is one of my favorite places to spend time at in New York City. One could go in and spend hours, possibly even days, in there. And it has always reminded me of the unique charm of an independent book store. But anyway, to commemorate Fred Bass' efforts, I've decided to give away a hardcover of The Cruel Prince to one lucky winner, ordered online from The Strand. This giveaway is open internationally and ends in about a week. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "rock salt";">Official Giveaway Rules:</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Open internationally to individuals aged 13 or above.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Any link provided in the rafflecopter widget must be functional, or else it will disqualify your entry.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I will verify entries. False entries will be disqualified.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Since the book will be shipped directly from The Strand, I am not responsible for any lost/damaged packages.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Winner will be notified directly either through Facebook or email. Please note that I do not announce my winners.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Remember, the more options you complete on the rafflecopter, the more entries you get, A.K.A more chances for you to win!</span></li>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That's it! Good luck folks! Giveaway ends on January 24th, 2018 at midnight [EST]. </span></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com13Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-48996286991767576802018-01-08T12:10:00.000-08:002018-01-08T12:15:11.737-08:00It's Monday! What are you reading?<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>It's Monday! What are YOU Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at the <a href="http://bookdate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Date</a>. In my opinion, the meme is a great way to share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. In other words, basically yet another way for book nerds to gush over read/unread books. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I was still on winter break, I took full advantage of the week to indulge in some leisure reading. </span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Wintersong</i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and </span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Flame in the Mist </i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: large;">absolutely captivated me</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. </span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Geekerella</i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and </span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Mrs Funnybones</i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> left me with mixed feelings. I was particularly disappointed with </span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Geekerella</i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. It wasn't terrible, but I just expected more out of the story. On the other hand, </span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Mrs Funnybones</i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> was a mix of exciting and dull moments. There were stories in there that were worthy of being noted down, while others were bland and unimpressive. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">CURRENTLY READING:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am currently at the phase where I have so many books that I can't decide on a novel to read seriously. The end result? Me going through multiple books, all halfway read. Here's to hoping that I finish at least one of them real soon, but the new batch of ARCs I received in the mail today are making this an extremely difficult task. </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">#bookbloggerstruggles</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As indecisive as ever, I managed to narrow down my immediate TBR pile to the following books:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The Poet X</i> and <i>If You Leave Me</i> don't come out until much later into the year, but both have really intriguing (not to mention unique) plots. I have very high hopes for these titles.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blurbs of <i>The Poet X</i> and <i>If You Leave Me</i>: (for your convenience)</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The Poet X</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span id="freeText11358663032254139726" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.<br /><br />Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.<br /><br />But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.<br /><br />So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.<br /><br />Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">If You Leave Me</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">An emotionally riveting debut novel about war, family, and forbidden love—the unforgettable saga of two ill-fated lovers in Korea and the heartbreaking choices they’re forced to make in the years surrounding the civil war that continues to haunt us today</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">When the communist-backed army from the North invades her home, sixteen-year-old Haemi Lee, along with her widowed mother and ailing brother, is forced to flee to a refugee camp along the coast. For a few hours each night, she escapes her family’s makeshift home and tragic circumstances with her childhood friend, Kyunghwan.</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Focused on finishing school, Kyunghwan doesn’t realize his older and wealthier cousin, Jisoo, has his sights set on the beautiful and spirited Haemi—and is determined to marry her before joining the fight. But as Haemi becomes a wife, then a mother, her decision to forsake the boy she always loved for the security of her family sets off a dramatic saga that will have profound effects for generations to come.</span><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Richly told and deeply moving, If You Leave Me is a stunning portrait of war and refugee life, a passionate and timeless romance, and a heartrending exploration of one woman’s longing for autonomy in a rapidly changing world.</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUkV6PQVdo_XBT7gSsPWTbX8EdR-ixkh7K9atqNJWj2PZ1lIGIJPLpl-O4ng-0pQkiWFTTWJXh1600OgP6xHcFqAjikAwyKODBA2Z2HsfqrXP3DR6uQnQnBHnJ5qfGcdtBjeJ2g1IRmAk/s1600/rickshaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #3d85c6; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUkV6PQVdo_XBT7gSsPWTbX8EdR-ixkh7K9atqNJWj2PZ1lIGIJPLpl-O4ng-0pQkiWFTTWJXh1600OgP6xHcFqAjikAwyKODBA2Z2HsfqrXP3DR6uQnQnBHnJ5qfGcdtBjeJ2g1IRmAk/s320/rickshaw.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Hope you all have a great week! My last post was a review of Marissa Meyer's </span><i style="color: #3d85c6;">Renegades</i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">. Feel free to check it out </span><a href="http://bengalinomad1102.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-renegades-by-marissa-meyer.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: magenta;">HERE</span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6;">. Till next time!</span></div>
dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com3Annapolis, MD, USA38.9784453 -76.49218289999998938.879686299999996 -76.653544399999987 39.0772043 -76.330821399999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-79673804578751630852017-12-24T05:19:00.000-08:002017-12-24T06:38:25.431-08:00Book Review: Renegades by Marissa Meyer + GIVEAWAY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Renegades (Renegades #1)</span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Marissa Meyer</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publication (of my edition) :</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">November 2017, Feiwel And Friends (Macmillan). </span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Purchase details: </span></b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I received an advanced reader's edition of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Blurb:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone...except the villains they once overthrew.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.</span></i></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"> The Bengali Nomad's Rant</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">**Quotes taken from an ARC and therefore might vary from the final copy.**</span></b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Despite all the attention that <i>The Lunar Chronicles</i> has garnered, I was one of those people who gave up on the series halfway through. This, along with the fact that the book seemed reasonably thick, made me put off <i>Renegades</i> for a while. <i>Renegades</i> certainly is a well written novel, but like Marissa Meyer's Cinder, it takes a while to pick up its pace.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Regardless, the story does get better once you push through the first few, much slower chapters. What motivated me in particular was the sheer curiosity of seeing more of Marissa Meyer's brilliant character development. Even the supporting characters were created well. Nova in particular, starting from her past to the buildup of her resentment towards the Renegade cause, was very intricately portrayed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>"I fell asleep - the very last time I ever slept. And when I woke up, there was a man with a gun. He killed them both. He killed my sister. He tried to kill me. And the Renegades didn't come."</i></span><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">-Nova, <i>Renegades</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Meyer also does an excellent portrayal of Adrian and his strong sense of justice. Adrian's sense of justice is so unwavering that it's something that transcends beyond his beloved Renegade protocol. While he shows absolute loyalty to the Renegades and the Council, he sees and acknowledges the flaws in the system. Adrian adheres to his own ideal of what a hero should truly be, and this particular mindset of his is unfolded during several instances throughout the book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>"They were supposed to encourage every prodigy... no, every human to be as heroic as possible. How was publicly rejecting anyone going to further that goal?"</i></span><span style="color: magenta;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">-Adrian, <i>Renegades</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>"Heroism wasn't about what you could do, it was about what you did. It was about who you saved when they needed saving."</i></span><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">-Adrian, <i>Renegades</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">My only real complaint about <i>Renegades</i> is the slow start, and how that eventually leads to a frustrating cliffhanger, like the post-credit scene of a Marvel movie. The story starts off with combat, and there are quite a few other combat scenes that occur throughout the book. But the author's love of superheroes really shines through this novel. Definitely looking forward to the next installment in the series, even though I am a tad bit salty about the Marvel post-credit scene style cliffhanger. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">The Bengali Nomad's Rating:</span></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"> </span></b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5 Palanquins</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #93c47d; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700;"> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700;"> GIVEAWAY TIME!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Since it's finally time for me to clear out my shelves a bit, I am doing a Bangladesh only giveaway for some of my old review books. I know, this is entirely new. How often do you see Bangladesh only giveaways happening in the book blogging world? So without further ado, one lucky winner will get two picks from my stash of books (Photographed below). </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Aside from Drummer Girl, Angel Dust, The End Games, Midnight City, The Severed Tower and City of a Thousand Dolls, all are ARCs (proof copies). As proof copies are pre-publication copies they are very likely to have typos and other errors and <u><b>CANNOT</b></u> be sold. All books are in pretty good shape. City of a Thousand Dolls is signed, as well as some other ones probably but I can't tell off the top of my head right now. Giveaway closes by midnight on January 2nd. Please respect the rules (there aren't many) and Good luck! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Also, two more things. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">A) Let me know if you have trouble reading any of the titles.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">B) Leave your Facebook name when you're entering with your email because that's how the winner will be contacted.</span></span></div>
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<br />dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-47959793066239934132017-07-14T12:13:00.000-07:002017-07-14T12:31:10.399-07:00Book Review: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan (The Trials of Apollo #1)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rick Riordan</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Publication (of my edition) :</b> <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">May 2016, Puffin Books (Penguin Random House). </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Purchase details: </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Purchased at Book Gallery, New Market, Dhaka. If you're located in Dhaka, PLEASE do try and visit this store. It's always good to support local booksellers and this one in particular has a pretty good collection. The uncle also offers to order in books if they aren't available in store. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blurb:</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How do you punish an immortal? By making him </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">human. After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favor. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.</span></i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"> The Bengali Nomad's Rant</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">I will be honest: I really thought that I was over the Rick Riordan phase. I stopped midway through Blood of Olympus and hadn't read any of his books for about a year and half. Until I spotted The Hidden Oracle at a local bookstore; ended up buying it on an impulse!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">The purchase itself was definitely worthwhile. I was immediately sucked in, though I still have a hard time imagining Apollo with flab and acne. Apollo's character development here was much better in comparison to Jason Grace's in Heroes of Olympus. Riordan portrayed him as a more sympathetic character in his mortal form, while retaining the self-centered(ness) and vanity from his godlike form. Regardless of the situation, Apollo's humor never left him, and I kept conjuring up the image of a glamorous Apollo who first showed up in front of Thalia, Percy and Annabeth in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (Sorry guys forgot which book it was! Please remind me in comments! (It was the scene with the school bus)). His personality really is beyond that of the mediocre teenage form he is forced to take. And yet, at moments, I felt sorrow for this show-offy character's past struggles. I earnestly hope that somewhere towards the end of the series, he achieves the mortal happiness he had never been able to experience. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;">Moving on to rants about secondary characters. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: red;"><b>Some minor character appearance spoilers ahead but I promise that it won't kill anyone!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;"> Nico di Angelo and Will Solace are so adorable! Did this relationship bud in Blood of Olympus? Because I really am looking forward to reading more about them! They aren't the type to express their feelings openly but you can tell from their small conversations that they do care for each other. Once again, Riordan's storytelling magic throws me off guard. Meg is... replaceable. She seemed interesting in the first chapter but moving on from there I just wasn't interested. And I'm guessing that she will be Apollo's supporting character throughout the rest of the series so... we'll see how it goes. I am looking forward to seeing more of the </span><spoiler style="color: magenta;">Leo and Calypso couple as well (for anyone who has read the other series, an interesting combination don't you think?) . Harley, an eight year old son of Hephaestus, was another good addition to the story. Would love to see more of him in a short story in the near future (don't think his character is complex enough for an entire book/series though). </spoiler></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Overall, this was brilliant! Aside from the whole Meg thing, the plot, pacing of the story line... everything worked so well together. Now please excuse me as I go off to purchase the next installment online. 😏</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">The Bengali Nomad's Rating:</span></span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"> </span></b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>4/5 Palanquins</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Have a great weekend everyone! Also if you have a review on any of The Trials of Apollo books please do leave a link in the comments section. </i></span></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com2Dhaka, Bangladesh23.810332 90.41251809999994323.577844499999998 90.089794599999948 24.0428195 90.735241599999938tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-22772845754084708022017-07-10T04:52:00.000-07:002017-07-10T18:52:54.428-07:00It's Monday! What are you reading?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>It's Monday! What are YOU Reading? is a meme hosted by Kathryn at the <a href="http://bookdate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Book Date</a>. In my opinion, the meme is a great way to share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. In other words, basically yet another way for book nerds to gush over read/unread books. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So if you've read my weekly recap post or follow me on Instagram (1102Daydreaming if you haven't already done it!), you'll know that I've had a pretty exciting week overall. My family and I traveled to Bali, Indonesia, then to Singapore. It was such a great way for all of us to get away from our daily lives! I am going to try doing a blog post on my travels (especially a scuba diving post!) to help out anyone thinking about planning future vacations in that region. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am also taking part in the Blog Tour of The Last Gambit (published by Harper Collins and hosted by <a href="http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2017/05/blog-tour-sign-up-last-gambit-by-om.html" target="_blank">YA Bound Book Tours</a> ) So check back here on July 25th for a review + giveaway! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It had been almost a year since my last dive, so I thought that I might as well do some reviewing before I dive again. It did help a little bit, but I realized that I was worrying unnecessarily as the dive site wasn't super deep (12 metres max). Nevertheless, it was a decent dive. If anyone's interested, the site was in Nusa Dua, Bali (Indonesia).</span></div>
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<b style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"> What I Am Currently Reading:</b></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I picked up this book at the Kinokuniya in Takashiyama Mall, Singapore (located in Orchard road). Kinokuniya is probably the largest bookstore chain in East Asia, the one in Takashiyama Mall being their largest store (in other words, every book lover's paradise). It's been several years since I've been searching for a book on the history of Amazons, and I'm really glad that the recent Wonder Woman movie has brought them into the limelight (in my opinion, the stories of the Amazons have always been underrated). John Man is really good at analyzing history for the common people. Maybe I'll post a review on this once I'm done reading.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These three titles are on my immediate TBR list, but I'm still not sure about which book I'll be reading first. For all I know, it might just be the Alex Rider book (I'VE WAITED SIX YEARS FOR THIS!) but only time will tell. I'm also very interested in BALI Sekala and Niskala, a book that explores religion, spirituality and art in Balinese culture. Maybe a random draw would help! 😉</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Feel free to leave a link in comments if you'd like me to check out your It's Monday! What are YOU Reading? post. Do any of the books in my pile interest you in particular? Let me know!</i></span></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNUkV6PQVdo_XBT7gSsPWTbX8EdR-ixkh7K9atqNJWj2PZ1lIGIJPLpl-O4ng-0pQkiWFTTWJXh1600OgP6xHcFqAjikAwyKODBA2Z2HsfqrXP3DR6uQnQnBHnJ5qfGcdtBjeJ2g1IRmAk/s400/rickshaw.jpg" />dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com8Dhaka, Bangladesh23.810332 90.41251809999994323.577844499999998 90.089794599999948 24.0428195 90.735241599999938tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-63298264658061723592017-07-09T16:27:00.002-07:002017-07-09T16:27:15.797-07:00Weekly Recap @ The Bengali Nomad<br />
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<a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2017/07/sunday-post-273-countdown-to-vacation.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sunday Post" src="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0abf9b9e-b7ac-4d59-b451-7eb7c64ea1b9_zps47hi5hue.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2017/07/stacking-shelves-262.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Stacking the shelves" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfccUg9lRat8y02BysgsHWs2lIXoOK2wT4SCMP9IgHqMJ5SMgJG3zNitUWG5jM8WzfKsUTzoeNJqWumyMbDGTykn6Le0xdfS7793S_F6np7oSNYNKlCmpM3F-jKS7evoft-gKcaJtrWgc/s200/new+sts.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since this weekly blog post will be linking up to both <a href="http://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/the-sunday-post-meme" target="_blank">Sunday Post</a> and <a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html" target="_blank">Stacking the Shelves</a>, I've decided to label it as Weekly Recap, just to keep things simple. </span> </i> </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've been on vacation mode throughout most of last week, so that was nice. My family and I traveled to Bali, Indonesia and then to Singapore. The only thing I was a tad bit disappointed about was that I didn't get to dive at Manta Point, which is one of the most popular diving destinations in Indonesia. (for those who don't know me, I've been diving since 2013, first starting out with a Discover Scuba then eventually moving on to getting open water certified) This was mainly due to time constraints but I did manage to do SOME diving at a site near Nusa Dua, Bali. I'm still debating on whether to do a blog post on it (pictures and all!) so let me know what you all think! Moving on from my diving story, here is my book haul for this week: </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>From top to bottom: </i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">BALI Sekala & Niskala by Fred B. Eiseman, JR</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alex Rider: Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amazons by John Man </span><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>(currently reading)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Million Dollar Blog by Natasha Courtenay-Smith</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Silk Roads was actually recommended to me by someone whom I consider to be very well-read. It's definitely a heavier read but it explores the evolution of trade and civilization from the Eastern perspective, something that I'd like to have more knowledge on. For now it's on my TBR list and I hope to tackle it sometime soon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg is a present for someone else but since I bought it might as well include it in my haul. TeeHee :-) .</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I always believe that it's a good idea to buy a book related to the place you're visiting once you're there. Therefore to honor that belief I bought BALI Sekala and Niskala, a book on the religion, spirituality and art of the Balinese people. I am also doing a Theology minor at the moment. Hope that's a good enough explanation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anthony Horowitz FINALLY published another Alex Rider book in six years! (well, five if you count the prequel Russian Roulette I think) I stumbled upon a copy of Never Say Die in the Kinokuniya at Takashiyama Mall. Takashiyama Mall is located at Orchard Road, Singapore. If anyone ever has the chance do visit this Kinokuniya store it's probably the largest in Asia and is literally every book lover's dream come true. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Crown's Fate is the sequel to The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. Okay for this one I'll admit I bought the wrong book. For some reason, I thought that this was the sequel to Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake but oh well, another reason to start a new series. Sheesh, I already instagrammed my excitement over this and everything!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amazons is THE historical analysis I've been searching for all these years. The legends of these warrior women have always been so underrated, and I'm glad that the new Wonder Woman movie has brought more attention to them. I haven't read any books by this author before, but he's a good at his job, and knows how to write a historical analysis for the average Joe. It's definitely worth a read.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The last book on the list, The Million Dollar Blog, is more of an inspiration for me to get regular with blogging again. I picked this up at a bookstore at the airport in Bali. Would really appreciate some feedback on this if someone's read it that is. </span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>What do you think about my haul? Anything you've already read or would love to read? Let me know in the comments below and feel free to leave a link to your post. </i></span></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com3Valley Rd, Singapore1.3617457 103.888209100000041.3597612 103.88568760000004 1.3637302 103.89073060000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-64765726572454647582017-06-19T12:46:00.000-07:002017-06-19T14:53:33.619-07:00Studying abroad in high school: The Nitty Gritty (NON UWC VERSION)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As someone who had the opportunity to study abroad before starting university, I do get a lot of messages from people who are interested in following my footsteps, especially after joining the Facebook group <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BdBeyondBorder/" target="_blank">Bangladeshis beyond border</a>. And while I am more than happy to help out those in need, even I myself get overwhelmed sometimes. That and I'm horrible with checking message requests on Facebook Messenger. Hopefully this post will help with answering most of the common questions and if need be, PLEASE send me a message using the form on my <a href="http://bengalinomad1102.blogspot.com/p/review-policy.html" target="_blank">CONTACT PAGE</a>. I am much more likely to see questions sent in through my contact page as opposed to message requests on Facebook Messenger. In this post, I will also give you the tools to do your own research so please try finding out as much as you can on your own first. I can give you pointers and advice every now and then, but as I am not your personal counselor (also since I am extremely busy with internships and schoolwork) I can't spoon feed you all the information. But I promise that I will try my best to help. Therefore without further ado, let's jump right into the general stuff.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #45818e;">1) Finding potential schools:</span></b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">During the time I applied, my go to website for finding potential schools was </span><span style="color: magenta;"><a href="https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/">https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/</a></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">. </span><b><span style="color: red;">PLEASE</span></b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> do check this website out. It has a database of boarding schools from around the world and provides information on whether these schools offer merit scholarships/ financial aid. Make a list of schools which you think might fit your criteria. Then visit the schools' individual websites. To give you a head start, here are some schools I know of that offer merit scholarships/financial aid to international students and are, in my opinion, good choices:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">i) PTIS (Prem Tinsulanonda International School, Chiang Mai, Thailand)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">ii) Leysin American School (Leysin, Switzerland)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">iii) Emma Willard School (All girls' school, Troy, New York)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">iv) Lincoln Academy (Newcastle, Maine; Also: My alma mater!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">v) Fryeburg Academy (Fryeburg, Maine)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">vi) Phillips Exeter Academy (New Hampshire; Mark Zuckerberg and Dan Brown graduated from here) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>2) Testing: </b></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">To be honest, I don't think I will be of much help with this. There's this test called SSAT which private schools in the U.S. often require but in my case the school waived my testing requirement after doing a skype interview. If you're from a national curriculum school (or even an English medium school) and serious about applying, take the </span><span style="color: red;"><b>IELTS/TOEFL</b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">. I took the IELTS when applying to universities in the U.S. and managed to get a perfect score 9 by practicing for a couple of days. From my experience, for IELTS: if you're pretty confident in your English, what you mostly need to work on is getting used to the listening and speaking part (they want very concise answers). Give yourself a minimum of two weeks. If you're not as confident, give yourself a month of rigorous preparation and I can guarantee a relatively good score. You don't necessarily need to join a coaching center; the materials from the <a href="http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-ielts/free-ielts-online-course" target="_blank">British Council website</a> should be enough. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>3) Applying:</b></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Please plan well ahead! Check application/scholarship deadlines and application requirements! Email the admissions department if you don't understand something. Trust me, that's why they're there! The best time to start your application is the summer of the year before you plan on enrolling. Many schools have rolling admissions (meaning, they accept students year round) but apply by the December/January that comes right before the fall you plan on enrolling. (Example: </span><span style="color: red;"><b>if you plan on enrolling for Fall 2018, all your applications should ideally be done by December 2017 or January 2018 if we're pushing it</b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">). The reason for this is that schools allocate a certain amount of money to their scholarship/financial aid fund and if you're too late in applying, you might end up getting less aid money (or none at all). As for when during your high school career should you apply, I would say that a good time to target enrollment would be the fall after you finish your O'Levels/S.S.C exam. So the application process should start about a year before.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><b>4) Deciding:</b> </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I think this is by far the most difficult part of the process. My mother was more on the reluctant side when it came to sending me abroad, especially so early. So have a solid reasonable argument thought out beforehand. You can even create a flow chart on paper before sitting with your parents. Tell them why it would be a good opportunity for you, etc. Also, if you need more financial aid/ scholarship money, </span><span style="color: red;"><b>feel free to bargain for it with the admissions team</b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> (be polite though!). Tell them why their offer might be a financial constraint for your parents. (Don't just go like: Bangladesh is a poor country, so our currency is weak. That's a pathetic argument in my opinion.) Be as truthful and convincing as possible. Also, </span><span style="color: red;"><b>if you've applied to multiple schools and one school has offered you more money than the other, you can mention this to the other school and say that you're interested but another school has offered a better financial package, therefore whether they'd be willing to provide more aid money. </b></span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">You'd be surprised with how the admissions team might respond. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">That being said, I wish you all the best on your journeys and remember, if something doesn't work out it means that there is a better opportunity waiting ahead! Till next time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">**Disclaimer, none of the images used in this blog post are mine. The owners have full rights.**</span></div>
dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com3Dhaka, Bangladesh23.810332 90.41251809999994323.577844499999998 90.089794599999948 24.0428195 90.735241599999938tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-62530164857040344482017-03-09T19:02:00.000-08:002017-06-19T22:23:44.932-07:00Packing for the dorm room: Bengali Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>If you're a Bengali set to embark on your journey of studying abroad, chances are that this post could be your goldmine. Or not. Most of your universities are likely to send you a general packing list, but I bet none of them is as catered to specific ethnic needs. Hope this helps you lovelies prepare for an exciting time ahead~!</i></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #45818e;">Clothing from Dhaka college etc. : </span></i></b></span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">If you're looking to save money and have significant luggage space, shop for clothes from Dhaka College and whatnot. They even sell coats there AND YOU CAN ALTER THEM! In the western world, having the option of altering coats is a privilege reserved for very few people. If you don't have space in your luggage or just want to have more options, you should be able to buy clothes relatively cheap at H&M, Forever 21 (I've scored 5$ tops from this store), Aeropostale, American Eagle, Hollister, Old Navy (another cheap one) and Abercrombie (more on the pricier side, I think). If you're going to the U.S, Macys is also a pretty good option for finding reasonably priced clothing. For survival in the negative temperatures, do invest in gloves, earmuffs, woolen scarves and snowboots. I have snow boots from L.L. Bean and Uggs (which are more like comfy,furry, fall fashion). Uggs are pretty expensive but I'd say that it's definitely worth the investment. Check out both and decide for yourself but don't let the price discourage you from investing in a good pair of winter boots because otherwise you'll regret it like crazy. Aside from that, try out thrift shopping. If you're in a place where they have thrift shops nearby, don't hesitate to explore. Depending on where you are, you can sometimes score absolute goldmines at thrift shops. For the ladies: I would definitely recommend investing a good amount of money into undergarments as well as sports undergarments. You don't have to buy a ton of them: but it's crucial to spend money on a few good ones. Don't be embarrassed to voice this to your parents. Formal clothes wise: invest in a good suit, YOU'LL NEED IT. For women, you can mix and match. Have shoes, a skirt/ pant suit, and a formal dress. A lot of stores (check out Ann Taylor) offer student discounts. (If you need more help on formal wear, just reach out to me). </span></b></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;"><i>Books and stationary:</i> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Now here's why I recommend this. In Bangladesh, you can score Matador pens for 5 Taka. But in the U.S, pens are usually around 5-6$, depending on your area. That's like the price of almost 80 MATADOR PENS! (Correct me if I'm wrong though because I'm bad at math). So try spending as much as you can on stationary. Now if you're like me and prefer the fancier, colorful stuff, then go ahead and purchase them where you're settling. The cheaper places in the U.S. are usually Walmart and Target. Walmart is pretty cheap in particular. DO PURCHASE A GRAPHING CALCULATOR FROM BANGLADESH. I had to pay like a 100 bucks for mine, but used ones are available at lower prices on Amazon and Ebay. Also, if you already know your syllabus, try finding your books in Dhaka or pirate them online if you can. Textbooks will leave you broke by the end of the semester so if that plan doesn't work out, your best bet is renting them on Amazon or Chegg.</span></b></span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta;"><i>OLD DORM ROOM AT LINCOLN ACADEMY</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: magenta;"><i>CURRENT DORM ROOM AT FORDHAM</i></span></td></tr>
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #45818e;"><i>Living/Home Depot:</i></span> <span style="color: #38761d;">I'm sorry I didn't know how to label this. But this section is basically the stuff you need to survive and make your survival space look habitable. So biggest deshi investments would be bodna, toilet paper and sholar jharu. Don't judge me. My mom laughed at me when I hoarded a bunch of toilet papers from her bathroom but I'm just being financially sensible here. In NYC (yes, I do go to college in the city), toilet papers are like 6$ for four rolls, whereas Bashundhara toilet papers are like 17 TK per roll. Then again, you can't </span></b></span><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">buy a year's supply of toilet paper so carry what you can. The bodna speaks for itself. If you can't pack a bodna, a watering can with a single orifice is a good replacement. As for the sholar jharu: there is no western equivalent to it. People in the western world don't brush dust and crumbs off when making their beds. If the sheets are too dirty, they simply put them in the washer.Therefore if you're accustomed to using a sholar jharu, be sure to pack one. Other things I'd recommend investing in is bedding (comforter, two sheets, pillow, pillowcase, nokshi kantha?), a toiletry basket to hold your toiletries ( so that you can easily carry them in and out of the shower), a shower mat (pretty helpful for common showers, showering in flipflops can be a possible alternative), laundry bag and organizers (there are many kinds, but I just use the bins you can keep under the bed; my roommate has ones with wheels which, in my opinion, are more convenient. Again, if you're looking for cheap stuff in the U.S, Walmart and Target are your to-go place. For decor, you could bring a Bangladesh flag with you ( I have photos of my dorm room from boarding school and college for you guys), print out your favourite photos from Dhaka to decorate your wall, and possibly invest in a rug (they make your room look a lot brighter). It also does well to invest in a good suitcase.</span></b></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #45818e;">Electrical Appliances: </span></i><span style="color: #38761d;">Buy your appliances online if you can, because they're often cheaper. But then again, do check out stores nearby (Bed,Bath and Beyond, Walmart, and Target for U.S. bound peeps) as they offer sales and promotions from time to time. Which you can also find out about online. MEH. Here's a tentative list to start with:</span></b></span></li>
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<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Hair dryer</b></i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Mini fridge </b>(I have a magic chef one which I bought for 100$, you could probably go lower on Walmart and Ebay. It also depends on what size you prefer. Mine has a freezer.)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Electric kettle </b>(A staple for students who dorm. It's must-have if you like drinking herbal tea/ hot water and plan on eating a lot of instant ramen. My old roommate used to boil her eggs in her electric kettle too.)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Microwave </b>(not super necessary if you have one in the common lounge/kitchen)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Desk lamp </b>( you probably don't need one if you're planning on doing most of your studying in the library, but it's still a good investment, especially if your room has horrible lighting)</i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>rice cooker </b>(could be a good investment for those who like making their own food)<b> </b></i></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i><b>humidifier </b>(a good investment for those living in drier, colder climates. My nose gets really dry and sometimes bleed so a humidifier helps with that.)</i></span></li>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>I know this is a pretty long list but I should have most things in there. Don't hesitate to comment (leave your email if viewing on my blog) if you have any questions. Also, so that you guys have a clearer idea, below I have links to some of the items I've mentioned:</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/UGG-Australia-Triplet-Sheepskin-Chestnut/dp/B003XW51SI/ref=sr_1_45?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1489112550&sr=1-45&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=uggs&th=1"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>UGGS</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kamik-Womens-Momentum-Snow-Black/dp/B00AZOC9G4/ref=sr_1_8?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1489112672&sr=1-8&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=WINTER+BOOT"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>WINTER BOOTS</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.chegg.com/"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>CHEGG</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>TARGET</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.walmart.com/"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>WALMART</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>BED, BATH AND BEYOND</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.macys.com/?cm_sp=navigation-_-top_nav-_-macys_icon"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>MACYS</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Holiberty-Cosmetics-Organizer-Accessories-Bathrooms/dp/B010DCFK4K/ref=sr_1_6?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1489113055&sr=1-6&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=toiletry%2Bbasket&th=1"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>TOILETRY BASKET</b></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sodynee-Foldable-Storage-Organizer-Containers/dp/B01KYYCN2Y/ref=sr_1_21?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1489113167&sr=1-21&keywords=ORGANIZING+BIN" style="color: #45818e; font-weight: bold;">ORGANIZING BIN</a><span style="color: #45818e; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: magenta;"><i>(This is just a basic one, they have really nice colours and patterns)</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/StorageManiac-Durable-10-Pair-Underbed-Organizer/dp/B01LRE0TPI/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1489113232&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=shoe+organizer&psc=1"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>SHOE ORGANIZER UNDER BED</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bintopia-Drawer-Fabric-Cart-Black/dp/B01BTLIHPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1489113275&sr=1-1&keywords=ORGANIZING+BIN+WHEEL"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>ORGANIZING BIN WITH WHEELS</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Chef-MCAR240B2-cu-ft-Refrigerator/dp/B00TY2KQTK/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1489113360&sr=1-8&keywords=magic+chef+refrigerator"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>MINI FRIDGE MAGIC CHEF</b></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Humidifier-Ultrasonic-Essential-Diffuser/dp/B018CLNEOM/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1489113399&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=humidifiers&psc=1"><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>HUMIDIFIER</b></span></a></div>
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dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com6Upper West Side, New York, NY, USA40.7870106 -73.97536760000002740.7389211 -74.056048600000025 40.835100100000005 -73.894686600000028tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-31653773466589817042017-02-16T01:15:00.000-08:002017-06-19T22:24:21.865-07:00The art of handcrafted mail (and giveaway!)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D2hqmKZaAIXQseF74K9gEA0gMQCwUlXvw7mv4PpHvHd7gWz6BH7gSvIFVnLsgwt0NeBPA7wyT5ajLOwhsv63ABOwImdka54kgq5Z-QzDE-OPdUeJJMVgFrEvha6u_1fDiZu9F9TttUgc/s1600/writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4D2hqmKZaAIXQseF74K9gEA0gMQCwUlXvw7mv4PpHvHd7gWz6BH7gSvIFVnLsgwt0NeBPA7wyT5ajLOwhsv63ABOwImdka54kgq5Z-QzDE-OPdUeJJMVgFrEvha6u_1fDiZu9F9TttUgc/s320/writer.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I am a huge enthusiast of handwritten/crafted mail. Let's face it: in this modern day and age, getting a letter or a package in the mailbox is a lot more exciting than receiving an electronic equivalent of it. Plus, something that is crafted by hand always conveys a deeper meaning. Not only does sending someone a handcrafted mail show how much you care for them; it also allows you to move a breadth away from the wired world, where you can sit and think about what you want to create. The best part about all of this is that you can literally personalize your mail in any way you want. I have friends whose parents send them handmade care packages, and these truly are some of the most adorable things I've ever seen. Here is a real piece of advice: if you know a person who is away for college or just living somewhere else on their own, sending them a letter, a postcard, or even a homemade care package could absolutely make their day. </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Having spent almost three years away from home now, I understand this all too well. During my first year at boarding school, I would gaze in envy while my peers picked up handwritten mail and postcards from the mail room, whereas the only packages I usually received were online orders. I've never blamed my parents for this though. I understood that we came from a completely different culture, and since we Skyped almost everyday, it was only natural that they'd deem the gesture as something unnecessary. It was at that point I started sending postcards and handwritten letters to other people. And unsurprisingly enough, I ended up loving every minute I spent preparing them.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: 14px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> Photo: Postcards I bought from Jatra</span></i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif; text-align: center;">I went all out: I used my hobby as an excuse to spend money on stamps, postcards, colored pens...you name it. While there have been times when things did get lost in the mail, it never discouraged me. The idea of sending physical mail was too beautiful a tradition for me to give up.</b><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>For people based in Bangladesh: if you want to start sending snail mail with postcards, there are plenty of places to find them in Dhaka city: you just need to know where to look. I had gotten a BEAUTIFUL collection from Jatra when I was back in the city for winter break. You can also find them in Aarong,Ideal Products and (possibly) Aranya, both of which are known for selling local souvenirs. While doing my research for this post, I found out that there is also an outlet inside Lalbagh Fort which sells books and postcards printed from the Archaeological department of Bangladesh. So perhaps that could be a place to visit if you're feeling a bit more adventurous. If postcards really aren't your thing, you can always scour the stationary shops at Nilkhet and find your own middle ground for composing the ideal handcrafted mail.</b></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">GIVEAWAY TIME!</span></i></h3>
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I've already mentioned (or maybe not), I hoard postcards and stamps like crazy. And I want to give away some of them to random people who could possibly spread more love in this world. I have a lot to give away so I haven't counted anything but I have photos below if that helps! Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. None of these entries are mandatory but the more entries you do, the greater chances of winning! The giveaway is international.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From top photo: I'm giving away Vintage New York City Postcards (it's in the metal case). I believe that there are 18 of those. I also have a lot of the Four Seasons In New York City note cards to give out (the ones on the top right). They're signature prints of an actual painter's work and are an absolute delight to the eyes. The stickers on the bottom left are stamps. :)</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">From the bottom photo: Nope, I am not giving out Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology. But I am giving out the bookish postcards on the right. They're really cute: I promise!</span></i></div>
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<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com20Upper West Side, New York, NY, USA40.7870106 -73.97536760000002740.7389211 -74.056048600000025 40.835100100000005 -73.894686600000028tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3478902570865163202.post-254378463351479562017-02-07T23:30:00.000-08:002017-06-19T22:24:47.824-07:00Dorming 101: The Roommate Situation<div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Hey Guys! To anyone who is old (and new): I've started blogging again! I wanted to do something beyond just book blogging so I gave up <a href="http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydreamer3.blogspot.com/">Daydreaming Bookworm</a> for good. Of course, it's always a good addition to my resume so I won't be taking that blog down just yet. Anyway I'm really trying to make this happen so would greatly appreciate feedback/ suggestions for improvement. Since this isn't technically a book blog: I can't promise book giveaways but I will be giving away sweepstakes like postcards etc. every now and then, so it's in your best interest to subscribe. ;) </i></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In my opinion, dorm life is one of the biggest challenges (and yet the most exciting aspect) of living on campus. And I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a decent roommate in order to fully enjoy your residential life experience. Most boarding schools and colleges usually have a roommate questionnaire in order to help with that process, but often times, even that goes wrong. Therefore looking back on my previous roommate experiences (the good, the bad and the UGLY), I decided to conjure up a list of pointers that could (possibly?) help a future boarder survive in the long run.</span></b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">A) Be explicitly honest on your roommate questionnaire.</span></i></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">I'm serious! Don't try to portray yourself as a perfect human being on your questionnaire. None of us are, especially college kids. In fact: try to include as much information as possible. If you like partying and having people over in your room: indicate that! Be honest about your sleep schedule, cleaning habits, eating habits, and even (especially!) your pet peeves. Still not convincing enough? Story time! Your homegirl here wanted to make a good impression and beautifully fabricated her roommate questionnaire. And I paid the price for it all right. During my first year at boarding school I ended up with a roommate who would stay up late on school nights to play games on her computer. And that's all good with me, except the fact that she would yell into her headphones every now and then in her native language. As a result I didn't get a wink of sleep that semester. She was also super clean so every time my side of the room was untidy she would literally stare me down until I actually got to cleaning it.So do yourselves a favor guys: be honest on your roommate questionnaire, don't leave anything out just because you're embarrassed about it or something. </span></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">B) Network!</span></i></h3>
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<a href="https://parisforher.com/wp-content/uploads/business-people-group-talking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://parisforher.com/wp-content/uploads/business-people-group-talking.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>When you get accepted to a college, they usually invite you to join their official Facebook group for the entering class. That group is an invaluable resource: Utilize it! Reach out to people from that group, try to learn more about them through conversations. Often times, you might even see students posting a small bio on the page in order to seek out roommates. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there! My college roommate reached out to me when she saw my bio on the Facebook page, and so far it has worked out pretty well. Networking is also a skill that will help you later down your career path, so it's best to pick it up early! </b></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #45818e; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">C) Honesty while sharing a common space with another person.</span></i></h3>
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<a href="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8382/8525906362_42b48f3760_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8382/8525906362_42b48f3760_b.jpg" width="320" /></a><b style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now this is more of a post roommate selection topic, but I thought that I might as well include it in here anyway. Now let's say that despite taking all the necessary precautions, you didn't exactly end up with the roommate you were expecting. That's fine! All bad experiences teach us valuable lessons (okay that sounded super cheesy). But it's true though. My two horrible roommate match-ups from school taught me to prepare for the worst. While respecting the other person's space is a given, it is important to ensure that you are getting the same amount of respect. This is where communication comes in handy. If you're feeling uncomfortable or really annoyed about a pet peeve of your roommate's, talk it out with him/her. Because it is your right to enjoy your space as much as that person is enjoying theirs. If you're South Asian like me, you'll notice that Westerners are much more frank about their feelings than we are. And if they don't like something, they'll definitely tell you that outright. So you might as well do the same. If you still end up having serious problems with adjusting, talk to your Residential Assistant. Residential campuses usually have tons of resources that either directly or indirectly address those problems. The only thing you have to do on your part is to speak out. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DhmslqFhLAfAQxCQf8bzgEGVTkZyuApyF8lrXpA_OFTV3lxOFssrpqD6D4yMRZD0vFIWDXySHiYdIbuIhUkhebtbHyg3ZoLbut_lVH0jTDzxKMuNKacwyjJDhic9-RCE0F4IYoqwHayF/s1600/rickshaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DhmslqFhLAfAQxCQf8bzgEGVTkZyuApyF8lrXpA_OFTV3lxOFssrpqD6D4yMRZD0vFIWDXySHiYdIbuIhUkhebtbHyg3ZoLbut_lVH0jTDzxKMuNKacwyjJDhic9-RCE0F4IYoqwHayF/s320/rickshaw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>All factors aside, I do hope that you enjoy your residential life experience. Let me know in the comments or in the <a href="http://bengalinomad1102.blogspot.com/p/review-policy.html">CONTACT FORM</a> if you have suggestions about the kind of posts you might enjoy seeing here. Or you could just share your personal dorming experience in the comments section below. If you're currently living in a dorm, how did your experience turn out? Is there anything you would add that could help out future boarders? Thanks for reading!</i></span></div>
dopehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359326083681702206noreply@blogger.com2Upper West Side, New York, NY, USA40.7870106 -73.97536760000002740.7389211 -74.056048600000025 40.835100100000005 -73.894686600000028