Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Title: Midnight Thief
Author: Livia Blackburne
Source/Format: Won, Hardcover
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Disney-Hyperion July 8, 2014

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     I have read awesome books and I have read terrible books, but Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne fell in between the two. The characters were alright, the plot I found to be a tad bit predictable at times, but overall it wasn't half bad. Kyra was an ok main character, but she was special with an ability that set her apart from everyone else, essentially making her a good thief because of it. She could climb walls—basically up the sides of buildings like she was some kind of squirrel on caffeine. Her loyalty was suspect, but some of her decisions and hesitations I understand considering the circumstances. Tristam was mildly interesting, I guess, he was a young palace knight who experienced tragedy which motivated him to do what he did in Midnight Thief—but I felt like he sort of lost his way, as in his judgment got a little clouded when Kyra was around. James…oh James *sigh* he was shady, and honestly I didn’t like him, period. I felt like he wanted Kyra to be something she was not. As I said before the plot was alright, but halfway through I figured out what was going on. The writing was pretty good with enough descriptions to hold my interest in the world. All in all Midnight Thief was pretty average for me, and I would consider reading another book by Livia Blackburne.

Falling into Fall {#4}

    Welcome to the next Falling into Fall post.  This post is all about fall themed crafts.  The first craft is tote bags.  Over the past year I've seen an array of tote bags from those with themes based on books, to just those that are simple, or more complex with intricate designs and patterns. Tote bags are simply awesome and below are links to those and other easy projects: 

Kate Spade Inspired Bow Tote @Flamingo Toes (A Creative Blog) This tote bag looks a little more complex, but easy enough to do.  I like the design and would like to make one if  and when I have the time and supplies. (Just with fall colors)

A Simple Six-Pocket Bag @Better Homes and Gardens There are lots of pockets on this one, so if you need to carry books...um...more books,  maybe a wallet or something.

DIY Monogram Tote Bag @Sweet T Makes Three (Homemaking in the Heart of Dixie!) This one is cool. I like how it's personalized with the monogram.

How To: Make A Simple Tote Bag @Cardboard Cities This one is simple and looks quick and easy to make.

Exquisite DIY Bookmarks @Shelterness I don't think its possible to have too many bookmarks, and the ones found at Shelterness are so pretty.

DIY Safety Pin Bracelet @Redfly Creations I really like how they crafted the safety pin bracelets and want to try it eventually since it's super simple.

Easy to make Pencil Holder @Happy Happy Nester I think this is a great and simple way to organize all of those spare pencils and pens.

Duct Tape Accordion Style Clutch Wallet @ JWallets Youtube Channel Okay, this is a really unique use of duct tape--it's a duct tape wallet.

Tote to Backpack @ Sincerley Kinsey  Oh, and finally, I just love this tutorial on how to easily transform a tote into a backpack!

     Well that's it. Check back November 27 for the last post. Question: what are some of your favorite crafts?

{All current post links can be found on the Features Page}

Musing Mondays (12)

    Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading, that asks you to muse about something book related each week. Want to join?  Visit the link above. 

My Musings for the Week:

     I haven't done a Musing Mondays in a while, so here's one for today.  Since I want to keep this simple, I thought I might do something a little different. So I thought book quotes that I would want as bookish jewelry would be a fun topic. There are so many quotes that I've come across that I absolutely love, but here's just three I would want as jewelry in my jewelry box.

1) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: ""Would you tell me, please," said Alice, a little timidly, "why you are painting those roses?""

2) The Rithematist by Brandon Sanderson: ""You'll deal with unicorns--maybe some flower people and a Pegasus or two-- and you'll like it.""

3) Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: "Though we find the comparison to cats a bit infuriating, don't we Tazza?"

     Those are my three quotes, but there are many more.  Which quotes would you want on a piece of your jewelry?

     

The Friday 56 (13)

     The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

""Have you guessed the riddle yet?" the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
"No, I give up," Alice replied.  "What's the answer?"
"I haven't the slightest idea," said the Hatter.
"Nor I," said the March Hare."--Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
     I have to say that I do love this edition from Barnes & Noble, and this quote is actually from page 71, but I like it.  Anyway, what's on your page 56 this week?

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott

Today, I'm happy to take part in the cover reveal for Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott!  Check out the cover below, but don't forget to stick around  till the end of the post for a giveaway. Alright then, scroll down:

Tada, the cover.  I like this cover, especially the mountains, and it matches with the new paperback cover.

You can Preorder now on

Amazon    Barnes & Noble   Goodreads  

And not to forget the new cover for the paperback version of Fire & Flood! I like this one a lot.

Barnes & Noble     Goodreads     Amazon

Don't forget to visit Victoria Scott

Website    Goodreads     Twitter









Wait, before you go don't forget about the giveaway. Below you can enter for a chance to win a signed Salt & Stone galley, Landry Park galley, Vendetta galley, signed paperback For Darkness Shows the Stars, Everything Leads To You galley, Breaking Butterflies hardcover, or signed Fire & Flood Swag.  Whew, that's a lot of prizes up for grabs!  It's an awesome giveaway, right?  Well, go forth and enter.

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