Thursday, March 10, 2011

Hopping Time

It's time for the weekly book blogger hops again! A great opportunity to meet new bloggers and say hi to old.

Crazy For Books' Book Blogger Hop

Book Blogger Hop

Parajunkee's Follow My Book Blog Friday.



I'm Alison. I've been blogging for nine months. I review mainly YA with a few MG books and a weekly manga feature.

On the blog this week -

Reviews

Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Manga Mondays

Fruits Basket vol. 17 by Natsuki Takaya

Questions of the Week:

Blog Hop: If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?

I often like buying books that I've already read and loved. Since books are so expensive, I don't like to buy them if I might not enjoy them. A book that I really love is worth keeping on my shelf to re-read.

Some books that I've already read and I'd buy if I had $80: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (already own Shiver), the hardcover of New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (only have the paperback), Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, all of the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace

A few books I'd buy that I haven't already read: Books about England during WWII and biographies of King George VI and the Queen Mum (on an English history kick after seeing The King's Speech), Where She Went by Gayle Forman (when it comes out), Jennifer Donnelly's other novels, and lots of cookbooks.

Follow Friday: Who are You the Girl, instead of You the Blogger?

Who am I? Let's see:

Age: 29
Occupation: Attorney
College Major: Economics
Resides: I am from Arizona, but I have lived in Minnesota for the past 8 years. I'm moving to California this summer (I love Minnesota and I'm very sad to leave). This weekend, I'm going to be busy packing and cleaning up my house to get ready to put it on the market in a few weeks. If anyone wants to buy a house in the Twin Cities, let me know.
Hobbies: Reading, obviously. I exercise a lot - running is my favorite activity. I love to cook - especially Asian food. I have other hobbies, but blogging and reading has really taken over my life and I've neglected a lot of other things. I don't mind spending so much time blogging as long as I'm having fun.
I am a huge music fan and thankfully have time to listen to a lot of CDs when I can't read or blog. My fav groups are The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Iron & Wine, Cloud Cult, Neko Case, Paramore, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens, The National, and more...

110 comments:

  1. Hey just stopping by.
    I have my days when I like it and don't. I've thought about it, but I see what my pharmacist go through and I don't think I could handle anymore then what I do.

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  2. Hi, Alison! I love your layout here. I should get out of google reader once in a while. :p
    What type of asian foods do you like to cook?

    -Len of Musings of a Reader Happy

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  3. Thanks for following Allison! Im going to have to check out your Manga Mondays! I love Fruits Basket! Im following.

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  4. Old follower returning the hop! I haven't done anything with the fabrics yet, but eventually I'd like to make a quilt for them, whenever I finish the current quilt that I've been working on for the last few years. Have a great weekend! :)

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  5. You've been all over the place! Lol.

    Hope you have a great weekend!

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  6. Old follower just hoppin' through. I lived in AZ for quite awhile and loved it there. I was actually born there. CA is my home though (well, it's where I grew up and where my family is.) I sure miss the sunshine of those places!

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  7. Oooh! Where in CA are you moving? I've heard Minnesota is pretty, but I love it here in CA!

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  8. OMG!! Where are you moving to in Cali?

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  9. Hi Alison

    Old follower stopping by, have a wonderful friday.

    Mysteriousbooks

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  10. Hi Alison! Great to get to know you better! We have a really similar taste in music, I love Sufjan Stevens. Have a happy day!

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  11. Hopping by and wishing you a good weekend

    carol

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  12. Hi

    I'm one of your new followers, just stopping off to say Hi. It's nice to find someone who seems to move around almost as much as I do!

    Louise
    www.book-bliss.com

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  13. Stopping by to say hey! I really like these Friday hops and getting to know my blogger friends even better!

    Here's my Friday Hops

    Have a GREAT weekend!

    Old Follower
    Jessica@a GREAT read

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  14. Hey Alison Happy Friday! Old follower, just stopping by the hop. Have a great weekend :)

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  15. Hiya! Dropping by for the FF, and I had no idea that you're an attorney -- how exciting that must be!

    Have a great weekend,
    D

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  16. Hi Alison,
    Hopping through on this Friday to see what you're up to! Happy Friday. I had totally forgotten about cook books! What a great idea - you can never have too many of those.
    Brenda

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  17. Hi! I hope you will love California too! ;)
    Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

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  18. New follower stopping my. Thanks for visiting my FF! Love your layout!

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  19. Hi
    Just hopping by and following through!
    I don't reread but I am careful about what I buy - mostly LOl. Come and see what is one my wish list

    Shelleyrae @ book'd Out
    www.bookdout.wordpress.com

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  20. Stopping by to say hello, good luck with selling your house and the move!

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  21. Happy Friday!
    Old follower just hopping through. I'll send you an e-mail on the book store!

    Barb at Sugarbeat's Books

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  22. Just stopping by to say hi. I'm an old follower. Have a great weekand.

    http://justnookit.blogspot.com/

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  23. Thanks for stopping by my blog. To answer your question, batch futsal team is this team we have representing our whole class at futsal tournament every year. Have a good day. =)

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  24. Happy Friday Alison! Good for you on the running and the cooking, I do neither of those activities, especially the cooking, much to my husband's dismay. The kitchen is not a fan of me, it just seems to always try and revolt against me and I end up burning or ruining quite a few meals:) Oh well!

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  25. Thanks for stopping by my blog! It was so nice to learn a bit about you. I loveeeee the cold weather, so Minnessota sounds wonderful. I bet it's beautiful there in the summer. Sadly we don't get very nice weather here in the swampy state of Louisiana :(

    Love your answer to the "what would you buy" question. I agree, I love having copies of my favorite books. I've read the first three books in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles about a million times, but I bought the set anyway. Same goes for As I Lay Dying, my all-time favorite book. I lost a copy and replaced it a few months ago.

    Mandy @ Embrace Your Oddities

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  26. Old follower just saying HI and thanking you for becoming my newest follower.

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  27. Alison, have a wonderful weekend! I enjoyed reading all about you!

    Old follower:)
    Kristin@ My Bookish Ways

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  28. New follower here! It's my first BlogHop, and I'm making a round of all the blogs. Yours is gorgeous! It's nice to learn more about everyone!

    Meg at The Book Addicted Girl

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  29. A children's bookstore would be fun. :-)
    Are you moving for work?? Sorry that you have to leave where you love.

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  30. Stopping by for the blog hop, thank you for visiting my blog and have a great weekend!

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  31. I just LOVE Betsy-Tacy too! They were my favorite growing up! I'm tempted to buy them even though I don't have a daughter (yet!)...
    Taming the Bookshelf

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  32. Now that I've read Delirium, I need to pick up a copy of Before I Fall. I haven't read that one yet. Hope a great weekend!

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  33. I love your book picks! I really want to read Revolution!

    You've moved quite a bit throughout your life!!

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  34. I've been perusing book blogs all afternoon and I'm seriously becoming insanely jealous of the whole community vibe that's been established! I'm pretty sure it just doesn't work that way with pop culture/film bloggers. We'd rather bicker than learn about each other...haha.

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  35. Hi Alison, we connected last Follow Friday (we're both fans of Vampire Academy lol), just wanted to stop by and say Hi! I hope your move goes well and you're able to sell your house as soon as you need to. I haven't read Shiver or Linger yet, but I see those books on so many lists, I guess I should check them out :)

    April @ my shelf confessions (formerly nook nest, changed the name) :)

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  36. Wow! What a great question this week. I always peek at other people's book piles at the checkout link at B&N. That doesn't make me a voyeur, does it?

    The exhibitionist in me has posted my own bookstore shopping list -- and it's not as predictable as you may think!

    Hop on over to my blog for all the suspense and chills of my TBR list - http://www.howardsherman.net

    Happy Hop Friday!

    Howard Sherman
    http://www.howardsherman.net

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  37. I LOVED Before I Fall..... had to immediately buy Delirium too. Great list and thanks for stopping by!

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  38. Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend.

    BK

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  39. What kind of attorney are you? I love Minnesota. I've only been there once, but I loved it and I absolutely adore the Mall of America. It was so much fun and I couldn't believe it had an amusement park in it until I saw it for myself.

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  40. Hi! Just stopping by on the Hop. Old follower here.
    I know what you mean about buying books. I'm always so nervous about buying a book because I don't want to waste $10-25 on a book that I might not like...Most of the books I buy I have already read and want to reread or I've heard so much about that I buy it being 99% sure I'd love it.
    Have a great weekend :)
    Caroline @ Bon Bons and Reveries

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  41. Hi Alison!! I love all the same bands!! And yes, it's frustrating that my kiddo doesn't like books now, but I do hope it changes. She does like comic books and graphic novels though!

    Jess @ Gone with the Words

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  42. Thank you for the introduction. A happy weekend.

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  43. Hi Alison thanks for stopping on my blog to comment! To answer your question right now I am loving INCEPTION,I love Toy Story Movies, (and PIXAR movie actually)and the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, oh and Titanic! I still cry...thanks for stopping by my blog. Returning the awesomeness! Old Follower!
    Alex
    http://morethanjustabook.blogspot.com/

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  44. Hi there, old follower just hopping through! I would definitely have Revolution as a book to reread too. :) I also can't believe you love running. I am your opposite in that I will only run if I have to or to chase my dogs haha. I love walking at a leisurely pace. *grin*

    Anyway, stop by my hop too if you have the time.
    http://sandrathenookworm.blogspot.com

    Thanks and ttyl! (^_^)

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  45. Great list of books! I want every single one. :)

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  46. Anna and the French Kiss! I really want to read this book! I need to remember to buy it XDDD

    My Hop

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  47. Great bookstore picks! I would love to get a lot of those as well. :)

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  48. You're an attorney? Wow. I couldn't believe that when I came across your blog the very first time. You've some nice books in your basket. I want to read 'Before I Fall' and 'Anna & the French Kiss' too. Have a great weekend.

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  49. Death Cab for Cutie is the only band that I know.

    I hope you wil have a better life in new place

    Thanks for stopping by ;)

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  50. Hey - just hoppin by! Hope you have a great weekend! Happy reading! Stop by The Wormhole and see what I think I would spend my money on!

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  51. I think I would just impulse shop! hehe! Just because its $80 I didnt expect!
    Kylie @ http://reviews.blueteacup.com/

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  52. Old follower. Thanks for stopping by! Have a good weekend.

    Lacey in the Sky with Books

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  53. hi,

    Thank you do much for stopping by my blog.
    Hopping back ;)
    Have a nice weekend!

    Kyanara

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  54. thx for stopping by my blog and for the follow...I'm following back.

    very cute blog design btw^^

    xoxo

    {SeMi}CrAzEd

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  55. Hey Alison, just stopping by on the follow. Isn't it funny how much we blog with each other but are clueless about the blogger themselves. I loved reading your bio. Thanx for the heads up about the link. Happy to hear from you. Good luck on your trip.
    Have a terrific weekend!!!
    See ya!
    Dana
    Readaholics Anonymous

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  56. Thanks for stopping by at my blog! Have a great weekend (:

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  57. I have the same 'policy' for buying books. Not only do I not know if I'll like the book, but I'm almost out of room to display/store them!.
    So right now, I'll buy it for my Kindle, and if I like it, I add it to my to-buy-list and wait til the hardcovers go down in price.

    We like a ton of the same bands! The few I haven't listened to yet, I have on iTunes.

    Have a great weekend!

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  58. Thanks for the follow!! New follower. :)
    Have a great weekend!

    Mandy @ Reality Bites.

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  59. I'm a Paramore and Bon Iver fan too. Hopefully everyone will forget all the drama with Paramore and move on soon. I love Iron & Wine's Flightless Bird, American Mouth.

    Happy reading!

    New follower!

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  60. Thanks for stopping by yesterday's FF. I your newest follower now. :)

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  61. Hey thank you for stopping by my blog! I am following you right back.

    I also want to read Anna and the French Kiss! Must pick that one up next time I am at the bookstore!

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  62. Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog :)

    I wish I loved exercising. I'm jealous of people who do. And I also love, love, love cooking Asian food! And baking. Speaking of, I should go make cookies right now.

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  63. I'm a bookaholic, so I buy books sometimes just because they sound interesting and/or they're pretty. I haven't read Shiver/Linger yet, but I've heard good things.

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  64. Thanks for stopping by! I lived in Arizona for 2 years and loved it!!! Have a great weekend!

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  65. Thanks for stopping by!

    I loved Before I Fall, too, and I really want to read Anna and the French Kiss (:

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  66. Hi Alison! First of all, thanks for hopping by Murphy's Library!

    From your list, I want to read Shiver and Anna and the French Kiss... And I'm moving to California in a few weeks too! LOL

    --
    Maeva
    Murphy's Library

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  67. Love your musical tastes! I saw The National in concert last year and they were so amazing!! We picked a few of the same books also :-)
    Have a great weekend!

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  68. Hi Alison! Thanks for the Hop! I didn't know you were such a history buff!
    I'll be here for Manga Monday for sure!

    Thanks! Kristi The Book Faery!

    Have yourself a Fab weekend!

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  69. An attorney, you say? Wow, that's pretty cool! Did you always want to be one or did it just happen?

    And I lovelove Paramore! They're amazing. I've only heard a couple songs from Death Cab For Cutie, and they seem good too!

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  70. Thanks for stopping by my blog yesterday! I am sad to give away my dog, but excited to get married! I wish I worked out like you do! The only work out I get is in the summertime when we go hiking!

    Aimee @ Coffee Table Press

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  71. Hi Alison - Great answers. And I love the brief background too…an attorney, exercise fanatic, reader, blogger and one who receives 75 comments too. That's insane. I think you're my new hero. How do you do it? :0)

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  72. Hey Alison! Thanks for hopping!
    I am actually a neat freak, but only when I get angry. For instance, my mom knows exactly when I'm stressed out by the quality or order in my room, haha.. it's a curse!

    I love the choices your made for your $80.. Anna and the French Kiss was an amazing book! As is the Wolves of Mercy Falls series!

    -Nora :]

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  73. oh good luck with your move. Urgh I hate moving. where in Cali?

    XO❤XO❤ - Parajunkee
    Happy Paranormal Spring Break!

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  74. Newest follower here, via the Friday hop. $80 in a bookstore - I would probably start by buying everything on my TBR list, including all the books I've discovered on blogs! Prefer to spend it on the Kindle though, the money goes alot farther.

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  75. Wanted to say thanks for stopping by and saying Hi! I hope you have a great weekend as well :D

    Megan Marie

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  76. Running is not my thing. I wish it was, because I know I need it. And I agree -- I too have let some things go because of blogging and reading. But that's OK for now.

    Happy Reading!

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  77. I like your choices! Most of them I want to read.
    Old follower and thanks for stopping by my blog! :)

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  78. Thanks for stopping by! I'm a new follower now and I love your blog. I'm getting my doctorate in Education Leadership and I'll be starting on my dissertation at the end of summer! LOL BTW, I read a lot of YA books (I work in a high school) so I'll be interested in see what you have on your blog! Have a happy Saturday!

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  79. Hi, just dropping by to say thank you for popping over to my blog for Follow Friday. I'm an old follower and I absolutely adore Asian food too!

    Jenny @ Into The Morning Reads

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  80. LOVE Neko Case! I'm such a huge fan. I could listen to her albums a million times in a row and not be tired of them. I also really like Iron & Wine and Bon Iver.

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  81. Hi Alison, nookboards is a forum for people who own nooks (some people own kindles too) but we get together on the site and talk books, our nooks, and other stuff too, it's a fun place to hang out. For nook owners we even have a place for people who want to lend ebooks to each out (via the LendMe feature for the nook.) Come check it out (even if you aren't a nook owner you'll see lots of great books to talk about!) nookboards

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  82. I enjoyed your post - definitely agree with you on your book picks; I especially want to read Before I Fall and Anna and the French Kiss!

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  83. Hey alison thanx for the follow ;)

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  84. SHEESH! You have SO many comments on here, Alison! Sorry I'm so late to hop, but I'm trying to come back from my blog commenting slump! :)

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  85. I was just more curious than anything about how you came to be an attorney. I would be absolutely horrible at it :P.

    I've been going back and forth between a Game Designer with a more focus in programming, an English teacher (high school), and other many things :P. The first two are my primary choices right now and the first is starting to win, because I can work from home.

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  86. Hello! Thanks for stopping by my blog, Novel Addiction. I'm returning the follow and can't wait to see more from you. Good luck with your packing and move!

    Amanda

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  87. I'm so glad to have found this blog via the hop! Now I know about the new dark side book... How cool is that?
    Great choices although I don't know the Betsy Tacy books...

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  88. Hello. Thanks for stopping by. You have a lovely blog. I'm totally going to follow. Can't wait to read more from you. Keep it shiny!

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  89. If you like to cook Asian food, California's a great place to be. There's a huge Asian grocery store in Southern California called 99 Ranch. I love visiting, even though I get a bit squeamish when I get to aisle with the dried anchovies, etc. They just stare at you, all big-eyed. Scary!

    I like your idea of buying books you've already read but don't own. This is a constant problem I come up against, since I try to get books from the library when I can. My wallet insists. Plus, I've done a few blog tours, and I've had to pass on a few books I wish I hadn't had to.

    The donut pan pan sounds awesome. Where did you see it?

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  90. Thanks for hopping by! :) I love running too! Although these days I haven't been running...more like exercising for rugby, hehe. I love Iron & Wine too! Their songs are lovely. :)

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  91. awesome choices! I have yet to read maggie's shover series but it's on my list. I keep hearing great things about anna and the french kiss as well!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!!
    BTW: Mangu is a type of dominican breakfast that consist of mashed plantains(green banana)and you eat it with eggs and salami and fried cheese. It's delicious.

    A sancocho is like a kind of stew. it has chicken, plantains, potatoes, corn, and other yummy pieces of meat. And you eat that usually with white rice.

    here's the link of what the food looks like!
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_02hWxH6CucI/SZwcEs2dQGI/AAAAAAAAAjg/ipPOW0IEqbo/s400/DSC06576.JPG

    http://www.costaricapages.com/panama/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/sancocho.jpg

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  92. Hello! Catching up on my hop...even though it's Monday! Wow Arizona to Minnesota that must have been quite a change. Now California! I'm jealous.

    As for your books...I'm looking forward to reading Revolution and Anna and the French Kiss. The Queen bio looks interesting. I'm hoping The King's Speech comes on In Demand soon! I'm dying to see it.

    Good luck with your move!

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  93. Hoping over dear, just a wee bit late. Thank you for stopping by. I'm returning the love. =) Have a lovely week!

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  94. Hey Alison, just stopping by on the follow. You are too sweet! Thanks for stopping by. You always amaze me, you must hit up everyone on the link list! Great blog, keep up the nice work.
    Have a terrific weekend reading !!!
    See ya!
    Dana
    Readaholics Anonymous

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  95. Such a pretty blog....back for a visit.

    I am amazed at how many people read more than one book at at time.

    Stop by my blog for a giveaway of LINEN QUEEN courtesy of Sarah from Hachette Books and to see my answer to this week's Blog Hop question.

    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

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  96. Thanks for following!

    Yeah, I haven't been able to handle more than two or three books at a time for at least a decade. I don't know how my brain kept up with all of them when I was a kid.

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  97. Thanks for visiting my blog, Novel Addiction! Newest follower here.

    Can't wait to see more from you!
    Have a great weekend,
    Amanda

    glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com

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  98. Hey there, thanks for stopping by my hop. In response to your question... I don't think the Kindle community is as strong as the Nook community, because B&N has forums where a lot of Nook users meet, talk and even share book clubs. So, that's how I know most of my Nook friends and lots of us blog as well, so our friendships continue through the blogging world as well. That's another pro to getting a Nook I didn't think of, but until Amazon hosts some forums I don't see the chance for everyone to talk and chat over the internet.

    Anyway, thanks for sharing about yourself. That's great you're an attorney, those are some hard classes to get through. I took the first pre-law class and changed my mind haha! So, cheers to you! :)

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  99. Oh I also want to say I love Fruits Basket, original Japanese only though, I hate dubbing!

    Sandra @ http://sandrathenookworm.blogspot.com

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  100. Great to have you visit my blog. Shah. wordsinsync.blogspot.com X

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  101. Oh! And you asked about where to start with the Cat & Bones books - definitely read book number one ("Halfway to the Grave") first, and have book number two ("One Foot in the Grave") handy!! Trust me, after book one's ending, you'll NEED book two. The author is Jeaniene Frost, and she writes some amazing stories, and some seriously addicting characters.

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  102. Hi Alison! Feel free to give any advice, (ie:blog hops) because chances are I don't know! haha
    That's awesome that you're a lawyer! :) I don't know how you have any free time haha :)
    <3

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  103. Hey thanks for stopping by my blog earlier and showing some love. I am now following you. I really like your blog btw.
    I read Fruits Basket and it's really good I love it! Tell me how you like when you finish?
    They made it into an anime too if you didn't know.
    Well have a great day
    -Veronica

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  104. woo hoo! Death Cab for Cutie! Sorry, had to get that out.

    What part of CA are you moving to? My dad is from San Francisco. Love it out that way.

    Also, what type of law do you practice? (Hats off to you, BTW.) Would you mind if my students sent you a few questions about being a lawyer? I work at a career and technology magnet middle school. This would be a great magnet connection.

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  105. Stopping by, thanks for commenting on my blog! New follower. :)

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  106. Happy follow friday and thanks for stopping by my blog!
    Your blog is really really beautiful!!!

    Lets hop again sometime :)

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This blog is now an award free zone. I just don't have time to pass on the awards as they deserve.