Tuesday 31 March 2015

Teaser Tuesday||❤

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

---
The trees whispered and hissed, and Gansey realized he might have been mistaken; it might have only been one voice, all along.
~Raven Boys (Pge. 278)

Share your teaser in the comments!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx

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Monday 30 March 2015

Percy Jackson and The Sea Of Monsters-A Book Review||❤

Percy Jackson and The Sea Of Monsters
By Rick Riordan
Publication Date: January 1st 2006
Rating: 5stars
The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.


My Thoughts...
I feel as though these books just keep on getting better as the series progresses. The story starts to come together more like puzzle pieces and we are introduced to so many new mythological characters who each are as dangerous as each other. Percy is now back from yet another year of school, where surprisingly he hasn't been hurt or attacked yet but he speaks too soon as he finds himself in a volleyball game where actually his 'opponents' are actually maneating giants and has yet again been in the media for blowing up his school this time. With Camp Half-Blood in serious danger, Percy has to sneak out of camp as it is under strict regulations and try and retrieve the Golden Fleece to save the tree which protects the camp and stop the bloody mess which is being caused, The only problem is he has to travel across the sea of monsters or labelled in the human world as the Bermuda Triangle. It's up to Percy and his friends to save their second home and fight a hungry Cyclops will he be able to do it?

What is so good about these books is that it never gets boring. It's always kept at a fast pace but not fast enough for you to feel like you had just read a trilogy in 200 pages. Percy is still witty and his character is extremely likeable and always managed to get into a worse situations through his sarcasm. The Book brought up many more new facts so I did actually learn more about Greek Mythology and I am slowly feeding my obsession. It is so tricky to try and give write a spoiler free review!!

Tyson and Annabeth are probably my favourite characters out of the whole book because they are both such courageous characters but one knows it and the other doesn't seem to realise. Tyson is the innocent one who ends up being quite powerful and Annabeth is the vibrant one who always turns up at the right moments. Although they do despise each other quite a lot and you do see their differences, it is quite obvious, ones a monster and ones a half-blood.

The only thing which annoyed me about the book was that Percy cared too much. I was Iiterally screaming at him through my book telling him to Dutch these people and run off. Maybe that annoyed me because I would do the exact opposite thing in situations.

Overall, I think that this book was a brilliant fantasy read and I hope to finish this series soon!!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx 
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Friday 27 March 2015

Fangirl-A Book Review||❤

Fangirl
By Rainbow Rowell
Publication Date: September 10th 2013
Rating: 5/5
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Thoughts
Cathy is a twin. Her and her sister have always been like two peas in a pod, they had the same hair, shared the same clothes and wherever Wren went Cath went. They even went to prom together. When they both decide to go to the same college Wren doesn't want to share a room anymore, write Simon Snow fanfictions anymore or look and dress the same anymore. That's when Cath decides she wants to stay the same because she enjoys writing fan fictions and she likes visiting her crazy dad at home so she does that. Now she is stuck with an aggressive roommate, Reagan, who looks like she eats puppies for breakfast and her 'boyfriend' who is constantly over who talks to Cath more to Reagan. Now Cath has to learn how to grow up and step into a big world without her sister's shoulder to lean on.

Fangirl is probably one of my favourite books I have read this year. I was drawn to ever single page and my mum was constantly telling me to put the book down at the dinner table! Cath was an introvert, she didn't even turn up to meals because she was scared to meet people and lived off protein bars and peanut butter. She felt uncomfortable surrounded by people and especially boys. She takes creative writing classes even though it is for second years and has always struggled to find an identity and style f her own. She is either her sister or Gemma T. Leslie (author of fiction fantasy series Simon Snow). I like how this book shows how it's ok to be a different person from other but there is a time where you need to branch out.

I adored the romance in this book. It was there but it was subtle. They weren't jumping on each other like a pair of hormone crazy teens who had no control over their lives and it wasn't like they were love sick loonies. Although they both made mistakes and they were distance for a while it was kind of sweet how he said 'Are you still rooting for me?'. The feels just hit me so hard after reading that line and I just wanted to go out and hug Cathy and whisper to her "Go get him sisterrr!"

Also, I loved how it was all about fanfiction and how little snippets of the Simon Snow story was shown at the end of the new chapter and parts of of Cath's fanfiction Carry On. As a person who reads a lot of fanfictions whether it is Harry Potter or Teen Wolf you kind of have a connection with it and it was nice to have and experience a book character who is as real as everybody else. And I fouind out through Rainbow Rowell stalking that Carry On is actually becoming a book!! The fandom which I wanted to be real is becoming an actual book!! YESSSS!! It is coming out at around October time and I just can't!

Overall, if you are looking for a heart-warming read which will not fail to make you smile, this is the one for you!!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx


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Monday 23 March 2015

Geek Girl-A Book Review||❤

Geek Girl
By Holly Smale
Publication Date: February 28th 2015
Rating:
Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. 

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. 

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did. 

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?


My Thoughts...

Harriet Manners is what people would label as a geek. She does all her homework, is a teacher's pet, knows facts about things people would find irrelevant and has a creepy stalker equally as geeky guy who commits on her,Also, she HATES fashion. She hates it so much that she has to be dragged to a fashion convention and her idea of stylish is Winnie the Pooh jumpers (how is that not cool). After a slight mishap on the bus with her bestfriend, they are both forced to wear football kits to a place where loads of scouts would be. After being spotted by a crazy guy who wears too many vibrant colours and calls her ridiculous pet names, she finds herself zooming across the world to a place she has always wanted to visit. Harriet ends up being the newbie but everybody seems to love her. How can she accept my it when she can't seem to love herself?

Geek Girl is one of those books which doesn't blow your mind completely but doesn't bore you to death. This was exactly how I felt about this. I've seen this book around alot but I've never actually been bothered to pick it up. When I did actually get the book and read it it was one of those where I knew that I didn't want to like it but I kept on going in for more. I haven't read these types of books actually specifically aimed at teenagers in ages but it kind of made me feel better as I knew what I was going to read wasn't going to be over complicated and I enjoyed the feeling of being able to completely understand instead of diving into issues.

Harriet was a funny character who liked to hide underneath tables during stressful situations. She was quirky and somebody who everybody could be friends with even if she is as geeky as you are. The way she tries to make friends is to try and tell them facts about anything the key had said them her. She also insults people with intelligence, she switched her sass on! Although she did seem to have a perfect life she always felt like everybody hated her and at one point she felt like she had lost everything when she was successful. I loved how honest she was and how she made wrong decisions and was full uhh aware about them. What I found funny was that she was so prepared to lie so no one know about her modelling career she made a whole string of lies to tell each person and even colour coded them! 

The romance in my eyes was unneeded. I really wanted the book to be about Harriet discovering herself and who she could be with the support of her family and friends. Nick was a sweet character who did help Harriet loosen up a bit and be less rigid in front of the camera for the first time but I felt like their relationship could be developed from friends to something else in the next book but it was all too fast for me and didn't really do much for the book. They had met 4 times each one spending less than an hour together.

Overall, I think that this is a book aimed mainly for 11+ if you're not really into quite simplistic books which are not overly descriptive I wouldn't recommend this to year. I did enjoy it though and I will make sure read the second one soon.

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
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Friday 20 March 2015

The D.U.F.F-A Book Review||❤

The D.U.F.F: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
By Kodt Keplinger
Publication Date:September 7th 2010
Rating: 3/5
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. 

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
My Thoughts...
“First:
"Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls. They chase him.”
Then:
“You’re right. Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, and I’m not chasing you”
But in the end:
"Wesley Rush doesn’t chase girls, but I’m chasing you" ♥” 

---
This book follows the life of a girl called Bianca who can't help but have gorgeous friends who always have the attention. She is always the third wheel at parties (they drink diet coke and dance) and is the person who has to drag her friends away from teenage boys who don't have good attention. When the schools well know jerk talks to her and labels her the D.U.F.F it doesn't do anything else but stick in her mind all the time. When she has to work with Wesley for a Scholl project, the sexual tension does seem to rise a bit. They end up in a loop of hooking up 3 times a weeks but nobody knows except for her and Wesley. She finds herself spending more time with Wesley than with her friends. Is she starting to fall for him?

As this books was up for offer on netgalley as a read now I couldn't resist a as everybody was linking to it and saying to get it so I gave in and had to! What I loved about this book was that it was hilarious. Wesley' s and Bianca' s light banter made the book even better and made the characters even more funny. This book is what you would call cliché, you know they story about the bad boy teazing the girl who who he wouldn't usually go for and they both start falling for each other but who doesn't like a tiny bit of cliché? What definitely saved me the book was that the characters were likeable. 

The only  thing which I didn't like about the book was the main character Bianca. I mean she was just annoying. She was always jumping between boys, making bad decisions and doing a brilliant job at being extremely irritating. I didn't like how she didn't have enough sense to listen to herself and suddenly decided to fall fir and hook up regularly with a guy who called her ugly and fat. Also she decided to ditch her friends completely for pleasure, to be honest I thought she was a bit stupid. I didn't feel like I connected with he well as I am not as reckless as her or as open. If Wesley called me a D.U.F.F I would've STOP talking to the boy a very long time ago however hot he was.

I liked the concept of the book but I did find it a tiny bit repetitive in a sense that she was always crawling back to Wesley and it just kept on concentrating on them which did get quite boring at times. I wanted to get to know Bianca' s friends a bit more, all I was really told was that they were pretty and met in quite a cliché way which wasn't that creative.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a quick read to pass time. I read this in a night so it isn't a complete time waster.

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx





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Wednesday 18 March 2015

Waiting On Wednesday||❤


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
 This week is..........
A Madness So Discreet
By Mindi McGinniss
Publication Date: October 6th 2015


Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.
 

What Are You Waiting On This Wednesday?

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
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Monday 16 March 2015

Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-A Book Review||❤

Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief
By Rick Riordan
Publication Date: March 1st 2006
Rating: 5/5 stars
Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods


My Thoughts

This book follows the life of a normal schoolboy called Percy Jackson. He is what you would call a troubled child who doesn't get along with his peers too well. Weird and mysterious things keep on happening to him and after a near death experience he later finds out that he is a half-blood, half god and human Sent to a camp to protect him from him from dark monsters and other creatures, he doesn't seem to get along with the people at the camp either except for Annabeth and Luke. After a big secret is revealed determining his fate, Percy finds himself in big trouble, trouble as in Zeus trouble. As one of the big three gods, provoking him was like constantly poking at a Lion. Zeus'  master bolt has been stolen, one of the most powerful thing in the universe getting in the wrong hands means bad news. Who do they blame? Percy of course! Now that he has a limited time of 10days to retrieve the bolt. save who he loves and bring peace to Olympus. Percy embarks on his first quest, what could possibly go wrong?

I loved this book! It was not like any book I have read before. Why have I ignored this series for sucha long time? This book is mixed with excitement and mythology and I actually educated myself about Greek Mythology through this book. I liked the way it was written as it was like we were at Percy's side throughout the book. I actually enjoyed Percy's sarcastic comments and the chapters names made me laugh too! The funniest part was probably when Percy was describing the Ares house during the capture the flag game when they were charging at him with their spears!

The characters in this book weren't annoying at all. They didn't follow each other around like lost puppies, they don't take a really long time to make silly decisions and weren't just plain stupid. They were quick thinkers looking for some excitement in their lives! My favourite character would have to be Grover because he is just too sweet. He was funny, kept on eating diet coke cans and was just a good friend to Percy who always got himself in a tizzle. He was a person who was tricked easily but was quite clever at the same time. Although he was meant to be Percy's guardian, he did do quite a bad job at being it though, it ended up being Percy protecting him more that him protecting Percy!

Overall, I really did love the concept of this book and it actually found me a new hobby! I will definitely carry on with this series and have the second book already. I might even start some other books by Rick Riordan if all goes well!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
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Friday 13 March 2015

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda-A Book Review||❤

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda
By Beck Albertalli
Publication Date: April 7th 2015
Rating: 5/5 stars
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.


Summary
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
This books follows the life of Simon, the caring, hilarious and vibrant boy who is also gay. The problem is that he is afraid to be openly gay in Georgia as he feels he will be judged. He hides it from all of his friends except for on, Blue (his alias, Simon's is Jacques). An anonymous boy who happens to go to the same school who is actually gay too. After meeting on tumblr, exchanging emails with each other and talking together every single day on how they share the same problems. These emails are sweet and is what makes them slowly fall for each other. But Simon was quite silly one day and leaves his emails up leading to another boy getting hold of them, and then screenshotting them. He is blackmailed and stuck in a trap of not revealing his secrets. With crazy things happening with friends, a dad who makes casual jokes about gay people, both parents who observe his whole life and are interested in everything plus he can't come out by himself because he is being threatened. Simon's life is getting trickier and trickier but he knows Blue will always be there. Will they finally meet?

My Thoughts
What I loved about this book was Simon's quirky personality and how he addressed himself. He was an out going character who got along with everyone who secretly hated people and he loved Harry Potter so thumbs up. I also liked how he and his family were as crazy as each other and he liked musicals. Does anyone know where the sign up sheet to be his bestfriend is? He has always been he supportive and the never-fails-to-make-you-smile type of  friend. I also like his group of best friends who spend their time is Nick' s (his friend for 6 years) basement instead of partying like the rest of his year. I liked their individuality and how they visited Waffle House every single day but never got sick of it.

This story covers how hard it is for some gay teenagers to come out as they face being judged and ridiculed. Although he does know he finds it hard to tell even his friends, it shows how the internet can find you friends who you can talk to for weeks but it feels like you have known each other since birth. It also shows how Simon doesn't know if he is sure yet but Blue helps him leap out of that confined space be whoever he wants to be. I found there secret relationship sweet and it was so beautiful how they accepted each other even though they had never met each other face to face.

Overall, I do think this is a book worthy of all your time to read. You will find yourself say 'awww' out loud at all of the sweet moments. It is almost like Simon is your own friend as he is so funny and relatable!

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
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Wednesday 11 March 2015

Waiting On Wednesday||❤


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
 This week is..........
The Sword Of Summer
By Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

What are you waiting on this Wednesday??

Keep Reading,
Naomi...xxx
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Monday 9 March 2015

Stung-A Book Review||❤

Stung
By Joss Stirling
Publication Date: February 5th 2015
Rating: 2/5
Stung by Joss Stirling is a breathtaking romantic thriller from the bestselling author of Finding Sky. Sixteen-year-old Kate has a talent for disappearing. Framed for murder, and hunted by a violent gang, she's running for her life ...Nathan is the young recruit tasked with finding Kate before her enemies track her down. He's determined to stay detached no matter what. But when Nathan and Kate's paths collide, neither is prepared for the electricity that sparks between them. As the net tightens, can they trust each other long enough to stay alive? Or will their next kiss be their last?


My Thoughts...
*Recieved this book in exchange for an honest review*
When I requested for this book, I didn’t actually know it was a second book to a series so I was quite confused. When I did actually look into the book I found out that the first book was based on different characters so I wouldn’t be missing out on that much. This book follows two characters, Nathan and Kate. Kate has been running away from her agent school because she has betrayed them and is afraid to go back to them as she would be tracked by Scorpion again, which is a dangerous Indonesian gang who mark you for life and if you leave you are killed. Nathan is a boy who has gone from the scrawny boy at the back of the class who tried to make everybody happy to a boy who was hit by puberty with a truck. He is told to go and hunt her down as his mission but will he really let his feelings which he thinks are gone get in the way of achieving what he is meant to?

As much as I liked the idea of the book, the characters just annoyed me a bit too much. I mean first of all Nathan and his pet names, I mean calling her ‘babe’ or ‘hun’ every single time to speak to you does not make me think of you as a handsome person but it screams jerk. Their flirting is unrealistic and Kate is just a bit to thirsty for attention for my liking. I was just done with her when she wore small boys school shorts and starting moving her behind trying to attract boys attention. Could she at least have some self-respect and stop being such an attention seeker because it was just pulling at every single nerve in my body. I thought that their romance was kind of sweet, no biggie but I wanted more action. Can these books being written at around this time please concentrate more on the action and the exciting stuff in the story? Sometimes unneeded romance can just spoil everything that has happened in the story because I really did love the idea of it. It is quite disappointing.

I am quite into books to do with spies e.g. Gallagher Girls, Cherub and The Alex Rider Series because I do love the idea of mystery and a tiny bit of violence (not like full on but you know mild) to add a bit of drama to a series, I do think that this book needs to change a few things because I don’t really think they go well. It might be due to the fact that I hadn’t read the first book in the series but overall I do think this was an alright book with quite a bit of action which did do some justice but I do think that maybe it would have helped me a bit more if I knew about he characters and if I didn’t find it a bit too awkward for me.
Keep Reading,

Naomi…xxx 

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