Part Two: Books Bookity

Hooray! More books! This is the second half (first half here) of some of the favorites I've read in the past few months but hadn't gotten around to talking about. Go pick up a book!

Virals by Kathy Reichs: Kathy Reichs is an anthropologist and author of the Bones book series that then turned into the well-know TV show Bones on Fox. The books are inspired by her own work. Virals is the first book of hers in a YA series that takes place in the same reality as Bones. Tory Brennan is the niece of Temprence Brennan (main character of Bones) and lives on a small island off the coast of South Carolina. The island is the home of several scientist and their families. When Tory and her friends rescue a dog caged in one of the medical facilities they become exposed to an experimental strain that changes them. Not only do they need to figure out what is happening to them but what is going on, on this island. I enjoyed the book- it has the make to become a great series although nothing else has been released yet. We will see..

 The Vacationers by Emma Straub: I'm pretty sure everyone and their mother read this book this past summer but if for some reason you did not, it is worth picking up. A pretty quick read with minor twists here and there its the kind of book that lets you know your family isn't the only crazy one out there. Jim and Franny Post take their daughter Sylvia, son Bobby and his girlfriend, and Franny's best friend and husband on a trip to Mallorca. And while on the outside it looks like a picturesque time on the inside they are all having their own issues.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: Last week I talked about another Rainbow Rowell book, Eleanor and Park which was very cute. Attachment, in my opinion, was so much better. And I loved Eleanor and Park. I'm not quite sure how to describe this book other than that it is about two best friends (they work in the same building), the emails they exchange at work, and the hired security who has to monitor those emails. I will say it again that I'm not typically a romance lovey-dovey book reader but this one was adorable, funny, and just overall a fantastic novel.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight: A good friend of mine recommended this and I had no idea what it was about when I downloaded it. Kate Baron is a single-mother and high-profile lawyer who gets the phone call that changes her world- her daughter, Amelia, has been caught cheating at school. Kate can't believe her Amelia would ever do such a thing and when she arrives the school the news becomes devastating, Amelia is dead. A supposed suicide Kate knows that this was not her daughters own doing. She spends the book piecing Amelia's previous months back together learning more about her daughter than she ever could imagine and the truth. I think I stayed up way past my bedtime the day I started (and finished) this book because I couldn't put it down. Read it.

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken: I read the first two books of Alexandra's series The Darkest Minds and then found she had written this gem first. Brightly Woven is a story filled with magic, mystery and like most YA novels that too cute love story. Sydelle's life changes with one drop of rain, a drop that brings a wizard into town. Wayland North grants this gift of rain by choosing Sydelle as his reward. He takes her on an unforgettable journey that teaches her all about her true self. I wish this had a sequel because I loved it- magic has been done so many different ways and I enjoyed how this one presented itself. And you should definitely check out her other series, The Darkest Minds- so good!

If you need some more books to read go ahead and check out all my book reviews by pressing on that lovely button over there on my sidebar that says, you guessed it, Book Reviews (original, I know).

Go be happy! 

Part One: Bookity Books!

First off, this is my 200th post. 200. 200 times in the past year I've pressed publish. 200 times people have read what I have written. At least one person. I'm actually drawing closer to my blogiversary and all I can think is wow. Here is to 200 more!

On to the good stuff- I haven't written a book review post in a quite a while, partially because I was re-reading the Outlander series for several weeks. Which was super fun because it's a great series and I hadn't read the 8th book yet and also really annoying because the author totally left a cliff-hanger on book 8 and book 9 is probably a year away from release. I shake my fist at you Diana Gabaldon!

Besides that I've been slowly working my way through another Blogging for Books book, which has actually be great because it's all about goals and accomplishments and doing out of the box things (like hiking across the US or visiting every country) and is kind of needed for my trip next year. I will attempt to finish it soon and share the insights with you...

So on to a few of my favorites in the past months- part one:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: This was a great YA novel that built a lot on intrigue and suspense. Cadence spends her summers on her family's private island with The Liars- but this particular summer is different. Cadence is recovering from an accident and there is something going on that she just can't put her finger on. Now I have to say- the writing isn't necessarily the best, and a few things were predictably, but the story is excellent. Even with the negatives you will want to know what happens. And it's a pretty quick read. Go for it!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: My first Rainbow Rowell book, and it didn't disappoint. I'm not usually one for romance/lovey-dovey books but somehow Rainbow makes them seem so normal, cutesy- but not over the top and something you can genuinely enjoy. Eleanor and Park are high-school students from completely different worlds- and they bond over music. Very cute, a sweet read and now a favorite writer.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken: A younger cousin of mine recommended this book to me over the summer, and it is the first in a great YA series- along the lines of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and so on. In a society where children start to die of a mysterious disease, the children who survive develop powers and abilities. Think mind-reading, supernatural, telekinesis powers. Instead of trying to figure out what is actually happening to them the government and the world shut all these children and teens up into camps, similar to concentration camps. Bad conditions, barely living. Ruby is one of these kids, locked up at age 10- she has now escaped as a teen and is struggling to make sense of everything going on around her, while fighting back to the powers that be. Sticking true with current trends, it is a trilogy with a few novellas in between. Worth the read and much better than Divergent!!

I am the Messenger  by Markus Zusak: Markus Zusak stole my heart away with The Book Thief, and while this is another excellent book of his, it is not to the same caliber. Great writing, but lacking a bit with the heart strings. Ed Kennedy is a 19-year old cab driver, going nowhere in his life, desperately in love with his best friend and has the worlds smelliest dog. After aiding to stop a robbery Ed receives a mysterious card with what seems like random names. And with it becomes the messenger- learning to care for and help others around his town.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: If you haven't yet read The Shining, then you need to go out and do so now. I know, I know- The Shining is scary! And it is- but not at all to the same level as the movie is, the book (as usual) is much better. After you read it, come back and read Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining. A story just as excellent if not better. For those  you have read or watched- Doctor Sleep is about Danny, 25 odd years later, dealing with his crazy childhood and the powers he has. Danny meets Abra, a little girl who shines even harder than he does and desperately needs his help.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1- how you annoy me, let me count the ways

So, like most the population I went and saw the first part of the third Hunger Games movie, Mockingjay Part 1, this past weekend. And don't get me wrong- it was a great movie, well done, good acting, suspenseful, exciting and dramatic,but not very funny...

That might sound weird, but compared to the books (which I will very much do because they are favorites of mine) it was completely lacking in the humor department. LIKE ALL OF MY FAVORITE SCENES WERE GONE!

I was discussing this with my friends when I walked out of the theater- that they had left out on of my favorite scenes of dialogue from the storyline. Not the scene itself, because that's still in the movie but the funny part that happened in the book. Several in fact- to the point that they basically left every funny scene in the book out. Why? Is there any legitimate reason for this? I can only reflect that it is meant for the subject matter of the story- uprising, rebellions, a society that is falling apart. Even so, isn't humor what helps make us human? That we can laugh, find the silly things in life and still carry on even in the worst times. The comedic relief here was few and far between, and completely unnecessary because it is present in the book. Is there a message to to this madness or am I just reading way too much into it. Who knows.

Either way the movie was good and I was very impressed with Josh Hutcherson. When he was first cast in the role of Peeta this is the book that scared me the most for him, would Josh be able to be third book Peeta? Could his acting push himself into that role? So far- yes, he had some excellent scenes and I'm intrigued to see how he does in the second half.

And that's my rant about the hunger games. bah-humbug.

Blogging for Books: Bittersweet

A few weeks ago I posted about a new site I had joined called Blogging for Books, and reviewed the first novel I had received from them , The Martian. Blogging for Books is a fantastic site that allows bloggers to receive books for free (yes, for free) in exchange for honest reviews. The site even allows you to pick an e-book, paper or audio book. You can find my first review of The Martian here.

The second book I choose was Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittmore.

The story follows Mabel Dagmar, an ordinary girl who befriends her college roommate, Genevra (Ev) Winslow. Ev comes from a prestigious family, who has held reign over their sprawling Vermont estate for generations past. Mabel is invited to spend the summer with them in their quaint cottages, midnight skinny-dipping excursions, and days spent lakeside.

While she delightfully enjoys herself, learning to grow, befriend and succeed in the lifestyle, Mabel also learns of dark secrets- ones that could mean life or death.

I thought the book was excellent, intriguing and had great character development. Mabel is a relatable character, one with secrets herself. She dives deep into the Winslow clan, learning about them and their haunted past- which drives her to make a grave decision, become one them or expose them for what they truly are.

The book kept me on my toes and continuing to want more. And every time you thought you had figured out what was going on, another surprise was thrown your way.

 You will laugh, cry, cringe with fear.

I recommend this highly to anyone who loves a good thriller, mystery, or even just a coming-of-age story. The friendships, secrets and affairs of the heart are as familiar as your own and yet beyond anything else you can imagine.

*note- I received this e-book for free, in exchange for a review- all thoughts and opinions are of my own*

Blogging for Books: The Martian

Last week I was doing my rounds in the blogosphere when I saw a post from Jessica ,over at Please and Carrots, doing a book review from a site called Blogging for Books.  Naturally I was intrigued. As a blogger you can register with the site, pick a book to be sent to you for FREE- either a physical copy or an e-book. Seriously, what could be better?

Of course I signed up right away, filled out their forms and picked my very first book. The Martian by Andy Weir. I registered to get it as an e-book and had it on my kindle within 20 minutes. Naturally I started reading it as soon as I could.

I finished the novel on Monday night and I was very happy with it- to the point that I had already mentioned it to family and friends before I even finished reading.

The Martian is about an astronaut, Mark Watney, who while traveling with his space crew is abandoned on the surface of Mars during a dust storm. Through his knowledge and expertise, as a botanist and engineer,  Mark must figure out a way to survive until the next mission arrives, almost four years away. 

A good chunk of the book is written in first-person as Mark documents his trials, problems, successes and journey. It has a good mix of input from Earth's perspective, the NASA workers and his fellow crew-mates. 

I really enjoyed all of the scientific aspects of the book- the calculations he made, learning about the different pieces of equipment and what really goes into space travel. I'm not a space expert so I can't say how accurate that all is but it definitely sounded good and kept me reading. As a reader it was nice to have a sci-fi book that was somewhat realistic. No aliens, or way-off-chart issues- everything seemed as if it could be a situation we might see a fellow human in one day (except I hope not because that would suck!)

The book does have a large amount of profanity (I would be cursing too if I was stuck on Mars by myself), so if that bothers you I wouldn't pick it up- but if you like a good adventure story, then this comes highly recommended by myself. 

Enjoy! 

 *Note: I received this book for free in exchange for a review- all thoughts and opinions are of my own*

 

Guilty Pleasures

I'm linking up today with Sarah and Helen for #totalsocial- this months topic, Guilty Pleasures.

Not sure why we have to consider them as something to be guilty of but we all have them,myself included.

I absolutely love any and all celebrity gossip. I get my US Weekly, ONTD updates and just about any and everything in my news feeds. Learning about the inner workings of a celebrity is like crack to me- they wore that? said that? kissed who? I seriously will call family members to tell them something that a celebrity did- mind you all people I do not know.

The Clique book series- one of my biggest guilty pleasures. These are the most ridiculous books and yet I love them so so much. It's a bit embarrassing- but hey, I guess that's why we are here! The author is no longer writing them since I own all of them (yes, all of them) I re-read them from time to time. The series is about a young girl named Claire, who moves with her family from Florida to Westchester. They move in with an old friend of her father's, a very wealthy family who have a daughter the same age as Claire, Massie. Massie is your "typical" popular girl- one who owns her school. She has more designer clothes than I could ever dream about owning and everyone under thumb. Super ridiculous and my favorite thing to get lost in.

And Harry Potter fanfiction - I'm a total nerd at heart but man some of them are amazing, like almost on par with J.K herself. 

Also before I go to sleep at night I like to make-up stories as if I was related to, best friends with or dating a celebrity. Like I have on going stories that I jump back in forth to - some that start as me as practically an infant to old age and relaxing in rocking chairs. I've been doing it probably since middle-school. It's as if I create alternate universes in my head..

What are some of your guilty pleasures?

and p.s- today is the LAST day to get %50 off ALL my ad spaces- use code hpforpresident at checkout!

I wish I was at summer camp

seriously, those were the days. not a care in the world, surrounded by friends, fun activities and the great outdoors. Camp definitely made summer more enjoyable and even when I was a counselor it never felt like work. Ahh too bad the pay sucked.

But on to better things.. It's Friday! Hooray- just a few hours and freedom is here. I have lots of prepping to do this weekend for my sister's bachelorette party and now I'm finally on the hunt for wedding shoes.My dress came in and I guess I need shoes to actually get it altered.

News of the week:
1) Remember how last week I said I had a date- well he cancelled and it never happened. Feeling a bit depressed in the whole dating area. I'm seriously making an effort in multiple places to try and get this game rolling but womp womp nothing seems to be happening. Maybe because its summer? I don't know. The few people that I've even reached a go on a date stage with either bail or we have trouble finding a time to meet between our schedules. I'm not losing hope but I'm also more upset about it than I thought I would be.

2) On a happier note, I'm linking up with  Erin over at Two Thirds Hazel for the next Bloogmopolitan Quiz!

 

I had no idea what to answer for the real housewives question- I don't really watch that show..

3) I've been super into hard ciders the past few weeks and seriously cannot get enough. I think I might have a problem- usually in the summer I'm all about Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade, but not this summer..

4) The third Discovery of Witches book came out on Tuesday and so far it's been everything I hoped for and more.. already about 3/4 the way through!!

5) And.. earlier this week I posted a survey for all my readers to take- I haven't gotten many responses which makes me sad because I really really want to know what you guys are looking for when you come here. If you just want to email me that's cool too- but you can find the survey link here.

Happy Friday!! Have a Great Weekend!

Look! Look! It's a book!

It's that time again- a book review time. You may wonder sometimes how I am able to read all these wonderful books and I usually ask myself the same question... miraculously in the the time I have on this planet I am able to squeeze in precious minutes of reading time, usually when I'm on some form of public transportation. It is definitely a perk of living in NYC. Anyways.. on to the good stuff!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: I can't remember if I've talked about this book before- and if I have, ignore me- but at the same time, don't. This is one of the best books I've read in the the past few years. I was actually upset and super excited all at the same time when I found out it was the author's first. This lady is going places- or maybe it will be her one hit wonder and I might also be okay with that. As the title says- it's about a Night Circus- basically the circus of your wildest dreams, one filled with exotic tents, incredible food and that literally appears overnight. The book is about magic, and a competition so incredible you only wish it could be real. The descriptions are spectacular, the plot keeps you wanting more, and like Harry Potter all you want is for it to be real. Go and read it- knock yourself out and start it on a weekend because once you stop you won't want to finish. You're welcome.

The Lorien Legacies- Books 1-4 by Pittacus Lore: While in Florida I read the first four books in the Lorien Legacies series. The first being I am Number Four, The Power of Six, The Rise of Nine and The Fall of Five. The first story falls a boy named John Smith who is part of an alien race that escaped to Earth. Himself, along with 8 other children left their home planet after being attacked by another alien race called the Mogadorians. The Mogs (as they call them) are hunting down the kids, except they can only kill the children in numerical order. John is number four (surprise, I know) and at this point in his life the previous three have been killed, meaning he is next. They get cool powers from their home place called legacies (i.e flying, turning invisible, shape-shifting) and the existing aliens must find each and work together to save their race! Ah the drama! It's actually a fun series, with a somewhat predictable plot, but easy to read and enjoyable.

Panic by Lauren Oliver: I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this book but it was really great. The story takes place in a super small town where every summer the graduating seniors have an opportunity to play a legendary but dangerous game. The pay out is huge but the stakes are high. You follow two different teens playing the game, each for their own reason and experience why they are there, how their game goes, and the pressure they feel with every move.

Hollow City (second novel to Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children) by Ransom Riggs: This is the second book to the Peculiar Children series. Not going to get crazy with details bc spoilers- duh, but I thought they did an excellent job with it and I'm looking forward to the third in the series. Picks up right where the first drops off, we get to meet some new interesting peculiars (the children with awesome powers) and get a bit more insight into what they are fighting for. If you haven't read the first one yet check out my review here!

The Selection by Kiera Cass: I mentioned this book last week and I'm giving you more details. Future world- America (main character) lives in society broken into castes ruled by a royal family. When a prince is of age, a "selection" is made of all the eligible women in the society to become the future king. They live in the castle and compete in a the bachelorette show way to win over the current prince. America is of a lower caste and although doesn't want to enter is convinced by her mother and secret boyfriend. Alas she makes it to the competition and the book goes on. I loved it- fun to read, a different view on a future society, definitely up there with the other popular YA novels going around right now.

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott: I've seen this one floating around for a while and finally got a chance to actually sit down and read it. As the title says it's about Nicholas Flamel- yep the same one from Harry Potter who created the sorcerer's stone. The book takes place in modern day where the Flamels are living in San Francisco with their magical book of life. John Dee (also a historical figure who dappled in alchemy with Queen Elizabeth - the original 007) tries to steal the book and with the aid of twins, Sophie and Josh, they must fight the evil beings from taking over the world. Sha-bam. Pretty good story, I will read the next one. Also like the tie-ins from other recent books I've read (like HP with the Flamels, and Discovery of Witches, which talks about John Dee).

The Third Gate by Lincoln Child: I happened upon this book when trying to find some things to read for my vacation. It's a suspense-ish novel about a mysterious Egyptian tomb found by a famous archeologist. Along with some other specialists Jeremy Logan is brought out to help solve the curse on the tomb. Along with being in a very unappealing part of Egypt (the nasty Sudd) and the mysterious happenings that keep occurring they must discover what is inside! The book was okay- it's been a long time since I've read anything similar so it was a nice change of pace but I wouldn't tell you to run out and read it.
Please fill out my awesome survey! I would love to get a better understanding of what you want as readers! Thanks!!

oh hey Friday!

You kind of snuck up on me there.... Game night with my friends last night got a little crazy, as usual, and 6:15 is just not looking as great as it could.

Friday's Five

1) Going on a date tonight! woo- this will be the first of the game so I'm excited to report back..

2) Has anyone read The Selection book series? I finished the first one yesterday and am way too excited for that email from the library saying the 2nd is available


3) and speaking of book series, the 3rd Discovery of Witches book comes out in 4 days!! I'm not sure why but I totally had in my mind that it came out on the 5th of July and I was all ready to read it on the plane coming back from Florida- then womp womp, I was incorrect and it actually comes out on July 15th. So soon!

4) In my birchbox this month I got this product by Real Chemistry- a Luminous 3-Minute Peel. Kind of a mini-chemical peel. Well I tried it already and am so in love! My skin felt amazing afterwards and I could literally feel the dead skin flaky off- gross I know but beautiful at the same time. I still have enough left in my bottle for a few more tries but then I might actually buy the full-size package.

5) I'm becoming more and more impressed with this oil-pulling thing everyday. One - this morning, I was kind of hungover from my adventures last night, pulled for the 15 min and seriously felt a bajillion times better. woah nelly. Two- I had some cranky piece of I don't know what in my mouth earlier this week and decided to be a bit too aggressive in trying to remove it. This resulted in not so happy gums- pulled oil the next morning and boom gums were happy again. I took the week off in Florida but it feels kind of good to be doing it again. My teeth look cleaner, feel stronger and are starting to get a bit whiter. No health changes yet- my allergies are still in full force but we shall continue...

Linking up with Karli and Amy for oh hey Friday!

Confession Session

I confess: that in middle school 'NSync made appearances in my dreams nightly.. fo sho. Not always as themselves but sometimes just a poster, or perhaps as garden gnomes on my wonderland path (truth). I may or may not still be obsessed (may).

I confess: I'm not sure I'm where I want to be anymore. I love NYC but not as solid in beliefs that it's my place to be. Definitely will be a northern person but considering my options..

I confess: This job is forcing me to learn all sorts of life skills I thought I would never encounter. Besides learning how to decrypt and burn DVDs, I now know how to re-caulk a bathtub, start a charcoal grill, fix the toilet, dishwasher, and find a thousand missing toy pieces. #whatwhat #addthattoyourresume

I confess: The book, Orange is the New Black, kind of makes prison sound super fun. Not that I ever want to end up in prison, but it if I ended up where Piper did I could totally make it work.

I confess: I finally sucked it up and had someone clean my house for me and it was AMAZING! and totally worth it. It was soo nice to come home to a clean place, a made bed, and knowing that I didn't have to participate in any of it.ahhh the joys of life.

That's all I'm willing to confess- check out some others!

And I could still use your help deciding whether or not to keep my Stitch Fix accessory- vote here!

This is My Life

Currently I am....

Reading: The Lorien Legacies series (first book is I am Number Four)- on book 3 now, The Rise of Nine. Reviews to come!

 

Lusting: How cute is this bib and medal holder from the York Sign Shop on Etsy? I really want it- but can't decide which size, color, or font to get it in! Too many decisions- and thank you to Erin over at Love, Fun and Football for introducing me to them. She had a giveaway a few weeks ago (unfortunately I didn't win) but I added it to my wishlist!

Excited About: Winning some giveaways! A few weeks ago I won this awesome basket from Emily at Martinis & Bikinis, and then yesterday I found out I won 250 custom business cards from Rachel at Life Unsweetened- #winning. And.... not sure if its officially switched or not for all of you but I finally broke down and bought the domain bluegiraffesandconcretejungles.com- no more blogspot!

Watching: Rise of the Planet of the Apes- yep I still haven't seen it, and the new one comes out soon!

Planning: My sister's bachelorette party! We are spending a four-day weekend in the Poconos near a beautiful lake at the end of July. I bought some adorable favors (yay!) and now have to figure out all the great games we are going to play, any suggestions!?

Feeling: Happy! It is so nice to see all my friends and family here in Florida. Many of which I haven't seen in almost a year and half!!

my super cute cousin- she's the baby of the family and definitely gets what she wants..

Eating/Drinking: Full disclosure- this was written last night and scheduled- which means I'm fully appreciating some Angry Orchard Hard Cider and the spicy tuna roll my cousin just brought me.

 Life is good, vacation is great! 

Don't forget to check out the awesome giveaway I'm participating in right now with some awesome bloggers- $110 in Paypal cash, like who couldn't use that?!

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It's a Good Day When...

It's a good day when...I sleep until my alarm rings. Weird I know, but most nights I have trouble sleeping, staying asleep really. It's so nice to not wake up before the alarm wakes me!

It's a good day when... I get to leave work early! This usually only happens when it's a holiday or the kids don't have school for some crazy reason but I cherish them when they happen!

It's a good day when... at notification from the library comes saying a new book is available! I've always wanted to read that is usually my first thought. Haha!

It's a good day when... running 3 miles feels like a breeze

It's a good day when... Big J is dressed and ready for school before I even walk in the door

It's a good day when...someone else makes me dinner and I don't have to do the cooking

It's a good day when... I get lots of blog comments! I love hearing from all of you!!

What's a good day for you?

   Joining up with Lisa over at Two Martinis and Brittany at Happy is a Choice for this fun link-up! Check them all out! 

And don't forget to check out the giveaway I've got going on right now- TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!!! Read my review and the business story here.

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Socially Acceptable Sunday

Linking up for the Sunday Social with the lovelies Neely, over at A Complete Waste of Makeup and Ashley, at Ashley Lately. This week's questions are...

1. What’s your favorite scary movie? Signs! And The Fourth Kind- both alien movies and both freak me out, and yet I still watch them...

 2. What is your favorite weird TV show you think no one else watches? I used to be a huge fan of Toddlers and Tiaras, now my weirdest show might be Honey Boo Boo? I'm not quite sure because I don't really even watch that anymore.

 3. What is the song you can sing all the words to without any music? Just about any Nsync song- and a lot of Britney and Miley's.

4. What is your favorite book to re read? Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

5. The one website you visit more times a day than others? Facebook is definitely a top site for me, I also like the gossip site Oh No They Didn't. And Bloglovin, of course!

And don't forget to check out the giveaway I've got going on right now!! Read my review and the business story here.

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