Saturday, September 7, 2013
book.fave.rave: ANGUISH
Whyever did I wait so long to read this book?
Maybe it's because the title speaks of sadness and I'm really not up for that. However, this novel didn't really have anguish in it (in my opinion). It had struggles, challenges, drastic changes, determination and promise.
I am so happy because I got to read about he kind of hero that I don't normally see in novels nowadays. This hero is between the softer kind and the alpha kind. Imagine a hero that loves gardening, simulation games, and still can drive a Harley. That's something special.
I am in love with Breaker's character because even though he couldn't go out because of his fear, he still found it in him to be sweet to our heroine. I thought people with this kind of a phobia didn't really talk to other people, but I guess I'm wrong because Breaker was really talkative with Ash. I love how he really fell in love with Ash and complimented her in every way. He found it in himself to want to change things for her and ultimately, for himself.
Ashland on the other hand, is a very caring girl. I swear, I always love characters who talk a lot and Ash is not an exception. Her character led Breaker out of the shield that he created for himself. It was cute what she did. Cute and very very considerate. I love how patient she is with him. I also love how she was able to do the hardest thing near the end. I commend her for that.
Their love story is pretty predictable, really, even with the drama and complication... And yet, it's heartfelt and lovable. I wish everyone reads this.
BOOK.FAVE.RAVE: HUNTED (The Iron Druid Chronicles #6)
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
100 stars!!!!
Ohmy Mr. Hearne, you did it again!
I THINK THE MAIN GOAL OF THIS BOOK IS TO MAKE ME FEEL SO EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT ONE!!!
I was lost in Atticus' world again. This is why I love listening to audio versions. I literally couldn't read other books since Atticus was always in my head this week. Anyway, everything was just plain perfect.
I had lots of fun reading this because:
1. The characters are still as humorous and as kickass as ever.
2. NEW CHARACTERS WERE INTRODUCED
3. The plot thickens. It never gets boring and it never stops having full on action.
4. I was swept away with the descriptions of places and beings. I just.. OH MAN, WOW!!!
5. Granuaile has her own POV.
6. The story grows more serious by the minute, but the author still manages to make it sound light and funny. I can't explain how he does it, but it works for me.
7. I ENJOYED LISTENING TO THE HUNT AND HOW THE MAIN CHARACTERS PREVAILED. 8. Oberon is still the life of the party.
MORE MORE MORE!!!!!!
I'm so happy with the way this book turned out. I was following all of his posts regarding this and I was so very excited. As it turns out, I got more than what I imagined. This book is just... WOW. I am a full blown stalker of this author and I hope he doesn't mind. ;)
BOOK.FAVE.RAVE: TANGLED (Tangled #1)
I FINALLY TOOK A CHANCE ON YOU DREW, AND NOW I'M ALL TANGLED UP IN YOU TOO!!
This is a story that I'm 100% sure I won't forget. The way it's been written is certainly unique. It's in the POV of a really arrogant, sexy and yet somewhat self centered guy. The timeline of the story is admirable too. It's backwards and then it catches up to the present. It's damn cool and refreshing.
I can't get over how straight forward Drew's character is. He is such an ass with a heart. I liked him because maannnn.. he's just so damn funny! All of his thoughts including his little trivias made me snort, smile, laugh out loud or grin an everlasting grin. My rating is actually all based on his character. He's also what I can call a breath of fresh air... in an unconventional way since he's really a mjor jerk most of the time... But oh man, what a lovely jerk... and when he falls in love? HE.FALLS.HARD.
The heroine wasn't all that special to me. She's beautiful, sexy and very hardworking, but she didn't seem to have a striking character to me. However, I admire her resistance to Drew's charm especially near the end. I love it that she didn't make it easy for him. Nuh-uh-uh. He had to work for her.
At the start of his novel, I thought that it was really similar to PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT by Julie James. I thought that they would go on a full out war against each other then just drop the facade and kiss. I didn't expect them to be friends first... I didn't expect them to be close at all before ending up in the sheets. This is a good thing since I was getting tired of plots wherein lust/love at first sight is the main mojo.
Lemme just say that it's been a long time since I've been amazed by grand gestures at the end of a romantic novel. This one? A PURE HOT DAMN WINNER!!! Why? ohmy!! Just the mere number of grand gestures here made my heart flutter. I mean which gurl in her right state of mind wouldn't be lured by all of his hearts and flower gestures? Plus I dunno why.. but I was really touched by his explanation regarding
I may just be blabbering here, but it's true that I did love this book. It took me under 4 hours to read this. It's now 12:58 AM in my country and I'm still thinking of Drew. GOTTA SLEEP.
MAIN POINT: READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO LAUGH, FALL IN LOVE AND FORGIVE.
P.S. THE NOTEBOOK MAY BE SO GAY....but it doesn't change the fact that we women have been wanting our own Noahs after watching the film. :)
book.fave.rave: THE NATURE OF CRUELTY
I can't believe how I was completely blown away by this book.
I was just browsing through some books because I was still riding the BULLY (by Penelope Douglas) high and I was looking for something similar. I came across this and I can't complain. It's really good. It's hot, most definitely interesting and fun!
The bully part of the book is not really severe. This is downright I-love-the-girl-so-I-harass-her-to-get-a-rise-out-of-her. Robert explained it and frankly, I thought his reasoning was a bit shallow, but still... it was a plausible explanation. I'm glad that he was able to find it in himself to flip the bully switch off and just be how he really wants to be with Lana.
Lana on the other hand is a girl with many fears. She fears that her illness will get the best of her, she fears the reaction of people when she tries to sing in an open mic night, and best of all, I think in some level, she also feared Robert. He was such a jerk to her that when he started becoming real towards her, she was so suspicious. I get that and I fully understand er skepticism. However, when good went to bad, I can't help but feel that Lana gave up too easily. I can't say that it was really bad though, them going on their own for a while since it also helped the plot. It became more believable. I just think that it was wasted time.
Anyway, it all ended on a good note. I swear, these two characters will get a rise from you either in a good way or in a bad way. I felt both of their characters. What's also good about this novel is that the other characters are also damn interesting. For example, Lana's best friend! oh damn. I kinda expected the twist in the middle, but I was still shocked. Then we have the dad of the twins.. I really dunno if he's good, not so good or damn bad. I still can't figure it out even after reading. Then their moms! haha.. I love those two. :)
All in all, this is a good one. I would have to read more from this author if this is how she writes. ;p
BOOK.FAVE.RAVE: BULLY (Fall Away #1)
Don't be blinded by the cruel title.
Bullying is a very sensitive topic. This novel surely didn't make it seem like a walk in the park. The circumstances of both main characters made me frustrated, angry and angsty. However, I was very much consumed by Tate's pov. She's a very resilient character indeed. I was always cheering for her in my head, Everytime she does something out of he blue, I was waving imaginary pompoms in front of my screen. You see, she didn't really know why all of a sudden her bestfriend became her worst nightmare. She didn't know why he kept picking on her. I was so happy when she pushed to find out what had really happened to that boy. I guess I thought that as a victim and as an x best friend, she deserved to know. When it was already revealed, I was like... "Oh so that's why.. hmm.. sucks. Now moving on...." haha yeah, I was kinda impatient to know whay the characters will do after getting past that point. As ot turns out, it went the way I expected it to go. happy times!
Jared is not really a big mystery. I dunno, I never really saw him as a bad guy. I just saw him as a frustrated, love-thirsty guy who's so in love with our main character that he beats up every guy who even thinks of asking her out. Classic bully-has-a-crush-on-you move. I was very satisfied with his character here because he managed to make Tate understand that really, it wasn't her fault. I love that he uses his bully persona mainly to protect Tate. It's so cute when you think about it in a lighter way. I think that after years of bullying, he finally realized how badly he fucked up. He's a big sweetheart when it came to Tate. I was wondering where I could get a guy like this when I was almost finished.
This novel has a different feel in it, Oh what I wouldn't give to know some of Jared's thoughts right now. I hope that there's something like a bonus scene and such....
So there hands down. Great idea for the plot. :)
P.S. Geri! thanks for the recommendation. Loved it!
book.fave.rave: LIRAEL (Abhorsen #2)
DAMN. THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK SURE IS CREEPY AND IT PROMISES THE BEST FOR THE NEXT ONE.
I must admit, I was a bit disappointed with both the hero and heroine in this book. I guess I was just looking for more "SABRIEL" like action scenes, but there were just a few. However, it's still really good because it still had interesting adventures and quite a number of funny scenes.
First off, Lirael is waiting for something that's not happening and she's so frustrated that she even wanted to die. She's very smart and hardworking, and yet she isolates herself because she feels unwanted or she doesn't belong. I guess from her point of view, I can see why she would think that. She really is different from the people that she grew up with. I was just irritated with her constant jab on her self. She was always assuming that she's not worthy etc. LOL. Well booyah for you!!!
Next, we have Sameth the cowardly prince. I'm sorry, it was said in the story that he's not really coward.. but that's still how I view him. He doesn't want to be the Abhorsen in waiting and he was soooo willing to run away from that duty, thus, ending up almost being killed in the process. He's good at building stuff so I guess there's still hope for his character. I just hope that he makes the right decisions in the next book and not just run away. hmpf.
Anyhoo... I love this sequel and I still believe that it's a good follow up to what happened in Sabriel's time. I hope that the conclusion would be better though. :)
P.S. I'm so happy to read about what happened to our two main characters from the first book. I love those two and I'm happy that they had a family. :)
BOOK.FAVE.RAVE: THE GOLDEN DYNASTY (Fantasyland #2)
4.5 stars
Brute.
This is how I would describe this novel. It's not pretty, it's not beautiful, IT'S BRUTE.
I am apologizing now because I think I'm bound to use the term "brutal" so many times in this review.
This story is like no other I've ever read. The start brought back a memory of just one book... the running... I remember Kresley Cole's A hunger like no other. I remember how Lachlain claimed his Emmaline. It was raw... and here in The Golden Dynasty, it was raw tenfold.
It started with a really brutal scene and I believe that some would find it extreme. However, like the line that was so used up in this book, IT IS THEIR WAY. So I moved on from that and I tried hard to understand it.
Circe is definitely an extraordinary woman. She was suddenly transported to some other world, bound and released only to be caught again by a brutal looking man, and before that, fighting as hard as she can so as not to be caught. It's amazing how her spirit was not broken after that initial meeting. She held her head up high and she adapted. She was an awesome queen and I'm glad that she seemed to like being queen. She also maneuvered her way around the heart of her brutal warrior and she did so with her charm, straightforwardness and open mind. It was endearing, how their language barrier was breached almost right away. Circe was headstrong. Even when she was faced with unusual things, bad things even scary things, she accepted it.
"I gave up my world for you." --No truer words have been uttered. This is a major thing to give up which just goes to show how big Circe's love is for her Lahn.
They had so many differences that I feared I wouldn't like their pairing. But then, I was wrong. There was no need to be skeptic about these two. Especially with how Lahn is. He's just.... Sooooo .... Big and strong and very very commanding. If I were Circe in the same exact position, I wouldn't have feared anything with Lahn by my side. He was just larger than life. I can't imagine a better hero. Even with all his faults... I still liked him because underneath all the brute force, he's still very very sweet to Circe. He cared for her a lot and he accepted that there are just some things that Circe cannot do or take. know that there were moments wherein he was just downright rude and so damn bossy... But I looked at that in a positive manner. I mean, that's just how he is.
Their conflicts were hard to read, but their reconciliations were so much fun. ;)
This book was written in a very impressive manner that you'd totally feel as if it's you who was transported in their world. I like the way it ended even though it was sort of abrupt.
I really hope that the next book will surpass my awe for this one
P.S. If you're planning on reading this, you must prepare your self to accept outlandishly brutal things first. Abandon the thought that this will be a clean, hearts and flowers romance. There were hearts and flowers, there were also sweet nothings, but there were also nitty gritty sexual acts, vile language and knives and kids who fight. It's different, it's brutal, it's shocking... And yet I liked it.
BOOK.FAVE.RAVE: WILDEST DREAMS (Fantasyland #1)
The title says it all.
Kristen Ashley has done it again. She made me love her characters all over again. This time, she also made me believe that there's a parallel, universe out there. It's like the Game of thrones complete with magic, elves, dragons and conspiracy, minus all the weird sexual scenes.
I loved Finnies's character right away because she is EXCITED. She's always excited and always very interested with everything. I was awed with the grace that she showed in the face if a very unknown place and a very shocking event. She always found something good about something that is generally bad. Kike the situation that she was in. She made the most out of it and she kicked ass. :)
Frey on the other hand, is quite lovable too. I just hate the way he withheld pertinent information from Finnie. I think Finnie deserved to know everything and I'm also thinking that Frey had a free pass from that since he kinda sorta died while Finnie was confronting him about it. Anyway, he has a very strong character. Everyone bows down to him and everyone reveres him because hellooo... who would want the wrath of the person who commands the dragons and the elves? It's such a good thing too that he laughs a lot with Finnie because aside from being hot while doing this, it also shows that he appreciate Finnie's words. I like how they talk to each other. I like how they stayed open and not let a fight last for soooo long.. well longer than a few weeks, that is. I love how he cares so much for a virtual stranger and I love how he shows that he cares. He's i posing and yet, he's also very gentle. His character has a very nice mixture. I love it sooo much!!
The story has many twists and turns. It has any high and low points and it has magic. I love how it started and especially how it ended. I hope that the next one in this series is also good.. or better.... :)
book.fave.rave: GAMING FOR KEEPS
WOW!
I am blown away. This story may be quite short, but it had the things that I am looking for in a book. It has:
♥Gaming references
♥A real hero in and out of the game
♥A quite kickass heroine in and out of the game too
♥Mystery
♥Action
♥A match made in umm.. an online game WHICH EVOLVED INTO A REAL LIFE LOVE
I am soooooo happy that I saw one of my friends here in goodreads add this. Thisnmade my day. Cal and Pen's love story is vey cute and also somewhat hot. This is the epitome of fiction. No real people are this perfect... and I still enjoyed it. ;p If you are somewhat a gamer and you like romances, this one's definitely for you. :)
book.fave.rave: FAKING IT (Losing It #2)
JUST...WOW!!!
What did I just read? Ohmy, I think I may have just read one of the most emotional book ever. This book is very very different from Losing it. No one should compare it since the plot is wayyyyyy different. It's amazing what feelings this book got out of me. I laughed (A LOT). I cried quite a few times. I was frustrated and I was also very angry with some characters but I love every moment of it. Even though I am now exhausted since it's already 2:55 in the morning, I just had to share my feelings while I'm still feeling so raw 10 seconds after finishing the book.
THIS IS JUST.... awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....
How can the perfect boy snag the angry girl? That's the question. Cade is just that.. perfect in every sense. He had to learn not to let people go the hard way. He's the picture of MR. NICE. On the other hand, we have Max... the exact opposite of Cade. If this was a real story, I would've said that the cosmos were playing some trick on them. It was so amusing reading how different they are from one another. I love how they throw out jokes in the middle of what's supposed to be a serious conversation. They were giving me a whiplash in a very good way. I love how they didn't fall right away. That would've been too unrealistic. They were attracted to each other, screamingly hot that is. It was fun reading about their pretend and yet not so pretend relationship. I was laughing so hard that tears came out of my eyes with the *MOM* moment. ahahhahahah
The complication with Max's family was a piece of cake, I believe. That girl may be full of angst, but she's no pushover. I bet that even without Cade, she could've made it. However, I'm still glad with the way things ended with her family. I'm also glad for Cade because he deserves a girl who had lesser baggage and I believe Max being accepted by her family lessened her burden. The only thing that I didn't exactly love is how Max often acts like an "emo chick". It was kinda annoying...and then they joke about it so I forget about not liking it. ahahha OHWELLL
I already expected that I will like this book....... now after reading it.. I LOVE IT. ^____^
BOOK.FAVE.RAVE: SABRIEL (Abhorsen #1)
SABRIEL, THIS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU:
Yes darlin, you fuckin rock! I love how strong you are in the midst of a whole bunch of trials laid down before you. You are one badass chick.
To be honest, when I saw the title and the cover of the book, I thought that this was about a boy who's an angel. Haha! Hell, was I super wrong!
This is the story of one girl who was sheltered all her life and taught about special things. She was living a rather peaceful life until one day, her dad disappeared. This started a series of complications and tests for her. She unravels the secret of sending people to the next life and bringing zombies back to their deep slumber. She made friends along the way, one with whom she fell kinda in love with (I assume ^_^ ).
In the end, I am happy with her gains and so sad for her losses. She is the heroine and she stayed true to that til the very last minute. I'm so proud of my self for reading this (or listening to this,in my case). The voice actor was damn good by the way. He made me listen to every single word.
I hope that the next book will be better. :)
book.fave.rave: LUCKY STARS (Ghosts and Reincarnation #5)
DEFINITELY WORTH ALL THE STARS IN THE WORLD.
THE STORY IS GREAT!!
THE CHARACTERS? PERFECT!
I honestly feel exhausted after reading this. There were just too many things that happened. The story is so good that I don't think I'll forget it. This book revolves around the reincarnation of two people who led a tragic life in the past.
Belle, our heroine is definitely a survivor. She's shy and yet, she's very intelligent and caring. James, our hero is a very stern man.. yes, stern and handsome and very hot. :) They're a pair, these two. Although I love how they got together, I feel bad for what happened to them in the middle. It's a good thing that it still ended with a happy news.
What I love here is the hero's character. He's just so caring and he lives in the present. He's so very sweet to Belle that I think I melted many times with his words. He also doesn't want to dwell in the past. I like that very much because honestly, so much time is wasted thinking about the "what if's" in life. I also love how he told Belle that he was with her because he genuinely liked and loved her and not just because of the situation that they had.
The complication with the ghosts were definitely stronger than the last books. I was so happy when finally, their past personas met again. It was a great moment.
Anyway, as always... A KA book starts well and ends well. I love it. :)
NEXT PLEASE!!!
book.fave.rave: JET (Marked Men #2)
Jet is no Rule.. and still..... I LOVE YOU JET!!!!
Yes, I still love him. He's very very different from Rule. He's... hmm.. let's just say that he's tamer than Rule. :)
What I love about this book is that it follows a good plot. It has a one track mind and that is for the two characters to get to know each other better and just BE TOGETHER. Jet and Ayden had a bumpy ride. It was a really slow build up. They were totally attracted to each other, but couldn't act on it at first. Honestly, it's a nice change of pace from all NA that I've read lately. I love how Ayden and Jet talk. They are both flirty, hilarious and seriously hot.
Unfortunately, even though they're kinda perfect together, their families are both not good. They had issues and bad experiences in the past which collided with the present. It presented real troubles for them, so for a while.. they got separated. I don't know if this makes me a masochist, but I liked it when they were separated. I just think that it's really what happens in real life. Bad shit catches up with people so sometimes you just gotta cool off at first and then, you know, go back and find each other again.
I think what made the book nicer is that their friends were always there. They are really really tight. As in they sort of see each other all the time. They talk and they give advice. I love Shaw more here because she was the one who kept on giving wake up calls to Ayden and Jet. I love how concerned she is for these two. MOST OF ALL, I LOVE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER AND RULE. ^_____^ hah! Darn, I wanna see your house RULE!!! ;)
Does it have a happy ending?
Hell yeah.
Am I satisfied?
YEP. :)
AM I LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE?
DAMN RIGHT I AM!!
P.S. The story had some pretty corny lines that I didn't totally dig so yeah, it's a 4.5. ;p
book.fave.rave: ROCK WITH ME (With Me in Seattle #4)
Way better than the first few books. ;p
This one's really better than the last ones. The characters are funny as hell and they are both smart. The hero is very talented and so hot, he can burn even my eyes. haha. Lol... in my imagination, at least. He's also very sweet and more of a gentleman than the last few men. The heroine is good as well since she's not super gentle and isn't also hard as rock. She's a mixture of both which is why I love her personality. She's fun, stubborn and yet, she's sweet. :)
The story is fine, really. It had a one track plot and it isn't all-sexual in every page. It has substance and feelings. I guess it helped that their background stories are well written. Plus, I have a thing for rock stars. Lucky for you, eh Leo?
4 stars
I just couldn't give it a solid 5 because in the end, I was looking for more that the book just didn't have.
You've got to read this even if you're not a fan of the series. It'll make you appreciate even the past characters. :)
BOOK.FAVE.RAVE: THE PALADIN PROPHECY (The Paladin Prophecy, #1)
I can't wait for the next book!
If you like books like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, then you will love this.
I am just amazed. I think it also helped that the audiobook is damn great. The story is just so eventful that I don't even know where to start.
Will, our main character is in league with Harry and Percy. You can't go wrong with this one. He's smart and he runs damn fast! His story starts with running.. and it seems like he's always running here. Their family has always been secretive about his "abilities", but one day, all came crashing down. He ends up in a school and gets hitched with friends. Personally, I think life became better for him the moment he entered the center. In there, he had friends and he shared adventures with them. I certainly feel that it's better rather than just running away from everything.
BTW: His dad's rules are the best! They're logical and sometimes downright funny even if they all made sense.
How do I feel?
All I know for now (seconds after finishing the book), is that it's a real rollercoaster of emotions. I dare you to read this and not laugh hard about something Nick or Ajay said. ;p Also, it's full of mysteries, some of which aren't resolved yet. I really hope that things will get cleared up in the next book.
This one's a very very good read. :)
book.fave.rave: DOWN LONDON ROAD (On Dublin Street #2)
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE THIS ---> AMAZING
I don't know why, but I really feel as if the characters are real. The author has an uncanny ability of making me feel as if what's in the book is true... or you know, really happening somewhere as I read it. For that alone, I have to give Ms. Young a standing ovation.
The characters of the story are all perfectly imperfect. They are all striving to be as good as they can get. Jo? She's a gold digging b**ch on the outside, but get to know her more and you'll know where she's coming from. Cameron? He's such a judgmental cold hearted bastard at the start of the book, but as pages pass by, he becomes such a hot sweetheart that you'll really like him for Jo.
Their story is of course, not the hearts and flowers that many other books have. Their story gives us a glimpse of the nitty gritty details that people can have in real life. For example, we have Jo who's taking care of her 14 year old brother as well as her drunkard of a mom. She does everything for the benefit of her brother. Although I hate what she does to herself in order to have that "security", I guess I really can't blame her if that's the kind of life handed to her. I admire her because not only does she have a full sense of responsibility, she was also strong enough to pull her self away from the life that she thought she wanted. She had enough guts that she took a chance on Cam.
Now Cam.. hmm.. Cam is still a mystery to me. I still don't know why he did some things and I don't know what's running in his mind sometimes. AHEM I WANT HIS POV, LIKE RIGHT NOW. Here's what I know so far: He's hot, a jerk at first, but he became very sweet to Jo. He's also the reason why Jo made some very good decisions in life, and for that.. I love him, :) He's just so good to Jo. He even loves Cole. There's no way that you wouldn't like his character in the end.
The conflict about exes are.... hmm, pretty shallow. However, if you dig deeper, they have their very own reasons for it, especially with the way their relationship started. I usually tend to hate books wherein the main characters get together right after breaking up with their previous partners (because it almost always result to TRUST ISSUES later on), but this one worked for me, so I guess it was no big deal to me.
Just like what happened with Joss in the first book, I'm glad that Jo found out that she also has a family and that she's loved by many people. At the end of the book, she said that she's happy because she found a man who will always show/tell her that she is loved.. I get that. I get why she wants that and I get why she's very happy about it. In short, I'm happy for what happened to her. There were bumps, but it was all for a happy ending. :)
What makes this book more exciting is the fact that it shows bits and pieces of what happened to the other characters. I am so proud of Joss. She's very very very different here! It's like she's a whole different person with all the happiness radiating from her parts of the book. She's even a matchmaker now! hahaha! What a way to be different! I'm also happy that she didn't lose her spunk from book 1. Ellie's also very happy... Even the other characters have become more interesting. Hannah? Oh how I wish that girl could have her own book! She's so cute!!! ^_^
P.S. I really really really hate to say this, but I THINK BRADEN IS HOTTER THAN CAM. No offense, new CAMSTERS. *wink
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