Top Ten (Twelve) Tuesday: Top Ten Covers I'd Frame As Art

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week focuses on a different topic and you make a top ten list from it! This week's topic is: Top Ten Covers I'd Frame As Art.

You guys know that I am a total cover ho, so I had to participate in today's topic. There are so many beautiful covers out there that I had a hard time choosing and ended up with 12 picks instead of 10. Hope you enjoy!

My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland - I had a hard time picking which Dan Dos Santos cover I loved best but this is one of my favorites. But seriously, anything by him would be frame-worthy.

Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - Love this gorgeously stark and simple cover. Reminds me of a fairy tale.

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig - I am a huge fan of Joey Hi-Five and again, I think any of his works would be worthy to put up on my wall. This cover for Blackbirds is one of my favorites though as I have a thing for wings.

The Peculiars by Mauren Doyle McQuerry - This book has gone through several cover changes. I think I just saw a new one a couple of weeks ago. I am not sure why though because the original is drop dead gorgeous. I am a huge fan of Cliff Nielson (who also does The Mortal Instruments covers). This cover is beautiful and a bit ethereal. Love it.

Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore - Love the homage to Henri Toulouse-Lautrec with this gorgeous cover by artist Aly Fell.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - Paper art is another favorite medium of mine when it comes to cover art and I love the art deco styling of this as well as the black and white them with just the pop of red.

The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane - I don't know if this cover uses papercutting but looks like it may. Either way I think this is a really beautiful and striking cover. Love the unusual colors used as well.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - I like all of the covers in this series but I think that Shadow and Bone might be my favorite. I think it perfectly captures the tone and themes of the book.

Mean To Be by Lauren Morrill - This cover looks like a modern movie poster. Love the colors and the happy vibe that it gives.

Snow White by The Brothers Grimm - I have been a fan of Camille Rose Garcia for a while now and love this cover she did for the illustrated version of Snow White. It has that pretty/creepy thing going on that I always fall for and the colors are bright and saturated. This would be beautiful on any wall.

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma - Ethereal and slightly creepy, this cover looks like it would fit right in as part of an exhibit on modern photography. Love the composition of this as well as the colors.

Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour - this photo reminds me of summer days and vintage photos. It has a dreamy quality that I love and would be beautiful framed.

Phew - it was pretty hard to pick just twelve. If you want to see more of my cover picks, check out my weekly Uncovered feature. 

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Top Ten Covers That Need A Re-Do

Top Ten Tuesday is a super fun feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish each Tuesday. This week's topic is Top Ten Covers You Would Redesign. Oooh, you guys know what a cover whore I am. I pick books by covers all the time. I read a lot of romance, which if rife with bad covers. Thank goodness for my Kindle because I will totally buy and ebook if a cover is particularly heinous. This is all my own opinion, of course, and I do not mean to hurt anyone's feelings or disparage anyone's hard work. They just aren't my thing. In no particular order, here are the books whose covers I wish would get a re-do.

1. Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh - Gah, what is up with this cover? Dmitri is supposed to be this super hot vampire but instead looks like a creeper who decided not to wear his shirt during a rainstorm. Just - no. 

2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - I love Richelle Mead but she has consistently bad covers. If I was going off of the cover, I never would have picked up this book. The model's pose is awkward and her face takes up way too much space on this cover. These books are getting a redesign soon (but more on that in a later post).

3. A Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling - There isn't anything terrible about this. It's just really boring.

4.  Drop Dead Gorgeous by Linda Howard - I love this 2 book series but the covers are super dated and scream "smutty romance," but not in a good way. Would love to see something a little more modern for this one. 

5.  On The Edge by Ilona Andrews - Andrews is another author I love whose covers are often disappointing. This one isn't terrible but I don't love it. Also, not a huge fan of the love interest looming in the corner with his flowing locks.

6. Half Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout - I know there are people who love these covers but they do nothing for me. I find them to be pretty bland and look like something a self-pubbed author would put out.

7. Wicked After Midnight by Delilah S Dawson - So many things wrong with this. It really looks like some bad photo booth op in an old time Western town tourist trap. Everything about this is super awkward, from the posing to the styling. 

8.  Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh - I love, love Nalini Singh but I dislike almost every cover from the Psy-Changeling series. This is one of the worst ones. This angle is not good for anyone and even the font is cheesy. 

9. Storm by Brigid Kemmerer - I like that there is a consistent theme with all of these covers (guy in front, one color for each book), but I still find them to be super cheesy looking. 

10. Fifty Shades of Gray by EL James - This is the cover that sparked a million other totally generic covers of inanimate objects. I get it. You want to read smut but you don't want people to call you out for it. But could at least make these covers mildly interesting?

Though I love a well designed cover, lately I have been embracing bad covers for books I love. For example, I bought most of the Kate Daniels series on ebook but have gotten a few of them in paperback recently and am learning to love the cheesiness. This is all personal preference, too. My bad cover might be your work of art and vice versa. Let me know what cover(s) you'd like to re-do in the comments below. :)

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Top Ten Sequels I Am Dying To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I love lists and what's better than lists about books? This week's topic is Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get My Hands On. I love standalone novels but I admit that I read more series than not. I am only listing series that I am caught up on (which was surprisingly a good amount). I am not usually one to pre-order books but this list made me want to go out and pre-order everything on the list. :)

1. The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead - You know I am a huge Richelle Mead fan and I am super excited to see what happens next in the Bloodlines series.

2. Champion by Marie Lu - This one actually comes out today and I am kicking myself for not pre-ordering it.

3. Cress by Marissa Meyer- Love this series so hard. I actually have an ARC of this that my friend borrowed. I should probably get that back at some point.

4. Beautiful Beginning by Christina Lauren - This is a novella but it still counts, right? Just finished Beautiful Player and loved it and want more from this series.

5. Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews - So, so excited about this one. It doesn't come out until next summer but I am already waiting for it. A lot is supposed to happen in this book.

6. Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh - Whoa this is 13 in the Psy-Changeling series. I love anything Nalini Singh does and the main character of this one is a story a lot of people have been waiting for.

7. Reaver by Larissa Ione - I've been wanting to read Reaver's story and it's finally coming out this year!

8. The King by J.R. Ward - Wrath. 'Nuff said.

9. Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan - Each book in this series just gets better. I can't wait to finally read the story of Jack and Mary.

10. Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare - I have slowly become obsessed with this series. So far I've liked every book I've read in it.

Just looking at this list is getting me excited. So many good books are coming out. Let me know what sequels you're most excited about in the comments below. Thanks for coming by!

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Top Ten Character Names I Love

Top Ten Tuesday is a featured created by The Broke and the Bookish. Check out their website for weekly topics. This week's topic is Top Ten Character Names I Love or Top Ten Unusual Character Names. As someone with a slightly unusual and hard to pronounce name, I appreciate it when characters have unusual names. However, I don't like it when everyone has a really different name (unless we're in a totally new world) because it just doesn't feel authentic. I am also not a huge fan of traditional names with just really weird spellings.

1. Karou (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) - This is such a great name. It just sounds cool.

2. Aria (Under The Never Sky) - This is a really pretty name and I like that it actually has meaning to the character.

3. Cinder (Cinder) - Love this character and the name. There is actually a male character named Cinder in Under the Never Sky as well. I prefer it as a female name but it's good as a male name, too.

4. Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) - There are a lot of vowels in this name! But Daenerys is such a strong character and I think I read somewhere that people are starting to name their kids after her. How cool is that?

5. Ismae (Grave Mercy) - Badass name for a badass character.

6. Colin (Romancing Mr. Bridgerton) - Colin is a solid boy's name and it's not around much anymore. The Colin in this book is also rakish and adorable, which is another reason to love it. I used to know a lot of Colins when I was a kid but I think it's gone out of style. Bring it back!

7. Vlad (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Cat & Bones) - Such a traditional and slightly ominous name. A name like Vlad holds a lot of power.

8. Sam (Lord of the Rings) - There are a lot of Sams in literature. It's a really solid, dependable name. Someone named Sam is someone you can count on. It also works as a girl name though I can't think of any female Sams in books off the top of my head.

9. Dorian (Dorian Grey, Hostage To Pleasure) - This name has a slightly exotic and mysterious feel to me. It's not used too often but I really like it.

10. Gabriel (Storm, Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake) - I have always had a soft spot for Gabriels. I prefer the full name to the shortened Gabe but both are cute.

Honorable mentions for the worst character names

Renesmee (Twilight) - Seriously. There's no need to explain this, right?

Shadoe (Riding on Instinct) - It annoyed me throughout this whole book that this character had this unusual name with a strange spelling and not once did anyone mention it or make a comment about it. In my head is sounds like Shad-Ohhhhhhhhh.
Jasper (Twilight, I Hunt Killers) - OK I don't actually have an issue with the name Jasper, only the fact that they all seem to shorten it some some version of Jazz. Seriously - Jazz? It just makes me think of jazz hands.
Daemon (Obsidian) - What's with the extra "e" in there? I just never know how to pronounce it...

That's my list of character names I love (and don't love). Let me know what names are on your list by linking up below. Also, if any authors out there want to use Thuy in a book, please feel free. :)

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Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List. Let's get down to it!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - I have heard nothing but great reviews on this one and it's about a girl who writes fanfic. While I don't write fanfic, I definitely understand the fangirl culture and think this one is going to be good.

Champion by Marie Lu - The third book in the Legend series! I am dying to know what happens to June and Day. These books are so tense but I love them.

Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan - Another series book (there will be more). This is the best paranormal historical romance series. Each book just keeps getting better and better and I can't wait to read book 4 in the series.

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead - My love for Richelle Mead is vast and I have to know what happens to Sydney and Adrian. This reminds me that I should go pre-order this book...

Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh - Another one of my favorite authors. Excited that this book will be going back to Raphael and Elena.

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren - This series is like candy. I can't stop reading them.

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah Maclean - I actually just got this one from Edelweiss over the weekend. Sarah Maclean writes awesome romances and I am looking forward to this one.

Reaver by Larissa Ione - More Demonica series! Reaver has been a character that a lot of people have been curious about, me included. I don't love this cover but I it'll do.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes - Loved Me Before You and am really interested to see Moyes's follow up.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley & Gris Grimly - This is going to be perfect for Halloween. A graphic novel version of Frankenstein done by Gris Grimly. It looks awesome.

Those are some of my most anticipated fall releases. What are yours? Leave a link in the comments below and I'll be sure to stop by. :)

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Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, an awesome meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's theme is Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show (set in a perfect world...in which movies don't butcher the books we love.) I am pretty sure I did this prompt once when we got to do a rewind post but I am doing again because I think I have a few new picks.

1. Magic Bites/Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
No surprise here since I am totally obsessed with this series. I think it would make an awesome TV show though. Vampires, werewolves, a heroine who kicks (literal) ass. What's not to love?

2. Fables by Bill Willingham
I know that Once Upon A Time is already a huge hit and there is a glut of fairy tale re-tellings out there. But Fables is just so, so good and I would love to see it made into a series one day.

3. Cinder/The Lunar Chronicles 
Another fairy tale re-telling that I think would make a fantastic series. Who would not want to watch a cyborg Cinderella story?

4. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Oooh I can just see this on the CW or a similar network. A little campy with some sexy teen leads, it would be like the new Roswell.

5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. One of my big issues with it was the super detailed descriptions of all of the 80's references. When I was reading it, I remembered thinking that it would play out so much better as a movie since we could see something and recognize it or see how it works. Licensing would probably be a nightmare so I doubt this would ever happen. But they did make Wreck It Ralph, which was full of licensed characters, so you never know.

6. Grave Mercy/Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Assassin nuns and political intrigue! Who wouldn't want to see this?

7. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
I know this is being made into a movie but I think it would have worked really well as a series, too.

8. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
This would make a really great movie. Bring your own tissues.

9. Legend by Marie Lu
This series would be a great movie or TV show. I'd love to see a ravaged Los Angeles.

10. Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
The costumes alone would be amazing.

Honorable mentions: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, Ashfall by Mike Mullin, Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs (this was on my list last year), Darkest London by Kristen Callihan, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (Even though I already have VA on my list. Love this world).

As you can see, I am a fan of paranormal/dystopian/historical and not so much with the contemp. I'd love to see your picks though so link up in the comments below!

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Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2013

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish each week. This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've Read in 2013 so far. 

I'm actually really behind in my reading goal for this year. The last couple of months have been super slow for me and I just haven't been reading that much. I have plenty of books in my TBR pile though and will hopefully catch up a bit over 4th of July. But here are my tops reads so far this year (in no particular order).

Winterblaze (Darkest London #3) by Kristen Callihan - I love all of the books in this series but I especially enjoyed Win and Poppy's relationship. I didn't think a married couple could be this hot but the chemistry between then is off the charts.

The Indigo Spell (Bloodlines #3) by Richelle Mead - Again, I really like whole series but chose the book with the most making out (one track mind, I know). :)

The Prince (Original Sinners #3) by Tiffany Reisz - OMG I love Kingsley. If you have an open mind and like complex characters, you really need to read this series. 

Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling #12) by Nalini Singh - One of my favorite books in the series. This is a story a lot of people have been waiting for and changes in the world occur that affect the future of the series.

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels #4) by Ilona Andrews - I am so glad I finally read this series. I have a new obsessions. They're all good but I love Magic Bleeds because Kate and Curran finally resolve their differences.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd - I really enjoyed this gothic re-telling of The Island of Dr. Moreau. A book hasn't given me the creeps like this in a long time.

Lover At Last (BDB #11) by JR Ward - Ahhhh! My friends and I had been waiting for this book for so long and it did not disappoint. Blay and Quinn are awesome.

 
I don't think that's quite 10 but it's close. I really need to start reading more because I have a huge list of book in my queue and I think many of them are going to be awesome. I just need to find more time in the day. Let me know what your favorite read of 2013 so far has been and I just may add it to my TBR pile. :)

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Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet

Hi and welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week is a rewind week where you can choose a topic you missed or one you want to re-visit. I am going with Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet since I missed it earlier this year. For clarity I just listed the first book in the series.

1. The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns) by Rae Carson - So many people keep telling me that I need to read this series and I want to, I just haven't gotten to it yet.

2. Rot & Ruin (Benny Imura) by Jonathan Maberry - I am woefully behind on my zombie reading and this series is at the top of my list. The covers creep me out, too.

3. A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) by George RR Martin - I told myself that I would finally read the first book in this series this year but, so far, I haven't. :(

4. My Life As A White Trash Zombie (White Trash Zombie) by Diana Rowland - I bought the first book when it came out and I think that was 2 years ago. Book 3 is just about to come out which means I bette get a move on this series.

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer) by Michelle Hodkin -  I think I may be the only person who has not read this book yet.

6. One The Edge (The Edge) by Ilona Andrews - Now that I have finished the Kate Daniels series, I want to read Andrews's other series. I think this series has a lot more romance. :)

7. The Iron Hunt (Hunter's Kiss) by Marjorie Liu - Looks like a series with a kickass heroine.

8. Pushing The Limits (Pushing The Limits) by Kate McGarry - This looks like a really good contemp YA novel with some romance in it. Not sure why I haven't gotten around to it yet.

9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone) - I have a signed HC, people. Why have I not read this yet? I vow to read it this year.

10. The Taken (Celestial Blues) by Vikki Pettersson - I keep hearing awesome things about this series and the covers are gorgeous.

That's my Top Ten Tuesday this week. Anyone else have a series they've been meaning to read? Let me know in the comments below.

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Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List

Hi everyone! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Authors I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List. Check it out and hopefully you will find some things to add to your TBR pile.

Richelle Mead - (Favorites: Georgina Kincaid series, Vampire Academy series, Bloodlines series) I know, I know. You guys already know how much I love her. I'll read anything Richelle Mead puts out. Her characters are great and she is good at building up the romance.

Nalini Singh - (Favorites: Slave to Sensation, Branded by Fire, Kiss of Snow, Lord of the Abyss) Probably my favorite paranormal romance author. There's just something about her stories that pull me in emotionally. Also love that she has mulit-cultural characters and really imaginative worlds.

Marissa Meyer - (Favorites: Cinder) I've only read Cinder by Marissa but I have a feeling I am going to like whatever she writes. 

J.K. Rowling - (Favorites: Harry Potter, of course) I don't think I need to explain this one.

Maggie Stiefvater - (Favorites: Shiver) I am totally behind in my Maggie reading. While I don't always love everything Maggie writes, I always think it's worth reading if that makes sense. She has a style and way with words that are very unique and beautiful. Plus she is awesome in person. I want to be her friend. 

Patricia Briggs - (Favorites: Mercy Thompson series) I only discovered Patricia a few years ago but I am a huge fan. She writes very believable characters. 

JR Ward - (Favorites: BDB, esp Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Lover Avenged) I love the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I don't always love every single book she writes, but I love reading them. Again, awesome characters and smoking hot romances.

Courtney Milan - (Favorites: Unlocked, Unraveled, Unveiled) So glad I discovered Courtney Milan about a year ago. She writes the most heart wrenching and steamy historical romances. She can always make me feel like there just might be a possibility that her characters won't get their happy ending even though I know I am reading a romance novel. She is also self-published and does a great job. 

Neil Gaiman - (Favorites: The Graveyard Book, Coraline) I haven't read everything that Neil Gaiman has written but I plan to. Love the unique worlds he creates.

Heather Brewer - (Favorites: Vlad Tod series) I am a Minion. Love Heather's writing and also love her stance on anti-bullying. She encourages kids to be themselves and that's a really great message. Plus, the Vlad Tod vamp smiley face is an awesome icon. 

Who's on your auto-buy list? 

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thanks @frootjoos for the nifty new TTT graphic!

Top Ten Favorite Romances

Hi, guys. Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, hosted and created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is Top Ten Favorite Romances. Haha you know I've been dying for this one. I love romance! You might be surprised to hear that I only really started reading romance in the last few years. It just never really appealed to me. That was before I discovered paranormal romances though. Once you go supernatural, you can't go back. I had a really hard time narrowing it down. 

Nine Rules to Break When Romance a Rake by Sarah MacLean - Historical romance about a spinster and a rake who fight like cats and dogs? Yes, please! But seriously, Sarah MacLean is a fantastic writer and there is so much emotion and passion in her stories. I always get emotional reading them.

It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas - It was really hard picking my favorite Lisa Kleypas book. It was between this one and Married by Morning, which I also love. But I ended up going with this one. I just love the banter and chemistry between Lilian and Marcus. Both of them are great characters on their own and are irresistible together.

Persuasion by Jane Austen - Like many, I am a fan of Jane Austen. While I love P&P as much as the next person, I have a soft spot for Persuasion. There's just something about this story of two lovers separated by the years coming together again. Lots of furtive looks and simmering passion make this one of my top picks. 

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - I love Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe! They have that great, bickering chemistry and I love that Anne is smart and outspoken. I also love watching the TV adaptation of this book.

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh - Again, I had a really hard time picking my favorite Nalini Singh book. Seriously, I think she needs her own category. But I love this book in the Psy-Changeling series because this story was a culmination of a lot of things. Hawke is the alpha of the Snow Dancer pack and Sienna is the young Psy who has plagued him for years. I think a lot of people weren't sure if Singh could pull off a credible romance with such a big age difference. But she did and these two characters are so perfectly matched. This was a really emotional one, too. 

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward - I have several favorites from this series but I picked Z's story because I have always had a soft spot for him. If you like tortured heroes, you definitely need to read this one. 

Winterblaze by Kristen Callihan - I haven't written my review of this one yet but let me just say that it's awesome. Kristen Callihan writes fantastic relationships and each new book becomes a new favorite. Love the spark and passion that she shows between the long married couple Win and Poppy in this book. These two characters have such a deep connection and they are a great team.

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead - I think is probably more of an urban fantasy book than romance, per se, but the romance between Seth and Georgina is the heart of the whole series. Most people know Mead from her YA series Vampire Academy. However, I think the Succubus series is even better than VA (and I love VA). Seth is an author (adorable!) and Georgina is a succubus making ends meet in a bookstore. Mead's characters are written like real human beings and are complex and diverse. Read this series!

After The Night by Linda Howard - This was one of the first romantic suspense novels that I read a few years ago that got my on the romance train. My friend N was my first smut peddler and she recommended this one. It's hard to explain why I love this one so much. The story is a little bit dated but the two love interests have fantastic, combustible chemistry. They also hate each other at the beginning, which is one of my favorite romance tropes. Seriously hot romance that I think will appeal to a wide audience.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - This seems a bit out of place on my list of mostly paranormal reads but I really enjoyed this YA contemp by Stephanie Perkins. I thought this book was really sweet and captured young love really well. I liked that Anna and St. Clair didn't fall for each other instantly and were friends first. It's also set in Paris, which makes it even better. 

I could have chosen many more but these are some of my faves. Hope you guys enjoy and Happy almost Valentine's Day!

 

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