Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Lady Midnight

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, #1)
Title: Lady Midnight
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Dark Artifices #1
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, 
Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.
Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.
The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.
Why am I waiting?
I have yet to finish The Mortal Instrument series, or even start the Infernal Devices, but I am hoping to get to them before the new series comes out. I love the Shadowhunter world, and I am curious to see what happens in this Los Angeles based series and how it differs from the New York based The Mortal Instrument series. 

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Bookishly Ever After

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Bookishly Ever After
Title: Bookishly Ever After
Author: Isabel Bandeira
Series: Ever After #1
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Publication Date: January 12, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, 
In a perfect world, sixteen-year-old Phoebe Martins’ life would be a book. Preferably a YA novel with magic and a hot paranormal love interest. Unfortunately, her life probably wouldn’t even qualify for a quiet contemporary. But when Phoebe finds out that Dev, the hottest guy in the clarinet section, might actually have a crush on her, she turns to her favorite books for advice. Phoebe overhauls her personality to become as awesome as her favorite heroines and win Dev’s heart. But if her plan fails, can she go back to her happy world of fictional boys after falling for the real thing?
Why am I waiting?
I could I not want to read this with a title like Bookishly Ever After. I mean this sounds like a book right up my alley. I was something I would probably have even done in my high school days. Consult my favorite books on how to make someone fall in love with me. This one is just sounds like a perfect read for all book lovers out there. 

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

SHTF Release Day Celebration with Giveaway

The action-packed prequel to the Amazon bestselling NOLA Zombie series. This isn't a romance...there aren't any happily-ever-afters, this is just Romeo's fight for survival and how he became a NOLA Survivor. Zombies, one sexy survivor and a death-defying race through New Orleans to find safety.


About the Book
Title: SHTF
Author: Gillian Zane
Series: NOLA Zombie #0.5
Publication Date: December 22, 2015
Genres: Adult, Horror
Purchase: Amazon
An action-packed prequel to the Amazon bestselling NOLA Zombie series. This isn't a romance...there aren't any happily-ever-afters, this is just Romeo's fight for survival and how he became a NOLA Survivor.
It's Friday night in New Orleans and Tim "Romeo" Voiter has the night off. A night of rest and relaxation is something new for the former Marine, and he's looking forward to enjoying a fun night out with his buddy, Lucas Martinez.  The two men try to ignore the emergency broadcasts and news about the spreading iKPV virus and just enjoy the evening. Romeo, true to his name, even hooks up with a hot redhead and plans on ending the evening at her place.
Plans come crashing down, though, as he comes face to face with what the iKPV infected really looks like–and it is not like any infection he's encountered before.  Knowing the media is sugarcoating the virus and things are about to get a lot worse in his city, Romeo talks his family into leaving their urban home and bugging out to a more secluded and secure area; the compound his employers own at the edge of the city, deep in the marsh that surrounds New Orleans. But, as the infection spreads and New Orleans begins to fall under the chaos of victims gone made with the virus, Romeo begins to realize that the "stuff" has hit the fan in New Orleans and things will never be the same for the Voiters.

About the Author

Gillian Zane is the author of the NOLA Zombie series. Zane is the pen name of a prominent blogger
in the publishing industry, which will remain a mystery unless you Google it. Since she can remember her goal has been to become Master of the Universe and has decided to focus first on the literary world. Things are progressing nicely.
Zane has been a freelance writer for the last ten years and has published a few non-fiction works, none of which was very exciting. Zombies are much more exciting and a way for her to combine her two current obsessions, hot boys with guns and Doomsday Prepping. When she isn't stockpiling MREs (Meal's Ready to Eat) or researching how to build a cistern on a budget, she's taking care of her little family and exploring the city that she loves, New Orleans. You can find Gillian Zane on twitter @GillianZane.
Sign up for her newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bmCzWf
   






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Friday, December 18, 2015

Book Review: Placebo Junkies

About the Book
Title: Placebo Junkies
Author: J.C. Carleson 
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 27, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Going Bovine meets Trainspotting in this gritty portrait of at-risk teens gaming the prescription drug trial system.
Meet Audie: Professional lab rat. Guinea pig. Serial human test subject. For Audie and her friends, “volunteering” for pharmaceutical drug trials means a quick fix and easy cash.
Sure, there’s the occasional nasty side effect, but Audie’s got things under control. If Monday’s pill causes a rash, Tuesday’s ointment usually clears it right up. Wednesday’s injection soothes the sting from Tuesday’s “cure,” and Thursday’s procedure makes her forget all about Wednesday’s headache. By the time Friday rolls around, there’s plenty of cash in hand and perhaps even a slot in a government-funded psilocybin study, because WEEKEND!
But the best fix of all is her boyfriend, Dylan, whose terminal illness just makes them even more compatible. He’s turning eighteen soon, so Audie is saving up to make it an unforgettable birthday. That means more drug trials than ever before, but Dylan is worth it.
No pain, no gain, Audie tells herself as the pills wear away at her body and mind. No pain, no gain, she repeats as her grip on reality starts to slide….
Raw and irreverent, Placebo Junkies will captivate readers until the very end, when author J. C. Carleson leans in for a final twist of the knife.


My Review of Placebo Junkies
Placebo Junkies is not the typical novel I usually pick up, but it sounded intriguing. I decided to go outside my usual comfort zone, and boy was I rewarded. Placebo Junkies is twisted tale full of unexpected turns right up to the very end. It looks at the underbelly of human testing and clinical trials and what some people do to but it is also very much a story of a young girl trying to survive on her own. 

Audie’s story is one of terrible circumstances and her battle to exert her control over her situation. She also has one good thing in her life, her boyfriend Dylan. She wants nothing more than to give him the best experience in life before his cancer possibly takes him. This love story is beautiful, but tragic in many ways. 

I have to say I loved the writing style that J.C. Carleson chooses to express Audie’s story. It alternates between Audie’s different clinical trials and the pain surrounding selling your body for science. The author also uses Audie’s “Guinea Pig” blog posts to give more insight into Audie’s viewpoint on human test subjects and her life. I also love that as a reader I had no clue what was going to happen or what was going on around Audie until the very last few pages. 

This book is not an easy read for the squeamish, even though it does not go into severe graphic details. I still found it enjoyable in the sense that the book kept me enthralled with trying to find out what was going to happen next, and what exactly was going on with Audie as the story progressed. I would recommend this to also most anyone. I think it is especially enjoyable for fans of realistic fiction or medical based books. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**



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Thursday, December 17, 2015

Twisted Sisters Blog Tour: Review, Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway Oh My!

Welcome to Unabridged Bookshelf's stop on the Twisted Sisters Blog Tour!  There is so much that I have for you today make sure to check it all out! 

About the Book
Title: Twisted Sisters
Author: Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Series: The Orion Circle #2
Publisher: Sea Dragon Press
Publication Date: October 27, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, 
Purchase: Amazon

It’s a child’s toy—what could go wrong?

While playing with a spirit board, two sorority sisters summon the vindictive spirits of three women brutally murdered by a psychopath. Join Logan, Kacie, and the rest of the Orion Circle as they delve into the disturbing events of the past to find the key to freeing the spirits.

But this isn’t any ordinary haunting.  These ghosts were banished before, and now they have returned more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Anger breeds hatred and hatred leads to darkness—these phantoms are on the verge of losing their last spark of humanity and becoming completely lost to the shadows.

Can Logan and Kacie convince the tortured souls to embrace the light and move on, or will the spirits succumb to the hypnotic pull of evil, leading to an eternity of torment and suffering?

About the Author
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works as an editor for two publishers, as well as select indie authors. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, video games, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Winner of the 2014 Rising Star Award at the BTS Red Carpet Awards in NOLA & a Silver Medal for YA Mystery/Horror in the 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.
   

My Review of Twisted Sisters
Twisted Sisters is the sequel I have been waiting forever since reading Tortured Souls last Halloween. I absolutely loved Tortured Souls and I went in to Twisted Sisters with high hopes. I was not disappointed in fact, I was enthralled from the moment I started the prologue. I could not put this book down, the stakes were high, and the ghosts were terrifying. Watching Kacie, Logan and the rest of the Orion Circle try to battle three angry spirits had me nervously chewing my nails the entire time. 

Kacie and Logan’s relationship while tested in Twisted Sisters, I can only say grew stronger by the end. I would say that if not for that strength, I am not sure Kacie and Logan would have had any chance against the spirits. At least together, they could try to protect each other and their friends. I am interested to see how their newish relationship progresses in the next installment of the Orion Circle series.

The biggest things that had me on edge was the hints at a past negative history between some of the circle members and a premonition that could lead to an even bigger battle to come in the next installment. I am on my seat waiting to see what Kimber Leigh Wheaton does with the future of this series. If the stakes continue to rise like they did in Twisted Sisters, I cannot imagine where the next book is going to take readers. 

Kimber Leigh Wheaton has a way with writing the paranormal that make you feel like you are there experiencing the haunting yourself. She did it with Tortured Souls and I had trouble falling asleep after reading that one, and she has improved that talent with Twisted Sisters. These books while perfect for Halloween, are also great when you want a good suspenseful scary story to make you jump. I highly recommend The Orion Circle series and Twisted Sisters. 


**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**

My First Real Paranormal Experience
By Kimber Leigh Wheaton

After years of reading about the paranormal and visiting numerous haunted sites, I finally had my first experience in a place I least expected—New Orleans.  Yes, I know it’s one of the most haunted cities in America, but my experience didn’t occur in a cemetery or on a ghost tour… it happened in my hotel room at the Holiday Inn.
I was in New Orleans for the Author Reader Convention In August which was held at the Holiday Inn Superdome. I knew nothing about the hotel, other than the location. Upon checking into my room on the sixteenth floor, I immediately felt uneasy. I chalked it up to traveling alone and proceeded to unpack. The feeling of being watched intensified to the point that I could no longer ignore it. I started a rather embarrassing search of the room for a hidden camera. Checked the peephole—it seemed fine. Peered behind the pictures and mirrors and didn’t see anything. I wasn’t able to look in the vents or smoke detectors, which is for the best since by then I felt absurd. I left the room and went to the bar to meet some friends.
That night I didn’t sleep well, though I never felt scared, just odd. I attributed my lack of sleep to the wildly varying room temperature which I’m sure was related to the older A/C unit blowing from the corner. Plus my room overlooked a busy street, and I’m not used to traffic noise. As it turned out, I didn’t sleep well the entire time I was there. The feeling of being watched never went away, and the only place I didn’t feel it was in the bathroom. Thank goodness, right! I started dressing in there even though I had the entire room to myself. I just couldn’t shake that horrible feeling.
The last day of my trip, I met a local who told me the tragic story of the hotel. January 7, 1973, Mark Essex gained access to the hotel, then a Howard Johnsons, through a fire escape and shot a couple on the eighteenth floor. He then set fire to the room and headed to the eleventh floor where he killed two of the hotel managers. Several more people were shot from his perch on the eighteenth floor where he holed up when police arrived. All in all he killed 19 people, 10 of whom were police officers.
Lots of negative vibes in that hotel. To this day, I don’t know if I felt the spirit of the shooter or one of his victims in my room. All I know is that the room had a somber feel to it, and the hair on my nape was at attention more in four days than in the last decade. My husband attributes it to nerves since I was traveling alone. I don’t know what I think, but this was the closest I’ve come to a paranormal experience.
So what do you think? Nerves, spiritual energy, or something else…



Excerpt From Twisted Sisters
Prologue
A Child’s Toy

Sunlight filtered through the sliding glass door, shining on the brown spirit board spread out on the antique oak table. A bright blue box emblazoned with the words Fun for all Ages sat beside it, along with an instruction sheet. One girl twirled the planchette with her fingers while watching her friend read the instructions aloud. A child’s game bought at a toy store. What harm could it do? These two girls were about to find out that sometimes evil existed in the most innocent of packages.
“Okay, so it says to rest your fingers on that piece,” Melissa said as she tossed the instruction sheet aside.
“If we put our fingers on it, then how do we know that we didn’t move the thing?” Kendra asked, placing the planchette in the middle of the board.
“I don’t know,” Melissa said, rolling her dark eyes. “Did you want to try it or not?”
“Sure, why not.” Kendra released a bored sigh that turned into a yawn. “Why are we up so damn early?”
“I wanted to get an early start.” Melissa’s shoulders scrunched up into a sheepish shrug. “Lots of time until dark, you know, in case…”
“It’s a toy, Melissa,” Kendra said with a snort of laughter.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“You’re totally kidding, right?” Kendra stared at her friend from the corner of her eye.
Melissa kept a straight face for a few more seconds, then burst into laughter. “Fooled you!”
“Childish much?”
“Okay, just put your fingertips on this thingy.” Melissa placed her fingers on the planchette before giving a pointed look to her friend.
“I feel kinda stupid,” Kendra said as she placed her fingers on the opposite side of the planchette. “So, ah, if there are any spirits who want to communicate, we’re here.”
“Wow, that was dull.” Melissa took a deep breath. “Spirits across the hazy veil. We call to you from beyond the pale.”
“What was that?” Kendra asked, raising her brow.
“Just a little drama.” Both girls stared at their hands which stayed unmoving. “I call to thee spirits for we are here. Any spirit nearby is welcome to appear.”
The planchette began to vibrate and wiggle.
“Are you doing that?” Kendra asked in a shaky voice.
“No,” Melissa whispered back. “Shh! It’s starting to move.”
“Is a spirit here with us?” Kendra called out to the empty room.
The planchette jumped a bit before sliding to the word, yes. But it didn’t stop there. Before either girl could think to ask another question, it shot across the board, flying from letter to letter. Both Kendra and Melissa snatched their hands away from the shuddering, plastic pointer.
Kill, kill, kill. Over and over again.
“Who are you?” Melissa shrieked the question as an invisible wind blew her long hair around her body.
Amy.
“Amy?” The whipping air died with Kendra’s question. Both girls trembled as the planchette moved to yes.
Tracy.
“There are two of you?” Melissa’s face paled. Cabinet doors opened and slammed closed in rapid succession.
Renee, kill…
The planchette paused. Kendra took a breath to ask another question, but before the words reached her lips, the planchette spelled out a new word.
M…u…r…d…e…r.
“Murder?”
Goosebumps spread up Kendra’s arms after she spoke. She hugged her arms around her body, trying to chase away the bitter chill. Dishes flew from the cabinets, smashing to the floor one after the other. Kendra pushed her chair from the table and fled the room. Drinking glasses from the cupboards flew across the room, hitting the wall where Kendra’s head had been just moments before.
Us.
“You were murdered?” Melissa asked through a gasped breath. She clutched the edge of the table with white knuckles, too scared to move. Pieces of shattered pottery lifted from the floor on an invisible whirlwind, blowing around the terrified girl.
Yes, murder. Free, free, free.


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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: The Forbidden Wish

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

The Forbidden Wish
Title: The Forbidden Wish
Author: Jessica Khoury
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, 
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world... 
When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes. 
But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?
As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Arabian Nights from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.
Why am I waiting?
A retelling of the story of Aladdin with a female genie! I have to read this one, and not just because Aladdin was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up. I like that this is also a love story and that Zahra has a tough choice to make. I am excited to see how Jessica Khoury recreates the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp.

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Take The Fall

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Take The Fall
Title: Take The Fall
Author: Emily Hainsworth
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: February 16, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, 
WHO KILLED GRETCHEN MEYER?
Fear grips the residents of Hidden Falls the night Sonia Feldman and her best friend, Gretchen Meyer, are attacked in the woods. Sonia was lucky to escape with her life, but Gretchen’s body is discovered at the bottom of a waterfall. Beautiful, popular, and seemingly untouchable, Gretchen can’t be gone. Even as Sonia struggles with guilt and confusion over having survived, the whole town is looking to her for information…could she have seen something that will lead the police to the killer?
At the top of the list of suspects is Gretchen’s ex-boyfriend—and Sonia’s longtime enemy—Marcus Perez. So when Marcus comes to Sonia for help clearing his name, she agrees, hoping to find evidence the police need to prove he’s the killer. But as Gretchen’s many secrets emerge and the suspects add up, Sonia feels less sure of Marcus’s involvement, and more afraid for herself. Could Marcus, the artist, the screwup, the boy she might be falling for have attacked her? Killed her best friend? And if it wasn’t him in the woods that night…who could it have been?
Why am I waiting?
I am always up for a good mystery, and I am curious to see how this one turns out. I suspect there will be many surprising twists before this book is over. I love the synopsis and cannot wait to find out what happen to Sonia and Gretchen that night and more importantly WHO was behind it.

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

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Thursday, December 3, 2015

Storm Release Day Celebration



Title: Storm
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Series: Empire Chornicles #5
Publication Date: December 3, 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Underneath our greatest flaws lie our greatest strengths.
Jared barely has time to process the revelation that his mother is a witch before his life is once again turned upside down. He wakes up in a time and place he thought he had left behind with no clue how to get out. When Vera shows up the stakes are even higher.
Racing to find a way back to reality and to fix mistakes, both must face new truths about their identities, and what they are made of.
  

Haven't started The Empire Chronicles Yet? Soar is FREE!
FREE ON AMAZON | IBOOKS KOBO
In the city that never sleeps the Chronicles continue…
Serving coffee is temporary, just like Casey's year off from school. She’s going to come up with a plan to stay in New York City and go back to college, and that plan does not involve dating a paranormal creature—let alone two.
Running the supernatural society of New York is not as fun as it sounds, especially when you still have to answer to your ex-girlfriend’s fiancé. Toby doesn’t mean to bring Casey into the chaos of his life, but he can't resist the girl who makes him smile when he thought no one else ever could.
Jared's in New York checking out a security risk for his best friend, the king. He plans to return to New Orleans quickly, but not if it means losing his chance with the brunette who pretends she wants nothing to do with him.
In over her head with a bunch of winged creatures who most definitely are not angels, Casey has to figure out who to trust with her life and maybe her heart.


 About the Author
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance
and
a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.
    

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Reign of Shadows

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Reign of Shadows
Title: Reign of Shadows
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, 
Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.
But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.
With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.
With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best.
Why am I waiting?
I have to confess I have yet to read a book by Sophie Jordan even if her books are defiantly on my TBR list. This one sounds very interesting and I am always up for a well written star-crossed romance. I am curious to know if Luna win back her kingdom. It is defiantly on my TBR list and I think I may have to move it to the top of the stack when it comes out. 

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

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