W.W.W. Wednesday (5)

W.W.W. Wednesdays is hosted by MizB.


To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What am I currently reading?

I'm currently reading the arc of Masquerade by Cambria Hebert. I loved her writing style in her other novels, and I loved the prequel Before.

I'm really excited to delve more into this novel. I'm not very far yet, but I'll have this finished shortly and I'm really excited to post my review of this. I should hopefully finish this in the next day or so.





What did I recently finish reading?

I've read a lot since I last posted, just check all the reviews I've done lately (and I'm still two behind :) ) I just finished Undercurrents by Traci Hunter Abramson. It was a cute LDS romantic suspense and so I was a happy camper. Plus, it was about a swimmer. I love swimming. So it was a good fit.

It's the first in the series, and I'll definitely keep reading the other two novels.

I also just finished Moon Coin by Richard Due. I really enjoyed reading his MG fantasy. The illustrations were killer. 

My review of this should be posted of both of these novels in the near future.  I received this one for review as well.








What do I think I'll read next?

I'm going to read Freefall by Traci Hunter Abramson. This is another LDS romantic suspense that I've heard great things about. I enjoyed Undercurrents, but have heard that Freefall is incredible. I'm really excited to read that one.

I love a good romantic suspense and I'm hoping this one fits the bill.

I will also be reading Tears of Min Brock by J.E. Lowder. I received this one for review.

It sounds really interesting. It's another young adult fantasy. I'm really excited for it and hope to get to that one soon as well. I love this cover.




What are you currently reading? Please feel free to leave your link in the comments.


Love,
Danica Page

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly post by Jill at Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week is my sixth time involved in this meme, and I chose the novel Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. This looks like your typical chick lit novel, but nonetheless I want to read it.

Catching Jordan is published tomorrow, December 1, 2011, by Sourcebooks Fire. This is also Miranda's debut novel. Miranda works and writes for the State Department in Washington D.C. That's a pretty impressive job, if you ask me.

And now here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

I love novels about sports, because I used to be obsessed with sports. I also love novels in which girls excel in sports. This sounds like a novel I'd want to read. It sounds like a cute, lighthearted read, but I want to read it at least once.

What book are you guys anxiously awaiting for? Anybody else dying for this book to come out? As always feel free to leave your Waiting on Wednesday link below.
Love,
Danica Page

Book Review: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Radiant Darkness

by Emily Whitman

Young Adult Mythological Romance

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.71

Pages: 274

Well here is the summary from Goodreads:

He smiles. "Hello."

It's a deep voice. I can feel it reverberate in my chest and echo all the way down to my toes.

I know I should leave, but I don't want to. I want to keep my senses like this forever. I'm all eye, all ear, all skin.

Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more—something dangerous and exciting—something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself.

In a land where a singing river can make you forget your very name, Persephone is forced to discover who—and what—she really is.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I loved this book!

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: There have been many retellings or references to the myth of Persephone. When I picked up this novel, I was entranced by the cover and decided it would be worth reading. What I didn't expect was that I'd absolutely love this novel.

Persephone had some serious attitude, I noticed that from the very beginning. But with a mother whose a goddess determined on confining you to the vale she's created and keeping you away from all things male, I guess that makes sense.

Enter Hades. Persephone encounters a mystery man in the vale and is quickly smitten by him. When she finds out he's Hades, she's surprised and angry at first. But love is no match for anger.

I really liked that Whitman deviated from the traditional myth of damsel in distress and created a story with a kick butt heroine.

I also liked the fact that she didn't stick with the stereotype of Hades. In this novel Hades was hot. No I'm not joking. Hades wasn't the one dimensional figure he's always been. I loved her description of the underworld and basically the whole novel.

A great read that is definitely worth reading.

In Summary: A novel that I loved reading. Whitman's version of the myth of Persephone was intriguing, and entrancing.

Warnings/Side-notes: Nothing comes to mind.

The Wrap-up: A great novel that I definitely recommend reading. You won't regret it.

Happy reading!

Love,

Danica Page

Up Next: Moon Coin by Richard Due

Book Review: Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Steel

by Carrie Vaughn

Young Adult Adventure

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.36

Pages: 294

Well here is the summary from Goodreads:

It was a slender length of rusted steel, tapered to a point at one end and jagged at the other, as if it had broken. A thousand people would step over it and think it trash, but not her.

This was the tip of a rapier.

Sixteen-year-old Jill has fought in dozens of fencing tournaments, but she has never held a sharpened blade. When she finds a corroded sword piece on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued and pockets it as her own personal treasure.

The broken tip holds secrets, though, and it transports Jill through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Stranded in the past and surrounded by strangers, she is forced to sign on as crew. But a pirate’s life is bloody and brief, and as Jill learns about the dark magic that brought her there, she forms a desperate scheme to get home—one that risks everything in a duel to the death with a villainous pirate captain.

Time travel, swordplay, and romance combine in an original high-seas adventure from New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I really liked this one.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This book was very imaginative. I was very excited to read this book about pirates, because who doesn't love pirates. And the cover featured a might fierce looking heroine. The cover, the title, and the fact that this novel was about pirates caught my attention right away.

In this novel, the main character Jill is obsessed with fencing. After she loses a tournament by a fraction of a second, she is bummed and can't stop thinking about that one match.

However, when she's on the beach with her family she finds a piece of an old sword. After nearly drowning, she's transported back in time onto a pirate ship.

First off, I've always loved time travel novels when they are done right. Ever since I read my first Magic Treehouse novel. Having said that let's get on with the review.

I really liked the characters Jill and Henry (oh cute, adorable Henry). From the second I met Henry I really liked him. Their relationship was one of the highlights of the novel for me. The romance wasn't center stage, in fact there barely was a romance. This novel was all about the adventure, but I didn't mind that at all.

I haven't read many pirate books...maybe two in recent years, but I've loved both of them. Apparently, I'm going to have to pay more attention to this genre.

Definitely a novel worth reading.

In Summary: A great novel about piracy, adventure, friendship, and time-travel. What's not to love?

Warnings/Side-notes: Nothing really stands out to me. It did mention blood-magic, but that didn't offend me.

The Wrap-up: An entertaining, imaginative read.

Happy reading!

Love,

Danica Page

Up Next: Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Anybody else concerned and confused over GFC?

It has came to my attention that they are getting rid of the GFC widget. Anybody else confused/concerned/annoyed over this changed?

This change will go into effect on March 12,2012. I understand that this is only for nonblogging blogs, but how long will they keep it for blogging blogs.  I'm not quite sure I like this change, as I use that widget to follow every single one of the blogs I follow. Also, I'm pretty sure that nearly everybody who reads my blog does the same.

Why would they do this? What are you guys going to do in lieu of this decision?

I can only think of a few options.

1. Facebook page follow- I have a Facebook page for my blog, where I post links to my blog. I also do this on twitter, but this doesn't seem like a very great option.

2. Facebook network blogs- I have my blog set up on network blogs, but haven't really advertised that. I might have one person who follows me this way. I guess I'll have to advertise this more.

3. RSS burner- I also haven't used this. I'm going to have to start apparently.

4. Email subscription- I follow a lot of blogs and if I were to get an email every time each blog wrote a post, my inbox would be overflowing. I'm not sure I'm fond of this either.

Those are really the only viable options that I can think of. What about you guys? What are you going to do and what do you think the most viable option is?

As for me, I guess I better start playing around with this and figuring out how to set all these things up.

Love,

Danica Page

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My TBR List For Winter

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish featuring a new top ten list each week. Everyone can participate just head on over to their blog and sign up. Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Here are my top ten Books that I want to read this winter:

10. Where she Went by Gayle Foreman I've been wanting to read this for forever. I loved If I Stay. I don't want to buy this book while it's in hardcover though and have been unsuccessfully trying to track down this novel at a library. I've decided one way or another I'll read it before the new year.
9. Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi It seems like everybody has read this book and has loved it. I really want to read this.

8. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy I loved Anna Karenina and really want to read this one. It's Russian Lit what's not to love? I really want to tackle this before the end of the year as well.
7. Nevermore by Kelley Creagh It's a Poe reference, and everybody seems to have read this and liked it. Plus it caught my interest. That's enough for me to want to read it.
6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins It's a cute cover, it's come highly recommended, and so yeah definitely want to read this.
5. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare I have heard such great things about both series by this author and I really need to read them, so yeah they are on the list.

4. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout This book sounds pretty interesting and I've heard great things about it.

3. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr I love this author and have been secretly pining over this book for months. Must read it!

2. The Little Women by Louisa May Alcott I tried to read this in the third grade and failed miserably. Definitely time to read this. I know how can I not have read this?

1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner I've heard this is an amazing book and my sister owns a copy of it, so I can definitely read this. I just need to track it down.

Those are the ten books I'm excited to read this winter. What about you? Also have you read any of these books? And if so what did you think?

Feel free to leave your link in the comments. I read every single comment. :)

Love,

Danica Page

How to Get Me to Read Your Book.

Hello,

Kirsti over at The Story Siren blog posted a great post on how authors can get her to read their book. She mentioned that the didn't generalize the post, but rather wrote her personal preferences. However, I think that everything she listed will help authors get readers to review their books.

You can check out her post by clicking the following link.

I'm going to respond to her post, by listing how authors can get me to read their books. I have also updated my Review Policy. I know my review policy is long and I apologize for that, but everything on there is important. I've tried to make it easy to read and follow, but there was a lot of information I needed to get across.

Like Kirsti said, if I want to read your book or have featured in on my blog, you already have an in.

If I have already featured your book then contact me and I'll definitely want to review it and will probably do so immediately.

Please look at my review policy before contacting me.

I have a review policy on my blog for a reason. I only accept certain types of books for review. I feel uncomfortable reading certain types of books and so I've clearly outlined what I'll read in my policy.

Please look at it before contacting me. I can't stress how much this one bothers me.

This shows that you are a professional and have actually taken the time to acquaint yourself with my blog. You don't have to follow my blog or even like it for me to do a review, but I do expect you to at least know what I'll review.

Please don't be scared of me.

So often I hear from authors that they have been lurking around my blog, but haven't been brave enough to contact me for review. I'm not scary! I promise, ask anybody who knows me and they will tell you that. I can't even glare. I always bust up smiling.

Shoot me an email or contact me through Goodreads messages, the worse that can happen is that I'll say I won't read your novel. Give it a shot. It can't hurt.

I'm a person. Remember that.

I have a busy life like I'm sure all of you do. I review books for work. I also work as a freelance writer, and I'm a college student meaning I'm busy with homework and studying. I also try to at lest pretend to have a social life. Keep that in mind. I will try to review your book as quickly as possible.  I'm not trying to be mean by not reviewing your novel immediately.

I am tyring to review novels more quickly and in a more timely manner. However, please remember that I'm busy. Feel free to shoot me an email reminding me to review your novel, if you feel like I'm taking too long however.

Remember that I love reviewing books.

I started a book blog for a reason, and that reason is because I love reading books and I love reviewing books. So don't worry about taking away from my time, ignoring me, or any other thing along these lines. I'd love to hear from you.

My review policy is here for those interested.


What about you fellow book bloggers? What can authors do to get you to read their books?

And authors, what are your thoughts on book reviews? Is there anything you wish book bloggers would do or any secrets to getting you to send them your book for review?

Thanks for stopping by.

~Danica Page

Book Review: The Jade Rabbit by Mark Matthews

The Jade Rabbit

By Mark Matthews

Received for Review

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.25

e-book 

And now before I get into my review, here is what Goodreads has to say:

A female infant is abandoned by her birth-mother in a small Chinese village and spends her first ten months in an orphanage. She is adopted and raised in the United States where she becomes a social worker in order to help children in a desolate Detroit neighborhood. Her nickname is The Jade Rabbit and this is her story.

As director of a shelter for runaway and neglected youth, Janice Zhu Woodward gets pulled into the lives of the lost children of the Detroit streets. Fueled by angry parents, stories of ghosts who haunt the shelter's basement, and her own history of being left by a birth-mother who may have long forgotten her, Janice emulates her adoptive mother and becomes an avid, nearly obsessed marathoner. Training injuries, failed goals, and unexpected trauma test her will and take her to her breaking point. When a mysterious girl with dreadlocks is abandoned at the shelter's front door, Janice becomes her surrogate mother and risks everything to save her. Only a miraculous, unforgettable run through the streets of Detroit can save them both.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I loved this book.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This was a book that I never naturally would have picked up to read had I not been asked to review. And I would have been seriously deprived had I not done so. This book was so good.

This book was one that blurred the lines of fantasy and reality. It caused me to feel, to think, to ponder, and to dream. This book left an imprint on me. There are some books that after reading, you are forever changed—this was one of those books for me. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this.

Mark Matthew’s writing style was beautiful and lyrical. I loved how he wrote this story. I loved his characters and the plot line.

This novel opened my eyes and allowed me to explore a world very different than my own. This book caused me to think about myself and my own life, any book that can do that is a great book.

This book follows the story of Janice, who works at Moonlight, a shelter for runaways. Janice is a Chinese woman who was adopted into an American family married to an African-American man named Randall. I loved both Randall and Janice.

This novel represented beliefs that on the surface were very different than my own; however, it also paralleled my own beliefs so clearly at the same time. That was partly what was so incredible about this book.

Definitely worth buying and reading—this novel comes highly recommended.

In Summary: A book that I absolutely adored. Definitely isn’t young adult book; however, I think that this book would appeal to people of all ages.

Warnings/Side-notes: This novel mentions sex on multiple occasions, but is never graphic. It also lightly talks about abortion. However, I wasn’t offended by anything in this book.

The Wrap-up: I’m so glad I read this book. It was beautifully written and I absolutely adored it. A great read and one that comes highly recommended. Go buy it now! You won’t regret it.  

Love,

Danica Page

Up Next: Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Book Review: Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon

Deadly Purstuit
(Guardians of Justice, #2)

By Irene Hannon

Christian Romantic Suspense

Pages: 340

Average Rating: 4.43

Before I get into what I think of this novel, here is what Goodreads has to say:

As a social worker, Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children and seeing that justice is served on their behalf. But when she starts getting harassing phone calls and bizarre "gifts," it seems she may be the one in need of protection. When her tormentor's attentions take a violent turn, her brother Cole comes to her aid, along with his new partner, Detective Mitch Morgan. As her relentless stalker turns up the heat, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Protecting Alison has become more than just a job--because his own happiness now depends on keeping her safe.   

Chock full of nail-biting suspense and heart-melting romance, Deadly Pursuit is Irene Hannon's storytelling at its very best. Fans old and new will not want to miss the next story in this series starring siblings fighting for justice.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Loved this book.

My overall thoughts/Impressions: Let me start how by saying that I love love love Irene Hannon's novels. Her christian romantic suspense rank among my most read books. I have reread her books so many times that it is not even funny.

Irene Hannon has a way with words. There are very few novels I read and then immediately want to reread, but Hannon's novels always fit that bill. Deadly Pursuit was no exception. I loved her characters Allison and Mitch. Their chemistry was undeniable and I really liked that.

This book is full of romance and suspense which is enough to keep me hooked from page one to the very last page.

I loved this novel. It is definitely one that I recommend.

In Summary: A book I loved by an author I loved in a genre that I love. I love christian romantic suspense and this book was a great one. This book isn't too heavy on religion. It never felt forced, but is blended in the novel nicely.

Warnings/Side-notes: None. It's clean.

The Wrap-up: I love love loved this book. A great read that I definitely recommend, and one that I'll hopefully be reading soon. I can't wait until the third one comes out. I'll be anxiously awaiting its release.

Love,

Danica Page

Up next: The Jade Rabbit by Mark Matthews

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Yes, another Wednesday blogging meme that I'm now participating in. I'm trying to reach out and connect with other bloggers, because I love seeing what they are reading and what they are blogging about. So yes, here's my first Waiting on Wednesday post.

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly post by Jill at Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I chose Partials by Dan Wells another dystopian novel that I'm really excited to read. This novel sounds like it's going to be incredible.

And here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic in training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws threaten to launch what’s left of humanity into civil war, and she’s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will discover that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

Once again this sounds incredible. Can't wait to read it.

What book are you guys anxiously awaiting for? Anybody else dying for this book to come out?

Love,

Danica Page

P.S. As always feel free to leave your Waiting on Wednesday post below. And for those in the US happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Book/Short Story Review: Whiteout and Before by Cambria Hebert

This review is definitely going to be formatted a little differently than the other ones I have written. I'm going to be reviewing two short works in the same post!

Both are by Cambria Hebert who asked me to review these for her.

I'm going to start off by talking about Whiteout. Here is the sysnopsis on Goodreads.

Whiteout (a short story):

Lost in a world of white, I lay. Pain and cold were my only companions. How long would it take me to die? Would the cold freeze my heart and stop its beating?

A red plastic sled saved the day. A woman saved my life.

Unfortunately, saving my life might cost Grace her own. We get one day together, Christmas day, one day of bliss among misery. Too soon the tree is down and all that’s left of the cinnamon biscuits are crumbs.

The people who want me dead come back to see their task complete. I didn’t have a plan, but Grace did.

Never trust a woman with a shotgun.

This novel showcases the talented writer that Hebert is. She writes beautifully in a lyrical style that I immediately loved. Her characters were ones that I loved and the plot was good.

This short story is definitely a recommened read for lovers of romance and the paranormal genre. This novel left me wanting to read more from Hebert. If she writes a short stor this well, then what could she do with a novel?

Before (prequel to before):

What if your life was charmed and everything in it was perfect…....
Before.

This is the story of my past. Of what things were like for me when everything was normal. Of what every teenager’s life is like. Clothes. Parties. Boys and summer vacation. What’s so wrong with that?

I liked it. I was happy.

Until things changed. I changed.

I didn’t know that lies and secrets were about to take over my existence. I didn’t know there was someone out there, someone meant just for me. I didn’t know that I was about to go on a journey, a journey that would lead me to the girl I am today.

This is the beginning of the worst year of my life. Would I go back and change things? Erase everything that has happened to go back into these moments?

Not a chance.

This is a story of before.

I really liked Hebert's writing style once again and was left wanting to read the novel Masquerade to see how Hebert crafts this novel. Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I loved Hebert's style in these short stories, and so I'm interested in seeing what she can do with a novel. This was the prequel to her novel Masquerade that I have heard good things about. I'm really excited to read more from Hebert.

I love her writing style and she is a writer that I'm definitely going to be keeping my eye on.

Her novel Masquerade comes out on December 16, 2011. 

The synopsis of Masquerade from goodreads is:

Before. Everything was so much better Before. I wasn’t haunted by nightmares, my place at school was secure and my face was flawless. Now, I’m a freak and everything has changed. The worst part is that I can’t remember the night I was sentenced to the shadows. The memory has been stolen from me and I just can’t shake the feeling that someone, something is out there -watching.

Just when I think I have my life handled, Sam, with his intimidating golden stare and shiver inducing voice, makes me realize that I don’t know anything. He makes me see that my scars don’t matter. That they never mattered. I can’t help but fall for him, completely unknowing that he knows exactly how I got this way. Not knowing he was involved.

***

Heven has no idea how closely death stalks her. She has no idea what I have done to keep her alive. I fear the day she learns my secrets, finds out what I really am. But even then I cannot stop, I vow to make things right. Finally her hunter will be hunted, Heaven and Hell, faith and sin will battle, and we will be victorious. But first, Heven must learn to be what she never imagined. I know her strength is there – I feel it. If we are to overcome all odds, she must push past her flaws - her frailties - to become much more.

It sounds interesting. I'll definitely be reading it.

Happy reading!

Love,

Danica Page

Book Review: Jake West: The Keeper of the Stones

Jake West: The Keeper of the Stones

by M.J. Webb

Received for Review

Young Adult Fantasy

Goodreads Average Rating: 4.43

Pages: 288

Before I get into my review, here is the synopsis on goodreads:

When fifteen year old Jake West and his best friend, Ben Brooker, help Jake's grandfather clear his attic of the junk he's collected from his years of travelling, the boys discover an old chest containing a beautifully carved wooden box. The box contains a set of five mysterious stones and, when they erupt to emit a bright beam of light, it sparks an epic journey which will lead Jake into a dangerous world and to the discovery of some strange family secrets. The future of our world and countless others now lies in the hands of a fifteen year old boy. If he can't protect the stones . . .

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: This novel was another epic fantasy--not paranormal, and it was a nice break. I used to really love epic fantasy novels in my earlier teenage years and I know that in those years this novel is one that I would have raced to read. This novel would have left me mesmerized.

Even though I am no longer that young teen, I still really enjoyed this novel. Webb has created an interesting world and plot that will keep readers' attention. The world of Rhuaddan is plagued by an evil wizard king who is seeking the stones that Jake is entrusted to protect. That right there set the stage for conflict and tons of action.

I enjoyed the characters in this novel. Jake and Ben's friendship left me laughing hysterically. The characters didn't seem forced or stereotypically. Jake may be a strong warrior, but he didn't just fit into that mold. He was a character who took on life of his own.

Webb's writing was thorough and entertaining. Webb has crafted an engaging tale that readers will love.

While reading the novel, it is easy to see that Webb was very detailed with his world creation and character creation. He has crafted a world full of conflict, war, and intrigue that readers will want to learn more about.

In Summary: An epic fantasy novel that is well-written and an enjoyable read. Webb has set a high bar for his sequel. A book that is recommended to lovers of epic fantasy. 

Warnings/Side-notes: This novel deals with wars and battles and contains violence. However, it really isn't graphic at all. It does give detail to the battle scenes, but it didn't faze me. If you don't like any violence, this novel wouldn't be the right fit. However, if the typical epic fantasy novel didn't faze you, then I wouldn't hesitate to read this novel.

The Wrap-up: I enjoyed reading this novel. It lacked the pizazz to make it a five star book, but it was entertaining and reminds me of the epic fantasy books i read in my early teens.

Happy reading!

Love,

Danica Page

Up Next: Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon (I'm so excited to finally get to read this.)

Teaser Tuesday (10)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly blogging meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anybody can play along. Just do the following:

Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.Be careful not to include spoilers. You don't want to give the book away or ruin the book for others.Share author and title (and page number) so others can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser.



This week I'm currently reading Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon. I'm only fifty pages in, but it's Christian romantic suspense meaning that I'll love it. Plus, I love this author so I'm pretty excited to see what happens in this novel.

And here is the summary from Goodreads:

As a social worker, Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children and seeing that justice is served on their behalf. But when she starts getting harassing phone calls and bizarre "gifts," it seems she may be the one in need of protection. When her tormentor's attentions take a violent turn, her brother Cole comes to her aid, along with his new partner, Detective Mitch Morgan. As her relentless stalker turns up the heat, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Protecting Alison has become more than just a job--because his own happiness now depends on keeping her safe.
Chock full of nail-biting suspense and heart-melting romance, Deadly Pursuit is Irene Hannon's storytelling at its very best. Fans old and new will not want to miss the next story in this series starring siblings fighting for justice.

And now here is my Teaser:

"I'm not sure I want to be compared to one of your brothers."

She grinned. "Trust me. I don't think of you as a brother."

He volleyed with a chuckle-and a look that was most unbrotherly. "That's nice to hear." ~pg 31

I'm really excited to finish this one! And that's all for me.

What about you guys? What are you currently reading? Feel free to leave your link to your Teaser Tuesday.

I check out every link you guys leave. :)

~Danica Page

2012 Debut Author Challenge

Hello readers,

So I decided forever ago that I was going to be participating in the 2012 Debut Author Challenge, which is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren, but I'm just getting to mentioning that on the blog. Whoops! :)

I haven't really decided which books I want to read yet. I have a few one that I'm dying to read picked out, but other than that we'll just kind of see how it goes. I'm still not entirely sure how this works, so I'm planning on just winging it as I go along.

However, I'll be keeping track of my progress here on the blog by adding a new page called 2012 Debut Author Challenge. Yes, I thought that was pretty original.

Also, if you would like to sign up for the challenge, and haven't yet click here.

I won an ARC of Tempest, a novel I've been pining for since I heard about it five/six months ago. And now, I get to read it in the near future. :)

How many of you guys are doing the Debut Author Challenge?

Love,

Danica Page

Musing Monday (6)

Hello Readers,

This is my sixth week involved in the weekly blogging meme Musing Mondays, hosted by Should Be Reading. This week's musing asks:


How do you decide to read a book by an author you haven’t read before? What sort of recommendations count most highly in making that decision?


I decided which books I'm going to read primarily by these honed methods: If I'm in a library/bookstore: If the title looks good, then I look at the cover, if the cover looks like something I'd want to read, I race to read the synopsis. If it doesn't like something I'm going to read, I still read the synopsis. After that if the synopsis sounds good I'll read it regardless of who the author is.  

Or if I keep seeing the novel popping up in my goodreads notifications email then I'll give the book a second glance and decide that maybe it's worth reading...that has happened a lot this week.

There are certain authors that I automatically know I'm going to read their books: Dessen, Zarr, Foreman, etc. However, most of the time if I don't recognize the author that isn't a turn-off for me. I usually don't judge what books I'm going to read off who wrote them.

Genre also plays a big role in my decision of what books I'm going to read. I don't read erotica or anything close to that genre. I've also never read a horror novel--not sure why. I've read suspense, and mystery, but not horror. If it's a realistic young adult novel or fantasy/dystopian/sci-fi/paranormal novel, I'm going to want to read it. Or if it's Christian fiction (not theology and set in modern day or anything but a biblical setting) I will have to buy it and read it immediately.

So yeah the author is important when I decide which novels to read, but of the time it comes down to the synopsis, the genre, and how many of my Goodreads friends have liked it.


What about you? How do you guys pick up books by authors you haven't read before?


As always feel free to leave your link in the comments section.


~Danica Page

Guest Post: Darby Rae author of Merciful Law

Hello Readers, today I'm pleased to welcome author Darby Rae to the blog. I have recently reviewed her novel Merciful Law here on the blog. Check out this link now if you haven't already.

And now without further ado here is Darby Rae's post:

Thanks for the bird! 

About ten years ago I read the book, You Can’t Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar, by David H. Sandler.  In the first 15 chapters, the author is teaching the reader his seven step selling system.  Chapter 16, ‘Getting the Angle in Success,’ is where he talks about a concept called the Birdcage Challenge.  In this chapter, he challenges the reader to buy a birdcage, put it in their kitchen, and see how much time passes before someone buys them a bird.

The birdcage is a metaphor for our goals.  Setting it in the kitchen symbolizes telling others our goals.  Someone buying us a bird reflects our friends and family wanting to help us achieve our goals.  This story encourages us to speak our goals to our network of family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.  It is my experience that while there are always people who can’t wait to tell you something is unachievable; there are many others standing in line to help you get there.  (If you find the opposite is true—you may be hanging around the wrong people!) 

Over a year ago, I metaphorically brought my birdcage into the kitchen.  I discovered I had a burning desire to finish writing a fiction novel I had started, and wanted to have it published.  If this goal had surfaced years ago, I wouldn’t have told anyone.  Frankly, I used to be afraid if I failed, and all these people knew about it, I would look like a loser!  I shed this belief when my very wise mentor once told me (or maybe he told me repeatedly until it sunk in), “If you never fail, you aren’t trying hard enough!”  He pushed me often to stretch out of the safety of my comfort zone. 

When I realized how committed I was to being a published author, I shared this goal with my family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.  Over the past year, the outpouring of support from my personal network of ‘bird buyers’ has been tremendous!  Initially this was in the form of accountability.  I hardly had a conversation with family or friends without the question surfacing, “have you finished the book yet?”  The most relentless to keeping me accountable to finishing my novel were my kids and their teenage friends.  You want to be accountable to a goal…tell your kids and their friends!  What parent wants to face their children and their children’s friends admitting they gave up…decided not to finish/pursue their goal.  Not this parent.   

An empty birdcage is a powerful thing! So during this wonderful Thanksgiving season, I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all of those who saw my empty birdcage…and helped me fill it!  To my family, fans – who I call friends, friends of my children, friends of friends, and friends-of-friends-of-friends, and infinitum…thanks for the bird!  Now go get your own birdcage. 

THIS week only, you will be able to download Merciful Law (from my website, www.darbyrae.com) for only $.99!! That’s right – from Sunday, November 20th through Sunday, November 27th you can download any electronic version of Merciful Law for only $.99 using the special promotional code TURKEY99. Thank you to all of my fans! Happy Reading! & Happy Thanksgiving!!  -Darby Rae

Thanks Darby for writing this guest post and allowing me to review your novel (that I loved).

Love,

Danica Page

Book Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Supernaturally

 (Paranormalcy #2)

By Kiersten White

Young Adult Paranormal

Pages: 336

Average Rating: 3.93

Before I get into what I think of this novel, here is what Goodreads has to say:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.


But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I keep battling between a 3.5 rating or a 4, but I'm a the cup is half full type of girl so yeah 4 stars.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I really liked the first one in this series, Paranormalcy. It caught my attention and kept my hooked and so I was really excited to read this novel.

I loved this novel, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one. I'm not sure why, but I think it might have to do with the shallow reason that I saw less of Lend in this novel than in the previous one and I'm a huge Lend fan.

This novel was a bridge between the first and third novel...the sequel is always hard to write. However, despite these difficulties I still really enjoyed this novel and felt like White did a great job.

I loved learning more about Evie's story and the character Jack was a riot to say the least. There was a lot of conflict and mystery involved with this novel and I enjoyed that.

I loved seeing how Evie grew in this novel and her attempts to come to grips with what she really is. I enjoyed the writing style. White's writing style is nothing if not entertaining.

A great read and I will definitely look forward to reading Endlessly the last novel in this series which comes out in late July 2012...so definitely a long wait.


In Summary: An entertaining novel that I really enjoyed reading. I loved the writing style and the characters; however, I felt like it wasn't quite as good as the first one.

Warnings/Side-notes: Nothing comes to mind. It's clean and good to go.

The Wrap-up: This is the sequel in the series that I think lovers of the paranormal genre will love. As mentioned, I didn't like this novel quite as much as I was hoping I would, but still a great read and I'll definitely be excited when the third and final installment in this series is released.  

Love,

Danica Page

Up next: Jake West: The Keeper of the Stones by M.J. Webb