Book Reviews & Stories by Danielle
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Sideswiped Giveaway. I was given a Net Galley copy of Lia Riley’s book Sideswiped and now it’s time to announce the winner!
I’d like to congratulate Paris Baker from Paris Baker’s Book Nook. You can check out my review of Sideswiped and keep an eye out for upcoming giveaways.
I’m excited to say that I have been nominated by Ophelle Taban of Bookburnn for the Liebster Award. Thank you for the nomination and I’m glad you enjoy my blog! As a weird side note, I keep seeing the word “Lobster” instead of “Liebster”. I think I need to satisfy this lobster craving of mine soon.
Here are the rules:
Ophelle’s Questions to Me:
1. What are your top three favorite genres?
My three favorite genres are Romance, Mystery & Thriller, and Memoirs, but I also want to throw in New Adult. Couldn’t narrow it down to just three.
2. Do you have any “unpopular opinion” towards any book?
This is my personal preference, but I can’t read books that contain a lot of religion in it. I’m not a very religious person, so I keep away from those books to avoid getting frustrated.
3. What’s your favorite series?
Um..is it a cliche to say that the Fifty Shades series is my favorite? I read all three books in a week! Couldn’t get enough of them.
4. Do you read non-fiction? Why or why not?
Yes, I’m a big fan of non-fiction books, specifically memoirs. I love reading about other people’s lives even if some of those books are sad. It makes it that much more impactful knowing that this actually happened to someone.
Some of my favorite memoirs are:
Reading memoirs also helps me work on mine…which I’ve been working on for quite some time now (crossing my fingers that I get it done within the next year).
5. What book would you recommend to a “beginner” reader?
This is a tough question to answer because it depends on the type of person the “beginner” reader is. I don’t think I would recommend any of my favorite Nicholas Sparks books to someone who is totally not into romance, but if I had to pick a book I would say The Hunger Games trilogy (ok that’s three books). I know a lot of people who read these books and all of those people are very different, so perhaps those would work for a “beginner” reader.
6. Who’s your favorite character? And why?
I like the guys who are into the average girl and not into the post popular girl. And I usually love the male characters who really fight for a girl. I guess I can’t really narrow it down to just one particular character from a book.
7. What book adaptation you hated the most?
The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. So, Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author and I’ve loved all his movie adaptations expect this one. I don’t know what it was, but it didn’t feel like all the other movie adaptations. Something was off about it and everything felt very rushed to me. I didn’t really feel anything like the book made me feel.
8. Have you always enjoyed reading?
Yes! For as long as I can remember, I’ve been reading books. I would be locked up in my room for hours when I wasn’t at school or had chores to do. I still love it to this day (obviously right?).
9. Can you imagine, what’s life like without books?
It’s very hard for me to imagine a world without books because, as a society, we probably would still be living like cavemen. Books are the reason we know what we know and have the technology we do. Plus, I NEVER want to think of a world without books.
10. What’s your favorite book format?
My favorite format will always be paperback, but I’ve come to appreciate the ebook format. When I purchased some books at B&N the other day, my fiancé asked, “why do you have to buy those now that you have a Kindle?” I told him sometimes I need to have the physical book in my hand. It’s just something I will always love, especially when I want to cuddle up in a blanket. Plus I’m very attracted to book covers. If the cover isn’t good I usually don’t read the book, but if I see one I like I usually buy it.
The ebook format has it’s advantages though. I can carry multiple books around at one time and ebooks are cheaper. My fiance likes that I use this format because he says there’s no more room in our apartment for anymore books. That doesn’t keep me from buying any though. Lol.
11. What does your dream library look like?
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted a library like the one in Beauty & The Beast. The books seemed like they were never ending. I still dream of having a library of my own like that one day.
Questions to those I nominated:
My Nominations:
On most Tuesday evenings you will find me sitting in a USC picnic chair, ebook in hand, watching my fiance play softball. Yes, there are times when I want to stay home and read in bed or work on my blog, but that’s part of the balancing act right? I have to find time to read, write, and spend time with the people I love, especially my future husband.
I’m very lucky that my fiancé is supportive of my writing ambitions because I spend a lot of time doing it. Sometimes I have to consciously tell myself, “Hey, you’ve been doing this for a few hours, now it’s time to watch a show with your fiancé”.
There are times when I find it difficult to do everything. I still hold a day job during the week and that takes up 40 hours. I read books to review and I’m continuously working on other things to post (like this one). I also need to find time to go to the gym, that’s about 1-2 hours per day, 5 days per week. I play softball and that takes up to 3 hours per week.
My fiance is the most important thing I need to factor into everyday. There are nights when I say I have to catch up on posts and he’s ok with it. He understands that I love writing and reading. He supports my dreams and knows that the hard work I’m putting in will pay off. When I am writing in the evening, he makes dinner and does the dishes…what an amazing fiance I have!
But there are the days I feel bad because I spent almost no time with him. Those are usually the days I go to work, go to the gym, take a shower, write, and read a bit. Seriously, 24 hours in one day is not enough!
Oh and I can’t forget about our wedding we need to plan. We are a little over 6 months away from the big day and there’s still tons to do. I’m sure that I will be pulling my hair out soon.
I love everything I do, otherwise why would I do them, but it’s a tough job fitting everything in and sometimes I have to sacrifice doing one thing for another.
I don’t like the idea of having to make a schedule for my entire day, but at some point I might have to. There’s always something to do and somewhere to be that a little more structure won’t hurt.
Does anyone else have to constantly balance life, books, and blogging? I know there must be. What do you find the most difficult thing about balancing everything?
Oh…and this is my 100th post! Yay!
Book Review | Walt Before Mickey
“For ten years before the creation of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney struggled with, failed at, and eventually mastered the art and business of animation. Most biographies of his career begin in 1928, when Steamboat Willie was released. That first Disney Studio cartoon with synchronized sound made its main character—Mickey Mouse—an icon for generations.
But Steamboat Willie was neither Disney’s first cartoon nor Mickey Mouse’s first appearance. Prior to this groundbreaking achievement, Walt Disney worked in a variety of venues and studios, refining what would become known as the Disney style. In Walt Before Mickey, 1919–1928, Timothy Susanin creates a portrait of the artist from age seventeen to the cusp of his international renown.” – Net Galley
***
Many people who know me and know my fiance can see that we have a love of Disney. We go to Disneyland at least once a month, we love watching Disney movies together, we took our engagement photos at Disney California Adventure, and we may incorporate a few Disney elements into our wedding. With that being said, I was excited to read about how Walt Disney started this great empire of his. I wanted to know where the billion dollar company came from and what it took to get there.
In the year 1919, when Walt Disney was 18 years old, he began working at Gray Advertising Company as an art apprentice in Kansas City. It was at the Gray Advertising Company that Walt’s animation career began. Then in 1920, he worked for the Kansas City Film Ad Service where he made his first animated cartoons.
It was clear that Walt never liked working for other’s, but was grateful for the opportunities to learn more about the industry and hone his skills. Walt would eventually start Kaycee Studios, but would only last from 1921 to 1922. Then in spring 1922, he opened Laugh-O-Gram Films, Inc.
Unfortunately, what Walt thought would be his big break turned out to be another failed company. Laugh-O-Gram Films, Inc. wasn’t making any money and Walt eventually had to let it go. This was when he decided to move to California and the rest is history.
***
The story of Walt Disney is quite inspirational for me. Even though at times he had no money, he still believed in what he was doing. He believed that he would be successful even when it seemed like everything was crashing down on him. He is living proof that when you fail at something you love just keep on going because sooner or later your hard work will pay off. When I start submitting my books to get published, I will try to remember Walt’s journey and not let rejection get to me.
His story also shows that having people who believe in you makes all the difference. Many people are mentioned in the book who helped Walt during those years before he created Mickey. Whether it was loaning money or letting him use equipment, there was always someone who believed in what Walt was doing. His biggest supporter seemed to be his brother Roy Disney. Personally, having family and friends that support my ambitions makes me work that much more to be successful.
The only thing I didn’t like about the book is that it included a lot of addresses and building locations (i.e. this building is located on the corner of..). I don’t think that was necessary, but it could be for other people.
If you’re a Disney fan (like me), I would recommend reading this book. I’m not sure if someone who doesn’t enjoy anything related to Disney would want to read about how the company began.
***
In November 2014, the movie adaptation of Walt Before Mickey will be released. Just watching the trailer gets me excited, especially since I recognize many of the actors and actresses.
Thank you to University Press of Mississippi for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Favorite Quotes
“Never once did I hear him express anything except determination to go ahead, because he believed in himself and he believed in what he was trying to accomplish.”
“I want the characters to be somebody. I don’t want them just to be a drawing.”
Overall Rating
Publishing Company: University Press of Mississippi
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Movie Information: Facebook, IMDb
I can check this book off my #NetGalleyMonth reading list.
On October 4th, I went to my very first Blake Shelton concert during his Ten Times Crazier Tour. I’ve always loved Blake Shelton, just never had a chance to enjoy his music in a venue with thousands of other fans. Let’s blame it on the college budget and lack of money to purchase any concert tickets.
I’ve never been to a concert and had the performer tap into several of my emotions like Blake Shelton did. I was crying, laughing, and having a blast.
The host that night was country legend, Neal McCoy, who I remember listening to when I was young. He sang songs like The Shake and No Doubt About It, which got me reminiscing about when I was younger and would dance in the living room with my mom. I was thinking about my mom a lot that night. She passed away on September 20, 2008 and we had her funeral on October 4, 2008. So it was an emotional night for me since it had been 6 years to the day that I laid her to rest.
While there were some songs that pricked my heart a bit, Neal had great stage presence and would interact with the crowd during transition periods. He’d make jokes and even held a contest during the show.
The opening act were country singers Dan & Shay who played some familiar songs that I had heard over the radio and actually liked.
When The Band Perry came out, I felt like we were getting two concerts for the price of one. Their performance was amazing and they played a few favorites of mine.
By the time Blake Shelton came out I was super pumped. I was crossing my fingers that he’d play Who Are You When I’m Not Looking and God Gave Me You and he totally delivered. Blake knew how to keep the attention of his fans, making us laugh when he brought out his cowboy hat, which had long wavy hair attached to it. This was to transition into his older songs that we all love and when he rocked those long curly locks.
There was a particular song that Blake sang which made me almost break down and cry right there in the Hollywood Bowl. He brought his guitar out and started singing Over You, which his wife Miranda Lambert originally sang. The song was about Blake’s brother who was killed in a tragic car accident and if you haven’t heard the song, please go listen to it. If you’ve ever lost someone close to you the song will probably make you tear up. This is exactly what I was doing when he sang it. I closed my eyes and just listened to every word, soaked it in, and thought about the good times I had with my mom when she was alive. The concert had been a good distraction up until that song, but Blake sang it so amazingly and I felt like my mom was with me in that moment.
His concert was the best one I’ve been to in years and I plan on going to many more.
As a side note, I briefly met Blake Shelton after The Voice Season 3 finale. I felt so stupid when I asked him to take a picture with me because I could barely speak. I was so nervous meeting someone I thought I would never get the chance to see in person and I thought I was going to faint for the first time in my life. I know…I sound like a crazy fan, but I promise I’m not. I got lucky when I had the chance the take a photo with Blake Shelton. He was so nice about it and was totally willing to take a minute of his time so that I can have a picture that would make me happy and make my day.
Thank you so much Blake Shelton (if for some reason this actually gets to you)!
Book Review | Sideswiped
“Sometimes in order to find yourself, you need to venture off the map.
Talia and Bran broke all the rules and navigated dark and stormy emotional waters to be together and now that they finally seem to have found their way back to each other, the winds of change threaten to blow their love off course yet again…”
***
Sideswiped is about finding out who you are and what you want to become. It’s also about making difficult choices and not letting the world influence your decisions. It’s about love and challenges that couples face.
Lia Riley’s second book in the Off The Map Series didn’t disappoint. It continued the story of Bran and Talia, a young couple trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do, while trying to make their relationship work.
When you’re young it’s all about figuring out what to do with your life, but when you throw love into the mix it gets complicated. Then it’s a balancing act of making that person happy and following your dreams. That’s exactly what was going on with Bran and Talia during the second book.
At the end of Upside Down, the first book in the series, Bran flies from Australia to California to win Talia back and ask her to move in with her. Then Sideswiped begins when Talia is traveling back to Australia – to live with Bran and finish her thesis project at the University of Tasmania.
They seemed to be doing fine at the beginning, but as Talia thought about what she would do next, their world together started to change. Bran had the opportunity to work with the Sea Alliance, a marine conservation organization, and Talia secretly applied for the Peace Corps. While Bran was so desperate to keep things the way they were, Talia was wondering if they could make things work and still be able to follow their dreams.
I really enjoyed Sideswiped because the relationship elements were so relatable. It’s hard to be in love with someone when you want to follow your dreams. I had to let a relationship go because we wanted completely different things. I was going places that he wasn’t willing to go and the more we fought, the more I realized we weren’t right for each other. I’m happy that it turned out the way it did because I wouldn’t be where I am today, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work out for others. There are people who can make it work and have the strength to keep fighting – like Bran and Talia.
So far I love the series and I can’t wait for the final book to come out. Thank you to Lia Riley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read a copy of this book for an honest review.
Favorite Quotes
“If miracles were real, I’d swear we were designed to fit together.”
“Before I met Tailia, my foot was on the gas – in the wrong-ass direction. She stepped into my blind spot when least expected.”
“I broke my life rules for her, without thought or hesitation. Because when you love somebody, really love them, there are no rules.”
Giveaways
Take a chance on winning a digital copy of the first book in the series, Upside Down. You can check out my review of the first book here.
I have been given an extra digital copy of Sideswiped to give away via Net Galley. All my fellow Net Galley users please take advantage of this giveaway!
Overall Rating
About the Author
Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling fourex with station hands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. A British literature fanatic at heart, Lia considers Mr. Darcy and Edward Rochester as her fictional boyfriends. Her very patient husband doesn’t mind. Much. When not torturing heroes (because c’mon, who doesn’t love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach comps, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live mostly in Northern California.
Buy Links: B&N, BAM!, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play, Amazon
Social Media Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Tumblr
Publishing Company: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Genre: New Adult
Friday Find | Before You Say Yes
I recently read a great review from Bookaholic Confessions on Before You Say Yes, by Amy Griffin. Holly got me excited to read this book, but it will have to wait until I can get through my long TBR list.
She also had the chance to interview Amy Griffin, who did a great job in explaining her book and inspirations for writing it. I really look forward to reading this book (not because I’m second guessing my engagement), but I think I would relate to it based on my past relationships.
“Ellie always knew that the sex with Adam would die down one day. Sometime in their seventies, she thought, with the memory of their steamy years to look back on. Not sometime in their thirties with only one year that could reliably fit in the steamy category.
Now Ellie can’t help but feel that she is the only one who is worried. And she can’t help but wonder if a sexless relationship, even one with a man who is everything she could have hoped for in every other way, is really enough.
Her best friend is getting divorced, her sister is planning a wedding and Ellie is coming to terms with her biggest decision yet. Because when it comes to the big decisions in life, you want to be really sure before you say yes.”
What did you find this week?
I recently received my second One Lovely Blog Award from Bookish Hijinks for Love & Profit. Thank you so much Wendy!
I’m so honored that she thought of me when deciding who to nominate for the award. I must be doing something “write”. Haha. See what I did there?
Here’s how the award works:
The One Lovely Blog Award nominations are chosen by bloggers for newer or up-and-coming fellow bloggers. The goal is to help give recognition and to also help the new blogger reach more viewers. It also recognizes blogs that are considered to be “lovely” by the blogger who chose them. This award acknowledges bloggers who share their story or thoughts in a beautiful manner to connect with their viewers and followers. In order to “accept” the award the nominated blogger must follow several guidelines.
The guidelines for the One Lovely Blog Award are:
Since I was nominated for this award previously, you can check out the 7 facts about me and the bloggers I nominated here.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
I’ve seriously fallen behind on my book reviews. I feel like the blogging Gods are looking down at me and shaking there heads in disappointment.
I blame it on wanting to read more books for my lack of commitment to my reviews. Once I finish a book, I just go straight to the next one. It’s a vicious cycle and I need to stop it…only for a few days though. I can’t go too long without reading a book.
I will find time this weekend between going to my high school’s 50th anniversary homecoming game, watching the USC game, and playing softball to finally finish the accumulated “Upcoming Reviews”.
My goal is to finish at least three book reviews from the list of books below. If I don’t meet my goal, all of you have permission to virtually slap me…not sure how that would work.
(Please tell me that I’m not the only one with this problem)
Stories Unfolded 