Book Review | Walt Before Mickey by Timothy Susanin

October 13, 2014October 13, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

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.

Book Review | Sideswiped by Lia Riley

October 11, 2014October 11, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ 3 Comments

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.

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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!

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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

Release Day | Sideswiped by Lia Riley

October 7, 2014October 5, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

Happy release day to Lia Riley! Sideswiped, the second book in her Off The Map series, is out today. I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait for the final book to come out.

Her blog tour is running from October 7-13. I will be posting a review on October 11th which will include some GIVEAWAYS (two to be exact). Don’t miss out on a chance to win some books!

About the Author

Buy Links: B&N, BAM!, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play, Amazon

Social Media Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Tumblr

Publishing Company: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Genre: New Adult

Upcoming Book Review & Giveaway!

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

I was asked to participate in The Watchers Book 1: Knight of Light blog tour and I’m very excited to be a part of it. I will be posting my review of the book once I finish reading it. For now, here’s a brief description. This is also the first time I have a giveaway included in an upcoming review! The link is at the bottom. There’s a $100 Amazon gift card as the Grand Prize and multiple copies of the book in the giveaway.

***

The Watchers Book 1: Knight of Light

In England, 1270 A.D., Auriella (pronounced yurr-ee-ella) flees her village after being accused of witchcraft. Pursued by nightmarish creatures, she struggles to accept the truth about her powers.

“The Watchers” are supernatural beings in human form whose duty it is to protect and guard mankind from the armies of darkness. Unfortunately, some of these Watchers go bad.

Deirdra Eden’s The Watcher’s Series is written in a traditional fairytale style with a young girl’s discovery of incredible, but dangerous powers within herself, a cast of humorous side-kicks, (including a dwarf, pixie and dragon) a quest for greater self-discovery and purpose, and villains of epic proportions.

Watch the amazing Knight of Light book trailer on youtube.

Amazon Facebook Twitter Goodreads Wattpad Pinterest

About the Author

“My goal in writing is to saturate my books with intrigue, mystery, romance, and plot twists that will keep my readers in suspense. I want to see fingerprints on the front and back covers where readers have gripped the novel with white knuckles!

Aside from writing, I enjoy jousting in arenas, planning invasions, horseback riding through open meadows, swimming in the ocean, hiking up mountains, camping in cool shady woods, climbing trees barefoot, and going on adventures.”

-Deirdra Eden

Find Deirdra Eden and The Watchers Series online at Amazon, Deirdra’s website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad, and Pinterest.

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Upcoming Book Review | Sideswiped by Lia Riley

September 14, 2014September 13, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

Guess what?! There’s another blog tour coming up.

The Sideswiped blog tour is running from October 7-13 and I will be participating! Yay!

Sideswiped, by Lia Riley, is the second book in her Off The Map series featuring a California girl named Talia and an Australian young man named Bran.

Keep an eye out for my review on October 11th. You can also check out my review of the first book in the series, Upside Down. As an added bonus, finishing the book review will increase my percentage on Net Galley!

Upcoming Book Review | The Forgers

September 10, 2014September 9, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

Look out for my next book review on The Forgers by Bradford Morrow. This will be the second book review for #NetGalleyMonth, running from September 1-30.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic publishing for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

Book Review | Upside Down by Lia Riley

September 9, 2014September 9, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

Book Review | Upside Down

Upside Down is the first in Lia Riley’s Off The Map series. It follows the relationship of Natalia (Talia) Stolfi, a girl from Santa Cruz, California and Brandon (Bran) Lockhart, an Australian young man she meets during her study abroad program.

The past year had been difficult for Talia and she didn’t know how to deal with the death of her sister. A study abroad program to Australia was just what she felt she needed. It would give her time away from the painful memories that consumed her and the life she felt was falling apart.

Bran comes from a wealthy family, but his life is anything but perfect. As he runs from his past, he meets Talia, but finds that his feelings for her, brought his inner demons to the service. While he’s trying to deal with his issues, he hurts Talia along the way…more than once.

Both are trying to forget the past and start something new, but it’s the past that keeps coming between them.

***

I thought this was a great book! As you read, you’re constantly wanting Talia and Bran to finally say they’re together, but too much gets in the way.

After Tailia’s sister dies, her OCD intensified, but spending time with Bran it’s not as apparent. She realizes that she can be more open with Bran than anyone else in her life, including her parents and friends. Not to mention he’s a hot Australian. I was trying to imagine what his accent might have sounded like while I was reading the book.

Talia might have been a little dramatic at times, but I think part of it was her OCD and the other was her inexperience with men.

Bran on the other hand is, internally, dealing with a previous relationship that ended badly. He was in love with this other girl and doesn’t want to feel that same hurt with Talia. That’s why he keeps just enough distance between them, even though he has completely fallen for her.

They both open up about things that lifts weight off their shoulders and in doing so they allow their relationship to grow. They just never solidify their relationship throughout this first book and Talia’s impending departure from Australia makes defining their relationship even more difficult.

The more intimate parts in the book are not over-done and cheesy. It was tastefully done and it didn’t overpower the entire story.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and I’m excited to read the next book in the Off The Map series.

Here are the next two books in the Off The Map Series:

Favorite Quotes

“There’s a part where Mr. Rochester tells Jane it’s as if he had a string under his rib, connected to hers, and he’s afraid there parting would snap the connection and they’d both bleed inwardly. Bran’s become vital to me, and our time together has almost run its course.”

Overall Rating

If you’ve read this book, let me know what you think.

Author Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter

Publishing Company: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Release Date: August 5, 2014

Genre: New Adult

Rating Information

This was the first book I read and reviewed for #NetGalleyMonth!

Poll | What Should I Read Next?

August 30, 2014April 17, 2019 ~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

I’ve been loving the site Net Galley. I mentioned it in one of my early upcoming review posts. I started using the site mid August and already have a good amount of approved books on my shelf. Since I’m about half way done with the book I’m currently reading, I need your help to decide what I should read next. Take a vote using the poll below.

Book Review | Family Inheritance by Terri Ann Leidich

August 28, 2014August 27, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ Leave a comment

Book Review | Family Inheritance

Family Inheritance follows the lives of three sisters; Helene, Alice, and Suzanne. Their childhood was filled with anger, sadness, and poverty, contributing to the obstacles currently in front of them. They tucked the memories of their abusive alcoholic father and their cowardly mother away, until it was almost too late for them to face it.

When their mother slips into a coma, they find that they have to battle their inner demons and confront the past that haunts them. By confronting the past, they are able to change things in the present and make their lives better.

The sisters’ relationships grow and they find that having family can be a blessing, not a burden. They realize that keeping their feelings and family history hidden has hurt those they love and made them unhappy.

This book is about letting go of the past and looking towards a better brighter future. It’s about forgiving, but not necessarily forgetting. It’s about owning up to your mistakes and learning from them. Most importantly, it’s about strength, perseverance, and courage.

***

I really enjoyed this book and was reading it every chance I had. In my opinion, that’s how I know it’s a good book.

Coming from a childhood that was less than ideal, I know that you can be affected by it, but you either learn from it or end up hiding from it. The three sisters were all hiding from their past and they kept that part of them a secret from everyone. They kept things from each other and pushed each other away over the years.

Helene, Alice, and Suzanne had obstacles that seemed too hard for them to face. Helene had a lot of trouble in her marriage and her son was starting down a destructive path. One all too familiar to Helene.

Alice was in an abusive relationship that hurt her and her two children. She was struggling for the courage to fight for her children and to keep them safe.

Suzanne was an alcoholic trying to forget what her father had done to her as a child. Her alcoholism landed her in a big mess and instead of cleaning it up, she ran from it.

All three of them had major insecurities about themselves which kept them from facing their fears and working through their obstacles. They slowly realized that they were similar or were in similar circumstances as their father and mother.

I think the author did a great job telling each of their stories and the struggles they were going through. The transitions between them made it easy to read. She started each character at a low point then as the weeks and months passed you notice that Helene, Alice, and Suzanne are slowly putting their lives back together, with a few bumps along the way. This high and low cycle continues throughout the book until the end when everything seems right.

The book was primarily about the three sisters, but included the perspective of their mother. I really don’t think the mother’s perspective was necessary and I think she could have started off in a coma. I also think that Alice’s climax could have been better. I feel that with the situation she was in should have had a much more dramatic ending between her and her husband.

Overall, I think the book was good and I would recommend it as a must read.

Favorite Quotes

Her childhood was a part of helping her get to this point in life. Things were what they were, and if she couldn’t change it, she needed to learn to live with it in a positive way.

It’s today or never. I’ll either confront my past today, or it will devour me.

Overall Rating

Based on my review would you read this book?

Author Links: Website, Facebook, Twitter

Publishing Company: BQB Publishing

Release Date: October 1, 2014

Rating Information

Upcoming Book Review | Family Inheritance

August 27, 2014 ~ Danielle Olson ~ 2 Comments

I discovered at site called Net Galley thanks to one of my followers, Paris Baker. The site is for publishers to market books and for “professional readers” to read and review them. A reader will request books and the publisher will either approve or decline the request.

I was fortunate to be approved for Family Inheritance by Terri Ann Leidich. It was the first book I read from Net Galley and couldn’t put it down. Review coming soon.

This book is set to be released on October 1, 2014.

Thank you BQB Publishing for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Check out Terri Ann Leidich’s website for more information about this book and others she has written.