May 19 2012
Dear Ms. Sharp, There is a strong stigma surrounding self-published YA novels that suggests that they are all badly written and derivative. Even with authors like Amanda Hocking becoming successes in both print and digital publishing, there is an inherent idea that self-published YA is bad and a constant stream of riffs on the latest [...]
May 17 2012
Dear Ms. Marriott, I’m always on the lookout for books featuring nonwhite characters so when I stumbled across your new novel on NetGalley, I had to request it. I know my previous encounter with your work was so-so but the experience certainly wasn’t enough to turn me off to the possibility of giving you another [...]
May 8 2012
Last year on I attended the Los Angeles Festival of Books and reported on the event for DA. My biggest negative takeaway that year was that the romance genre was not represented at the festival. This year (Halleluja!) they actually had a panel devoted to romance. A single, lonely panel mind you, but it [...]
May 1 2012
In the wake of ubiquitous popularity for The Book That Shall Not Be Named, the reality that women do experience – and even enjoy! – sexual fantasy has collided with far more than 50 shades of judgment about who, what, where, when, why, how, and whether that’s okay. Last week, Leigh at AAR wrote [...]
Apr 17 2012
Dear Ms. McCoy: This book came highly recommended from Reader Shana. It is a fantasy story set in some land with detailed and intricate world building. What’s even better is that there is a strong romance underpinning to the story. Unfortunately, I am not the right type of reader for this book. I find this [...]
Apr 14 2012
From Nicci: I am recommending this book because From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The storyline is compelling and kept me enthralled, but it’s the characters that commanded my attention. Silhara is one of the most interesting heroes I’ve ever read, and Martise’s quiet strength and determination is the perfect complement to such [...]
Apr 4 2012
Dear Ms. LaFevers, One advantage of being offered books for review is that it has made me more adventurous as a reader. Even reading a bad book has some value to me if I can get a review out of it, so it’s not as much of a risk for me to take a chance [...]
Mar 31 2012
Recommendation Memory of Morning by Susan Sizemore is recommended by Shana who is a librarian and avid reader. Shana says: I am recommending this book because Because I really like this book. It’s an alternate world without magic, but the flavor she was trying for, and I think got, was Jane Austen crossed with Patrick [...]
Mar 30 2012
Clash of the Titans (1981) Genre: Fantasy/Myth/Adventure Grade: B-/C I decided to check out this 30 year oldie goldie because today the sequel to the 3D 2010 remake is being released. I haven’t seen that one so I’m not going to compare them but despite the fact that the 1981 version is old school and [...]
Dec 1 2011
Dear Ms. Saintcrow, The blurb for your new ebook, The Hedgewitch Queen, promises “a romantic epic fantasy that centers around a young woman who must advance to the throne amidst court intrigue, conspiracies, and magic.” While I love romance, epic fantasy and magic, the phrase “court intrigue” usually gives me pause. However, I’ve enjoyed your [...]
Apr 12 2006
Dear Ms. Lee: You certainly are versatile. From writing category westerns to thrillers to fantasy novels. I picked up Shadows of Myth from the library and purchased the Shadows of Prophecy ebook. It was nice to read the two of them in a row. Your stories, while eminently readable, are in part a retelling of [...]
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