24 May 2010

Heart of Stone Review

Heart of Stone (The Negotiator) Book 1:
By: C.E. Murphy

This review is going to be on the C.E. Murphy book Heart of Stone. It is a fantasy book that takes place in modern day New York. The main female character, Grit, is a likable character, who evolves through the story. The main male character, Alban, is likable also, but sometimes I just want to hit him for being so emo. Alban is a gargoyle and Grit is a lawyer. They make a good couple character wise. There is a lot of sexual tension between them and it builds through out the book.

Through the course of the book you learn about the five Old Races; Gargoyles, Vampires, Selkies, Dragons, and the Djin. It has a lot of references to things that pretty much every modern day person would know about unless you lived under a rock that is. This is the first book in the Negotiator series.

It is a good first book that leaves you wondering how the other two are going to go. The first story is tied up really nicely, and it opens into the next part of the story. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the second installment of the Negotiator series which is House of Cards.

I recommend this book to anyone that likes fantasy mixed with a little sexual tension and likable characters.


The next review will be Scar Night (Deepgate Codex, Book 1) by Alan Campbell.

Until next time.

02 May 2010

Book Review 2: How to Wash a Cat

So this book review is going to be about the mystery book How to Wash a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale.

This is a great book if you either:


A: Own a cat
B: Know someone who owns a cat
C: Likes a good mystery with a little history

The book takes place in present day San Fransisco. It is about a girl who is an Accountant who has an Uncle that owns an Antiques shop. The catch is that the Antiques shop is all things from the Gold Rush Era.

When the Uncle dies mysteriously, and his niece takes over the antiques shop, she finds out about a mystery within a mystery dating back to the Gold Rush Era.

She is aided in her investigating by her two cats, Isabel and Rupert. The cats are so lovable that I loved the parts with them, because I can relate to the things that they do. My cats do the same kind of things.

The story it's self is a cozy kind of quirky little story. I didn't think that the mystery part of it was too confusing, probably because I read a lot of mystery's.

The main character doesn't have a "name" until the very end but I was OK with that. She has a lot of personality and I liked her. The cat's have the best personalities of all of it though.

This is not the best piece of mystery fiction that I have every read, and since I am not a very big writing style person, I thought that it was fine. I really enjoyed the book and I can't wait for the second installment in the series.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Not sure what the next review is going to be, but once I figure it out I will post it. :)

11 April 2010

Danielle's Book Reviews Take 1

I warned all of you that I am horrible at bloging. So as a little change of pace I am going to start doing book reviews. The first book that I am going to review is: 

The Paradise War (Song of Albion - Book I) by: Stephen R. Lawhead
The Paradise War begins in current time England and Scotland. Very early in the book you find out a little bit about Celtic myth and legend. My Celtic pronunciation is dreadful, so I am glad that there is a pronunciation guide in the front of the book. Let me tell you, it still didn't help me much, but it's nice that it's there. 

The book transports you to a mythic Celtic land full of amazing descriptions of land, sky, people and battles. Lawhead does an excellent job of description of the world of Albion; you really feel like you are there. The book is pretty fast paced and intriguing. There is one section, where I was hoping to just get back to the main story, but it happens soon enough. The book ends on a cliffhanger, because there are still two other books in the Song of Albion series. Lawhead's writing style is very easy to read and very descriptive. I felt like I was in the book the entire time. The links to Celtic mythology and legend are delightful.

Wonderful first book in this trilogy. A must read for fantasy readers and anyone who likes Celtic myth and legend. I do have the second book; The Silver Hand: The Song of Albion Book II, but i have not started to read it yet. I am on a mystery kick at the moment, so the next book review is going to be:

How To Wash A Cat by: Rebecca M. Hale.

Until the next book review!

28 February 2010

A Storm of Blogs...

Well just to give you fair warning, a storm of blogs is coming. I have ideas for a couple of different blogs at this point, so we will see how long it takes me to get around to them. Hopefully not too long.

~You'll Never Walk Alone~

22 February 2010

Told You I Wasn't Good At This

So I warned all of you in my last blog that I am not good at keeping up with this. Alot has happend that I could talk about if I wanted to.

Well for starters, the F****** snow is driving me mad. I can't take it. I am so glad to finally see rain. You have no idea. I couldn't park on my road or even really see my road for over a week, so now that I finally can, it is a miracle.

Work is work, I really can't say too much about it with out me getting really, really mad and I don't want to do that right now. I still like my job don't get me wrong, but I can't see myself being there in the next five years. Not in a possition that I know I will never get out of. It kinda sucks.

Liverpool, what to say about Liverpool. Well they blew a perfectly good opportunity to take over 4th Place in the Premier League this weekend. We will have to wait and see where the rest of the season takes them. I am still a Red's girl though, that will never change.

School is going, well I suppose. No major problems at the moment. We will see as the semester progresses if I still feel that way.

I'm going to end this blog with some of my favorite quotes. Enjoy!

"Things will happen in your life that you can't stop. But that's no reason to shut out the world. There is room for the good and the bad." - Crazy Pete ~ Now and Then
"It was a really awful day. I know, I made sure of it. So pick up the cookie, dip it in the milk, and eat it." - Ana Pascal ~ Stranger Than Fiction
"To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour..." - William Blake ~ Auguries of Innocence
"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." - William Blake

          "It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend." - William Blake

"Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell's despair." - William Blake
"You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough." - William Blake

Until Next Time...

01 February 2010

The Joys of College

As I sit here waiting for class to start, I begin to realize how long I really have been in school. This is frightening to me. I started college in the Fall of 1999, when I attended Edinboro University of PA. Well, let me tell you, that lasted a semester and a half! To be honest, I drank to much and started going drunk to class, not a good thing. So I came home in the Spring of 2000 and that summer I started at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC), were I got my first Associates Degree.

My first Associates Degree is in Multimedia Technology. After that, I took a few years off and worked full time. Then in the Spring of 2008 (I believe), I am back at WCCC working on my 2nd Associates Degree. This degree is in Office Technology - Office Administration. I should be finishing with this degree in the summer.

Well I better be finishing this degree in the summer, because in the fall I am off to California University of PA to finally (hopefully) obtain my Batchelors Degree. My Batchelors will be Science and Technology with concentrations in Business Management and Marketing. Hopefully, I get my damn Batchelors now.

I really do enjoy school, but I realize that with at least 5 more years ahead of me, God this is taking forever. Like I said, the joys of college.

31 January 2010

Why You'll Never Walk Alone

This is the inaugural post of "You'll Never Walk Alone". I must admit that I am horrible at keeping up with these things, but we are giving this a try. :)

Anyone that knows anything about English Football knows where the phrase "You'll Never Walk Alone " is most commonly heard. It's heard ringing out of the stands of the Anfield faithful. If you don't have a clue what I am talking about, I will explain. My favorite English Premier League team is Liverpool. There home field is Anfield. Liverpool is located in the Northwest of England. There are two teams within the Ceremonial county of  Merseyside; Liverpool and Everton. I am a Liverpool girl. I don't remember when I first became a Liverpool Girl, all I know is that they are my team through thick-n-thin. I will support them like I support the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins. They are my team in the English Premier League. Not that I don't support other English and Scottish teams such as Lincoln City F.C. and Celtic F.C., but Liverpool is my number one! (sorry Adam, I love Lincoln, but I am a Reds girl through and through, and they will always be my number one.)



Back to the history of the Song "You'll Never Walk Alone". (peaking at number one in the singles chart for four consecutive weeks). It quickly became the anthem of In England, the song's most successful performance was recorded in 1963 by the Liverpudlian Merseybeat group Gerry & The PacemakersLiverpool Football Club and is invariably sung by its supporters moments before the start of each home game. The words "You'll Never Walk Alone" also feature in the club crest and on the Shankly Gate entrance to the stadium.



For more information on Anfield please visit www.liverweb.org.uk/virtual.htm or en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anfield

Over the last several months, I have really kind of adopted the slogan "You'll Never Walk Alone". It's sorta become an anthem for me and how I plan to live my life. I believe that no matter what happens in this life, you are never alone. So no matter how long the journey is, or how long and hard the road may be, you'll never walk alone. That is why I have entitled my blog You'll Never Walk Alone. 


For a first entry I have talked a lot about Liverpool. That will happen. Until the next entry.