Get to Know the Reviewer: Babs Hightower of BabsBookBistro

Today's Get to Know You guest is Barbara Hightower (aka Babs) of BabsBookBistro. Welcome, Babs!

JDP: Did your mother read to you as a child?

Babs: Yes, she did, my mom has always been reading as far back as I can remember. The funny part, I did not like to read until high school.  Now, I can’t live with out my books.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

Babs: Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult.

Babs: Even though she has recently passed away, it would be Lillian Jackson Braun.  Her Cat series was the first series I ever read and how I got hooked on mysteries.

JDP: I’ve looked at that series for years but have never read one. I haven't wanted to give my cats ideas, but maybe I should take a chance. ;-) Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

Babs: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I started reading her work 4 years ago now and love each story, some more then others.  I even have all the movie versions. 

JDP: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

Babs: iPad for me. (OOO, JOYCE IS SO JEALOUS!) I use to have a Kindle until the iPad came out.  I like having all the versions on my iPad. I still like hard copies and always will though. Sometimes there is nothing like the feel of the pages you are reading.

JDP: I’m with you there. I bought a Kindle in January, but I’m finding I’m too old fashioned to give up print books in a big way. What’s your favorite place to read?

Babs: My bedroom, as the boys will leave me alone and it is cozy.

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.

Babs: I have several:  Mysteries, Romance ( Historical, western, any old romance) and Amish.

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

Babs: Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle.

JDP: What are you’re reading now?

Babs: Love To The Rescue by Nancy Lennea.

JDP: What’s next on your reading list?

Babs: What isn’t is the best question.  My TBR list is huge and keeps building each day.  With this TBR I will have to live to be about 200 if not older to get them all read.  I love every minute of it.

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

Babs: I would like to read more of Western Romances.  I have only read a few and love them. 

JDP: Have you read Marsha Ward? I’ve only read two of her Westerns so far, but she is quite good! Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months.

Babs: This is a tough one as I have read several good ones so far this year.  I would say Murder by Mocha. Cleo Coyle has a way with her characters that always draw me in and they are like family after so many books.

More about Babs!

 The picture is of my youngest, Marco who is 9 months old and me.  Marco is named after my favorite book character by Kate Collins.  She was excited and shared his photo with everyone.  I digress, I am a stay at home mom to 4 boys.  They range from 9 months to 14 years old.  I have been married to my wonderful husband and best friend TJ for 15 years now.  I love being able to stay home with them as my mom did with me.

I love to read, write (I have 2 novels going), cook, bake and work in the garden.  I love to do crafts when I get the time.

We have 4 indoor cats and 9 Siberian Huskies that are all rescued.

My blog is called BabsBookBistro.  I like to share my reviews of course, along with giveaways, author interviews, recipes and anything else I can think of.  My idea for the blog was to help authors promote their work and help people as I go along.

Get to Know the Reviewer: English Rose of Clean Romance Reviews

Our Get to Know You guest today is English Rose of Clean Romance Review. (Yes, that's her reviewer name.) Welcome! Thanks for joining us today.

JDP: Did your mother read to you as a child?

English Rose: Yes.  I remember her reading all kinds of kids books to me.  And my older sister - we liked to read together.  I don't really remember what we read, but we did.  Then I remember a lot of reading on my own as a kid too.  Trips to the library with my mom and siblings was awesome and regular.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

English Rose: Favorite book?  Not per se, but there was one that was memorable.  It was called Christina's Ghost (by Betty Ren Wright?) and I was probably 9 or 10 when I read it.  But I got so freaked out by the story partway through that I put it down for like two weeks and wouldn't even walk near it.  Eventually I did finish it though - and oddly enough I love ghost stories now.  :)  I also remember reading The Dark Is Rising Series by Susan Cooper when I was young - awesome series!

JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult

English Rose: Well that's an unfair question!  Since discovering so many wonderful authors while doing my blog, I'm not sure I could pick.  Besides, I'm not sure I could pick.  I will tell you that I enjoy Georgette Heyer, Orson Scott Card and Susan Cooper (all authors I liked as a teen).  

JDP: (Oooo, Georgette Heyer is my hero! Or I guess I should say, heroine.) Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

English Rose: Hmmmm.....anything I actually own (I'm a library kind of girl).  Georgette Heyer, Tarzan, Harry Potter, Twilight, Ender's Game, etc.  If I own it, I've probably read it many times.  I often get the urge to read late at night and (until recently) the only choices at that time of night were what was on my shelf.  It's not uncommon for me to read a book 5-6 times.

JDP: Ah, you’re a girl after my own heart. J Now, very important question: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

English Rose: Although I'm saving up for some kind of e-reader, I haven't decided which one to get yet.  Nothing will ever beat a paperback though.  I love the feel of holding it up and turning the pages.  One of my favorite smells in the world is books - the dustier the better.  :)  Another reason I like libraries.  Hardbacks are good too, but paperbacks are my favorite.

JDP: I bought a Kindle in January, but I’m finding I’m still clinging to hard copy books, too. As you say, I love the feel of them in my hands, the ability to flip through pages (instead of punching a button to go back one page at a time), even being able to stick my fingers in three separate spots so I can look back and forth. I suppose there are electronic equivalents, but it’s just not the same. What’s your favorite place to read?

English Rose: Well, I usually end up reading in bed, after everyone else is asleep.  But my favorite place?  To be honest, my grandmother used to have a ski cabin that we would visit in the summertime.  She had an old-fashioned rocking chair next to her bookcase of Regency Romances.  It was the best place to read ever!  I guess that would translate over to reading on the couch now.  :)

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres?

English Rose: Romance!  Okay, let's see. 1- I love historical romance.  I was an Archaeology major in college and have always loved history.  Combining that with romance it is just a natural favorite.  Regency England, Medieval European, American anything....it's all so much fun!  2- I must say I think I like fantasy romance as well.  There is something about being drawn into an entirely different world where all the rules are different, except the rules of the heart.  3- Christmas romance is definitely a favorite too.  It's not a normal genre, but one I consider as a genre.  Christmas is the best, most wonderful and magical season ever!  Combine that with falling in love and you can't beat it.  

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

English Rose: The answer to this changes several times a week, so this is hardly fair.  I did just finish one last night - Count Down to Love by Julie Ford.  But you should really check my blog for the most recent books I've read.  I don't read much but romance, so they all get put up there.

JDP: What are you’re reading now?

English Rose: Again, this changes a lot too, but I just started The Wrong Path by Vivian Marie Aubin de Paris.  

JDP: What’s next on your reading list?

English Rose: Hmmm....I can't really tell you.  I have lots of books on the list - I think I was at around 20 or so last time I checked, but I don't know which one will be next.  It will depend some on if I want to read a paperbook or an e-book next.  I never decide out the exact order ahead of time - so I can mix things up a bit as I go.

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

English Rose: Mostly, the books I look forward to are the later books in a series.  Right now, I am anxiously awaiting books in the Marina's Tales Series, Rogue Heart Series, Bloodstone Saga, Echoes series and many others, including yours Joyce!  I love reading series or connected books - probably because I already know I like the way the author writes and some of the characters.  :)

JDP: Well, you just put a big smile on my face. J Thanks, Jennifer! Can you share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months?

English Rose: Again, how is that fair to pick just one?  *sigh*  J  I'll tell you about one I got from the library.  It was Call Me Mrs Miracle by Debbie Macomber.  It was actually my first Debbie Macomber book ever.  It was a totally cute story that was easy to imagine as a Lifetime Movie (which did happen).  The characters were sweet and fun and totally believable.  Christmas magic sparkles in the air and you come to believe that there are times that you really can get just about anything for Christmas.  For my full summary and review, click here: http://cleanromancereviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/call-me-mrs-miracle.html

More about English Rose! : I grew up in California and will always be a California girl at heart.  I started reading romances when I was a teenager and my grandmother lent me one of hers - been reading them ever since.  After high school I left California, never to return (yet).  I attended college at Brigham Young University.  It was there that I met and married my wonderful husband.  We have two little boys now that keep me busy and laughing.

My review site is called Clean Romance Reviews.  I review romances without the bedroom scenes, and other such inappropriateness that gets in the way of the story.  ;)  I do all kinds of genres from historical to paranormal, fantasy and young adult.  I love reading and I love being able to share with others great titles that they don't have to be wary about reading.  Like everything wonderful in my life it's because of my husband - he gave me the idea to start my blog and is continuously supportive of me.  

Get to Know the Reviewer: Martha Eskuchen

It's been awhile since I've interviewed a reviewer. So I'm very excited today to share a Get to Know You Interview with Martha Eskuchen, of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf! By the way, Martha is celebrating her 2nd Blogoversary over on Martha's Bookshelf, so hop over there to catch some great giveaways!

JDP: Welcome, Martha. Did your mother read to you as a child?

Martha: I don’t recall that she did. But I was a pretty happy reader from early years... at least by age five or six.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

Martha: Yes - Smoky, a Cowhorse, by Will James, and Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell - I was horse crazy. As a pre/early teen I loved Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boy Mysteries and The Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.

JDP: Black Beauty, the Hardy Boys, and The Just So Stories were favorites at our house, too! Name a favorite author as an adult.

Martha: I have so many favorites it is hard to pick only one! I’m not even sure I could settle on ONE per genre. So I will name as ‘a’ favorite one out of the dozen or so authors whose books I collect and who writes historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal: Christina Dodd.

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times (not the scriptures).

Martha: Oh - The scriptures would have been the easiest answer.

JDP: I know, that’s why I added the qualification. Almost everyone would answer “the scriptures” if I gave them a chance! LOL! But I want to go a bit beyond that. 

Martha: I rarely read a book multiple times although I have some in mind that I listened to on Audible and want to buy the book - the Study trilogy by Maria V. Snyder.  There are soooo many good books and I have been keeping a reading list since 2001 so that I wouldn’t inadvertently re-read a book.  Sometimes a blurb sounded good and I would get started on a book only to realize I had read it before.  I will say I have re-read several Mary Stewart books because I first read them in my teens and remembered loving them: Airs Above the Ground, My Brother Michael and The Crystal Cave are three I know I read more than once.

JDP: LOVE The Crystal Cave! That’s a repeat read of mine, too. Now, very important question: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

Martha: As much as I love a paperback, these days I actually read a lot on my Kindle because they move quicker... I can listen while I put on make up or fold laundry. I also listen to one or two Audio books (tapes, CDs or Audible) a week.

JDP: What’s your favorite place to read?

Martha: Anywhere, everywhere. I always have a book with me: one on Kindle, one on Audible, maybe one in the car, one paperback I move from room to room and one I keep in my private “resting room.”

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres?

Martha: This is hard too because I read such a variety. It used to be easy: 1) Historical Romance and 2) Romantic Suspense.  Those are still favorites but it is hard to pin down the third favorite from among: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Sci Fi Romance, Sweet Romance.  Right now I am on a Dystopia and Steampunk kick... not a binge because of all the other genres are mixed in my reading time.

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

Martha: Just finished on Audio Cassette: A Morning for Flamingos by James Lee Burke

Print: Mary of Carisbrooke by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Kindle: Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena (JDP: THANKS, MARTHA! J )

Audible: The Devil Who Tamed Her by Johanna Lindsey

JDP: What are you reading now?

(Martha's actual bookshelf! And I'll bet this is only one of them!)

Martha: At this moment I am reading:

Print: The Soldier by Grace Burrowes

Kindle: Taming Rowan by Suzanne Bartlett

Audible: Soulless by Gail Carriger

JDP: What’s next on your reading list?

Martha: I have a full review list for June and the next three books I plan to read are:

Print: Virgin by Cheryl Brooks

Print: From Mason to Minister: Through the Lattice by Neil Cullan McKinlay

Kindle: Beg For Mercy by Jami Alden

JDP: Wow! No wonder you run a review site to share your reading passion! What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

Martha: Authors: Pauline Baird Jones (Sci Fi Romance) and Maria V. Snyder (Fantasy/YA);

and, if only I had the time, my large TBR collections for Mary Balogh, Catherine Coulter, Christina Dodd, Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsey, Merline Lovelace, and Mary Jo Putney to name only a few.

Genres: Sci Fi Romance, Dystopia, Steampunk

JDP: Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months.

Martha: I have really enjoyed Pauline Baird Jones Sci Fi Romances: The Key and Girl Gone Nova. I am planning to post reviews soon with a spotlight with Pauline in early July.

More about Martha! : I love to read and review books. I am married, my DH is retired and we live with two great dogs and a sweet cat. Now I own eTreasures Publishing so I get to read more.

Places to find out more about Martha! :

Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf

Twitter: @MSEREADS

Facebook: Martha Eskuchen http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002237724341

Networked Blogs: http://networkedblogs.com/blog/reviews_by_marthas_bookshelf/

My Publisher website: eTreasures Publishing Bookstore http://www.etreasurespublishing.com/

and Blog: eTreasures Publishing Blog http://etreasurespublishing.blogspot.com/

Get to Know the Reviewer: Sheila Staley of LDS Women's Book Review and Why Not? Because I Said So!

Today's interview is with a reviewer so talented that she needs not one, but two review sites to keep up with all the books she reads! Sheila Staley is one of the four reviewers behind LDS Women's Book Review (click here to read my interview with LDSWBR reviewer, Mindy Holt). She also has her own review site, Why Not? Because I Said So! More about both blogs below.

JDP: Thank you for joining us today, Sheila. Did your mother read to you as a child?

Sheila: Oh Yes! My Mom would read chapter books out loud to all of us, my 1 sister and 2 brothers. She also read plenty of picture books. All of us are avid readers today. Our children are also avid readers. This is a great tradition in our family.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

Sheila: I loved the Little House In The Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My favorite Christmas present was getting the whole series for Christmas when I was nine years old. I also loved reading Rebecca From Sunnybrook Farm, The Little Women Series, and The Hobbit.

JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult.

Sheila: Besides you (Joyce blushes here)...Jessica Day George, Jeff Savage, Rebecca Talley, Suzanne Collins and Brandon Mull and....I go on forever!!

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

Sheila: The Harry Potter Books (several times),  Fablehaven and The Work And the Glory Series.

JDP: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

Sheila: I am a die-hard for old hard copies. I am not sure if and when I will break down and get a Kindle/Nook. I love the feel of a book in my hands, flipping the pages of a book and going to the library and walking down row, after row of books.

JDP: I’m still adjusting to my new Kindle. I like it very much for some things, but I don’t feel myself giving up my love of hard copies anytime soon. (Just ordered 3 more from Amazon.) What’s your favorite place to read?

Sheila: In bed, on the couch, in the car, at school while eating my lunch, while brushing my teeth etc. I just love to read!!

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.

Sheila: Fantasy (YA or adult), Romance, Speculative.

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

Sheila: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

JDP: What are you’re reading now?

Sheila: Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black

JDP: What’s next on your reading list?

Sheila: Matched by Ally Condie and Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

Sheila: I always read a little of everything. I am waiting to read your next book, Joyce. (Joyce: Uh oh. Now the pressure’s on!) I can't wait to read Brandon Mull's new book, Beyonder's #1 A World Without Heroes. I also am very excited to read Robinson Wells new book coming out this Fall called Variant. 

JDP: Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months

Sheila: Two come to mind #1 Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card and #2 The Cross Gardner by Jason Wright

More about Sheila! : I am a very busy, single Mom to my two great kids; a 12 (almost 13) year old girl and an 8 year old boy. I work full time teaching 2nd grade. I love to read and met my goal of reading 100+ books last year. I love to write and enjoy attending writing conferences. I am seriously working on a romance novel. I have a YA fantasy and a mystery suspense in the beginning stages. I have been a member of LDS Women's Book Review for five years. I love podcasting with the ladies of LDSWBR. I also love to do book reviews on my own personal book review blog and at the LDSWBR site. For fun, besides reading, I love to play games with my kids (especially Harry Potter Scene-It), go camping, scrapbook, and play the piano and sing.

Please come and visit my blog Why Not Because I Said So where I review all genres of books. I do "Tuesday's Teaching Moments" sharing something I hope is helpful to my readers.  I also do "What Do You Think About...Wednesday" where I invite guests to come to my blog and answer a variety of questions that I pose to them having to do with reading and writing. I also am starting to have guest bloggers. My first guest blogger was my daughter and she did a very awesome job!! I would love to have people come visit me at my blog and become a follower and participate by commenting. I also hope that people will come and visit all of us at the LDSWBR site. We have great things going on there.

Note from Joyce: Sheila interviewed me for her "What Do You Think About...Wednesday" post on the subject of romance novels. Ack! If you'd like to read a few of my thoughts on the matter, click here.

Get to Know the Reviewer: Kathy Habel of I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

Today’s Getting to Know You interview is with book reviewer Kathy Habel, AKA Inspired Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. Kathy is shy. You’ll notice that there are no photos of her on her blog, but I managed to sneak one of her setting the table for dinner. (Just kidding. I don’t really know why she’s holding all those forks. Maybe she’ll share the full fork story with us someday!)

Kathy has generously offered to hold a book giveaway in connection with this interview. If you’d like to win a copy of Beneath a Honeysuckle Vine by Marcia Lynn McClure, just leave a comment below AND INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. Deadline to enter is midnight PST, February 16. The winner will be drawn by Random.org. USA entries only.

JDP: Welcome to JDP NEWS, Kathy. Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood? 

Kathy: Raggedy Ann and Andy.  My mom had it memorized and I have the very tattered, falling apart copy she read to me.

JDP: I have a very tattered, falling apart Raggedy Ann doll. Name a favorite author as an adult. 

Kathy: Just one?  It's hard to pick just one!  Marcia Lynn McClure

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

Kathy: Twilight Series, Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter Series, Jane Eyre

JDP: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy? 

Kathy: Still a good old fashioned hard copy but I'm sure I'll make the switch someday soon.

JDP: What’s your favorite place to read? 

Kathy: Curled up on the couch although I can and do read just about everywhere.  I'm the queen of multitasking, I can read and fold laundry at the same time.

JDP: Wow! There’s a good trick! What are your three favorite reading genres.

Kathy: Fantasy, Clean Romance, Historical Fiction

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

Kathy: You know I read a lot right!  This week I've finished Falling Under (Gwen Hayes), The Peasant Queen (Cheri Chesley), Spells (Aprilynne Pike), Pearl (Jo Knowles), Lost on Spirit River (Tommy Batchlor), The Blood of Cain (T.L. Gray) and Sapphique (Catherine Fisher).

JDP: Wow! And what are you’re reading now? 

Kathy: I'm always in the middle of several books.  Currently The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz (Laura Toffler-Corrie), Impractical Grace (John S. Bushman), The Last Olympian (Rick Riordan) and Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (Jenny Han).

JDP: What’s next on your reading list?

Kathy: A lot!  Here is my next months worth of reading: Delirium (Laura Oliver), Road Show (Braden Bell), Latte Rebellion (Sarah Jamila Stevenson), Crusade (Nancy Holder), Flirt Club (Cathleen Daly), Dearly Departed (Tristi Pinkston), Heart of a Hero (Marie Higgins), By Heart & by Compass (Danielle Thorne), Fused (Kari Lee Townsend), How Sweet It Is (Sophie Gunn), Rhythm of Secrets (Patti Lacy), Shades of Gray, Other Words for Love (Lorraine Zago Rosenthal), Midnight Tunnel, Long Weekend (Savita Kalhan), Mad Love (Suzanne Selfors), False Princess (Eilis O’Neal), A New Birth (Robert G. Pielke), Timeless (Alexandra Monir), Fallen Grace (Mary Hooper), Letters From Home (Kristine McMorris), Sean Griswold's Head (Lindsey Leavitt), Sing Me to Sleep (Angela Morrison) and A Modest Proposal (Michele Ashman Bell)... Wish me Luck!

JDP: Whew! Good luck! What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc) 

Kathy: I'm already reading mainly what I want to.  I really enjoy young adult books and clean romance.  That is what I mainly read.  I just wish I didn't have to sleep so I could get through more books.

JDP: Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months  

Kathy: So hard to pick one!  Here's one to look forward to that comes out in April: My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison.

JDP: Thank you for joining us today, Kathy!

More about Kathy: So many books, so little time! 
Kathy is an eclectic reader and blogs her reviews of many different genres: fantasy, fairy tales, clean romance, historical fiction, science fiction, Christian, LDS and anything else that is clean, uplifting or entertaining. Her juvenile, middle grade, young adult, and adult book reviews include content information for parents and the conservative reader. If you love free books, stop by her blog, I Am a Reader, Not a Writer each week for a new giveaway!

And remember: Leave a comment on this interview for a chance to win a copy of Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine, by Marcia Lynn McClure!


(After you've enjoyed this interview and entered Kathy's giveaway, you might like to click here to learn about some other giveaways currently underway at JDP NEWS.)

Get to Know the Reviewer: Mindy Holt of LDS Women's Book Review

I’ve got another fun reviewer interview to share with you today! Mindy Holt is one of four reviewers at LDS Women’s Book Review. I’m trying hard to get interviews with the other three reviewers over there. I hope to be able to share those with you in the future. But today is Mindy’s day to shine!

JDP: Did your mother read to you as a child?

Mindy: Yes!  We had mountains of books to read. I would sit in my room with piles of story books and read, read, read.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

Mindy: I loved Ira Sleeps Over, Best Friends for Francis, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Miss Nelson is Missing, Strega Nona, George and Martha's, Mary-Alice Operator Number Nine, A Tree Full of Pigs. (Sorry that was a lot.) When I was older I loved Judy Blume & Beverly Cleary.

JDP: A list like that is pretty much what I’d expect from someone who grew up to be a book reviewer. ;-) Name a favorite author as an adult.

Mindy: My aunt is Dorothy M. Keddington, so I of course, love her. It's hard to pick a favorite, but here's a couple: Suzanne Collins, Michael Scott, Eion Colfer, Jessica Day George, Brandon Mull, JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer ... I could go on and on

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

Mindy: All the Harry Potters, and Twilight Saga

JDP: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

Mindy: Hard copy all the way

JDP: (Ahhh, my kind of girl.) What’s your favorite place to read?

Mindy: My bed, or couch.  I have a handy porta-book stand that's great!

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.

Mindy: YA Fantasy, JF Fantasy, sci-fi

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

Mindy: Summer in Paris, by Michele Ashman Bell

JDP: What are you’re reading now?

Mindy: Star Prophecy, by Joan Sowards

JDP: What’s next on your reading list?

Mindy: I really want to re-read the Hunger Games (Suzanne Collinss), the seventh Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer),  and Key-Lime Pie (Josi Kilpack)

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

Mindy: I just read whatever I want, when I want.

JDP: I like that reading policy! Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months.

Mindy: Queen in Exile (Donna Hatch), The Help (Kathryn Stockett), A Town Like Alice (Nevil Shute)", Hunger Games Series (Suzanne Collins), The Stone Traveler (Kathi Oram Peterson)

More about Mindy! : I was born and raised in Salt Lake. I was married in my twentieth year (LOL), and have been married for almost 16 years. My husband is a Captain for Sandy and Bluffdale Fire. He works so hard to support his family. We love him so much. I have three gorgeous girls, 12, 9, and 6. I work for a pre-school a couple days a week, while my girls are at school. In my spare time I read, read, read. And, I squeeze the Wii in there too. I've always loved Fantasy and sci-fi. My favorite movies growing up were "Star Wars". To this day, I can still quote episodes IV, V, and VI. I'm sure that is where my love of fantasies came from. I made my family (with help from my friend), Jedi Cloaks for Halloween. I'm also a huge Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fan.  I also have a library obsession. I go a few times a week, scouting out books. I enjoy reading YA and JF so when my girls ask me to help them find a book, I'll know what to tell them. I also love, love, love Disneyland. There is no place like it. I cry when it's time to leave.

Our review website it www.ldswbr.blogspot.com  I've been with ldswbr (LDS Women's Book Review) for almost a year.  My first review was on my birthday in April. I've loved every minute of it, and the ladies I review with are priceless.  We review LDS fiction, but also include non-LDS fiction and non fiction.

Get to Know the Reviewer: Jessica of Novel Reaction

Welcome to Jessica of Novel Reaction Book Reviews, our first book reviewer interview on JDP NEWS! I'm so excited to have Jessica here. Let's jump right into our Getting to Know You questions!

JDP: Did your mother read to you as a child?

NR (Novel Reaction): My mother read to me a lot when I was a child, which I think is very important for children. I also saw both of my parents reading while I was growing up and I think this helped shape my love of books. There were always books lying around with bookmarks in them and full bookshelves of interesting books to explore, everything from fiction to biographies. I think it important for children to see their parents reading instead of just watching television all the time because children learn by example.

JDP: Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

NR: My favorite books that my mother read to me were by Bill Peet, his use of words are great and he was one of the main animators for Disney for several films including Sleeping Beauty and The Sword in the Stone. My favorite is Cowardly Clyde about a warhorse that is afraid of his own shadow but must overcome his fear to save his knight. After I started reading to myself I devoured The Boxcar Children and The Nancy Drew series. My all time favorite author from my younger years is Robin McKinley, I reread The Blue Sword every year and usually reread a few more of hers such as Beauty and The Outlaws of Sherwood. Her Pegasus was a great read this year and made my Best of 2010 list.

JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult

NR: One of my favorite authors as an adult is Lynn Kurland. She writes great time-travel romance novels that start with A Dance Through Time but she doesn't sugarcoat what medieval Scotland was like, she describes it in all its smelly detail. I also really enjoy her books because they are clean romance novels, the tension is there between the main characters but without all the sex.

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

NR: I am a big rereader of books and there are several authors I try to hit each year because I love them. Georgette Heyer is one, my favorites of hers are: Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle and The Grand Sophy. I also enjoy fantasy novels (even though they don't usually get reviewed on my site) and love David Eddings' The Belgariad and The Elenium series.

JDP: Followers of JDP NEWS will know what a HUGE fan I am of Georgette Heyer! I hit several on my reread list last year, too. But back to the interview. Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

NR: There is something about the texture and smell of a book that I love but since I got my Kindle I find myself using it more and more because of the ease of transporting multiple books all at once. Also, it is SOOO much easier balancing my Kindle while I am lying in bed reading than a hardbound copy of a book but it hasn't stopped my purchasing of hard copies. My husband has admitted he likes my Kindle because it will be a whole lot easier to move the next time we do so than my other books are. I have over 5,000 books in my collection and they can be a pain to move, as all my family and friends have informed me. Before I got my Kindle I regularly had an ink smudge on my pinkie finger from where I would hold open the book with it and I kinda miss that mark on my hand but I LOVE my Kindle!

(Jessica with a few of her 5,000 books)

JDP: 5,000 books? Wow! And I thought my bookshelves were overflowing! What’s your favorite place to read?

NR: I read just about anywhere but I really love lounging in bed reading away with my cat curled up next to me or, if the weather is nice, swaying in my hammock in the shade. I also enjoy reading in the tub and luckily have only dropped one book into the water so far *knock on wood*.

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.

NR: I read a little bit of everything but I find myself drawn the most to romance, fantasy and young adult novels.

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

NR: Against the Law by Kat Martin which is the third book in The Raines of Wind Canyon and is available in February from Mira books. I will be posting my review around the release date.

JDP: What are you’re reading now?

NR: I am currently reading Digitalias by Ronie Kendig (Kindle) and Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz (Paperback) since I always seem to have more than one book going at a time and because I am terrified I will drop my Kindle in the tub so I always have a paperback going because it is cheaper to replace if dropped. :)

JDP: If I ever get a Kindle, I’ll remember that tip! What’s next on your reading list?

NR: To Tempt a Rake by Cara Elliot and The Mysterious Lady Law by Robert Appleton.

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

NR: I would like to read more fantasy novels but I am finding it hard to fit them in around my review commitments, not that I am complaining there just always seem to be more great books I want to read than I have time to read.

JDP: Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months

NR: Beastly by Alex Flynn and Dead People by Edie Ramer. At Novel Reaction there are three other reviewers not including myself and we posted a Best of 2010 where each of us listed our favorites of 2010 and of all time. I admit I really struggled to limit myself to ten favorite novels of all time but I was able to do it, you can read it http://novelreaction.com/2011/01/best-books-of-2010/ .

Thank you, Jessica!

I invited Jessica to share a little more about her review site and about herself:

NovelReaction.com:

Reader and admitted bibliophile (book collector), I came up with the idea of NovelReaction.com after I was approached by several friends asking for “clean” romance novels. As we all know, you can’t judge a book by its cover nor can we judge the graphic content of a novel based on the cover. I provide a graphic rating so readers can pick up a novel without having to worry about not knowing the graphic content. Novel Reaction covers just about every genre but focus primarily on romance, young adult and some fantasy.

Not content to just recommend some authors, I decided to create this website to recommend books to anyone looking for a good book. I am not an author, just a reader interested in sharing good books with others. ‘Novel Reaction’ is not just my web title but my approach to reading. I am happy to receive any comments or suggestions!

In addition to book reviews, author visits and giveaways, each month we have a Books-to-Movie Challenge where we read the book and watch a film adaptation and discuss it. February's Books-to-Movie challenge is Beastly by Alex Flynn, which I am very excited about. So sit back, pull up a beverage, and read on knowing that you can without a worry.

(JDP INSERTS: What a fun idea! I’ll have to check this out.)

In addition to Novel Reaction, several months ago I launched NovelReactionKids.com.

Novel Reaction Kids was created when the reviewers of NovelReaction.com started to discuss the problem with finding good quality books that you are willing to read to your child(ren) over and over and over again. Because as a parent that is exactly what you will do, read the same books more than once to your child. We decided what better way to share our love of the great books we have found for our children than by creating a website to share them with each other and others who might be interested.

Each child is different and so is their taste in books so NovelReactionKids.com covers everything from adventure to holiday, animals to feelings, and everything in between. In addition to talking about our feelings about the books we are reading to our children, we also post our children’s reactions to the books we have read. Also, we have found that a lot of children’s authors have great websites to go along with the books they have written and we discuss them here. So read, enjoy and repeat!

About Me:

Jessica is the main reviewer and creative force behind Novel Reaction. I have a BA in English and am currently a full time law student. I love to be able to read the books I want to read after I finish studying but don't get as much time to read 'the fun books' as I would like (but then would I ever have enough time I wonder...). Having moved from snowy Salt Lake City to Phoenix about a year and a half ago I love the Phoenix winters and enjoy not having to dig my car out of the snow in order to go anywhere. :)

JDP: As a lifetime Arizonan, I say, “Welcome to the land of (almost) endless sunshine, Jessica!” Thanks again for visiting with us today.

New Feature: Getting to Know You!

Did your favorite author's mother read to her as a child? Did that book reviewer whose site you trust to guide you to the next great read have a favorite childhood book? How many of them have converted over to e-readers, and how many are still clinging to good old fashioned hard copies (like me)?

Beginning this Friday, I will be starting a new weekly feature called "Get to Know the Author/Reviewer". A wide variety of authors and book reviewers will share with us the answers to the following questions:

Did you mother read to you as a child?
Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?
Name a favorite author as an adult.
Share a book you've read multiple times.
Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?
What's your favorite place to read?
What are your three favorite reading genres?
What's the last book you read?
What are you reading now?
What's next on your reading list?
What would you like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)
Share a favorite book that you've read in the last 12 months.

Stop by every Friday to see who's next in the "Get to Know You" spotlight!