Hi…my name is Lisa. And my addictions are, reading, blogging, and coffee.

Not only do I write reviews and my own column (Life with Lisa) for Burn Bright, but I also have my own personal blog called Turning Pages! There I review books I’ve read, usually Young Adult.

How often do you blog?

I try to blog at least five times a week for Turning Pages, and for Burn Bright it isn’t exactly scheduled, but instead I just send in reviews and Life with Lisa posts, and Marianne decides when there’s an opening and when it should be posted.

How did you come up with the name for your blog?

When I created my blog, I was following a few other book blogs (which inspired me to make my own) each had a very creative name. I didn’t know what I wanted, but I did know that I didn’t want my name to be a part of it, and I didn’t want it to include something about the book genres. After a few days of thinking, I decided on Turning Pages.

Favorite part of blogging?

Without any doubt, my favourite part of blogging would have to be meeting people who love reading as much as I do. Here at home, I don’t really have friends that like reading; blogging allowed me to express my feelings on books, know others opinions on those books, and discuss them with people who are actually have the interest.

Which current reading trends have you been drawn to (dystopian, post apocalyptic etc)?

I don’t really follow reading trends, I’m usually a bit behind anyways. But right now I’m liking darker, mysterious  and more paranormal-ish books…probably because here in the Seattle area, its already dark, gloomy, and just won’t stop raining.
What is your favourite meme or post write up on your blog

I enjoy doing Waiting On Wednesday, where I share my excitement on a new book, and my own meme, Blogger of the Week, where a book blogger is featured in an interview on Turning Pages.

Do you tend to like the hero/heroine/protagonist or the villain/antagonist

I don’t really favour one, it just depends on the book, my mood, and how interesting the character is!

Thank you so much for having me today!

Find Turning pages here: http://turningpages94.blogspot.com.au/

Anne Bishop has held my attention for many years. She’s had me giggling, crying and just completely enthralled by her Black Jewels series. So you know the drill… see a new series coming out and HAVE to read it.

First impressions of Written in Red are quite good. This is a lovely thick book. Cover art in black and white, with a red title. The image of a girl with her head bowed is set within the shape of a howling wolf and placed against a white backdrop. Very effective.

Meg Corbyn is a Cassandra Sangue or a blood prophet. With each bloody wound she is able to see events in her future. When she escapes from the institution, where she’d been held all her life for the financial gain of her ‘owners’, the search is on to find her and put her back in the institution to keep the profits coming (pun intended).

Finding herself in the book shop, Howling Good Reads, within the Courtyard run by Simon Wolfguard, Meg seeks employment and a safe place to stay. Simon agrees and an odd relationship blooms between this sheltered young woman and the ‘Others’ in the Courtyard. Heaven help the people who come to retrieve Meg, because nobody else will.

Because I am so used to Anne’s writing being set in alternate realities, but more a dark ages time frame, I was pleasantly surprised to see this one is set in a more contemporary era. I think this allows for familiarity, and still gave the room to spin fantastical tales of were animals and elementals.

There is only so much searching through dusty old books by candle light to research werewolves that one can take before you’re begging for a scene change. Using the internet for one character to research another makes the story flow better.

I found the banter to be extremely witty, and yes I did it again, snort-giggling on the bus makes for some rather odd looks from fellow commuters. Not that I cared. Two words for you “Stag” “Stick”. Yup, you’ll understand soon enough. Dare you not to laugh out loud.

The historical back story, espionage and the current political tensions in Thaisia are woven neatly into the story. Romance is kept to non essential characters, and the cultural misunderstandings make for even more giggle-worthy pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 days it took me to finish the book. There’s just something about the mental image of a grown werewolf playing tug of war with a box of dog biscuits that tickles my funny bone.

The ending is a brilliant lead into book two, which I hope is already in the pipeline, because I’ve fallen head over tail for Meg and Simon’s story.

http://www.annebishop.com/

Trade Paperback 434 Pages

Published March 1^st by Harper Voyager

ISBN: 9780732296810

Pop corny! #1

I’m a child of the 80’s which means my musical tastes run heavily from the 1990’s. The latest stuff from the music industry hasn’t really had me bolting to the radio. If anything the majority of new music has been making me long for some Hanson, of all things (My Friday Ketchup co host tells me constantly I need help for my lack of musical taste!). I have been starved for a good pop group, since nobody does pop music like Savage Garden.

Until… I stumbled upon a music program on SBS which reminded me of RAGE (a program that is no longer the place to get all your musical needs in one hit). However, in my then migraine-addled state, I thought I was missing something; I couldn’t understand a thing anyone was singing about.

Checking the TV guide once said migraine had passed I discovered the reason for the confusion. The program was called Pop Asia and let me tell you, my musical tastes and I are happy as pigs in mud.

I’ve only had time to catch a few episodes and I want to share some of the best clips I’ve seen so far.

Today we head to Korea

I am in love with the cinematography, concepts and costuming for the Seoul based band, Big Bang and their clip Fantastic Baby. Guys on thrones with looooong red hair… yes please!

How about a little dance and Adam Labert-ish vocals… TVXQ, a duo from South Korea, covered almost all the bases with an industrial type soundtrack, an almost identical vocal style as Adam Lambert (who I LOOOOVE) and topped of with an awesomely choreographed dance sequence… Can you see the snake?

Got a hankering for Duffy, but don’t know the words? (Don’t worry neither do I) How about trying a cover version of Mercy called Dancing Queen by Girls Generation. You get the retro sound and a bit of weird dancing with cute fashions. Best of all you get that great tune, and new lyrics.

And last but certainly not least is Mine by Kim Jaejoong. This clip gives me goosebumps. Again with the Adam Lambert glam rock sound, but the production value of slow motion vision and a set of fangs never fails to send me to my happy place. It would not surprise me if this song ends up on the soundtrack to one of the many book to movie adaptations in the near future. It can almost tell a story all by itself. This clip has the English translations.

I’d love to hear what bands from the Asian region have hit your radar.

Now that we’re on track for a March release of the Night Creatures series on Amazon (yes, that’s all Amazon’s!), we’d love you to share our brand new banners. If you put them on your website then you’re entitled to join our VIP club, which means you get some fun stuff. Just let us know you’ve done it, either through the comments section, or through the site contact form. We’ve got the banners in different sizes, so just drop us a line if you need them in another size.

Spread the Burn Bright love!

“Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a model.” Cameron Russell talks on ted.com

If you have a spare 9 minutes and 40 seconds after reading this, I’d love for you to watch a amazing, thought-provoking clip from ted.com

How big a role does beauty play in your day to day life? Do you take that extra 5 minutes to put make up on before skipping a healthy breakfast, so you can run to the bus, to try and shift a kilogram or two off your thighs, that would look so much better in that particular pair of jeans? ~Hold on let me take a breath after that one.~

Cameron Russell has been a model for 10 years, and in 10 seconds she changed the perception of her audience by putting on a longer skirt and a jumper over her short, designer, skin tight dress. She also ditched the 8 inch heels and came down to a more reasonable level. She went from a ‘supermodel’ to a ‘regular woman’ within moments, creating a more approachable, and arguably, more believable persona just by the way she looked.

It takes a genetic lottery, a few centuries of unfair biased opinions of what is considered ‘beautiful’ and a team of experts to make the constructed, glamorous, glossy pictures and runway shows we see in our day to day lives. Those ones that we aspire to emulate, even though it is considered unobtainable to a large percentage of the population.

So if you are not rail thin, if you have darker skin, or are around 5 foot tall, if you’re teeth aren’t gleaming and perfect … on the whole, honestly according to those same glossy magazines, society should look elsewhere to find a person of value?

How vain, how rude and how superficial.
But aren’t we all feeding this monster every day? So aren’t we all to blame?

I challenge you to make a conscious choice to not judge someone by the way they look, or even judging yourself by your appearance. For just one day, look a little deeper and don’t take things at face value.

As Cameron points out, ‘Being fearless means being honest.’ Do you honestly want to be defined by the society who believes the unfair statement, that “Beauty is Everything”? Or do you want to be the catalyst for not allowing this statement to define you?

I’ll get off my soap box now. Good job Cameron!