tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16540778859668099062024-02-18T22:53:58.946-08:00Sniffly Kitty's Mostly BooksSniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.comBlogger569125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-60248809919475174382011-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:002011-12-01T09:00:01.567-08:00Review: Debris (The Veiled Worlds #1) by Jo Anderton<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dhTWRXkO9LyAnbFAOf2iZZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-L2BRtW7atHlE0xr_8z0UjqrZcg45cVpF2zCQVROdhKKQweJbemlyI3Up0rG6-jM_GJZylHd5ssfKI6WjViwnO7suJCuDYxkckUGK9bZ-Vqmg8uMjAKfCUeOUkJkxmO89UqSE9_YdVfA/s288/debris.jpg" height="288" width="190" /></a></center><br />Debris by Jo Anderton<br /><br />Copy Courtesy of Angry Robot<br />Already Released<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Summary</span><br />Tanyana is one of the best architects in a city where everything is basically built out of things called pions or rather she was until one day she has an accident and wakes up unable to see the pions which used to follow her beck and call. Instead she must collect debris, which is a destroyer of pions. In order to find out what happens to her, she may have to find the truth behind debris.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Commentary</span><br />This novel might actually fall into a category called science-fantasy since it has the feel of a science fiction novel, but it's not based on the science of this world so it's therefore fantasy as such. I'm going to classify it as fantasy for now.<br /><br />This book moves from the gorgeous creation of a statue out of pions to the filth of the living conditions of those who must collect debris. In some ways this felt really surreal as you get acclimated to this future world yet magical feeling place. I think I enjoyed the sensation though.<br /><br />It managed to hit just the right combination of weirdly interesting that despite the main character being annoyingly clueless (or perhaps arrogant?) at points I ended up liking the story. I'm looking forward to more details about the world being fleshed since I feel like I have a sketch of the world that isn't quite colored in at this point.<br /><br />Star Rating: 3.5/5.0<br /><br />For an explanation of the Star Rating <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/10/star-ratings.html">go here</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/085766154X/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=085766154X&adid=0WCA8MCNZ7QJA8FQHXWQ&">Check out prices for Debris at Amazon</a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-16960311968515971142011-11-09T18:35:00.000-08:002011-11-09T19:15:34.682-08:00Third Sentence Thursday (#49- #??) is being hosted at Proud Book Nerd<div align="center"> <a href="http://proudbooknerd.com/2011/11/09/third-sentence-thursday-the-red-queen/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a><br />Heather from <a href="http://proudbooknerd.com/">Proud Book Nerd</a> has graciously offered to host Third Sentence Thursday while I take a break from blogging (if you don't know what I'm talking about <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/11/bad-excuses-break-and-like.html">go here</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://proudbooknerd.com/2011/11/09/third-sentence-thursday-the-red-queen/">Head on over to her place!</a><br /></div>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-25446887417875775402011-11-06T09:23:00.000-08:002011-11-13T17:50:58.909-08:00Bad Excuses, A Break, and the LikeYou may have noticed that in the past month reviews and posts in general have dropped off severely. I apologize for this lack of posting and such.<br /><br />The main reason this has happened was that I was in a bad reading slump all of October. I only managed to finish one book during October - <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-song-of-nile-cleopatras-daughter.html">Song of the Nile</a> - which was fantastic, but that doesn't get me anywhere in terms of reviews. This happened in part because school started up, and the full force of actual grad level courses hit me. Another reason was because my boyfriend and I started house hunting which has required a lot of meeting people, seeing places, and of course the surrounding research and learning. Also, I got slightly obsessed with a game called Glitch, and that turned out to be a free time suck of which I really didn't have much of to begin with.<br /><br />The final reason for the slump was really because reading has become a bit like a chore because of the reviews, which in combination with all the other things made me feel overly stressed. So, to remedy the situation:<br /><br />1) I have quit playing the game for the time being to free up time and energy to get back to reading because the lack of reading was definitely disturbing.<br /><br />2) I have decided to officially go on a break from the blog for the next month (incidentally this is about the time until my quarter ends). I will likely write a few reviews in this time, but I won't be posting them until I come back in December in order to give myself some cushion.<br /><br />3) There shall be giveaways to compensate for my absence when I come back in December. (there MIGHT be a Shatter Me giveaway just saying~~)<br /><br />4) Third Sentence Thursday will also be taking a break until I come back since I want this to be a complete break from the blog for awhile. Fear not though, it shall be back and better than ever. Edit: this is void. It is now being guest hosted over at <a href="http://proudbooknerd.com/">Proud Book Nerd</a>. There was an announcement about <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/11/third-sentence-thursday-49-is-being.html">that here</a>.Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-35962485166665377352011-11-04T15:54:00.000-07:002011-11-04T15:54:00.931-07:00Winners for Song of the Nile and Witchlanders!<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aMtPcDFBGXZVsO2jHIVXUJmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yThiutcv59k/TgJLKuU62tI/AAAAAAAACqg/x-FLGgvEuJw/s400/winners.gif" height="232" width="400" /></a><br /><br />First up is the winner of Witchlanders:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Julie W.!</span><br /><br />and the winner for Song of the Nile:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Caroline M.!</span></center><br />Congratulations ladies, your prizes should be on their way too you soon ^.^ As always, thank you to everyone who entered these giveaways!Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-12897857520946552352011-11-02T19:30:00.000-07:002011-11-02T19:33:16.605-07:00Third Sentence Thursday (#48)<div align="center"> <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a><br />Grab the Code</div><br /><div align="center"> <form><textarea rows="5" cols="15"><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a></textarea></form> </div><br /><br />Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to curl up with a good book and hot chocolate!<br /><br />1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence<br />2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)<br />3) Post a link to your sentence here (in the comments) or if you don't have a blog, just post it in the comments!<br /><br /><center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/dpTdODRftIJHZQlNLPi80pmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-DsTEYDEQSls/TrH9L3N9BGI/AAAAAAAAEbs/aigcdWIBKM4/s144/restoration%252520game.jpg" height="144" width="96" /></a></center><br /><b>"Cold." -The Restoration Game by Ken Macleod</b><br /><br />Wah! Very informative... as in not :(Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-58189030009796455452011-10-27T09:01:00.000-07:002011-11-02T00:23:26.408-07:00Review: Song of the Nile (Cleopatra's Daughter #2) by Stephanie Dray<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kMTqUUYHKmSCztIkmFVz4pmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AEwRWfonx0U/TjJE5CCC4rI/AAAAAAAAC7s/dQjUWOUqJLk/s288/song%252520of%252520the%252520nile.jpg" height="288" width="190" /></a></center><br />Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray<br /><br />Copy Courtesy of <a href="http://www.penguin.com/">Penguin</a> and <a href="http://www.stephaniedray.com/">Stephanie Dray</a><br />Already Released<br /><br />This is the second book in the series, and you should definitely check out the first - <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-lily-of-nile-cleopatras-daughter.html">Lily of the Nile</a> - if you haven't read it yet. This review may contain some spoilers if you haven't read the first yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Summary</span><br />Selene Cleopatra is now a young woman and about to be married off to a man not of her own choosing. The marriage means a throne of her own in Africa, but she still yearns for the throne of Egypt. What price will she be willing to pay to gain it?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Commentary</span><br />Banish any doubts you may have had about the sequel. It takes the momentum Dray built up in the second half of the last book, and continues it. What we end up with is a powerful and magical story that will grip you from beginning to end.<br /><br />Selene comes into her own as she discovers her own powers, and living through her joys, failures, and numerous sorrows is so vivid that I forgot about this time and place while reading. The supporting characters are very well fleshed out and added much to the story. The backdrop is well, stunning.<br /><br />I highly recommend Song of the Nile to you. It's a wonderful second book, and as I hear that there will be a third one, am eagerly awaiting it.<br /><br />Star Rating: 4.0/5.0<br /><br />For an explanation of the Star Rating <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/10/star-ratings.html">go here</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0425243044/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0425243044&adid=0KB19SYF8P155HPBZ464&">Check out prices for Song of the Nile at Amazon</a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-33666126793715929282011-10-26T19:30:00.000-07:002011-10-26T19:30:00.627-07:00Third Sentence Thursday (#47)<div align="center"> <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a><br />Grab the Code</div><br /><div align="center"> <form><textarea rows="5" cols="15"><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a></textarea></form> </div><br /><br />Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to curl up with a good book and hot chocolate!<br /><br />1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence<br />2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)<br />3) Post a link to your sentence here (in the comments) or if you don't have a blog, just post it in the comments!<br /><br /><center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rQSEUMZIGXURjCN9uAwib5mMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-71dA3FT3FSk/TqiIpsAsn2I/AAAAAAAAEaA/XjUcMfKvPGQ/s144/the%252520passage.jpg" height="144" width="95" /></a></center><br /><b>"The day Amy was born, her mother, Jeannette, was nineteen years old." -The Passage by Justin Cronin</b><br /><br />Nineteen is not very old to be having a child. At least, not in modern times, and this book takes place now-ish. It just doesn't bode well, and while I wish Jeannette and Amy the best of luck, I can't help but think this won't end well.Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-57052143644364501492011-10-26T15:10:00.000-07:002011-11-02T10:33:43.497-07:00Interview With Stephanie Dray (w/ Giveaway!)Today I would like to welcome back Stephanie Dray, the FIRST author I EVER interviewed on this blog! Her new book Song of the Nile is out, and she's back to talk about it ^.^ I'm super excited. BTW, you can read my review of the first book in the series <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-lily-of-nile-cleopatras-daughter.html">Lily of the Nile</a>, as well as my <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/11/interview-with-stephanie-dray.html">previous interview</a> with her ^.^ Also, the if you noticed the title I said GIVEAWAY that's right! ^.^ Keep reading for the details<br /><br /><center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kMTqUUYHKmSCztIkmFVz4pmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AEwRWfonx0U/TjJE5CCC4rI/AAAAAAAAC7s/dQjUWOUqJLk/s400/song%252520of%252520the%252520nile.jpg" height="400" width="264" /></a></center><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">The BIO</span></center><br />Stephanie graduated with a degree in Government from Smith, a small women’s college in Massachusetts where–to the consternation of her devoted professors–she was unable to master Latin. However, her focus on Middle Eastern Studies gave her a deeper understanding of the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion.<br /><br />Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has–to the consternation of her devoted husband–collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.<br /><br /><center><b>The INTERVIEW</b></center><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fhnDgRpwRDzA3dxMxMksA5mMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0E25aIQxN5W3tTpXdDWMii7A_mXawtgbpsjQ4qrqwMf62uGOVGK6_FQB-GNf-1S-mNIll-RNJgUB65Wztkg_ApwrnuTEtNF_aSRSmyoVCWxCtNG0utbjDdZyphuFav260LGH5NeGgZ8/s800/Stephanie%252520Dray%252520Headshot%2525202.jpg" height="311" width="240" align="left"/></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">1) I was completely sucked in by Song of the Nile, and I wonder how hard of a book this was to write? And/or in what ways was it the same or different from the other books you have written?</span><br /><br />I have to tell you, this book almost killed me to write. I didn’t think it would be hard because I had almost fifty thousand words already written when it sold. But I soon realized that most of that had to be tossed away--that the real story was still about Selene’s twisted relationship with the emperor. I was also suffering from a serious crisis of confidence because I knew that this book was going to be darker and more controversial. In the end though, it made me cry, and I think that’s always a good thing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2) In your afterword of Song of the Nile, you talk about the historical facts versus what changes and spaces you filled in. How did you balance the real versus storyteller's freedom?</span><br /><br />My first duty is as a storyteller. I’m not a biographer. And frankly, historians would have a difficult time writing a biography about Cleopatra Selene because the evidence of her life is so fragmentary. However, the implications of those little historical snippets were too delicious to deny Selene her day in the sun. She spent most of her life without being able to voice her true feelings. I hoped to honor her by giving her a voice with which to speak to women today. I do a lot of research to make sure that if I am deviating from history, I’m doing so with a very clear purpose. For example, we don’t know what happened to Selene’s twin brother Helios, but he’s a very important character in my novels because of what he represents to her.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3) What happened to Helios after his disappearance in Lily of the Nile? I'm curious because while there are mentions of Helios in Song of the Nile, his story isn't anywhere near as fleshed out as Selene's. Basically, can there be a story of his journeys?</span><br /><br />Assuming that Helios is actually alive, and not a spiritual manifestation of Selene’s darkest needs, I would love to do a story on his journeys during this time period. Can you imagine the exotic travels through Arabia and Kush? I can! Not to mention the fact that the Mediterranean was a wild and wooly place of piracy in those days and Helios would have been in the thick of all of that. I think you should talk to my agent; she would like to hear this idea you have for some side projects for me!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Sniffly Kitty: I would totally tell her that I want to see this story written. HEY STEPHANIE'S AGENT HELIOS' STORY = AWESOME SIDE PROJECT!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4) What was it like to do some tough things to your characters? The last book definitely saw some of that, but I feel there are definitely rougher moments in this book?</span><br /><br />Some very bad things happen to my characters in this book and they hurt me to write them. What made it harder is that Selene is so overwhelmed with loss at some point that she can’t even cry anymore. And I thought about that--what it might feel like to lose someone you love and not even be able to cry at their funeral. For those periods of depression, I had to draw from a very dark place. The saving grace is that Cleopatra Selene triumphed over these tragedies in her life and I think we can all take inspiration from that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5) Will there be more books in this vein from you? And any details you are allowed to share would be appreciated.</span><br /><br />I have just accepted an offer for the third and final book in the trilogy, so I’d better get to work on writing it! This last one will cover Selene’s life as a mother, and the legacy she will leave behind in her children and in her kingdom. And of course, throughout the empire...<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Sniffly Kitty: OOh, I didn't realize there would be a third book! I'm super excited ^.^</span><br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">The BOOK</span></center><br />Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter has become the emperor’s most unlikely apprentice and the one woman who can destroy his empire…<br /><br />Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.<br /><br />Forced to marry a man of the emperor’s choosing, Selene will not allow her new husband to rule in her name. She quickly establishes herself as a capable leader in her own right and as a religious icon. Beginning the hard work of building a new nation, she wins the love of her new subjects and makes herself vital to Rome by bringing forth bountiful harvests.<br /><br />But it’s the magic of Isis flowing through her veins that makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay?<br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">The GIVEAWAY!</span></center><br />Deets:<br />1. Giveaway of 1 Brand Spanking New Copy of Song of the Nile, direct from the publishers to you!<br />2. You refers to 1 person who is chosen at random!<br />3. Also refers to US & Canada residents only (sorry other folks)<br />4. Fill out the giveaway form below!<br />5. Do 1 of the following (bonus points for doing multiple): <br /> - Subscribe to her <a href="http://www.stephaniedray.com/news/">newsletter</a><br /> - Follow her on <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/stephaniehdray">Twitter</a><br /> - Like/Fan her <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Dray-Author-of-Historical-Fiction/166699210013192">Facebook Page</a><br />6. Giveaway is open until Nov 2, 2011 (that's next Wednesday)<br />7. Must be over 13 to enter.<br /><br /><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dDNEeG1GRFFnZGhXeWxXZ0xCSzFINEE6MQ" width="700" height="723" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-29199707392316842392011-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-25T09:00:02.243-07:00Review: Mastiff (Beka Cooper #3) by Tamora Pierce<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rSJcheUf70UTNfotTcYawJmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PFsputg3NIY/TnqJP9j_ntI/AAAAAAAADpE/hxyhyBCWIAw/s288/mastiff.jpg" height="288" width="195" /></a></center><br />Mastiff by Tamora Pierce<br /><br />Copy Courtesy of <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/">Random House</a><br />Release Date: TODAY!!!<br /><br />This is the third book in this series and there may be some spoilers if you haven't read the previous 2 books (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13829.Terrier">Terrier</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/153779.Bloodhound">Bloodhound</a>), but honestly these stories are pretty standalone so you shouldn't worry too much.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Summary</span><br />The ultimate task for the best tracker team in the kingdom: Beka and her dog Achoo. The prince has disappeared, and the kingdom is in grave danger unless Beka can track him down. The trail though is a treacherous one, and there will be many twists, turns, and surprises.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Commentary</span><br />I'm still squee-ing over having gotten my hands on this book. I may in fact be a bit of a fangirl... tiny teeny HUGE bit. As was decided when I featured this for a <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/09/third-sentence-thursday-43.html">Third Sentence Thursday</a>, this series is grittier than some of Pierce's other works, but it's still got the Pierce touch.<br /><br />I took this book with me on my trip to Taiwan, and I kept wanting to read instead of going off and doing things. I was definitely surprised by how the hunt for the prince turned out, which was yay ^.^ and filled with lots of tense moments. I was able to slide into this story faster than the others perhaps because I've gotten used to the slang of Beka's day.<br /><br />I think this was a great last book for this trilogy, and it satisfies much better than the Protector of the Small series (in my opinion anyway). I also love how this story wraps back around to George Cooper since we started with a small vignette from his home life at the beginning of the series. So, what are you waiting for? Go get it ^.^<br /><br />Star Rating: 4.0/5.0<br /><br />For an explanation of the Star Rating <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/10/star-ratings.html">go here</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0375814701/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0375814701&adid=1VNC3BF4YKN3MQ10Q3M7&">Check out prices for Mastiff at Amazon</a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-16716354858459714342011-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:002011-10-20T10:58:00.849-07:00Witch Eyes Sequel!!<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CLwP5UJqBd76_DIY8oZ8F5mMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP99ZHk5L7zwa8nQayhf1Bz2TCaTegu9P2JaNY-ggHqAWFaMP_PeqwXe7Nc-9A4ZgDOQ6c1qYX1YW8_lXiGwt46kV8ANjxFUPuR2TbnhiFrWCFyUcmIf16ojAH5_JmX19npdriKjJ26c8/s400/witch%252520eyes%252520s.JPG" height="400" width="261" /></a></center><br />There was a TON of buzz for Witch Eyes when it came out. I will admit that I haven't read it yet, but then that's the case for so many books that I'm going to skip the being embarrassed about it part. ANYWAY, apparently there is now a deal in place for the sequel which shall be called Phantom Eyes although there is no release guess. For the official announcement, head on over to <a href="http://scott-tracey.com/2011/10/20/new-deal-announchttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifement/">Scott Tracey's blog</a>.Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-76516751468314044252011-10-19T21:10:00.000-07:002011-10-19T21:14:54.377-07:00Third Sentence Thursday (#46)<div align="center"> <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a><br />Grab the Code</div><br /><div align="center"> <form><textarea rows="5" cols="15"><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a></textarea></form> </div><br /><br />Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to sculpts castles out of clouds!<br /><br />1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence<br />2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)<br />3) Post a link to your sentence here (in the comments) or if you don't have a blog, just post it in the comments!<br /><br /><center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kMTqUUYHKmSCztIkmFVz4pmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AEwRWfonx0U/TjJE5CCC4rI/AAAAAAAAC7s/dQjUWOUqJLk/s144/song%252520of%252520the%252520nile.jpg" height="144" width="95" /></a></center><br /><b>"As morning broke, I surveyed the middling monuments that blanketed Rome's seven hills." -Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray</b><br /><br />The backdrop of ROME, but the imagery of monuments being middling. There seems to be some disdain for them as we understand the monuments that stand in Rome are quite impressive (or well at least I think so anyway). What could this possibly mean?!Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-59427544770598673722011-10-18T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-18T09:00:05.394-07:00Review: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qSF4mOP4K0imX819qhr0jZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nyZ4RV9SLYc/Tn0ccXu73YI/AAAAAAAAD_I/4Erx_mWuKmc/s288/crossed.jpg" height="288" width="191" /></a></center><br />Crossed by Ally Condie<br /><br />Copy Courtesy of <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/publishers/adult/dutton.html">Penguin USA (Dutton)</a><br />Release Date: November 1, 2011<br /><br />This is the second book in this series so this may contain some spoilers if you haven't read the first (Matched) yet. If you haven't yet, you can check out <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/10/review-matched-matched-1.html">my review of the first book</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Summary</span><br />Cassia is out in the Outer Provinces in search of Ky. Ky is in the Outer Provinces being constantly bombarded by the Enemy. The two will journey through this new land, and mayhaps, if fate lines up just so, they will be able to find each other once more.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Commentary</span><br />There is a lyrical quality to Ally's writing which just sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading this book. It's just so beautiful that I can't help liking it, and it really makes the story go by without even realizing it.<br /><br />There is lots more world-building in this second story, and it's woven into the character narration very naturally. While there will likely be only one more book in this series, I do hope there's more to discover yet.<br /><br />My only real critique of this book is that there is somehow a lack of depth to what is going as though there weren't really strong emotions evoked even when the characters are in danger. Granted, I did worry for them so perhaps it wasn't that bad. I look forward to reading the next book ^.^<br /><br />Star Rating: 4.0/5.0<br /><br />For an explanation of the Star Rating <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/10/star-ratings.html">go here</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525423656/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0525423656&adid=1WXHHQBTYKAS99MWZ2ZD&">Check out prices for Crossed at Amazon</a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-42807911391648812292011-10-14T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-14T09:00:06.267-07:00Review: Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fSm4KT0cbkPhpqZIGyWf_pmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AizXYZgqG3o/TkmEZfNphqI/AAAAAAAADBg/pSy7AcLHfFM/s288/legend.jpg" height="288" width="192" /></a></center>
<br />Legend by Marie Lu
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<br />Copy Courtesy of <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/publishers/yr/putnam.html">Putnam Juvenile (Division of Penguin)</a>
<br />Release Date: November 29, 2011
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Summary</span>
<br />June is a prodigy groomed for the highest echelons of the military. Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal. When Day is accused of killing June's brother, June sets out to bring Day down. Things though aren't all they seem to be in the Republic, and June's quest will change her perspective on everything.
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<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Commentary</span>
<br />Yeah, yeah, I know, it's another dystopian book, but this one is pretty good. It's written in dual-narrative with alternating chapters between June and Day. Some people have said that the printing of the two characters with different colors is distracting, but I liked it since it was a very visual indicator of the switch between narrators.
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<br />Pacing was pretty quick although perhaps because of the moments each chapter ends at (lots of mini-cliff hangers) it didn't feel like it went too fast because you had to wait for the juicy parts even if only for a chapter. I also have a certain liking for child geniuses so even though they have a lot of talents and there may be cries of Mary Su and such, I enjoyed it because the premise for their many talents was established to my satisfaction.
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<br />It's light on the romance, which I liked although this may be disappointing to some, and the fleshing out of the world was sprinkled in throughout the book, which gave a sense of complexity without being overwhelmed with information. I, for one, am looking forward to the next book.
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<br />Star Rating: 4.0/5.0
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<br />For an explanation of the Star Rating <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/10/star-ratings.html">go here</a>.
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<br /><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/039925675X/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=039925675X&adid=07G3YACEMJGY914DP5W3&">Check out prices for Legend at Amazon</a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-22802485947946381662011-10-13T16:02:00.000-07:002011-10-13T16:10:02.341-07:00Mississippi's Quiet Banning of AbortionI read this from <a href="http://tammypierce.livejournal.com/58312.html">Tamora Pierce's blog</a> that there is a tiny little amendment to the Mississippi constitution making its way through the legislature that is pushing for designation of life at fertilization. Thus, making an abortion classed as a murder, which is wrong.<br /><br />"Amendment 26. This is . . . truly frightening. In the Mississippi legislature a movement is afoot to make life a legal construct that begins at--fertilization. This is not a joke. I spent a good chunk of today searching the Intertubes because I was positive it had to be a foolie, in part because I could find no mention of it on the main pages for NOW and NARAL. The whole subject is operating under the radar, which is nervous-making, because the people who support this say they have petitions ready for a lot of other states. Because they say they had 30,000 signatures more than they needed to get this on the fall ballot. Because they say they can use this to overturn Roe v. Wade." -Tamora Pierce<br /><br />Basically, I want to put this on your radar. Take a look at <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/mississippi-attorney-generals-office-stop-the-policing-of-womens-bodily-autonomy-stop-amendment-26">this petition</a> if you are opposed to this.Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-34051083436036906022011-10-13T16:00:00.000-07:002011-10-13T16:02:21.501-07:00Third Sentence Thursday Fail!<div align="center"> <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a></div><br /><br />Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which follows dragons into dungeons!<br /><br />Sorry that there wasn't a TST today >.< This was definitely a kitty fail. It shall be back next week!Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-41804714920286230462011-10-07T17:05:00.000-07:002011-10-07T17:05:00.679-07:00A 'Commercial' For Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow<center><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/29103744?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/groups/108188/videos/29103744">Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow - Our Lady of Villains Commercial</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/candlewick">Candlewick Press</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p></center><br />Ok, normally I don't share videos because I am not all that fond of them... mostly due to the fact that I normally don't have earphones plugged in. Before you comment further, no I also can't just play it on my laptop speakers due to the more 'public area' nature of where I normally computer at (yes, I've turned computer into a word).<br /><br />This video though had that strange computer generated voice that for some reason I really like (possibly due to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_(video_game)">Portal</a>) that I am sharing it with you now. This is considered a 'commercial' for Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow by Daniel Nayeri rather than a trailer and is one of several which can be found <a href="http://vimeo.com/groups/strawwoodbrickhouseblow">here</a>.<br /><br />Hope you guys enjoy it ^.^Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-45519689692350126112011-10-06T19:38:00.000-07:002011-10-06T19:38:22.068-07:00Book Blog Hop and Follow Friday (Oct 7)<center><a href="http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/07/book-blogger-hop-722-725.html"><img src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" alt="Book Blogger Hop" height="150" width="150" /></a></center><br />Welcome from Book Blog Hop hosted by <a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/">Crazy for Books</a> and Follow Friday hosted by <a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a> and <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a>!<br /><br />Coming Soon<br /><br />Some Stuff You May Be Interested In:<br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/10/witchlanders-giveaway.html">WITCHLANDERS GIVEAWAY!!</a><br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/10/today-i-am-sad.html">The Sadness of Bookswap Shutting Down</a><br /><br />Reviews You May Have Missed:<br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-witchlanders-witchlanders-1-by.html">Witchlanders by Lena Coakley</a><br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-wisdoms-kiss-by-catherine.html">Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock</a><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/search/label/FF" target="_blank" ><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4710921228_e3140444bf_o.png" height=250 /></a></center><br />If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?<br /><br />I think I've answered this question in a different form, but basically I don't think I'd really want to swap places. I'm pretty happy with the way my life is. Sure, I often don't get along with my parents, and there are days I wish that I could just read all day. Granted, I'm not sure there's a hero/heroine out there that just reads all day anyway heh~~Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-59433262154583852902011-10-05T21:35:00.000-07:002011-10-05T21:44:01.557-07:00Third Sentence Thursday (#45)<div align="center"> <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a><br />Grab the Code</div><br /><div align="center"> <form><textarea rows="5" cols="15"><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Third Sentence Thursday" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN7VLa1dhdv6_Tz-fEshc6Xhbl85L9TC2UOs3PCdkYC8jsMZ1Kv2X-XOBX-8un1ivmPHfN7J7lWSORUVdZqO7Aaa-bb9y_HotDHdsVkQfhgOSUmtXTqB1KtDt4EHuUTGaG7soFSvAxWc/s800/thirdsthursday1d2%252520%252528Custom%252529.png"/></a></textarea></form> </div><br /><br />Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to sculpts castles out of clouds!<br /><br />1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence<br />2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)<br />3) Post a link to your sentence here (in the comments) or if you don't have a blog, just post it in the comments!<br /><br /><center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/o9Y-VThML5xoyzpgvAvCnZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-buIsOm6lXrg/To0weuMZi9I/AAAAAAAAEX8/efwS2ZwDlJQ/s288/revisionists.jpg" height="288" width="185" /></a></center><br /><b>"People on the sidewalk barely gave them a glance." -The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen</b><br /><br />Either we're in a busy city, or these people are very sneaky. Why does the narrator about the people on the sidewalk? Do they want to be superstars? Maybe this is a book about superstars FROM THE FUTURE or well ok probably not... ^.^Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-45287183634408365902011-10-04T09:00:00.001-07:002011-10-04T09:00:03.134-07:00Witchlanders Giveaway ^.^<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OMDqkg-v8XCkmms1bIj7cZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHKxZQVVSAm-O53NoNopXGPIAoTLMop4_v0vg5NyL83bnuixMvvpCCaLol474EEK1a5B1-dvnOh6KPdqxkj90rKV9OM97cb-OYAB_usgtgMC1MTp0myuuoQ02YyXMuR5h4CrQUkc4-Rk/s400/witchlanders.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></center><br />So, I really liked <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1442420049/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1442420049&adid=1HZVBWJ8XT1V1VZCR2WF&">Witchlanders by Lena Coakley</a>, which you might have noticed if you read <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-witchlanders-witchlanders-1-by.html">my review</a> of it yesterday. Anyway, I'm giving away my gently used review copy so that someone else can experience the awesomeness ^.^<br /><br />Rules:<br />1. US only<br />2. Fill out the form below to enter<br />3. You must be 13 or older<br />4. Contest ends Oct 16, 2011 at 11:59 pm<br />5. If you win, you will have 72 hours to respond to the email. If no response is received, a new winner will be picked.<br />6. Also, if package is damaged in transit, I will be super sad but I can't be responsible >.<<br /><br /><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dFhwQlhQYUdDdHRUM01WWi1Vam8wRHc6MQ" width="700" height="550" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-19662160854119968012011-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-04T07:00:06.249-07:00Song of the Nile Released!<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kMTqUUYHKmSCztIkmFVz4pmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AEwRWfonx0U/TjJE5CCC4rI/AAAAAAAAC7s/dQjUWOUqJLk/s400/song%252520of%252520the%252520nile.jpg" height="400" width="264" /></a></center><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10345582-song-of-the-nile">Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray</a> comes out today ^.^ You can get a copy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0425243044/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0425243044&adid=13H3VYA55WE00ZQBMQC9&">here</a>! (if you're so inclined)Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-65708384628566383292011-10-04T00:01:00.000-07:002011-10-04T00:01:00.446-07:00Winners of Song of the Nile Swag Giveaway!<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aMtPcDFBGXZVsO2jHIVXUJmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yThiutcv59k/TgJLKuU62tI/AAAAAAAACqg/x-FLGgvEuJw/s400/winners.gif" height="232" width="400" /></a></center><br />Our marvelous winners are:<br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Holly<br />Vivien<br />Kitty B.<br />and Erin L.!</span></center><br />I will send out the swag packs soon ^.^Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-83435569175426572812011-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-03T09:00:05.791-07:00Review: Witchlanders (Witchlanders #1) by Lena Coakley<center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OMDqkg-v8XCkmms1bIj7cZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHKxZQVVSAm-O53NoNopXGPIAoTLMop4_v0vg5NyL83bnuixMvvpCCaLol474EEK1a5B1-dvnOh6KPdqxkj90rKV9OM97cb-OYAB_usgtgMC1MTp0myuuoQ02YyXMuR5h4CrQUkc4-Rk/s288/witchlanders.jpg" height="288" width="191" /></a></center><br />Witchlanders by Lena Coakley<br /><br />Coy Courtesy of <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/">Simon and Schuster</a> and <a href="http://lenacoakley.com/">Lena Coakley</a><br />Already Released<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Summary</span><br />Ryder doesn't believe that the witches really have any magic. After all his mother always said so, and she used to to be a witch. Now though, she may be changing her story, and Ryder is about to be caught up in a terrible prophecy.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Commentary</span><br />Why aren't there more books like this in YA right now? WHY?! I would read them; I would read all of them. I want to thank Lena for writing this, and then persevering to get it published because this is the epic fantasy YA I've been waiting for.<br /><br />Ryder is a somewhat selfish at times teenage boy who is really trying to do his best for his family while things fall apart, and he feels real. It also helps that there's magic being thrown around as well as an age old feud between countries thrown in for good measure. I also feel like we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of what this magic system can do, and I'm really excited to see what else there is to it.<br /><br />Witchlanders is epic while maintaining a feeling of a personal journey. I can see some of you thinking that this book moves a bit slowly, but it shouldn't all just be about action, there's a great story being told here so sit back and enjoy the ride.<br /><br />Star Rating: 4.5/5.0<br /><br />For an explanation of the Star Rating <a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2010/10/star-ratings.html">go here</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1442420049/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=snifkitt-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1442420049&adid=0FRZZ7XYC8VKFBM8R56R&">Check out prices for Witchlanders at Amazon</a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-75756923295549195442011-10-02T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-02T08:00:06.736-07:00Books! Books! Books!<center><a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/2011/06/in-my-mailbox-127.html"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KiL8SP0CJiI/TVcXZswin0I/AAAAAAAACqg/yrwwikIU-rw/s288/IMM.jpg" width="250" /></a><br />Hosted by <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/2011/06/in-my-mailbox-127.htm">The Story Siren</a></center><br />So it is time again to give the books/swag I've received in the mail some publicity ^.^ I realized that I had left out some books last week so those are thrown in with this week's batch.<br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Books Received For Review</span><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XwHQGieTLujnwmI56bNr5ZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IATb_L_SDls/TogLE9bdMLI/AAAAAAAAEW4/0w3rf7DVOZ8/s640/2011-10-01_23-09-14_946.jpg" height="573" /></a></center><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6420846-lockdown">Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith</a><br />-A prison for kids. Scary place.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10768183-children-of-paranoia">Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane</a><br />-An ageless War and an assassin that is employed by those running it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10836813-the-time-in-between">The Time in Between by María Dueñas</a><br />-A couture designer gets caught up in politics<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6715235-the-faerie-ring">The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton</a><br />-The setting is Victoria London, and there is a faerie ring, which leads to trouble.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11291858-the-restoration-game">The Restoration Game by Ken MacLeod</a><br />-Political games for which affect the real world are afoot in a virtual world<br /><br /><center><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ebooks!</span><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/D6X16iEY1uKUGt-HuFCwgJmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4iGxGfZh8i0/ToOI1r2QIeI/AAAAAAAAEVo/4M0f_aBCVjE/s288/true%252520north.jpg" height="288" width="192" /></a> <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6YY7szGdsiXgS-uFO8_ozZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gvaWjzjUexA/TogN9or2vNI/AAAAAAAAEXE/6pNxHBEVh4Q/s288/lovesome%252520thing.JPG" height="288" width="192" /></a></center><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12591648-true-north">True North by Christina Trujillo</a><br />-A sexy werewolf and some dead bodies = mystery.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12746868-a-lovesome-thing">A Lovesome Thing by Patricia Bowne</a><br />-Spring break for the Demonology department means interesting things.Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-75679566123119940122011-10-02T00:46:00.000-07:002011-10-02T00:52:12.997-07:00Contest Craze - CollectionsMini Challenge for <a href="http://www.princessbookie.com">Princess Bookie's</a> Contest Craze on Things I collect<br /><br />I actually collect stamps, but my collection is far away at my parents' home because I didn't bring it with me to college. After college, it was still too much of a hassle to bring it over here so.. we'll see if I ever manage to have it in a place I'm living. Maybe it will happen next year.<br /><br />At any rate, this also means I don't have any pictures of the collection :( One of my favorite in the collection are the Celebrate the Century stamps which the United States Postal Service issued to commemorate the 20th century. There is a sample from that series below:<br /><br /><center><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QKO1CzV4COwS9J5pggibj5mMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GA_gVH_4cXw/TogXdlwB9kI/AAAAAAAAEXk/RWpSSrB3rbM/s800/504px-Celebrate_Century_1900_1998.jpg" height="599" width="504" /></a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1654077885966809906.post-23833537870458794502011-10-02T00:37:00.000-07:002011-10-02T00:44:54.329-07:00Contest Craze - 5 Favorite BooksMini Challenge for <a href="http://www.princessbookie.com">Princess Bookie's</a> Contest Craze on the 5 Favorite Books of 2011<br /><br /><center><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-sleight-of-hand.html">Sleight of Hand by Peter S. Beagle (click for my review)</a><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aaWxujOwwqK7jUJ69vjJQJmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LAprY5729V4/TW27aPu-iAI/AAAAAAAACqg/bEOpl5Cu5bE/s800/sleight%252520of%252520hand.jpg" height="192" width="128" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-among-thieves-tale-of-kin.html">Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick (click for my review)</a><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VfoL8WZWA1EGJYS155YFzpmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYd7J5W1eiX1gTcxXVGXoKZLDFK1F-0Z54_xy8ROIaceyS5M_TTlZyqdh59ZhkVenbDOWAlN4kgLGo61UCK0V5ELDIS_fPUQnnoXl0mtMXGMgH0x_aAad6RkooqTbvWWKpiyJ7TWtDZJs/s800/among%252520thieves.jpg" height="193" width="120" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-dragons-egg-by-robert-l-forward.html">Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward (click for my review)</a><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0_77kcaLsT7ZRyV-J5fuo5mMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WzNQk8BWvZw/TmMAwbKy66I/AAAAAAAADm0/_0pCpm-KbJ8/s288/dragons%252520egg.jpg" height="288" width="181" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-fuzzy-nation-by-john-scalzi.html">Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi (click for my review)</a><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YtlWmYrlw-mYrPkapm2lUZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEMegysERv4GTyYEfCdhOL3EbBkvuNszUyiFs31gG5sVtWl7xjS7VJ7PLP82NUP44BYn493r3ZtHAanhOkm61nvs5eyvlWN2ZSISN6qoyA9ABM5At_nsCK1A0ysDWDN0KlFdvdpLveLk/s288/fuzzy%252520nation.jpg" height="288" width="192" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://snifflykitty.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-wintergirls.html">Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (click for my review)</a><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/L3ouxT_XVorsYNAafD9X8ZmMAdujZZaQwav_66rDrjI?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1kg1gURj_6I/TZ3lYjYC--I/AAAAAAAACqg/ueMyyDgdeyM/s288/wintergirls.jpg" height="288" width="190" /></a></center>Sniffly Kittyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16625818304443563472noreply@blogger.com0