tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67393199821900771812024-03-05T16:59:30.021-05:00Witchy Books NetworkBecause we all need a little magic...witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-56204968496681880152011-03-20T14:00:00.036-04:002011-03-20T14:00:01.629-04:00The Secret Circle Trilogy by L.J. Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Circle-Initiation-Captive-Part/dp/0061670855?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvUUfdQW7rEbtIFN_7iXmDRhw3Fv7ox4keIel0hoDJOxUjWopVrWWsbGUmk8LWkTPmE2O0fXi3Z7-OcPUfA1K0sqQQZp6MbcKkxz_wU8TpXMitt3PsKK237iMfNIezfuTYujEqH3DKzZ3/s320/secretcircle1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Circle-Captive-Power-Harper/dp/0061671355?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGluOp_aRzI2qNdNSf7j7bUE5zCeHT5EPo9N3fbgNhMoDoWZxdZhKbHxSrvnWjOZ1Vo5xgR6RAIIh99ythOxdYY9BEslKieNk0tzqtFOvyUO2MHhmNrvrHzNYFNpF6mmhc3tnK-mgGMQd/s320/secretcircle2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Cassie Blake is devastated when her summer vacation in Massachusetts is made permanent when her mother insists they have to move in with her grandmother in small town New Salem. But her disappointment soon gives way to shock when she encounters The Club at school--the elite clique that even the teachers submit to. But the biggest shock isn't that they're witches, it's that Cassie is actually one of them. Soon she is locked in an internal struggle between those who use their powers for good and for evil, and she soon discovers that the decision is not as easy as it seems. When a centuries-old evil starts to infiltrate their coven and tries to bring them all under its control, Cassie finds herself with choices to make, and one wrong step could spell doom to all.<br />
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I was going to review these one volume at a time (the "trilogy" is currently packaged into two volumes), but I could not put them down! L.J. Smith does some fantastic world building and the story ensnared me. The tension between the major characters is fantastic-- it's very refreshing to read a series where a coven isn't held together by "perfect love and perfect trust", but is held together mainly by heritage. This leads to a lot of power plays and emotional mainipulation, which is so relatable and a large part of why I couldn't stop reading-- I had to make sure my favorite characters were going to be alright!<br />
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My favorite part of the series, though, was the love triad of Cassie, Diana, and Adam. I say "triad" instead of "triangle" because despite the competing romantic interests of the three, they remain a cohesive unit bound by love and friendship between all of them. (I almost get the sense that Smith wanted to set-up a three-way, polyamorous relationship, but wasn't allowed to or didn't think she could get away with it.) It is a much healthier take on a dynamic that flourishes in YA lit these days. It's also just far more interesting and heart-wrenching to see three people who love and respect each other deal with this issue, instead of the typical tug-of-war of one person between two people who hate each other.<br />
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Of course, the witchy aspect is what we're here for, and Smith pulls it off brilliantly! She sets up a complex internal mythology that has endless potential for expansion (which I expect to see on the TV show!) And even though they originally came out almost 20 years ago, this series holds up remarkably well (only the characters' birthdates really threw me). The writing can be a little melodramatic at times, but it did its job of roping me in! Pick it up!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" /></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-6085750049743302362011-03-13T14:36:00.000-04:002011-03-13T14:36:03.370-04:00Old Magic by Marianne Curley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Old-Magic-Marianne-Curley/dp/1416989919?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHAF31GaQoavGvScWSLLVY3TpGHGXcm5JjAW-8r1ex4K3pwKdE_h97XmcAFZ4W5ZSfm312f_DbdGT8DIZLNm5_4TzhF5pr7Jj0x7yW_ipivjUL9j461Dd7o8yKq_waV95ksBv3wT30CWL/s200/a.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>When a freak storm happens <i>inside</i> their classroom on Jarrod Thornton's first day at his new school, resident "freak" Kate Warren has her suspicions. When an earthquake hits <i>just </i>the local cafe-hangout when Jarrod is there, Kate is absolutely sure. Jarrod has magical powers, just as Kate and her grandmother Jillian do. Seeing how ostracized Kate and Jillian are in their town, Jarrod is not eager to associate with her, especially since he doesn't believe in magic and that's all Kate wants to talk to him about. And besides, if he has magical powers, then why is he--and his entire family--so unlucky? For Kate the answer is obvious: the Thorton family is cursed. Jarrod categorically rejects the idea at first, but after digging into his family history, he finds the theory impossible to ignore. And when tragedy strikes, he cannot resist Kate's offers to help end the curse once and for all.<br />
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I loved the dynamic of this book. The chapters alternate between Jarrod and Kate's POVs, which not only gives you a greater view of the plot, but also allows both leads the chance to develop. Curley nails the nuances of human interaction, how people perceive each other, how they act outwardly towards each other as opposed to how they actually feel.<br />
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The plot was filled with good ideas, but it kind of fell apart for me in a few places--but to its credit, a lot of that had to do with how I felt about the characters. For example, when Kate and Jarrod go back in time to break the curse, I felt like there were too many characters and things going on that blotted out a lot of what I loved about their relationship. However, it was still an engaging, perfectly-paced story. As a history nut, I was totally hooked by the setting of Thorntyne Castle, and I really appreciate how much thought Curley put into the complexities of time travel. A great read!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Helvetica,FreeSans,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" /></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-82723024884706708712011-02-06T13:04:00.001-05:002011-03-14T21:33:51.176-04:00WBN Tumblr Auxiliary!So I haven't been around--eep! My school year has been hectic, and even my winter break wasn't much of one. And while I'm not sure if I'll be able to return to full-on blogging anytime soon, I decided to do the next best thing. I started a <a href="http://witchybooks.tumblr.com/">Witchy Books Network Tumblr</a>! Tumblr is a bit easier to keep up with, and I'll be better able to do a greater variety of posts. I'll still post reviews (when I get around to doing more) on this blog, but the Tumblr will have a lot of great stuff on it too. Go follow me there!witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-30256473689027481892010-10-21T18:55:00.002-04:002010-10-21T18:56:35.496-04:00SWEEP: The Movie!In case you haven't already heard, <a href="http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026040.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&ref=vertfilm">Universal Studios has bought the rights to adapt <em>Sweep</em> to the big screen</a>! Cate herself is, understandably, <a href="http://catetiernan.org/sweep-the-movie/">excited</a>, especially that they have hired screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, who previously adapted another magic-themed book, <em>Chocolat</em>. <br />
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So, I figure now's a good time to remind you that <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142417173?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142417173">Sweep: Volume I</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thecir-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142417173" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></em>, collecting <em>Book of Shadows</em>, <em>The Coven</em>, and <em>Blood Witch</em> is out on all bookshelves now. And that <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sweep-Dark-Magick-Awakening-Spellbound/dp/0142418978?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sweep: Volume II</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0142418978" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></em> (<em>Dark Magick</em>, <em>Awakening</em>,<em> </em>and <em>Spellbound</em>)<em> </em>is already on Wal-Mart shelves and will be hitting all bookstores on November 11th. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142419559?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142419559"><em>Sweep: Volume III</em></a> is slated for a February 3rd, 2011 release (though it will no doubt hit Wal-Mart earlier) and will collect <em>The Calling</em>, <em>Changeling</em>, and <em>Strife</em>.<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142419559" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><br />
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Also, let me point you to my rarely-viewed YouTube channel where I have a playlist for all the <em>Sweep</em> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/WitchyBooks#grid/user/CA125B0E5A411FA4">Dream Casts</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/WitchyBooks#grid/user/37D62054F327C544">Fan Trailers</a> I've found-- which have new relevance while we wait for more movie news!witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-55016308879321620602010-08-07T14:18:00.001-04:002010-08-07T14:20:10.253-04:00xxxHolic vol. 1 by CLAMP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/xxxHOLiC-1-Clamp/dp/0345470583?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFm_oTgap5jjcpgPLUmP0yD8hFfpa2SDZ9QHOUPlEbzmaK6G_KCvDH_BNxfXiFBRTEda1-A_XgH24NmyonS5tS0GUDr4H5Jdyu0TKT-IWyeWmDfqAGAXFQjp3jrCQjbzOtv_mBJQjuNYt/s200/51V8KFJKNWL.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>When he bumps into a garden wall, Watanuki Kimihiro's legs get a life of their own and lead him inside. There, he finds an enigmatic witch known as Yûko, and she tells him their meeting was fated. She grants wishes for a cost, and she knows his-- she will take away his burden of seeing spirits <i>after</i> he works off her price. He grudgingly accepts, but he is not prepared for he methods...<br />
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This was a great first volume for another series by the legendary mangaka collective CLAMP. The set-up is a little cliché and rushed, but it's worth it to start exploring Watanuki's character and Yûko's work. Contrary to all expectations, Yûko turns out not to be the kind of witch that grants every shallow wish, requiring steep or ironic prices. Rather, she seeks out people who have wishes they're afraid to voice, and attempts to help them find the solutions they already know. This allows the creators to explore very down-to-earth problems and probe realistic psychological complexities, which I found very satisfying. And in seeing her work, I began to suspect she was offering Watanuki something else-- perhaps showing him what his powers can actually do.<br />
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A few peeves: CLAMP work in allusions to their other works that, while you don't need to know them to appreciate the story, do make the narrative hiccup. Also, there are a few Japanese puns that, rather than being explained in a footnote by the translator, are pushed to an appendix, leading to a delayed appreciation. But these are minor quibbles, and overall I would love to read the rest!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" /></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-46152342858218270362010-07-30T22:06:00.001-04:002010-07-31T10:50:37.293-04:00Hop and Follow! Plus In My Mailbox!<a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img alt="Book Blogger Hop" height="150" src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" width="150" /></a><a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/search/label/FF" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4710921228_bf32d46f6d_o.png" width="100" /></a><br />
It's Friday already! And I've done almost no reading this week which I am more upset about than is perhaps reasonable, if only because I hate having two of these posts in a row-- I like my variety! So anyway, I'm making this a combo-Friday hop'n'follow and an In My Mailbox. But first! The question of the week.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE NEW-TO-YOU AUTHOR SO FAR THIS YEAR?</b></div><br />
<b></b>This feels like such a cop-out because they wrote the last book I reviewed, but Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl! Basically all of the reasons can be found in my review of <i>Beautiful Creatures</i> .<br />
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Now my IMM:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20zdGs6h2tJFwbiSCD_sLGYRo_4hndk8v2mzMhyphenhyphenRg4MWhnjLFjCLYFND0mF2AaQyyIGzPzYgy89dyllu4LWXWhoXFaz24ObxIQNpmUKo1KoRTRo22j2_UiFIhiSt9i6kk4Q9xMC9EgXYM/s1600/imm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20zdGs6h2tJFwbiSCD_sLGYRo_4hndk8v2mzMhyphenhyphenRg4MWhnjLFjCLYFND0mF2AaQyyIGzPzYgy89dyllu4LWXWhoXFaz24ObxIQNpmUKo1KoRTRo22j2_UiFIhiSt9i6kk4Q9xMC9EgXYM/s320/imm2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Petty-Magic-Confessions-Harbinger-Troublemaker/dp/0307454231?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Petty Magic</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0307454231" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Camille DeAngelis. This is an ARC that Random House's <a href="http://read-it-forward.crownpublishing.com/">Read It Forward</a> program sent to me after finding me on Twitter! It's not YA, and it's not contemporary (which is what I lean towards here) but I had to read it once they pitched it to me. It's about a 150-year-old witch during WWII who entertains herself by de-aging herself and seducing young mortal men for one-night stands. But then she finds one who reminds her of the love of her life who may or may not be dead behind enemy lines. I love WWII stories, and to have one with witches is so fantastic!<br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Land-Winter-Richard-Grant/dp/0380791404?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">In the Land of Winter</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0380791404" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Richard Grant. Picked this up from BookMooch. Again, not YA, but it is contemporary. It's about a Wiccan mother who has her child taken away from her due to a combination of bigotry and panic over "ritual abuse." Stories about religious persecution, especially when it happens in less obvious contexts (<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Circle-Three-8-Five-Paths/dp/0064472981?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Five Paths</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0064472981" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </i>is my favorite Circle of Three book, go figure).<br />
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Anyway, these books are just a small part of my acknowledging that there a limited amount of Witchy YA books, so I am plenty prepared to start branching out into adult, MG and children's books too!</div>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-90393508924462555742010-07-23T04:06:00.003-04:002010-07-31T10:48:59.126-04:00Book Blogger Hop! Tres!<a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/search/label/FF" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4710921228_bf32d46f6d_o.png" width="100" /></a><a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img alt="Book Blogger Hop" height="150" src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" width="150" /></a> Here I am again! Unfortunately I already covered most of my news in my IMM! So I figured now was a good time to join the other weekend blog meme I've seen around-- <a href="http://parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee.com</a>'s Follow Friday. So, hello everyone Hopping and Following! Please poke around for a better idea of what I do. Hopefully you'll see something you like!<br />
<br />
Now, on to the Hop question:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!</b></div><br />
<b></b>Well, if my widget's anything to go by, I have four books going right now (oy!). But I'll just talk about the one I'm focusing on: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manifest-Kimani-Tru-Artist-Arthur/dp/037383196X?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Manifest</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=037383196X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Artist Arthur (great name!!). Basically, misfit girl sees a ghost who wants her to help him solve his murder. But soon after she's contacted by the ghost, she's contacted by two much stranger beings: a popular girl and and a punk guy who seem strangely interested in--and knowledgeable about--her M-shaped birthmark. I'm really enjoying it, even just five chapters in-- I can totally relate to Krystal's social plight, since I was very much an outcast in eighth grade. It's also the first book I've read for this blog that had an American lead of color (<i>Magic or Madness</i> had the half-Aborigine Reason, but I'm an American and "get" more about the American racial landscape--at least as much as I can as an upper-middle class white girl). Also, it's the first book for this blog by an author of color, which <i>really </i>makes me think...witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-90579314155541729042010-07-23T03:59:00.000-04:002010-07-23T03:59:53.203-04:00Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Caster Chronicles #1)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Creatures-Kami-Garcia/dp/0316042676?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdas2Hc2ZioA_7JFxKOfhPljmr-sQGLyIpNCB_P9V-KfDJubbIUZ4oGoBB_D4crQa4VPImYAm8myKlavFEkFagsqPBG5DFKCJLYlu7mJm37XJemwMcl2uNWGQPxgDVIOEdYLiJG0pZ_un/s200/Beautiful+Creatures+large.jpg" width="132" /></a>Ethan Wate is haunted by a strange song in his dreams, and he's enthralled by the beautiful girl with a crescent moon birthmark under her eye who seems to accompany it, but he shrugs them both off-- until he sees her on the first day of school playing that song in the music room. Her name is Lena Duchennes, and he soon discovers even weirder things about her: she drives a hearse, she's the town recluse's niece, and strange storms seem to break out when she's upset. Rather than being scared off, Ethan is drawn to her even more and soon breaks through her defenses, and they find a deep inexplicable bond. But it cannot be. She is a Caster-- she and all of her family have special powers, but not all of them are good. On her 16th birthday, she will be Claimed for Light or Dark-- and it's only a few months away. Together, they're determined to break the curse on her family, and Ethan's family history may hold the clue...<br />
<br />
This book was fairly incredible. It wasn't perfect, but it deserves the buzz it's getting. I agree with most every other review out there-- an American South setting and a male narrator add to this book's uniqueness and gives it a different mood from all the other YA fantasy out there. This story is <i>rich</i>, with history, with love, and with creepiness. There is almost too much to talk about what I love, so I'll hit on some highlights. Lena and Ethan's love is deeply organic to the story-- I never for a moment doubt their feelings for each other, as Garcia and Stohl make you believe in both free will and fate at the same time (an overarching theme that affects more than just their relationship). Also refreshing are the prominent black characters, in positions of immense power and influence (though you wouldn't know it at first-- always a good lesson to learn). Also, creepy though he may seem (and justifiably so), but his Southern gentlemanliness, sophistication, and iconoclasm had me falling completely head over heels for Lena's reclusive uncle, Macon Ravenwood. On a more general note, it's also a love letter to books and stories, to reading, to libraries-- something that nearly everyone who picks it up should be able to appreciate.<br />
<br />
Its main weakness is that it does start, not exactly slowly, but unrushed. Garcia and Stohl take great care in constructing this world and it pays off in a big way. Don't miss it, or the upcoming sequel,<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Darkness-Kami-Garcia/dp/0316077054?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Beautiful Darkness</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316077054" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>. You can read the first 58 pages of BC <a href="http://software.newsstand.com/bookrdr/hbg-live/BookBrowse.html?a=FXdIZJPwKtTeYoKrFi8SMBR9J42Il3roJABL%2BnRGZ9trVFQggYM1uvww346SKNtynjIa/M6yHR0tIvCgPkrdSc7wwOe4LsmB2asdMzJtAYs7TVOtxvsdUMQX0YrFB0VZ&z=hbg">here</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" /></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-71409428252979771592010-07-20T13:47:00.002-04:002010-07-20T13:53:42.898-04:00In My Mailbox (and on my hard drive)Never thought I'd get enough books in a short enough span of time to justify doing one of these, but here I am!<br />
<br />
First off, the thing I'm most excited about is the ARC for <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Darkness-Kami-Garcia/dp/0316077054?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Beautiful Darkness</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316077054" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> that I got from a Goodreads swap!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaISbGdNtzsm5jOH7BD4YZihnTpx-UnxZ5PVXufkiPAJ1tNM9kcJMESzUkFoqm3Zaxcdmxe4vLDrYCnPUG5qg7UMQiYNAkUY7SyEpkG0PIcUaUq5xEX8TKUouqheJNVLaA8Vq1SMpa47P/s1600/BD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaISbGdNtzsm5jOH7BD4YZihnTpx-UnxZ5PVXufkiPAJ1tNM9kcJMESzUkFoqm3Zaxcdmxe4vLDrYCnPUG5qg7UMQiYNAkUY7SyEpkG0PIcUaUq5xEX8TKUouqheJNVLaA8Vq1SMpa47P/s320/BD.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm going to hold off on reading it for a little while-- I have a few more books I want to read and reviews to write, including the ones below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a name='more'></a></div>I signed up for <a href="http://netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a> and got digital copies of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Majix-Notes-Serious-Witch-Harlequin/dp/0373210175?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Majix: Notes from a Serious Teen Witch</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0373210175" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Dougas Rees, and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manifest-Kimani-Tru-Artist-Arthur/dp/037383196X?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Manifest</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=037383196X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Artist Arthur (who has an amazing name!) Alas, nothing really pretty to see here, but have a screengrab (the covers are in my Currently Reading widget anyway):<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTcp_eV8Htf3xt12SqN1NOjU5bXZ_9nexG_H3fhJ0GKaNMAGFp36phyjy9PDh4TklqmlEQg4hkGyYtofVdRLAU3C2WwV6b3AIqMblOy3dRH4xr3WIImm7St8oqAMRNR3qlOFITSsDPZ3X/s1600/netgalleys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTcp_eV8Htf3xt12SqN1NOjU5bXZ_9nexG_H3fhJ0GKaNMAGFp36phyjy9PDh4TklqmlEQg4hkGyYtofVdRLAU3C2WwV6b3AIqMblOy3dRH4xr3WIImm7St8oqAMRNR3qlOFITSsDPZ3X/s320/netgalleys.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Oh noes! Only 52 days left! <i>Manifest</i> comes out next week, so I think I want to have that one done by then. <i>Majix</i> is already out, so it can wait (if that makes any sense!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And finally, I got the new Kindle app for my Droid, and while it will probably be a while before I read a whole book off of it, it is great for sampling preview chapters that I can then decide whether to buy and read on my Kindle for PC (still won't get a real Kindle device until they have color-- it's the comics nerd in me). And while I did find a bunch of books that I want to read and review, so far I only bought one, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Her-Wiccan-Ways-Rhiannon-Godfrey/dp/1605041041?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Her Wiccan, Wiccan Ways</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1605041041" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> by Traci Hall.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu15-HrgJ2RDz3Dgnq9uSmvwjbncyKqk89Ze0PXnr3kVUMOQUw3WIAI8VCEJSokk8Dxk_SjXbkx75s16ACveDHIdWaVOfI2dx8FoYMjeBdEqvCe6uH810a1xo1rukUBTczoIYr1BO9bqCM/s1600/kindle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu15-HrgJ2RDz3Dgnq9uSmvwjbncyKqk89Ze0PXnr3kVUMOQUw3WIAI8VCEJSokk8Dxk_SjXbkx75s16ACveDHIdWaVOfI2dx8FoYMjeBdEqvCe6uH810a1xo1rukUBTczoIYr1BO9bqCM/s320/kindle.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yeah, that is a tiny cover for the reading area, but whatever. I'm really excited to read this for a kind of dorky reason-- it's published by Samhain Publishing, a small press publisher, and I am passionate about supporting small press and indie authors. I'm just glad there are people like <a href="http://alexreadsbooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-support-indie-authors-my-new-campaign.html">Alex out there reminding me</a> to actually live up to it sometimes!</div>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-15622867562551418812010-07-16T01:51:00.003-04:002010-07-16T01:53:51.395-04:00Book Blogger Hop! Again!<a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0em;"><img alt="Book Blogger Hop" height="100" src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" width="100" /></a>Can't believe it's been a week since I did this last! Of course, I did finish <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Creatures-Kami-Garcia/dp/0316042676?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Beautiful Creatures</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316042676" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, and got halfway through <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Old-Magic-Marianne-Curley/dp/1416989919?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Old Magic</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1416989919" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />--<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> reviews to come soon!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> Not to mention, I have a few ARCs and galleys in the pipeline that I can't wait to get to; two of them are from NetGalley and I only get those for 60 days, so I'll start those soon. I've gotten plenty of new followers this week (Welcome all!) partly from last week's Hop and partly from Twitter convos. And those nice people have also given me some more ideas about what to do on this blog between book reviews, and I hope to start working on those soon.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></i>This week's official Hop question is:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">At the risk of betraying the genre of my blog-- <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mockingjay-Final-Book-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023513?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Mockingjay</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439023513" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">. I think just about everyone who reads YA fiction wants to know what happens to Katniss Everdeen. But just to let you all know, before you even think of asking me, I </span>do not care<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> who Katniss ends up with. In my opinion, the whole "love triangle" thing is the weakest part of the books. I want to know about District 13, the Resistance, the real aftermath of Quarter Quell, and more than anything I want to know what Katniss is going to </span>do</i>, not who she falls in love with. It's frankly annoying to me that a series like this, with such great worldbuilding and a complex female lead who has so much else to concern herself with, has become a battleground for yet more ship wars. Please, people, she's the <i>Mockingjay</i>, she's going to lead an oppressed people out from under a totalitarian regime-- <b>there is so much more at stake to discuss than her boyfriends.</b></div>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-89969567547121959962010-07-10T04:00:00.007-04:002010-07-16T01:55:26.325-04:00Book Blogger Hop!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/2010/07/book-blogger-hop-july-9-12-2010.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigegFmXt0OxL9kQ2Xi-9XLmtw5wxccxEu7CWQc2z3tm8i02KC7XNsXrN4vQ86UT5XJBfBUKXS-o36EuZhY9YCcWGamWk6fn-NYjJW_vNF5OfT-vR_Z-h3E0fyQNL-0c8puwZ447AsiOOft/s320/cfb+meme+button.png" width="100" /></a></div>I've just discovered <a href="http://www.crazy-for-books.com/">Crazy-for-Books.com</a> and their weekly Book Party for bloggers and readers to connect and share their loves, and I decided to join in the fun!<br />
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<b>This week's question: Tell us about some of your favorite authors and why they are your favorites!</b><br />
Okay, I think I'll break this down into three parts, because I love too many authors to restrain myself!<br />
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<b>My favorite Witchy author</b> is Cate Tiernan. No question-- as you have probably noticed from my reviews of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sweep-Shadows-Coven-Blood-Witch/dp/0142417173?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sweep</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0142417173" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and Balefire. She is just incredible at world-building, character development, and suspense. Every word she writes rings true, no matter how fantastical the subject matter. I really hope that with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Beloved-Cloth-Trilogy/dp/0316035920?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Immortal Beloved</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316035920" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> and the Sweep and Balefire bind-ups, she finally gets the recognition she deserved 10 years ago. On the comics side of things, Matt Wagner has me absolutely enchanted (no pun intended) with his work on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Madame-Xanadu-Vol-1-Disenchanted/dp/1401222919?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Madame Xanadu</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401222919" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I really hope the sales allow it to get the full 50-60 issue run it deserves-- or possibly even more!<br />
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<b>My favorite non-Witchy YA authors</b> are Tamora Pierce and Suzanne Collins. I first discovered Tamora Pierce in middle school, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alanna-First-Adventure-Song-Lioness/dp/0689878559?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Alanna</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0689878559" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, the girl who disguised herself as a boy to become the greatest knight of her realm, was a real inspiration to me. Tammy herself is also one of my heroes, being an outspoken feminist her whole life and writing unabashedly feminist works aimed at the girls who need the most empowerment. And due to the magical powers most of her protagonists exhibit, I am often tempted to review them here (and may yet someday!) Suzanne Collins I love simply because she wrote the last two books I just could not put down. I bought <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Catching-Fire-Second-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023491?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Catching Fire</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0439023491" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> in the middle of studying for midterms because I could not possibly wait to find out what happened next.<br />
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Someone who could be included in both categories but deserves to be mentioned on her own is J.K. Rowling. She did the impossible and wrote not just one but <i>seven</i> books that virtually everyone from every walk of life read and loved. She grappled with some of the darkest aspects of the human condition in a way that still made you feel exhilarated to be alive and inspired acts of goodness in people far and wide-- Harry Potter fan charities go towards everything from promoting literacy to <i>fighting genocide</i>. She doesn't just deserve the Nobel Prize for Literature, but Peace as well.<br />
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<b>Adult authors I love</b> are Michael Chabon, Kurt Vonnegut, Susanna Clarke, Terry Pratchett, and P.G. Wodehouse.<br />
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Chabon wrote my favorite novel ever: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Adventures-Kavalier-Clay/dp/0312282990?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312282990" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">; he brought to life the most turbulent time of the 20th century (both geopolitically and pop-culturally) in the most beautiful prose, through the eyes of two Jewish cousins in Brooklyn--one a refugee from Nazi Prague, the other a gay polio survivor-- who find the perfect expression of strength in creating their own superheroes during the Golden Age of Comics. Chabon gave new dignity to the oft-derided word "escapist" and won a Pulitzer doing it.<br />
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Kurt Vonnegut is my personal guru. I cried for two days when he died. He used to say that everything you need to know about life is in </span>The Brothers Karamazov</i>. I say that everything you need to know about life is in the works of Kurt Vonnegut. Start with either <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Slaughterhouse-Five-Novel-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/0385333846?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Slaughterhouse-Five</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385333846" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> or <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cats-Cradle-Novel-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/038533348X?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Cat's Cradle</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=038533348X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">. Proceed to </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sirens-Titan-Novel-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/0385333498?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Sirens of Titan</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385333498" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Champions-Novel-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/0385334206?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Breakfast of Champions</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385334206" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadeye-Dick-Novel-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/0385334176?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Deadeye Dick</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385334176" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>. Do NOT pass over <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/God-Bless-You-Mr-Rosewater/dp/0385333471?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0385333471" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>. Then read the rest.<br />
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Susanna Clarke wrote the only book I've ever read that I thought "I want this to be adapted into a Wagnerian song-cycle." A film could not do it justice. <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Strange-Norrell-Susanna-Clarke/dp/1608190862?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1608190862" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> combines Enlightenment-era science and philosophy with magic (creating the "gentleman magician"), Napoleonic-era conflicts of nation and empire, and every nasty aspect ever dreamed of England's faeries, written in impeccable Regency-style prose. The end result is an 800-page brick of a book that I would not let go of if I was drowning.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> Terry Pratchett and P.G. Wodehouse are quite simply the two of the funniest writers in the history of the English language. Wodehouse came first, writing an astonishing 96 books in his 92 years of life, and even if you've never heard of him, you absolutely know his most famous creation: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Jeeves-P-G-Wodehouse/dp/0060972440?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Jeeves</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060972440" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. You are depriving yourself of much joy if you never read a Jeeves book. Written from the point of view of his employer, the bumbling and lovable Bertie Wooster, you will be bowled over with laughter over the absurd situations Bertie and his friends get into and will marvel over how Jeeves's magnificent brain gets the young master out of the soup! (BTW he is a valet, not a butler.)<br />
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Terry Pratchett, like nearly every British comedic writer post-Wodehouse cites him as an inspiration. Pterry (as his fans know him) started out merely satirizing fantasy tropes in his early Discworld books, but then he realized he could satirize everything</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">. His "Witches" sub-series has a place of honor among the rest of our catalog because the cantankerous and wise Granny Weatherwax has good advice and warnings for magic-makers of all stripes (If you want to try them, the order doesn't really matter, but they are: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wyrd-Sisters-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0061020664?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Wyrd Sisters</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061020664" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Abroad-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0061020613?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Witches Abroad</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061020613" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lords-Ladies-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0061056928?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Lords and Ladies</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061056928" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maskerade-Terry-Pratchett/dp/006105691X?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Maskerade</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=006105691X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carpe-Jugulum-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0061020397?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Carpe Jugulum</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061020397" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">, followed by the Tiffany Aching books: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wee-Free-Men-Discworld/dp/0060012382?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Wee Free Men</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060012382" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hat-Full-Sky-Continuing-Adventures/dp/0060586621?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A Hat Full of Sky</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060586621" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wintersmith-Discworld-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0060890339?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Wintersmith</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060890339" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">)</span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></i>Hmmm.<br />
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Maybe I should start a more general book blog too...witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-1579632809184624882010-07-10T00:00:00.006-04:002010-07-10T01:43:15.650-04:00Don't Die, Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton (Seer no.1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Dragonfly-Seer-Linda-Singleton/dp/0738705268?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0.5em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQYuwDUKa-nte6DqcxBIGNdJeiI8Rw8S7BPAp3icPz-DAX6-ZCbRMRv0pnK6zZkUxqg_w08t3hQO7T_LGaFbmcFGhiXpzpoLX0V18thzNPbVNUFrgZFT0GK2Q4f8yvrYXO0iePudo29N7t/s320/9780738705262.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>Sabine Rose is fitting in well at her new school-- friends with the cheerleaders, confidante of the charming editor of the school paper, and dating the sweetest guy in school. She can almost forget the tragic circumstances that made her an outcast at her old school and ended up with her moving in with her eccentric grandmother, a psychic matchmaker named Nona. But Sabine swears that she didn't inherit her grandmother's abilities-- a facade that's hard to keep up once the visions of the death of a classmate with a dragonfly tattoo begin...<br />
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<i>Don't Die, Dragonfly</i> is a thrilling first installment of a series that I am eager to read more of. It's a book that deals with the most frightening burden of power: social ostracism. Sabine's struggles to both own her powers and save her classmate's life are skillfully intertwined as she must learn to trust others with her secret in order to do what's right.<br />
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Singleton also sets up plenty of teasers for future installments, from the mysterious Dominic who moves into Nona's barn at the beginning of the story and makes cryptic intimations about the future of Sabine's family, to the effect of her new alliances on her old friendships and her new boyfriend. And her strained relationship with her mother not only longs for resolution, but is completely relatable to anyone who has ever been a teenager. I can't wait to read more-- including the final book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Muse-Seer-Linda-Singleton/dp/0738719579?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Magician's Muse</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738719579" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>, out in October!<br />
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(By the way, if the plot reminds you of <i><a href="http://witchybooks.blogspot.com/2010/03/blue-is-for-nightmares-by-laurie-faria.html">Blue is for Nightmares</a></i>, you're not alone. But whether you love or hate those books, you should give <i>Dragonfly</i> a try, because the two books/series are plenty different!) You can read the <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dont-Die-Dragonfly/Linda-Joy-Singleton/e/9780738705262#EXC">first two chapters here</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #494949; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-85128985264781399552010-07-09T15:22:00.000-04:002010-07-09T15:22:35.663-04:00Ch-ch-ch-changes!A month and a half into my summer and I finally redid the the layout and designed a better header! Please let me know if you like it or have any better suggestions.<div>
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Also, while I am pretty busy with real life and can't read quite as much as other book bloggers, I would very much like some ideas on what I could do on here between reviews. I've browsed plenty of other blogs for ideas, but I really don't have the readership yet for contests (either to obtain things to give away or to have people to give them to!), and because of the limited scope of the books I review here, I can't really talk about my mailbox overflowing with non-existent ARCs or reiterating the same six or seven books coming out this year.</div>
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On a similar note, I can't be the only blogger who covers just one genre-- there has to be faery book blogs, werewolf book blogs, and about a million vampire book blogs. If you have any favorites, please let me know-- it could lead to some quite interesting collaborations!</div>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-78969943561830914242010-06-25T20:43:00.000-04:002010-06-25T20:43:15.439-04:00Wicked: Witch and Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Witch-Curse-Nancy-Holder/dp/141697119X?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Wicked: Witch & Curse" height="200" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=141697119X&tag=w-b-n-20" width="132" /></a>Holly Cathers barely knew her cousins Amanda and Nicole when after a tragic white-water rafting trip, she becomes an orphan and moves in with them. Jer Deveraux knows that the Cathers women are descended from a powerful line of witches, and he knows his father's plans for them. But no one knows how deep the connections between their families go, or how Holly and Jer may be the key to unraveling a 400-year-old war-- and becoming thrall to a 400-year-old love.<br />
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This book was...okay. The plot and magical concepts were good, but the characters were flat and largely unsympathetic-- even Holly eventually loses a good deal of the good will that being an orphan earned her in the beginning. Jer isn't much better, because while he's less evil and power-hungry than his father and brother, he's also basically a jerk who shows no real inclination to take any real stance against them (though he does reach out to other sources for more ethical magical training). Also, I found his and Holly's relationship to be forced. There is some justification to that, since both are conduits for the spirits of their ancestors who <i>were</i> in love, but there is no real reason for Holly and Jer to be attracted to each other at all.<br />
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That said, this book has a number of good points. I liked how, despite first impressions, neither the Cathers nor the Deveraux are completely good or completely evil. The flashbacks to the Deveraux and Cahors (the Cathers ancestors) past are an engaging glimpse of history and political intrigue, both real and magical. And even though Jer is a bit of a jerk, his association with his other magical teachers gesture strongly towards a later transformation. So not only is Jer <i>not</i> beyond redemption, <i>I</i> am not completely turned off by the idea of finishing the series! So I'm going to give this one:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" /></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-63779979457006050172010-06-05T00:00:00.005-04:002010-06-25T20:45:04.100-04:00Madame Xanadu, vol. I: Disenchanted, by Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder Hadley<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #656d79; font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Madame-Xanadu-Vol-1-Disenchanted/dp/1401222919?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0.5em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEKxcJgdDz9kEy4oFgDJ9MAehThiR9hKFZ0cclI4ksuXEoUG8qZzTLSLtxNAnvL2WkvQLLh1GVKy3-_xnjRbZNFGkCzPhRn7kDvkcIMKGr7fvKJRSkWwNyV_qCXW92nbMWUlJSrfqNxwt/s320/madamexanadu1.png" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEKxcJgdDz9kEy4oFgDJ9MAehThiR9hKFZ0cclI4ksuXEoUG8qZzTLSLtxNAnvL2WkvQLLh1GVKy3-_xnjRbZNFGkCzPhRn7kDvkcIMKGr7fvKJRSkWwNyV_qCXW92nbMWUlJSrfqNxwt/s1600/madamexanadu1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401222919" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Madame Xanadu is a character with a long history in the DC Universe who has been given a fresh start with this new series from the Vertigo imprint (home of <em>Sandman</em> and <em>Fables</em>). This first volume takes you on a wild journey throughout history, from her origin in Camelot when she was Nimue, sister of Morgan le Fay, to the palace of Kublai Khan from whence she took her name--Xanadu, to the French Revolution, the streets of Whitechapel during the terror of Jack the Ripper, and finally New York City on the eve of World War II as she bears witness to the rise of a new form of powerful beings--the superhero.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">On each leg of her journey, Madame Xanadu is faced with dilemma after dilemma, forced to weigh the consequences of her actions. Whether to meddle in the affairs of state at Xanadu or the court of Louis XVI, despite the lessons she learned at the fall of Camelot, whether to save her friend Marie Antoinette or save herself, whether to protect the women of Whitechapel or to heed the cryptic warnings of the Phantom Stranger, who tells her there is a higher purpose at work-- each choice she makes has a dramatic effect on both her own life and the course of human history.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Wagner's writing is captivating and Hadley's art is breathtaking. Every moment of Madame Xanadu's life, from her final showdown with Merlin to her bargain with Death Herself, comes alive and urges you onwards.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There are not enough good things to say about this series. If you have never picked up a graphic novel in your life, this is the one to start with. If you have, you'll love this one (especially if you're familiar with the DC Universe, you'll relish the new, unique encounters with such characters as Giovanni Zatara and the Spectre). Go read it <em>now</em>.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can read a PDF of <a href="http://dccomics.com/media/excerpts/11954_1.pdf" style="color: #620606; text-decoration: underline;">the first issue</a> of this volume on the Vertigo comics website.</div><br />
<img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" />witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-71698778910962682172010-05-22T00:00:00.039-04:002010-05-24T21:41:29.814-04:00Super-Witch Profile: Zatanna Zatara, Mistress of Magic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-RbtYGkOC6Eu10kyfwU6oaK1UNaQ_PWIUMD9ydCBpeie_pCTyyuYIittbsVD7m0s0npY4GAsKZEW130wERj17rhaiXaR-i77JRy2eae1w84-bEi1ElGhwga6qT1wg_oC-i12UXko0Fl5/s1600/zatanna.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-RbtYGkOC6Eu10kyfwU6oaK1UNaQ_PWIUMD9ydCBpeie_pCTyyuYIittbsVD7m0s0npY4GAsKZEW130wERj17rhaiXaR-i77JRy2eae1w84-bEi1ElGhwga6qT1wg_oC-i12UXko0Fl5/s200/zatanna.png" width="151" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Zatanna Zatara makes her living as a stage magician and uses her real magical powers to fight demons and supervillains, both on her own and in the Justice League of America. Her nearly limitless powers make her one of the most powerful people in the DC Universe.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Zatanna (nicknamed "Zee") is the daughter of magician Giovanni (John) Zatara and Sindella, a sorceress of the <em>Homo magi</em> race. She learned magic from lost texts of Leonardo Da Vinci's--a distant relative of the Zataras--that she discovers in her father's study when he goes missing. From them she learns the family trick of casting spells by saying them backwards. After enlisting the help of various JLA members to help her find her father, she formed an association with the team, eventually joining it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">She has struggled with the moral weight her powers put on her-- and for good reason. She has occasionally used her powers to alter the memories and personalities of villains, heroes, and civilians alike, and some of her magical exploration has gotten people killed. But through it all, she remains fun-loving and optimistic.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">Her new ongoing series started on Wednesday with <a href="http://dccomics.com/dcu/comics/?cm=14767">Zatanna #1</a>, and it's off to a great start! Zatanna's help is sought by a skeptical cop looking for answers in a bizarre mass killing of mob bosses. She quickly gets to the bottom of it, and after a tense encounter with the evil sorcerer-culprit, the chase is on-- which should give her and the cop some time to get to know each other... (To find a comic shop near you, go to <a href="http://comicshoplocator.com/">ComicShopLocator.com</a>.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Some other Zatanna stories you might want to check out are:</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zatanna-Everyday-Magic-Paul-Dini/dp/B00138HIE4?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Zatanna: Everyday Magic</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00138HIE4" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> - A short graphic novel where Zee's old flame John Constantine interrupts her hectic life of touring and budding romance after his recent fling leaves him with a demon on his tail. A good, fun introduction to the character.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1312&_nkw=seven+soldiers+zatanna&_sacat=See-All-Categories3&_osacat=0&bkBtn=">Seven Soldiers: Zatanna</a> - Zatanna goes into superhero rehab after a magical experiment goes awry, killing four other magicians and stripping her of her powers. A young girl with magical powers of her own convinces Zee to take her on as an apprentice to help her fix her mistakes. Technically part of a vast crossover with six other minor superheroes, her story stands fine on its own. Unfortunately, the only way to read this story on its own is in the original four issues, readily available on eBay.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1312&_nkw=seven+soldiers+zatanna&_sacat=See-All-Categories3&_osacat=0&bkBtn="></a>If you want to try some old-school comics and read Zatanna's first appearances, then check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/JLA-Zatannas-Search-Gardner-Fox/dp/1401201881?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">JLA: Zatanna's Search</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1401201881" style="border-bottom-style: none !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-style: none !important; border-right-style: none !important; border-top-style: none !important; border-width: initial !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Her first storyline that ran from 1962-64, this book tells the story of how Zatanna enlisted the help of various superheroes to help her find her missing father, plus a bonus story about how she first discovered her own powers.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;"><a href="http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A6%257C72%253A3011&_nkw=zatanna+1993&_dmd=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_vc=1">Zatanna: Come Together</a> is a 1993 mini-series, her first solo venture. It's a highly experimental story about her exploring her mystical heritage from her mother's side with gorgeous art by Esteban Maroto. Again, it hasn't been released in collected form, so your best bet is to get it on eBay.</span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-8561567284929022642010-05-16T22:37:00.001-04:002010-05-16T22:39:09.527-04:00Jinx by Meg Cabot<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jinx-Meg-Cabot/dp/0060837667?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWo-OJJBK0DIgxJTGzJIzjYvQ-ZIOcYzPWqu6JQl5Vyb76zIX5cwox8RqGZXyU5n3ApmjoShHQgccgMD4xCuk0d0oNimfoocKZr39bLGHXtb0iiz7s9THMDhK8rA-_r2l6SDqOAykiGcq/s320/jinx.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Jean Honeychurch is cursed. She's knows she's cursed because she was born during a supercell storm, she's always finding new ways to hurt herself, and she has to move from Iowa to her aunt and uncle's house in New York City to escape her stalker. She's doubly cursed because of the stupid nickname her rotten luck has garnered her: Jinx. But when she gets to New York, her cousin Tory corners her with an old family legend-- they're descended from a real witch who was burned at the stake hundreds of years ago, and Tory is convinced they've both inherited her powers. Jinx just wants to focus on fitting in at her new school and on her crush (and Tory's), the boy next door, Zach. But Tory won't give up, and soon Jinx unwittingly finds herself locked in psychological <i>and</i> magical warfare with her cousin. Just her luck.</span></span><br />
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</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">This book is a fun, light read, much in the vein of Meg Cabot's other work. The characters are incredible. Jean is a total fish-out-of-water, and her confusion and frustration with NYC and its people are both sympathetic and funny. The conflict between her and Tory starts out as a simple crazy relative clash, but soon escalates to a full-on battle of wits, before making a sharp turn into the genuinely scary. I envied her "just-a-friendship" with Zach-- anyone would love to be just-friends with such a sweet and funny guy that you can understand why she continues to hang out with him in spite of being convinced that he's got a crush on their au pair, Petra. And as per usual for a Cabot novel, Jinx fails to notice how requited her crush on Zach is till the very end (but trust me, that's not a spoiler, because we all know it from the page he shows up on). It's a good stand-alone novel-- a tight, coherent story that leaves you split between wanting more and not wanting to disturb them any further. One little niggle I had at the beginning was that Jean seemed to know a little too much about witchcraft for someone who claims to not want to have anything to do with it-- of course, there turns out to be a reason for this, but I feel like that hint could have been handled a little more smoothly. Aside from that, I highly recommend this book-- pick it up for some fun summer reading!</span></span>
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</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">You can read the first <i>54</i> pages on the <a href="http://browseinside.harperteen.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060837648">HarperTeen website</a>. (And you can finish out Chapter Six--which the preview ends in the middle of--at <a href="http://www.megcabot.com/jinx/jinx.php">Meg Cabot's website</a>)</span></span><br />
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</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span></span></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-45561926872329847312010-05-07T22:45:00.004-04:002010-05-16T09:38:08.780-04:00Sweep: Book of Shadows, The Coven, & Blood Witch by Cate Tiernan<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sweep-Shadows-Coven-Blood-Witch/dp/0142417173?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-dxcQ_3qJEWkVZDzRGnqx9wswDHVbiF32fzZ-KLTeM7x1wrwEvY8TxSrRAgdxKFT3T4FOseyqndca2ABZSmu_ce8VrpSVfmnZWrTEnUPjjDHenkiNF7zEvc8J53D0fHSoPr6_gJjgwek/s200/sweep.jpg" width="128" /></a>When Morgan Rowlands first sees the gorgeous new senior Cal Blaire at school, she falls for him, but remains firm in her belief that he would never be interested in her plain looks or flat chest. But Cal turns out to be completely different from any other guy she's ever met-- to start with, he's a witch. He invites Morgan to be a part of a new coven he starts up, and though she has no idea what to make of it at first, she decides to try it out. But after one circle, she knows she'll never be the same. She discovers her hidden talent for magick-- a fact that has far deeper implications than she ever expected. And as she taps in to her power and her history more and more, her relationship with Cal grows deeper. Yet someone as powerful as she is is bound to attract attention, and not all of it good. But how does she know who to trust?<br />
<br />
Re-reading the first three <i>Sweep</i> books was like coming home for me. As in <i>Balefire,</i> Tiernan builds a rich world, with a complex system of magick (based on Wiccan practices, but tweaked and enhanced to make for a more fantastic story) and an engaging cast of characters. Morgan and Cal's magnetic attraction is a wonderful portrayal of first love. And every single one of the supporting characters, no matter how minor, is fleshed out enough that you're rarely confused about their motivation (and if you are, it's probably because Tiernan is leading up to a reveal!), and even when they make bad decisions, you can't hold it against them, because you probably would have done the same thing. The stories that intertwine, forming the overarching plot, leave you breathless with suspense, keeping you turning the pages desperate to know what happens next--only to leave you with yet another cliffhanger at the end! Thankfully, there is plenty more where that came from.<br />
<br />
The Swee<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0142417173" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />p series (known as "Wicca" in the UK and elsewhere) originally came out from 2001 to 2003, which is when I first read it, and I can't help but feel it's finally gotten the treatment it deserves. The first three books have been released in a fat bind-up edition (though for now it's only available at Wal-Mart; it will be released in all bookstores September 2nd, 2010, just a few days before the first book in Tiernan's new trilogy <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Beloved-Cate-Tiernan/dp/0316035920?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Immortal Beloved</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316035920" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i>.) The individual books are still available in bookstores if you can't wait, but keep in mind, they cost $7.99 each-- the same as the bind-up costs for three. You can read the first <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780142409862_PSP,00.html?sym=PSP">7 pages</a> of <i>Book of Shadows</i> on the Penguin website.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-62578169364268273012010-05-01T00:00:00.061-04:002010-05-16T09:37:43.026-04:00Spell-Checkers by Jamie S. Rich, Nicolas Hitori De, and Joëlle Jones<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spell-Checkers-Jamie-S-Rich/dp/1934964328?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EfaW1DdPmfXfkv2Hks44TIl-yddc4YGaxKqJbfqbCN7oKiQIz_PgnlZOJntfuLuJoyDWBrRMwnKDY0kolNtN4iPNTmWEyKBzg7aSm4dNCioZttVufwWA1bnr3xR7HqwJIr8x_QJzrjau/s200/spell+checkers.jpg" width="133" /></a>Let's be honest, if any of us had magic powers in high school, we'd use them to get the hot guys, ace every test, gain popularity, and rule the school in every possible way. Jesse, Kimmie, and Cynthia have done just that. Since they got their hands on an ancient spell book in elementary school, they've been the queen bees, filling out tests with a flick of the wrist and sending magical clones to gym class. But in high school, it starts to catch up with them-- magically-created graffiti that challenges their status starts popping up around the school, and the charmed dolls that are the conduits of their powers begin to disappear. They turn on each other, pointing fingers, because after all, they're the only witches in school...right?<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Let me just start off this review by saying, that if you have an aversion to swearing, smoking, cattiness, shallowness, and every other Mean Girls kind of behavior, this book is not for you. That said, if you don't mind those, you'll have a really good time. These teenage witches aren't tiptoeing around the shadow of some karmic law-- they use magic in the way that we all secretly wish we could at some point or another. The story is very original, and you'll find yourself cheering for some of the most unsympathetic characters ever put to paper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The art (mostly) by Hitori De is energetic, able to portray the girls as simultaneously evil and cute, and the story would not work without it. The flashback scenes by Joëlle Jones reflect the childlike mischievousness of their origin story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This book is labelled "volume 1" so hopefully we don't have to wait too long for the next installment! You can read a 22-page preview <a href="http://onipress.com/preview.php?bid=416&pid=211">here</a> on the Oni Press website. Oni books take a while to get to regular bookstores, so it is currently only available online and at comic book stores. You can find one near you at<a href="http://comicshoplocator.com/"> ComicShopLocator.com</a>, and if you drop by participating stores today (May 1st) you'll be able to take advantage of <a href="http://www.freecomicbookday.com/">Free Comic Book Day</a>, where stores give away samples of various publishers' upcoming offerings! I don't know if there's anything particularly Witchy being offered, but for fans of all YA urban fantasy, a preview of the graphic novel adaptation of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments will be available from Th3rd World Studios.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /></span></div>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-73428296477091648732010-04-24T00:00:00.003-04:002010-05-16T09:37:12.082-04:00Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Madness-Justine-Larbalestier/dp/1595140700?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE84jYB2K4eLeNVyyX6QhP46Po3C2nrfgQqqedHWDdS6RtlmKQ2g3IypkB5DwCYsnsyYSIBGPdJdfPhJSpJQJTc0JnQhXSpJkxs4T2HNiIZSqzmqGmatpFY1at81zOwbNW605QeCfADt9p/s200/magicmadness.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1595140700" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Reason Cansino, so named by her mother who wanted her life to be governed by nothing but logic, has grown up constantly moving around the Australian bush. Her mother ran away from home when she was 12 because, as she tells Reason, her mother is a terrible, evil person who "thinks" she is a witch. Unfortunately for Reason's mother, the book opens with her being committed to a mental hospital, and Reason being placed in the custody of her grandmother, Esmeralda.</div>
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Reason's fear and distrust of her grandmother is surprising to her new neighbor, Tom, who thinks that Esmeralda is the greatest person ever-- and small wonder, because she's been teaching him magic. But despite their diverging views on Esmeralda, the two teens find common ground when Tom reveals that <i>his</i> mother is in the mental hospital too. Reason puts her plans to run away on hold while Tom teaches Reason more about her family history and the secrets of her grandmother's house. Namely, the back door's portal to New York City...</div>
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The first in a trilogy, <i>Magic or Madness </i>is a new and unique take on how magic works, while also serving as a backdrop to the many culture clashes that occur in the story. The title refers to how in this world, something as powerful as magic takes its toll on the human mind-- an amazing idea that almost never gets explored in witchy fiction (yes, we all love karma and the Law of Three, but not all consequences are external!) I loved the way Larbalestier described Reason's upbringing from her own perspective-- as if there was nothing unusual about moving around every few months, not always knowing where you are going or where your next meal is coming from. Likewise, she presents very nuanced points of view between the different "factions" of characters: New Yorkers vs. Aussies, the pro-magic Tom and Jay-Tee vs. the anti-magic Reason-- even touching upon the subtle and not-so-subtle racism the half-Aborigine Reason faces in both countries.<br />
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This is the first book I've read (that I can remember) that presents magic as more of a problem than a power, and by the end you'll hope that they can find a way to get rid of their powers without losing their minds. I have every intention of reading the rest of this trilogy and strongly recommend it!<br />
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If you're not convinced you can <a href="http://justinelarbalestier.com/books/magic/excerpts/magic-or-madness-excerpts/">read the first two chapters</a> on Larbalestier's website!<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" />witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-26201513987725381932010-04-23T20:34:00.000-04:002010-04-23T20:34:49.702-04:00Balefire news!I mentioned in my Balefire <a href="http://witchybooks.blogspot.com/2010/04/balefire-series-by-cate-tiernan.html">review</a> a few weeks ago that the series will be collected in an omnibus edition around Decemberish. Well, today Cate Tiernan posted the new cover of the bind-up on <a href="http://catetiernan.org/whoa-balefire/">her blog</a>:<br />
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I love it, though I would like the series title to be a bit bigger. I can't wait for this to come out. Even though I already have the individual books, I'm a sucker for big fat books, so I'll probably get this too.<br />
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(If I had to name who was who, I'd guess that Thais is the one on top and Clio's on the bottom--it's the look of innocence vs. experience.)<br />
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Still no Amazon listing or anything on the Penguin website yet. I'll keep you posted.<br />
<br />witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-66747603363791515372010-04-23T00:18:00.000-04:002010-04-23T00:26:40.115-04:00Write Books! Win Books!Exciting news today from two witchy novelists!<br />
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First up, Laurie Faria Stolarz, author of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Nightmares-Collection-Stolarz/dp/0738709883?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Blue is for Nightmares Series</a> will be teaching three writing workshops for teens in Massachusetts this spring and summer. The first one is <b>this Saturday<i> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">in Salem (appropriately enough) for $75. I know, it's such late notice, but do not despair! For she will be in Marblehead in July, offering a <i>4-day</i> writing workshop on the 13th, 15th, 20th, and 22nd, with an afternoon session for 9-12 year olds from 4-5:45pm, and an evening session for 13+ from 5-7:45pm. See the <a href="http://booksaremylove.blogspot.com/2010/04/important-news.html">Books Make Great Lovers</a> blog for more details.</span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Secondly, the latest book in the Seer series is coming out in October (the first book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Dragonfly-Seer-Linda-Singleton/dp/0738705268?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Don't Die, Dragonfly</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0738705268" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> is on deck to be reviewed here soon!) and author <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Linda Joy Singleton is having a contest! You can win a full set of the first five Seer books, plus a complete set of her Dead Girl trilogy. Also, if you're a YA or MG writer, she will critique the first chapter of your book! Check out <a href="http://lindajsingleton.livejournal.com/144179.html">her blog</a> for the full details of how to enter.</span></b></span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">And finally, for those on the West Coast, you get your own really short notice alert-- Nancy Holder, co-author of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Witch-Curse-Nancy-Holder/dp/141697119X?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Wicked</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=w-b-n-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=141697119X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> series, is appearing at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this weekend. Admission is free, and her schedule is on <a href="http://www.nancyholder.com/2010/04/19/los-angeles-times-festival-of-books-come-see-me/">her blog</a>.<br /><br />
(Isn't it reassuring to know that this isn't turning into a full on comic book blog? ^_^)</span></b>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-5377354591570322312010-04-20T19:52:00.000-04:002010-04-21T04:18:04.723-04:00Comics News out of C2E2This weekend was the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Experience (aka C2E2), and some witchy stuff came out of there.<br />
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First up, the return of the Scarlet Witch! She's been an Avenger and an X-Man, and she's the most famous Super-Witch of all time! But she's been out of the picture for a few years, and many fans have been wondering when she would be coming back. At C2E2, Marvel writer Allen Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25813">announced that she will be returning in July</a> in the pages of their miniseries, <i>Children's Crusade</i>. The mini will be a follow up to their 2005 series <i>Young Avengers</i>, about a team of teen superheroes, whose own Super-Witch, Billy Kaplan (a.k.a. Wiccan) has a mysterious connection to the Scarlet Witch. I'm planning Super-Witch Profiles for both of them which will be posted before the mini starts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhKAHKaGerKo0eokOhhiT8FUXw-lUlkEcaf0pRZURbr2M-_T_Xe0xhXyJZMQDKuM-BT58Akyeuvh5hNE2hAh8s-pkCO5_uWnktJbPNJbHBXkkV9cPsqS5DFogb5folvjZMc_-60TH5hr5/s1600/childrens-crusade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhKAHKaGerKo0eokOhhiT8FUXw-lUlkEcaf0pRZURbr2M-_T_Xe0xhXyJZMQDKuM-BT58Akyeuvh5hNE2hAh8s-pkCO5_uWnktJbPNJbHBXkkV9cPsqS5DFogb5folvjZMc_-60TH5hr5/s320/childrens-crusade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Secondly, not really news, but writer/artist Terry Moore, who recently finished a stint on <i>Runaways,</i> posted a <a href="http://www.terrymooreart.com/blog/?p=709">sketch of Super-Witch Nico Minoru</a> that he did for a fan at the show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwjv38CzXiIevCvaSM-kkd0hNMecB3qg2r6i_3rcsP-Dyy1LoLoN1h_qbHRRZhRtLdqoT6NspiLgNIeGd2nKXevPX3yPAGQ4vTTsOyhD9ukqbvAldfhEGpCnnQDIIq_Xz7tVvnwhvBTQq/s1600/Nico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwjv38CzXiIevCvaSM-kkd0hNMecB3qg2r6i_3rcsP-Dyy1LoLoN1h_qbHRRZhRtLdqoT6NspiLgNIeGd2nKXevPX3yPAGQ4vTTsOyhD9ukqbvAldfhEGpCnnQDIIq_Xz7tVvnwhvBTQq/s320/Nico.jpg" /></a></div>witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-5363939778918669182010-04-17T03:00:00.002-04:002010-07-15T02:28:30.539-04:00Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Once-Witch-Carolyn-MacCullough/dp/0547223994?ie=UTF8&tag=w-b-n-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX_skRr4GSpDI-e0W6HHkSX23dYsjWpMpVhreuKeMK3plXdPVPUTy59x3ymeqmsCmmhog9gAyTVuqcX9K-Qh8sH2xpXjqJb5Pg6NKSt9TDjyyV6kLtG1fqHOIDu7DEV-pI4ICISotCJ4Y/s320/onceawitch.png" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasmin Greene was supposed to be the most powerful witch in the history of her family. </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Supposed</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to be. But when her powers fail to manifest at the right age, she withdraws from her family and tries to live as normal a life as possible, going to boarding school in New York City and dodging questions about her home life.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until the day that Alistair arrives at her family's New Age shop and confuses her for her sister, whose power is to find anything. He asks Tasmin to find an old family heirloom--a clock--that has been missing for over 100 years. She takes the job, determined to prove to her family that she doesn't need her own powers to do what they do. Ultimate relying on her childhood friend Gabriel's Finding powers, they travel back in time to the clock's last known location--and then things get weird. Alistair may not be as he appears, and Tasmin may not be as powerless as she thought...</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once a Witch</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a phenomenal book. Tasmin's alienation from her family is eminently relatable, even for those of us from non-magical families. It manifests itself in all-too-human minor rebellions--from flagrant smoking, to sneaking into clubs with her fake ID to her crush on an older man. Her relationship with Gabriel is sweet but cautious, both because of their years of seperation and because of her self-consciousness at her lack of Talent. And as her destiny unfolds, the magic crackles, leaving you begging for the sequel </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Always a Witch</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, due next spring!)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can read a PDF of the first chapter on </span><a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/hmh-ems/OnceAWitch_Ch1.pdf" style="color: #620606; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amazon</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div><br />
<img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" />witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6739319982190077181.post-67119672221319249342010-04-10T03:00:00.002-04:002010-07-15T02:31:03.156-04:00Balefire Series by Cate Tiernan<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #656d79; font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNFOsBIk0gmEilD9xUkEDYNiFUiOeh0q5b8dsNmlH5nJgYGvwmWT1iqHxoG0j4JWJM7hAW_BzZk6sujp50LiijBGDIvIo9Mwrw1DxFjCUxF34EopqgG7PiF86SAi8Zwf_E83rFEcXAQjl/s1600/balefire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNFOsBIk0gmEilD9xUkEDYNiFUiOeh0q5b8dsNmlH5nJgYGvwmWT1iqHxoG0j4JWJM7hAW_BzZk6sujp50LiijBGDIvIo9Mwrw1DxFjCUxF34EopqgG7PiF86SAi8Zwf_E83rFEcXAQjl/s400/balefire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I'm reviewing the <i>Balefire</i> series as a whole because, while it is currently out of print, it will soon be reprinted in one volume some time around the holidays. However, I'll try not to give too much away in case you want to hunt down the original volumes (<i>A Chalice of Wind</i>, <i>A Circle of Ashes</i>, <i>A Feather of Stone</i>, and <i>A Necklace of Water</i>).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Clio Martin and Thais Allard are twins, separated at birth by their grandmother, Petra, to protect them from the questionable machinations of people within her own coven. Thais goes with her father to live in Connecticut, while Clio remains with Petra in New Orleans. But when they are 16, their father is killed in a mysterious accident, and Thais finds herself in the hands of strangers in a city she never thought she had any connection to. Running into their twin the first day of school is the least of the surprises the girls face as they both discover their family's true history, one that goes back further than either of them ever imagined.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It is a mystery that these books ever fell out of print, and it is a blessing that they will be brought back. Clio and Thais's world is vividly drawn. Tiernan's New Orleans is a character in itself, emanating from the page. The Balefire coven is filled with rich, complex characters, from the duplicitous Luc-Andre, the penitent Marcel, the haughty Axelle, the wise Petra, and the fiery Richard. The system of magic in this series is so organic to the world and very believable.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">One complaint is the somewhat rushed ending -- Tiernan had planned a 15 book series, but low sales required it to end at four. However, she has tweeted her intentions to smooth it out for the reprint. Also, it switches perspective between Clio and Thais every other chapter, which I don't mind, but I know that annoys some people. Overall:</div><br />
<img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4529193381_0c18cfcb6a.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4529825410_d5339d0de1.jpg" />witchybookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02820632604806246246noreply@blogger.com3