Monday, February 14, 2011

Hunter Of The Rock

Disclaimer: I received this book from Bonnie M. Lenz, Editor at Earthshaker Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Zan-Gah
~A Prehistoric Adventure~
Zan-Gah
Book 1

By Allan Richard Shickman
Amazon ~ Powell's

Thousands of years ago, before there were roads or fences or even languages like English, Latin or Hebrew, there lived a boy named Zan. For Zan and his people it is a time of unrest. The tribes are consumed in an on-again off-again war, and temporary treaties are only forged to battle immediate threats.

When a lioness attacks and kills a child, the tribes have no choice but to confront the danger together. Zan, though normally too young for such an endeavor, is included in the hunt and, much to everyone's surprise, is the one to spear the lion.

Spurred on by this sudden accomplishment and his new-found prestige among the tribes, the newly named Zan-Gah sets out on a quest to find his long-lost twin. Along the way he'll encounter hardship, friendship, captivity, love, uncertainty, and triumph as his skills and wisdom are put to the test.


Before I begin, there's something I've got to get off my chest... The animal on the cover looks like a squirrel. I know it's supposed to be a lion(ess). I know it's blurred because it's in motion. But the fact remains that every one of my friends and family who saw this book asked about the squirrel on the cover.

That being said, it was a wonderful story. I honestly don't know why it took me so long to get through it. I first received it for review back in October and it's been rotating through a place on my shelf, on my desk, and my purse ever since. I'd read the first chapter online before accepting the books for review, and found it intriguing—in fact, it reminded me a lot of Peter Dickinson's The Kin, which I loved in middle school. And at 150 pages, the thought of sitting down and reading it was hardly daunting.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Book Blogger Hop (10)

Book Blogger Hop

Tell us about one of your posts from this week and give us a link so we can read it!

Well, this week was pretty slim pickings, so I guess you can all check out my Top Ten Character/Literary Names I'd Name My Children. I hadn't done any Top Tens in a while, and even though I'm not planning on kids any time soon, it was still a fun exercise.

Feel free to post a link to your own blog in the comments,
and be sure to check out other blog-hoppers at Crazy-for-Books' blog!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: Character Names

Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme asks for 10 names of characters we'd be willing to name our children after. Well, I personally don't ever plan on having kids, but if I did I don't think I'd mind calling out these names.

10. Remus
Harry Potter Series ~ J.K. Rowling
Remus Lupin AKA most awesome werewolf teacher ever. Thing is, with such a popular series, and popular character, everyone would know his parents were total fangirls nerds geeks bookworms. And no one wants that in their genes, no matter how much it may be true. Best if I keep my crazy fanatic tendencies to myself.

9. Cimorene
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles ~ Patricia C. Wrede
Okay, probably not the best choice for a kid's name. I mean, there's no good way to shorten it and good luck having anyone spell it correctly. Then again, Maureen is a 'normal' name, and giving a kid the nickname Simmer might be kinda fun... No, this one's probably best left in the books.

8. Seamus
Harry Potter Series ~ J.K. Rowling
I'm pretty sure I heard (and loved) this name before HP, but I can't think of where at the moment, so I'll just take the easy route. Thing is, I'm not Irish. At all. And as much as I love the accent and/or red hair, I don't anticipate marrying an Irishman. However, if I do, and if I have a son, this is definitely first choice!

7. Trisana
The Circle of Magic Quartet ~ Tamora Pierce
Absolutely love this character. She's a bookworm! However, the name Tris is a little out there, and I don't want any undue misspellings or WTF looks from teachers/other students... So this is another one that'll stay in the books.

6. Niko
The Circle of Magic Quartet ~ Tamora Pierce
Same series, similar problem. There's no way in hell I'm naming a kid Niklaren. Niko is pretty cute...but it's doubtful he'll appreciate having a cute name as a teenager. It's definitely a name for a specific personality type, so it's probably best not to print that on the birth certificate.

5. Lyra
His Dark Materials Trilogy ~ Philip Pullman
Now we're getting to the good stuff. Lyra is a realistic choice for me. Unfortunately, as much as I love the character, and love the name, for some reason I also associate it with whining. Too easy to stretch out the Y. Le sigh.

4. Artemis
Artemis Fowl Series ~ Eoin Colfer
This one would work for both a guy and a girl, but I'm going for a guy. Artemis has an old-world flair and a sense of sophistication to it. Perfect for a genius, wouldn't you say? Plus, I have absolutely nothing wrong with shortening it to Artie (Glee!).

3. Alanna
Song of the Lioness Quartet ~ Tamora Pierce
I was so stoked to find out that my first college roommate's name was Alanna. Unfortunately (for me) she hated the name, so went by Ally instead. Still, there's so much power and strength to this name, it's definitely a first choice if (by some fluke) a daughter of mine has red hair (or purple eyes!!!).

2. Jasper
Disney's 101 Dalmatians
Yes, I fell in love with the name Jasper WAY before Twilight. However, I do have to hand it to Meyer for giving him a complimentary ability. Even saying the name Jasper seems instantly soothing.
Ahem, anyway... Even as a baddie, Jasper still managed to exude charm and sophistication (being teamed with Horace helped a bit) (Plus he was played by Hugh Laurie in the live-action remake). So if I don't marry a Jasper (oh please, oh please!), I definitely wouldn't mind naming a kid that.

1. Tamora
Tamora Pierce
If you hadn't caught it by now, I'm a pretty big fan of Ms. Pierce. But even besides being a fan of the woman, I'm a fan the name. Tamora rolls off the tongue, even with its three syllables, and once again has that old-world feel to it. Even though Ms. Pierce prefers to go by Tammy with her friends, I'm much more in love with the full name.


Well, that's my list and I'm sticking to it.
Since I'm not planning on having kids anytime soon, I'll probably use these in my next rounds of pets.
I think these are all good cat names, don't you? Well, except maybe Remus *wink*.

So, what's your list?

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Back In The Saddle

Just a quick update to say that I've fixed my laptop and things are back on track. The giveaway is still on, so be sure to check it out!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Let Me Hear You Howl! It's Been A Year!!!

That's right, as of today it's been a full year since I started blogging!
It sure has been one hell of a ride.

From Demonic Rambling to Angelic Reading

From Dodging Hitchhikers to Catching Mockingjays

From Hopping Around to Checking My Mailbox

I want to thank you all for coming here and joining along on my ventures. And what better way to do that than ask you to...

Venture to Win the Blogoversary & 150 Follower Giveaway

You can have your pick of one of the following four selections...

Blogoversary Pack
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Trickster's Choice Zan-Gah Duet


Contest Is Now Closed

Entrants must be 13 years of age or older
Contest deadline is Midnight PST February 24, 2011
Winner will be chosen using Random.org
Contest open to US Residents Only
(Sorry to any Internationals out there, but I can't afford the shipping right now)
ONE ENTRY PER PERSON!

Once again, I want to thank you all for your continued support and feedback. If you have any questions, comments, advice or criticisms, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below.

Best of Luck!