Stop, Drop, and Read!

Giveaway: Cinder by Marissa Meyer Audiobook

2012-01-07T19:03:00.001-05:00

First giveaway of 2012! :) For anyone who would like to try Cinder, but have no time to read, this is perfect because you could listen to it instead during commute or in the car! Description of the novel:

Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon a Time…. Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

If you would like to see the trailer of the novel, click here!

Now for the giveaway rules!

Entries:

+1 Mandatory! Be a GFC follower

+1 Tweet or retweet this link (leave username): https://twitter.com/#!/StopDropandRead/status/155802243277402113

+1 For every other way you spread the word online (blog, tumblr, etc. simply leave link for each)

Open to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends on January 31, 2012 11:59 PM EST.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

2012-01-04T15:32:00.001-05:00

Title: The Future of Us

Author: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 356

My Rating: 4.5/5

It's 1996 and the internet is not yet wildly used. Emma receives a new computer from her father so her friend Josh gives her the new AOL CD-ROM to install. After Emma installs the program, she lands on a page called Facebook. Except, Facebook is not yet invented!

Emma can see her profile from the future with details of her life in snippets. After getting over the initial shock, she sees this as a chance to fix her future! Josh worries that she may be messing up their future completely by attempting to correct the little things in the present.

It's rare for me these days to request a novel to review because I have a huge TBR pile and am so busy these days. But when I skimmed the synopsis of this novel, I had to read it! I was looking forward to the end result before I even started!

What I found to be amusing was that Emma took everything from Facebook that her future self wrote so seriously. I know for a fact that when I complain about something on Facebook, it really is not a big deal as it sounds. Even if it is, it's not like my world is coming to an end. But Emma doesn't understand that and takes everything for word. She attempts to avoid one of her future husbands by tracking him down and decide not go to the university that he goes to. The more paranoid she got, the more I started to get irritated with her character. I supported Josh's stance on leaving it all alone. However, his future is that he would get married to the prettiest girl in the school and have a successful life. So I could understand that Emma criticized him because he might not want to ruin his perfect future.

I very much enjoyed this novel because it has such a unique concept. I always wanted to have a glimpse of my future to see what it is like if I am going at the pace I am right now. I think people would find this novel appealing because of the overall idea of being able to alter your future if you know exactly what will happen. I know I would be a hypocrite and say I won't, but I am pretty sure I would tweak somethings here and there.

The one thing that kept this novel from a 5/5 rating is [MINOR SPOILER ALERT] the fact that it doesn't reveal the future of either characters at the very end. I was so peeved! I was hoping that in the future once Facebook did come out for Emma and Josh, they would go on it. Then the story would end with Emma or Josh updating something that concludes everything. But, unfortunately not. [SPOILER ENDS]

I think this is a fun and non-cliche novel that anyone (especially for those who lived through 90s and uses Facebook today) can read.

Review copy provided by Penguin Group Canada.

Trailer Tuesday: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Description: Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon a Time…. Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

There will be an author event on January 9th at 7 PM EST on Facebook and Twitter. So save the date!

https://www.facebook.com/MarissaMeyerAuthor
https://twitter.com/marissa_meyer

Wishing you all an amazing 2012

2012-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

I would like to thank all of my readers, new and old, for sticking around with me. I know that updating and reviewing books have been extremely slow compared to what it used to be a couple of years ago, but blogging definitely was and is still part of my life.

I can't say that I will be picking up the pace anytime soon. Since I first started blogging up until now, so many changes have occurred in my life. Believe me, if you knew me in real life, I have changed drastically since the beginning of my book blogging days. Other things started to take priority in my life, therefore reading and reviewing had to take a backseat. So I am grateful if you haven't given up on me. I hope if anything, that this blog is a resource archive for manga and young adult readers. I'll continue to review the books I read, although it will take time.

For the blank slate of 2012, I wish you and your family all the best in health and fortune. May you pursue your wildest dreams by taking one step at a time and make it come true. It's a new year and it can be a new you.

Happy New Year!

Contest for Aspiring YA Authors

2011-12-23T00:47:00.003-05:00

I have a little announcement from Book Wish Foundation for any of my readers who are hoping to one day be a writer!

Win a literary agent or acclaimed author's feedback on your unpublished manuscript for young adult or middle grade readers. This rare opportunity is being offered to the six winners of an essay contest recently announced by the literacy charity Book Wish Foundation. See http://bookwish.org/contest for full details.

You could win a manuscript critique from:

- Laura Langlie, literary agent for Meg Cabot
- Nancy Gallt, literary agent for Jeanne DuPrau
- Brenda Bowen, literary agent and editor of Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust
- Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe
- Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award for The Last Summer of the Death Warriors
- Cynthia Voigt, winner of the Newbery Medal for Dicey's Song and the Newbery Honor for A Solitary Blue

All that separates you from this prize is a 500-word essay about a short story in Book Wish Foundation's new anthology, What You Wish For. Essays are due Feb. 1, 2012 and winners will be announced around Mar. 1, 2012. If you win, you will have six months to submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript for critique (which means you can enter the contest even if you haven't finished, or started, your manuscript). You can even enter multiple times, with essays about more than one of the contest stories, for a chance to win up to six critiques.

If you dream of being a published author, this is an opportunity you should not miss. To enter, follow the instructions at http://bookwish.org/contest.

Good luck and best wishes,

Logan Kleinwaks
President, Book Wish Foundation

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

2011-12-22T00:17:00.000-05:00

Title: All These Things I've Done

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 354

My Rating: 4/5

In 2083, chocolate and caffeine are illegal, paper is practically non-existent and many places we know of today are in ruins. Anya's father used to be a notorious crime boss (who is now deceased), so people judge her for her background. With her sick grandmother and her two siblings to take care of, it's hard to try to juggle life as is along with school work and relationship problems.

When Anya's ex-boyfriend, Gable, gets poisoned and nearly dies from the chocolate she gave him, the police thinks she is the culprit. Unable to get away from it all, the attention is now all on her.

Never have I read a novel where I found three characters, THREE, that I could totally see myself in. Usually the main character is the easiest to relate to (unless it's written in first person but different POVs). First, I want to start off with Anya's best friend, Scarlet. Scarlet is a hopeless romantic who has crushes on guys really easily. It was hilarious to read (for me personally) because it was the first time I have seen a character with this personality since I am exactly the same. But then you have Anya who is a complete realist. Anya and Win (the obvious boy interest) admit to liking each other but Anya understands that with her situation, she is unable to date Win because his father is the new assistant DA's son. Win likes Anya but is not the kind of guy to relentlessly pursue if she clearly is not interested. I have never had any favourite quotes from the books I've read before but here is one from Win:

"Yes, because if you don't like me, I'll stop bothering you," Win said. "I'm not the type of person to linger where I'm unwanted." - page 176

I very much saw myself in this quote because I know that even if I like a guy and I told him but he is not interested, I'll back off. I'll still be friends if he wants but I'm not going to do anything to further the relationship. It's refreshing to read that the male character won't go through that cliche plot of trying to chase down the girl.

Story-wise, I thought there was going to be a lot more action considering there is the mafia involved. Instead, it mainly focuses on Anya's everyday life, some of which gets really complicated but nothing with car chases or things blowing up (action movies much?). It is written with a steady pace and plenty of character development, just not a lot of bang as expected.

Overall, a nice read with tons of great characters. It's great for anyone who wants to read with a future setting but none of the dystopia or robotic futuristic feel. It's definitely something different (though I still can't understand the logic of banning caffeine and chocolate). I will close this review with another favourite quote from the book:

"...You can either be a bystander who lives his life in reaction to the decisions that others make, or you can be the leader who is making those decisions." - page 281

Review copy provided by Macmillan.

Kamisama Kiss by Julietta Suzuki

2011-12-11T22:41:00.000-05:00

Title: Kamisama Kiss

Mangaka: Julietta Suzuki

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 8 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 3-4

My Rating: 4.5/5

In volume 3, Nanami rescues a poor snake that is being harassed by her classmates. She doesn't realize that her goodwill leads her to being marked by the snake for betrothal! The snake turns out to be a shinshi named Mizuki who ends up kidnapping her and wanting her by his side forever!

The first half of this volume is a bit more serious compared to what has been happening so far. Mizuki plays a vital role in the series from this point on after being introduced. Why he kidnapped Nanami is quick to be revealed and that part of the story ends after three chapters. It switches back to a more fun note when Nanami gets sick and Tomoe takes her place at school by transforming himself into her. Meanwhile, Nanami who is at home sick is visited by Mizuki. He transports her soul back to the past to show her what Tomoe was really like.

In volume 4, Nanami goes to the beach with her friends and has Tomoe and Mizuki tagging along. Tomoe is unable to enter the water but when Nanami's friend, Ami, gets swept away by the ocean, he dives in to save her. Ryu-Oh Sukuna, the ruler of the sea, shows up immediately to take Tomoe away because of what he did years ago. In return for him, Nanami must find Ryu-Oh's missing eye. Will she be able to find it?

Nanami has developed strong feelings for Tomoe recently, which she confesses to him in the beginning of this volume. Volume 3 and 4 have been giving a lot of insight and depth on each character. With a bit of Tomoe's past revealed and the events that happened around it with Nanami, it foreshadows some things that will likely occur in the next volume or two. It is very sweet to see how much Nanami cares for Tomoe and will do anything in order to save him (though in honesty I feel that it is too much sometimes). I quite enjoy the last couple of chapters in volume 4 because Mizuki managed to permanently situate himself into Tomoe's and Nanami's lives. I am curious to see how it all turns out.

Review copies provided by Viz.

Unfinished Reading: Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson

2011-11-26T16:14:00.001-05:00

Title: Invisible Things

Author: Jenny Davidson

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 261

My Rating: 2/5

It is the year of 1938 and Sophie is currently staying with her friend, Mikael's, family in Denmark. She starts to become curious about her parents' deaths because they died in an explosion. She has a feeling it is just more than that and wants to know the truth. Meanwhile trying to figure out the secrets that are being kept from her, war threatens the country.

I usually never give a full-length review for books I don't finish and have them in Short & Simple instead. However, I haven't blogged for so long so might as well give my overall opinion on this one. So from now on, all the full-length reviews for the unfinished books will be under the Unfinished Reading tag.

I actually did not realize that Invisible Things is a sequel to Davidson's debut, The Explosionist, until I quickly skimmed other reviews before starting this one. So definitely for the first thing, covers of a series should always have some sort of reoccurring theme because this cover and the first look nothing alike. So I came in thinking that I am reading the first novel of the series.

When I read the description of the novel, it sounded interesting and I could use some historical themes in my YA reading. However, I was quite disappointed as you could probably tell already. The plot was extremely slow moving and that made it hard to follow. There was a lot of unnecessary detailed writing for actions and thoughts and so-forth that did not add anything to the novel but more reading to get to the main point. I have no comments for the main character or anyone else because like the plot, character development and voice went nowhere. Although I stopped at a point where things were starting to pick up, it was not enough to hold my attention to even know what the climax was.

If anything, I think this novel will appeal to history buffs. It has scientists such as the famous Niels Bohr and Alfred Nobel. I am honestly not too familiar with the history of Europe during the late '30s but this is an alternate historical novel so it wouldn't matter too much.

Review copy provided by HarperCollins Canada.

Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman

2011-11-05T23:25:00.000-04:00

Title: Where the Truth Lies

Author: Jessica Warman

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 320

My Rating: 4.5/5

To everyone, Emily has a perfect life. She attends a prep school where her father is the headmaster of and has three best friends. However, for most of her life she has been having nightmares frequently, about either water or fire, but doesn't know why. She goes to therapy frequently but nothing helps.

Enter Del Sugar, a new boy in school with a mysterious background and has an attraction to Emily. She doesn't understand why he likes her, but nonetheless is compelled by his bad boy charm. Being with him makes her feel alive and she loves every second of it. But then the truth of Emily's past starts to unravel and things start to fall apart. What will she decide in the end?

When I first started out the novel, it was readable but didn't completely grab my attention. I had it by my bed for about two months until I decided to take a stab at it again.

The more I read, the more I was seeing bits of myself in Emily. When you have a character that you strongly relate to in any sense, you want to continue reading til the end to see what will happen to them. I won't spoil anything but everything her parents did was in order to protect her. I felt that she was similar to me in that aspect because I have such conservative parents and they won't let me do anything; but I know in the end they want what is best for me.

I found Del's part to be so interesting because he didn't like Emily for no apparent reason, compared to most YA novels I've read. Del is a very complex character and has quite a history of his own. I like that there are a lot of dimensions to him and Emily. So it was quite fascinating to read how both reacted to the same situation differently because of their mindset. Another character I found quite unique was Emily's long-time friend, Stephanie, because she had the biggest brother complex on the planet. The aspect she plays in the novel is that friends sometimes do no last forever and I love how the author added that to the book. No matter how long of a history that you and a friend may have, there are things in life that will separate you over time.

After reading this novel, especially if you're a young adult, it really does put things into perspective when it comes to being responsible. Emily did something that changed her life forever. It really put a huge strain on her and made her question a lot of things. I would be devastated if she was my daughter and knew what she went through. It really made me appreciate my parents.

This is a fantastic novel dealing with growing up and making hard decisions in life. Where the Truth Lies gives everyone something to think about.

Review copy provided by Penguin Canada.

Trailer Tuesday: Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast + GIVEAWAY

2011-10-25T23:35:00.001-04:00

Title: Destined

Author: P.C. & Kristin Cast

Description: ...Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow…

To all of the House of Night fans out there, here is a goody for you! Enter to win the 9th volume of this series!

Entries:

+1 Be a follower [MANDATORY, or no entries]

+1 Tweet, leave link

+2 Blog, leave link

Canadian and U.S. mailing addresses only! Ends November 4th, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.

Natsume's Book of Friends by Yuki Midorikawa

2011-10-18T20:56:00.001-04:00

Title: Natsume's Book of Friends

Mangaka: Yuki Midorikawa

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 12 mangas

Volume(s) Reviewing: 9

My Rating: 4/5

No good deed goes unpunished, and this applies very much to Natsume, despite always returning names to demons from the Book of Friends. A yokai demands her ring back after Natsume returned her name, thinking he stole it. Natsume did not, but thinks he knows where it may be. Can he get it back in time to the angry yokai before she tries to get rid of him??

Natsume's Book of Friends is one of the few manga series I enjoy lately in print. I felt by this volume, the excitement has died down since I have read the first 5-6 volumes of the series. I enjoyed it nonetheless, but it seemed like the mangaka's creativity is declining. This tends to happen to a lot of run-on series, especially with those that have a new story each chapter.

Natsume is still the same up to this point, which is something I like about his character because he treats yokai with respect. However, he always gets stuck in sticky situations due to his personality. The first story in this volume has a cute, simple fluffball demon that Natsume has a soft spot for. After, you get some tribal demons that cause a ruckus. That leads to Mr. Matoba, an exorcist who wants to get rid of all the yokai in the world. He tries to get information out of Natsume regarding his grandmother but fails. This story clues in the reader that Mr. Matoba will return in future volumes and cause more trouble. Being familiar with the style and having read so many volumes of this series, the problem will likely be "toned down" in terms of shock factor.

The ninth volume of Natsume's Book of Friends is still a nice and light read. Likely though, you would start forgetting what had happened after you finished.

Review copy provided by Viz.

Trailer Tuesday: My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody + GIVEAWAY

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Title: My Life Undecided
Author: Jessica Brody
Description: "...Brooklyn Pierce, a fifteen year-old girl notorious for making bad decisions, enlists the help of the online blog reading population to vote on how she should live her life. But some things in life simply aren't a choice...like who you fall in love with."

This cute teen novel is up for a giveaway! If you like the idea and/or the trailer, here is your chance to win!

Entries:
+1 GFC follower (MANDATORY)
+1 Tweet, leave link
+2 Blog about this giveaway, leave link

Canadian and US mailing addresses only. Ends October 8th, 2011 11:59 PM EST.

Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori

2011-10-03T17:01:00.001-04:00

Title: Ouran High School Host Club
Mangaka: Bisco Hatori
Age Group: Teens
Series is: Completed with 18 volumes
Volume(s) Reviewing: 16
My Rating: 4/5

Mori declares a fight with Hunny, just before graduation. Does it mean they will separate for good?? Along with that, it seems like there is something suspicious cooking up in Tamaki's household.

For the past couple of volumes, it has been building up Tamaki's personal life and his family business. With his grandmother who hates him for who he is, she is finally letting him move into the Suoh's main mansion. However, it seems like there may be a hidden agenda. This volume is full of family politics. To the point where you wonder why the mangaka did not fast-forward the characters age to college or at least senior year of high school since the story has been going on for so many volumes and it would be more appropriate.

This volume is the peak of where Tamaki and Haruhi fully realize their feelings for each other. Acting exactly like high school students (which they are), they get embarrassed every time they see each other and sometimes end up in shojo scenarios that drive them insane. At this point I am waiting for the ending and hopefully see where everyone is in 10 years.

The end features two bonus stories, one where you FINALLY get to see Haruhi's mother. It is where Haruhi's father relentlessly pursue after his interest in a woman six years his senior. And honest to god, it is an adorable love-at-first sight story. And the second story is with the twins' grandmother and you get see how she contributes to their quirky personalities.

Review copy provided by Viz.

Uzumaki by Junji Ito

2011-09-25T20:18:00.001-04:00

Title: Uzumaki

Mangaka: Junji Ito

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Completed with 3 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1-3

My Rating: 5/5

A Japanese town called Kurozucho is cursed by the spiral. The inhabitants get obsessed with spirals and strange happenings occur across town. What doom will be brought upon the people and the town?

I have read another horror series by the same mangaka called Gyo two years ago. Both have the same level of scare because of the surreal and utterly creepy situations. Gyo has a continuous story for 2 volumes where the protagonist tries to survive. In Uzumaki, the chapter at the beginning of the story is drawn out to a few chapters. After that, every chapter is a story of its own but with Kirie (the main girl) in each of them and experiencing the horrors of the spiral. That is, until the very end when everything comes together.

Spirals could be seen anywhere, such as a snail's shell. Using different things in the world around us that contain spirals, the mangaka creates some terrifying tales. After reading this series, I couldn't sleep properly that night. I managed to dream about the story and continued it in my head in some warped way.

I highly recommend Uzumaki (and Gyo) to anyone who wants a horror story outside of their boundaries. Perfect for the month of Halloween.

1st reply wins audiobook of Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon!

2011-09-23T17:57:00.002-04:00

US mailing addresses only. :) Post now to win!

Watching on Wednesday: The Playboy Club - Episode 1

2011-09-21T23:17:00.000-04:00

Title: The Playboy Club - Episode 1

Type: Show

Age Group: Teens +

Release Year: 2011

My Rating: 5/5

It is the early 1960s and life is grand for all the rich men out there with a key to the Playboy Mansion. They get to watch musical performances, dance with the gorgeous Bunnies, and dine and wine as much as they please.

Maureen (Amber Heard) is a newly employed Bunny. Things went for a bad turn after she pushed away a customer who groped her. Mad that she did that to him, the man confronted her in the back room and tried to rape her. Nick (Eddie Cibrian), another customer, tried to save her when he saw the struggle. Maureen kicked her attacker and accidentally punctured his throat with her heel. She just killed a notorious mafia leader and now must dump the body with Nick or they would both be dead. Will she be able to get away without getting caught?

I am so glad I pulled out another hour in order to watch this new show premiere. I have little background of the Playboy Mansion but if life was like it was portrayed on the show, I wouldn't mind being either a rich man or Bunny myself! I absolutely love the sensual feeling and Hollywood glamour. It honestly takes you to another world.

Ambiance aside, I love that this show is about real characters in a surreal situation where they are faced with many challenges in their lives. These Bunnies are not hypersexualized characters. Rather, they each have their own reason for being there.

The most interesting character I found to be was Carol-Lynne (Laura Benanti). In the beginning she was Nick's girlfriend but after discovering Maureen in his condo, she thought he cheated on her and then left him promptly. Carol-Lynne is an intelligent woman of her time and I greatly admired that. Being the first Bunny, she is fiercely dedicated to the Playboy Mansion. She goes out of her way to advise management on how to run business more smoothly. After when she became the Mama Bunny of the girls, she created a human resources plan (which was not too widely done during that time) in order to train all new-coming Bunnies. Not only intelligent but she stands on her own two feet and refuse to go running back to Nick just because he bought her some earrings and did some smooth talking. Also, she is a person you do not want to cross because you will never know when she could strike. After what had happened at Nick's apartment, Maureen was nothing but truly sorry and also feared Carol-Lynne at the same time.

I praised one character way too much but it was because she is a fantastic one. Everyone else nonetheless captured their role well. Though I do want to complain on Nick just a bit because I have seen many characters like him before. Rich, good-looking, intelligent, love beautiful women, and have the power of seduction. He is exactly like Harvey Specter from the lawyer show, Suits (funny cause Nick is a lawyer too!).

The Playboy Club has amazing drama and real-life characters. The episode does not exactly end as a cliffhanger but it indeed makes you worry for Maureen and Nick. I highly recommend this show for those who loves drama but want to get away from the usual hospital or teen drama.

xxxHolic by CLAMP

2011-09-20T15:28:00.000-04:00

Title: xxxHolic

Mangaka: CLAMP

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Completed with 19 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 17

My Rating: 4.5/5

Watanuki is still new at being the shopkeeper now. When a customer who comes in is someone he knows and is quite dangerous, how will he handle their wish?

I was sent out of the blue the 17th volume of xxxHolic to review. Luckily having read up to the 11th volume or so, I knew that I didn't have to read everything from beginning to end. However, having to missed out on a few volumes prior to this one, I did lose out on key information (such as, why Yuko retired and where is she now?).

In this volume returns an old character, the Jorogumo, wanting to get a wish granted from Watanuki. Being the shop owner now, he must grant every wish he receives. Whenever there is a new case in xxxHolic, each one tends to be haunting and sometimes, a beautiful mystery. This is no different when the Jorogumo wanted a red pearl. However, there is only to be one big "case" for this volume contrast to the other volumes when Yuko constantly had new customers coming in all the time and each story more unique than the one before.

Watanuki's demeanor has definitely changed now that he is bounded to the shop, unable to ever leave its premises (except when he needs to with a bit of magic). He has grown more mature and more refined in his actions now. Despite not fully liking Domeki in the very beginning of the series, the two are quite close now even though they would deny it. Himawari is no longer in the picture because she is unable to step into the shop due to its dangers except for once a year. However, Watanuki is still able to contact her through phone. Despite never being able to be together, their feelings for each other are still strong.

What I wonder the most is how this series will end because I am basically 2 volumes away from it. Nonetheless, xxxHolic is a series that any manga fan could appreciate for its detailed and hauntingly sad, but lovely stories.

Review copy provided by Del Rey.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

2011-09-15T16:23:00.000-04:00

Title: Sisters Red
Author: Jackson Pearce
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 324
My Rating: 3.5/5

Scarlett and Rosie March are sisters who have gone through the hardships of knowing the existence of the Fenris. The Fenris are evil wolf-creatures in the form of men who hunt down girls and feed on them. Scarlett, who had lost her eye protecting her baby sister when they first encountered a Fenris, refuses to rest until she eliminates all of the Fenris on Earth. But what happens when Rosie's love interest may ruin everything?

Comparing this to other YA novels, this one definitely has a lot of action where (mainly) Scarlett and Rosie go out to lure these Fenris in order to kill them. Unlike her sister, Rosie does not want to dedicate her entire life to killing these creatures which I can sympathize. Scarlett considers this being selfish and not caring for those who dies in the hands of the Fenris. In my opinion, I found Scarlett to be the most selfish character of all, thinking that Rosie will be by her side forever and fighting. It irritated me because I believe in personal freedom and that one should not be guilted in living a certain way. I felt for Rosie because she owes her big sister her life and has that obligation to fight the Fenris.

The story seems to me though was set up to evolve around a forbidden romance, which is something I am not a big fan of. Forbidden romance is indeed overused in YA, but if done correctly with the story structure, it's fine. However, when it seems like there are action and scary creatures JUST so there could be some forbidden romance, it gets obvious and can get in the way of the actual plot and takes away the enjoyment of the novel.

One thing for sure that irritated me is that fact that these Fenris prey on pretty girls. Scarlett discriminates on those that dresses up and goes to the club because they are considered bait for the Fenris. I am sick and tired of girls that are dressed nice and considered "popular" to be bad or being the one getting killed. I know from personal experiences that looking good gives you confidence. And that confidence helps empower you to step out of your boundaries. I want to read a book that doesn't have these girls as the bad guys. It's funny because when the GUY is good-looking, the main character is all over him. And then they end up together. WTF?! I know this rant should be a separate post completely but I have already typed so much and I don't have time. So I apologize for the side rant.

I would recommend Sisters Red to anyone who would like to see more action in their YA reading for sure. It could be a like or dislike depending on your taste but you won't be missing out.

Review copy provided by Hachette Book Group.

Trailer Tuesday: Dreamland by Alyson Noel + GIVEAWAY

2011-09-13T17:20:00.000-04:00

Title: Dreamland
Author: Alyson Noel
Description: Riley's finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer's dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it's her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who's been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

Yes, yes, another giveaway. o-o I apologize I haven't put up any reviews. Second year at university is hectic when you want to be on top of your classes and add in extracurricular activities. I'll try to get a review up soon since I have about 3 planned. Until then, enjoy the free giveaways. :) Check the above links for more giveaways!

Entries: (separate comment per entry)
+1 Public GFC follower (MANDATORY)
+1 Tweet, leave link
+2 Blog post, leave 2 separate comments for this entry

Giveaway is open to Canadian and US mailing addresses only. Closes on September 23, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.

Giveaway: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

2011-09-09T19:06:00.003-04:00

Title: All These Things I've Done
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Description: In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Like the sound of this new spanking YA novel? Well guess what? Giveaway time!

Entries:
+1 Be a public GFC follower, I will check! (MANDATORY)
+1 Tweet, leave link
+ 2 Blog about giveaway, leave link (separate entries)

Giveaway ends September 17th, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST. Open to Canadian and US mailing addresses only!

Trailer Tuesday: Hades by Alexandra Adornetto + GIVEAWAY

2011-08-30T19:15:00.000-04:00

Title: Hades

Author: Alexandra Adornetto

Description: Heaven Help Her.

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier?s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can?t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth?s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.

Another giveaway? Yes! I personally haven't read Halo but I remember seeing it around on the blogosphere when it first came out. For fans of the first novel, you will get a chance to win the sequel, Hades, here!

Entries:

+1 Be a public GFC follower, I will check! (MANDATORY)

+1 Tweet, leave link

+ 2 Blog about giveaway, leave link (separate entries)

Giveaway is opened to Canadian and US mailing addresses only and closes on Sept 10, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST.

Check out my other giveaway to win the audiobook version of Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon here!

Boyfriend from Hell by E. Van Lowe

2011-08-26T22:18:00.000-04:00

Title: Boyfriend from Hell

Author: E. Van Lowe

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 256

My Rating: 5/5

Megan is in disbelief at the idea of her mom, Suze, dating. She pretends she is happy for Suze though, because that is the right thing to do even though she feels otherwise. When perfect Spanish-accented Armando comes into their lives, Megan should be glad for her mom right? After all, he is the entire package. Except Megan could not help but hated him at first sight. Things started to get suspicious around Megan and Armando may have something to do with it. She wants him far away from her mother, fast. But once she finds out who he really is, is there any way to get rid of him forever?

Having read Never Slow Dance with a Zombie (a novel that should not be taken seriously in order to have a good laugh), I was not too sure what to expect of this novel because when I started, it didn't seem to be a comedy. It was a more serious book and one I highly enjoyed. In the beginning, I thought it was going be a typical teen novel where the girl wants a boyfriend so bad and eventually will get him through some cliche circumstances with paranormal involved. Which in a way was true. However, it was much more than that.

After discovering that Armando is Satan, Megan did everything in her power to protect her mother and destroy him once and for all. Her two best friends, Matt and Erin thought she was crazy, but she still persisted on. Even after they have ditched her until she was willing to get help, Megan was heartbroken but still had her mother first in mind. I admired her so much seeing how she much she was willing to risk everything for her only parent who raised her. After her friends left her, it was really cool that she became close friends with Maudrina, a classmate she used to make fun of but realizes she was wrong for being mean and slowly bonded throughout the novel.

Everything in the novel was pitch perfect...except for one thing. The romance. Megan meets a mysterious boy named Guy, whom she soon had a relationship with. The problem for me was I did not feel any chemistry off the pages. It felt a little forced and out of place with the rest of the story. Other than this, I loved it. The climax and ending were a complete surprise and a twist one would never expect!

I highly recommend Boyfriend from Hell for those who wants to try out a book with Satan in it. Either way, I think anyone who is a teen novel lover should try it out!

Review copy provided by E. Van Lowe.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (Aug 22/11)

2011-08-22T15:45:00.004-04:00

Mailbox

Received

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Bad Girl
Artist/Band: SNSD
Language: Japanese
My Thoughts: Another fun song by one of my favourite Kpop bands. :)

Giveaway: Audiobook for Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2011-08-21T23:29:00.000-04:00

I recently did a giveaway for the new novel Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Unfortunately it lasted less than 2 weeks and some may have missed their chance to enter. So I have a new giveaway for the same novel except in audiobook format! This is perfect for long car rides and you're unable to read (roadtrip idea!).

To make this easier for me and equal opportunity for everyone, simply become a follower through GFC (will check) and comment below!

Open until September 17, 2011 at 11:59 EST. US mailing addresses only.

Watching on Wednesday: Friends with Benefits

2011-08-17T23:17:00.000-04:00

Title: Friends with Benefits

Type: Movie

Age Group: Older Teens +

Release Year: 2011

My Rating: 5/5

Jamie (Mila Kunis) is a corporate headhunter in the Big Apple. She is determined to get her hands on Dylan (Justin Timberlake), an extremely talented art director of a small internet company in L.A. She convinces him to stay and work in N.Y.C. for GQ Magazine after being so reluctant.

Later hanging out as friends, they realize that neither of them wanted commitment in a relationship. So they decided to have a go at being friends with benefits. Will it work?

Ever since I saw the movie trailer months back, I wanted to see it so bad. So bad that I went to the movies by myself just to watch it. And I have to say, money well spent!

There are comparisons to No Strings Attached starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. However, having seen both movies, there is a huge difference between them. In my opinion, I will take FwB over NSA any day. In NSA, it focused mainly on the two protagonists together, not much of anything else. However with FwB, you get to see their work lives and family dynamic. Being someone who is interested in the fancier end of business, this was a bonus for me when I get to see how glamorous Dylan's job was. I felt that Dylan and Jamie had such great chemistry. They can be each others' best friends in times of need. I absolutely love all the funny parts. Not to mentioned, it's not cliche at all! What can I say, I am obsessed with romcoms.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of romantic comedies. And better yet, this is a movie the girl can take her guy to watch because it has the humour and sexual content that he would enjoy.

Panjandrum by J.J. Telly

2011-08-15T12:21:00.001-04:00

Title: Panjandrum

Author: J.J. Telly
Age Group: Tweens
# of Pages: 288

My Rating: 5/5

Gelsem's world is made up of Levels. She lives a very content life on Level Gee where she does not care to explore the mystery and lifestyle of the other Levels. But everything changes when she wakes up one day to find that she is not in her comfy bed, but in a wooden box! She realizes that she is kidnapped and is now a few Levels below her home Level! Now on Level Pee, she has to figure out why she is there and more importantly, how will she get out?

I admit, in the very beginning I was in a reading slump so I did not absorb as much as I should. When I brought it in to finish reading at work, I was completely hooked! I absolutely love this fantasy world Telly created around these Levels. So there is a Level from A to Z, but of course spelled out like Cee or Emm. Each Level is known for the things that starts with the letter of the Level. For example, my name is Diana and I'm from Level Dee where it is famous for its dancers, drummers and daredevils (I made this up! But you get the gist of it). Each Level has monsters and characters of its own with their very unique attributes. I absolutely love it when a story has a pack load of the author's monsters because it is new and different. You just do not know what to expect!

Gelsem is one of the few viewpoints you get to read as new characters are introduced. They all eventually collide together through different circumstances. What makes these characters unique is that you have a couple that you don't know if you want to support or have bad things happen to them. They get stuck in complex situations and then it would be shades of grey in terms of their actions for the reader.

What I love that Panjandrum had to offer was the freedom from what I usually read. The characters are young but with ages scattering from thirteen to eighteen. I am just genuinely glad that there is none of that young romance situation and some teen cliches I am used to seeing. It is just an honestly fun book to read. When I finished, I was thinking that every single middle school should have this book on their shelves for their students to read. Yes, every single middle school. It has the adventures, the monsters, the twists and turns, and the fun aspect. Highly recommended.

Review copy provided by J.J. Telly.

Winner of Retribution

2011-08-12T15:18:00.002-04:00

Winner of Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon is... Bee W Bedard! :) Congrats! :D

Watching on Wednesday: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2011-08-03T17:59:00.002-04:00

Title: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Type: Movie
Age Group: Youth +
Release Year: 2008
My Rating: 4/5

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is back with another adventure when greaser Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf) tells him that his old colleague is kidnapped by the Soviets. The Soviets want to find the Crystal Skull, an artifact that rumours that whoever is its founder would give them great powers and riches beyond their imagination. Indiana must get to the Crystal Skull first before the Soviets do and use it for dark purposes. Will he be able to make it?

Prior to this movie, I have never watched Indiana Jones. Therefore, I had nothing to compare it to, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. Luckily, it was a good thing for me.

This movie dealt a lot more with action by fighting the bad guys and racing to find the Crystal Skull. There wasn't that huge depth of character interactions, but there was a bit to give the plot a little push. The ride was good and I enjoyed it as I watched it. There were a couple of comical moments, but other than that, gun shots and running away for 95% of the time.

The end though was a disappointment. I was expecting something grand and historical. Like, a real life artifact or myth with a twist. [SPOILERS] Instead, the Crystal Skull was actually an alien. Or at least, made up an alien because there were 7 Crystal Skulls. That just killed the movie because you would be hyped up to know what this magical item did and finding out that it turned out to be a sci-fi movie just makes you go "What??" [SPOILERS END]

I wouldn't rush out to get this movie but pick it up if you're ever at the library and want something to kill time with.

Trailer Tuesday: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon + GIVEAWAY

2011-08-02T17:02:00.001-04:00

Title: Retribution

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Description: ...Harm no human…

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters...

I haven't put up any trailers for ages. However, I was asked if I would like to host a giveaway for Retribution and was also sent a link to the new trailer. Since today is Tuesday, thought I can bring back this old meme once more. Not to mention, giveaway!

Ways of entries (put all in one post):

Be a public follower [MANDATORY, without this done, you will not be eligible to win] +1

Tweet giveaway [link please] +1

Blog about the giveaway [link please] +2

This contest is opened until August 11th, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST and for US and Canadian mailing addresses only! If I don't get a reply from the winner within 24 hours, I will pick a new winner.

Ai Ore! by Mayu Shinjo

2011-07-21T16:38:00.006-04:00

Title: Ai Ore!

Mangaka: Mayu Shinjo

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Complete with 5 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 2.5/5

Mizuki's boyish features have her as the prince at her all-girls school. She rocks the stage with her all-female band called Blaue Rosen. Akira is considered the princess of his all-boys school next door because of his feminine frame. Akira wants to join Mizuki's band when their singer moved away. Mizuki was against it as first but finally gave in. What is in hold for these two??

This took me quite awhile to get into. In the beginning, I was really annoyed by the fact that the girl looks like a guy and the guy looks like a girl. I have read mangas in the past where characters looked like the opposite gender (W Juliet), but I felt that in Ai Ore! it was a bit much. The mangaka could've at least toned it down a little. I would have preferred it if the characters looked like their gender but instead, have the girl dominate and guy submissive in the relationship. That would've been different than the usual manga plot lines that I have been seeing in the past 8 years in manga.

Midway through the manga, it was not so bad. The mangaka gave different situations for the characters to show their vulnerability and I got to see Mizuki more feminine and Akira more manly. [SPOILERS] However, everything went downhill for me towards the end. An upperclassman got really interested in Mizuki because she was so beautiful. So she nearly raped the Mizuki when their school was at a resort. Mizuki was luckily rescued, but later Akira sent one of his fans to rape the girl who was about to rape Mizuki. This I found to be absolutely ridiculous because the characters were only in first year of high school but they are doing such vile things. I would have forgiven this act a bit more if the characters were older and were not in high school. Except they were not. [SPOILERS END]

Unless you are a huge Mayu Shinjo fan, this manga could be skipped.

Review copy from Viz.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (July 18/11)

2011-07-18T12:46:00.004-04:00

Mailbox

Review

Boyfriend from Hell by E. Van Lowe

Won

When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer

Sorry that I don't update MMM&MM too frequently. It's just that since I'm winding down with my reviewing lately so I haven't request for any books lately.

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Desert Rain

Artist/Band: Edward Maya ft. Vika Jigulina

Language: English

My Thoughts: LOVELOVELOVE

Short and Simple (7)

2011-07-09T20:19:00.001-04:00

Title: March Story

Mangaka: Hyung Min Kim (Art) & Hyung Il Yang (Story)

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 3 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 2

My Rating: 5/5

Sentence Summary: Continuing adventures with March as she hunts for the demons called Ill.

Speaking Straightly: As fantastic as the first volume! There is possible romance budding in this one, haha. I totally look forward to the third volume! Totally recommend this series if you have never read it yet and is a manga fan.

~~~

Title: Blue Exorcist

Mangaka: Kazue Kato

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 6 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 4/5

Sentence Summary: A boy discovers that he is a half-demon and vows to be an exorcist after the man who took care of him is killed by Satan!

Speaking Straightly: Been seeing and hearing a lot about this new popular series so I decided to give it a try. Not bad for the first volume. Definitely will appeal to shonen fans who are into demons. However, the first volume doesn't make me go crazy to pick up the second volume. But I wouldn't mind reading it if there is nothing else appealing on the shelf.

~~~

Title: Hell's Belles

Author: Jackie Kessler

Age Group: Adults

# of Pages: 344

My Rating: 2/5

Sentence Summary: Jezebel is a succubus running away from Hell and pretends to be a human in order to hide.

Speaking Straightly: I tried. I really tried. I renewed this book 2 times and I still cannot get into it after half a novel later. The way it was written is just boring, no matter what kind of action scenes there are going on. I don't really care too much for the protagonist and the adult content is not that great either. Wouldn't recommend at all.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (July 4/11)

2011-07-04T19:28:00.003-04:00

Mailbox

Borrowed

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual

The Color Trilogy vol. 1 by Kim Dong Hwa

Too lazy to get the pics lol, you can google if curious :)

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Hands Up

Artist/Band: 2pm

Language: Korean

My Thoughts: Current song stuck in my head. :D I love 2pm, glad they came back with a fun song.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Hedley

2011-07-03T20:47:00.000-04:00

Title: North of Beautiful
Author: Justina Chen Headley
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 373
My Rating: 5/5

From behind, Terra Cooper is seemingly all-so-beautiful as she have the figure, model height and blonde hair. However, if she was to turn around, one would have a double take. Due to her port wine stain that takes up part of her face, she buries her flaw underneath heavy makeup.

Terra plans on moving far away in order to start her life anew, away from her father who constantly verbal abuses her and her mother. She is tired of the life she is living and wants something different. Her wish is granted when she meets a goth Chinese boy who understands her and is not bothered by her face. Everything changes for her when she spends more time with him and the doors to the world open up.

You may notice that my reviews aren't very current with the latest novels as I'm trying to get through my current pile first. I was so glad to have North of Beautiful in the pile.

Generally, characters with Terra's brief characteristics tend to be those girls who have it all in those Gossip Girl themed novels. However, Terra is different. With her birthmark, she thinks a lot more differently than the usual teen. She for sure wants to fit in, but at the same time in her own way craves for new changes in life. She loves her mom and wishes that her mother could do better because her father is so mean and is not worth staying with. In all honesty, I was supporting Terra's mom the most throughout the novel. I wanted her to so badly to divorce her husband and was looking forward to that.

My favourite part of all is the fact that Terra and her mother got to go to Shanghai, China along with Jacob (Chinese boy) and his adopted mother. She experiences a whole new culture and it is great to see how it changes her perspective on things. I'm at the stage where I want to desperately go out and see the world and this book gives me that.

North of Beautiful is not your average, typical teen book. It have depths and meaning on being truly beautiful and the idea of living life. This is a great novel to pick up if you want something a bit more mature (not in a sexual way at all) and developed, not just your usual "girl likes boy" story. Or if you are tired of being bombarded with the latest titles and would like to go back to ones that you may have missed in the past couple of years.

Won copy from Books by Their Covers.

Bookmarks Winner

2011-07-02T18:35:00.002-04:00

Orchid! :) Going to be emailing you now. Yay for bookmarks! :D

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

2011-06-25T15:09:00.001-04:00

Title: My Soul to Take

Author: Rachel Vincent
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 279
My Rating: 2.5/5

Kaylee has a strange condition. A horrifying one. She has the urge to scream her bloody lungs out every time when someone near her is about to die. Nash, the cute boy of her grade, notices her and is seemingly curious about her condition. Then, something strange happens when local girls die without a reason and Kaylee needs to find out why.

I have to say, I was disappointed. I remembered there was a LOT of hype for this novel when it first came out. It was all over the blogosphere, especially since it was one of the first series published by Harlequin Teen. I had a feeling I wasn't going to be interested based on the premises so I never picked it up. However, I do review for Harlequin Teen and they did send me the later novels of The Soul Screamers series. I wanted to try to read them which meant I would have to start from the beginning. However, from the first novel alone, I'm not sure if I would get that far.

The beginning to the middle was flat as flat can be. Yes, there were girls dying (as said in summary) but it wasn't attention grabbing in any way. You acknowledge it, but doesn't exactly pump you up. The only thing that I liked was the suspense on why teen girls were dying out of nowhere. The reason ended being slightly bland because there was nothing building up to it.

Kaylee is one of those protagonists I cannot stand. She is the one of many that after discovering what she really is, she tries to jump in and save the day, regardless that she barely knows anything about this new world of hers. She goes against the words of those who knows what they are doing and even got someone killed trying to save her friend. Really? She is just one of those frustrating girls I see one too many of in YA novels these days.

Unless you are really into paranormal cliche novels, I wouldn't recommend this My Soul to Take.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (June 20/11)

2011-06-20T22:15:00.004-04:00

Mailbox

Borrowed

Afterschool Charisma vol. 2 by Kumiko Suekane

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Hot Summer

Artist/Band: f(x)

Language: Korean

My Thoughts: Another fun song for the summer by f(x)! The video is honestly repetitive of Pinocchio but what Kpop band ain't these days?

Bakuman by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata

2011-06-19T02:33:00.000-04:00

Title: Bakuman

Mangaka: Tsugumi Ohba (Story) & Takeshi Obata (Art)

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 13 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1-3

My Rating: 3.5/5

Mashiro is a regular junior high student with a knack for drawing. He plans to grow up and get an office job. However, his classmate, Takagi, sees that he can do so much more than that. Takagi begs Mashiro to collaborate with him to make a manga. Mashiro agrees after much thought. Will they be able to make their dreams come true before they turn 18??

For many anime/manga fans out there, you may know that the creators of this series also created Death Note. There is definitely one distinct similarity with Death Note and Bakuman: the word content. If anyone had ever read Death Note's manga, one might've realized how much talking there was, especially after a couple of volumes when L was trying to figure out Kira's actions and motives. There was so much excessive writing, one that I did not care to read for. Thus far, Bakuman is not as bad as Death Note but it is somewhat getting there. The whole point of manga is for readers to enjoy the story in picture format. If I wanted to read, I could pick up a regular novel instead. So this is definitely my pet peeve here.

There are times where the manga will be somewhat interesting. I love how it is about pursuing one's dreams and not let anything get in the way of it. If one is curious about how manga publishing works, Bakuman gives you great detail throughout each volume, from deciding what manga series to keep publishing to what an editor does. However, considering this is more of a realistic manga, the plot doesn't get too exciting and can definitely lose you.

Would I continue reading Bakuman? I may, I may not. Recommend it? I guess to those who really love Death Note or a story about pursuing a manga career.

Watching on Wednesday: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

2011-06-15T15:30:00.000-04:00

Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Type: Movie

Age Group: Youth +

Release Year: 2011

My Rating: 5/5

Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is back, with new adventures and new mates. His goal this time is to get to the Fountain of Youth. However, Barabossa (Geoffrey Rush), Blackbeard (Ian McShane) and Blackbeard's daughter, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), are after it too! Who will get their hands on this immortal fountain first?

For some reason, I wasn't that eager to watch the fourth movie, although I still wanted to see it. After hearing a couple of good reviews for it, I had to jump onto the bandwagon ASAP. (I want the Pirates of the Caribbean's OPI collection so bad!) And I LOVED it!

I was slightly disappointed (even though I already knew) that Eliza and Will did not appear even for a brief moment in the movie. I wanted to see what they were up to because it would be nice to just know. Luckily, the fifth movie is going to be coming out eventually so I am definitely excited for that.

Before I was a JackxEliza fan. Now I am a JackxAngelica fan! Haha, they had so much chemistry in this movie and I hope something will happen between them some more in the next!

I highly recommend this movie for those who have loved any of the PotC movies! This one definitely made up for the third one that made absolutely NO SENSE to me. So go watch it now!

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (June 13/11)

2011-06-13T19:17:00.000-04:00

Mailbox

Inspires by The Story Siren

None :o

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Get Back (ASAP)

Artist/Band: Alexandra Stan

Language: English

My Thoughts: Love the song, Mr. Saxobeat, I posted up last week so much that I looked into other Alexandra Stan's music. This one just came out this year. I absolutely love the beginning though I found the chorus to be out of place and ruins it.

Watching on Wednesday: Inglourious Basterds

2011-06-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

Title: Inglourious Basterds

Type: Movie

Age Group: Older Teens +

Release Year: 2009

My Rating: 5/5

During an alternate World War 2, there is a group of Jewish-American soldiers called "The Basterds" that dedicate themselves to killing the Nazis.

This is a brilliant movie. If you have seen Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill and loved it, you will love Inglourious Basterds as well. It is graphic but less gory than Kill Bill for sure. I simply loved the females who were in this movie, they were absolutely killer in their high heels and fabulous clothes. They made me wish I was them. After watching, I wished I was from that era because everything was so elegant and classic Hollywood, what not to love?

The languages spoken, French especially, I cannot help but love so much. It is so beautiful how they have intertwined the three languages: French, English, and German, together into this movie.

It is unfortunate, however, the number of deaths in this movie, because the chances of your favourite character dying is high. The deaths though, are significant to the plot of the movie so it made sense.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, go watch now!

Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe

2011-06-07T13:59:00.000-04:00

Title: Happy Birthday to Me

Author: Brian Rowe

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 314

My Rating: 4.5/5

Cameron Martin has it all, the looks, the girlfriend, and is getting close to the basketball championship. But then, his life changes drastically when he started to age one year older each day! In the matter of weeks, he became seventy from seventeen! Will he be able to ever change back?

This is honestly the first book in months that I finished in pretty much one sitting, I was quite impressed. It started off a little superficial with the main character and the people around him, ESPECIALLY his father who is a plastic surgeon. I actually was flabbergasted at the fact that his father would try to put him under surgery in attempt to make Cameron look younger after he aged so much. They even went through surgery once and I was a little disgusted because it was only to get rid of the body fat. Unless you're morbidly obese or ill, surgery is not the answer in my opinion.

Although in the beginning it was just alright and the characters did not have that much depth, I was pleasantly surprised how everything changed towards the end. After Cameron got so old, it brought the best out of everyone when they realized that life was too short. I even cried for almost an entire chapter somewhere in the end because I was completely moved.

What I love was the fact that there was a supernatural element in the story without it actually being present from beginning to end asides from Cameron's aging. It was only till the very end it was revealed what actually happened to him, and it was pretty predictable. Nonetheless, I loved that paranormal was only a subfactor in this novel because what happened to Cameron opened up his eyes to reality.

I highly recommend this novel, especially for fans of Beastly and the movie Click.

Review copy provided by Brian Rowe.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (May 6/11)

2011-06-06T17:48:00.005-04:00

Mailbox

Review

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Despite that I have already reviewed this novel, Harlequin Teen sent another copy with the new cover. Do you like this cover or the old one better? I prefer the old one.

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Mr. Saxobeat
Artist/Band: Alexandra Stan
Language: English
My Thoughts: So addicting! Been replayed so many times today!

LadyStar: The Dreamspeaker Announcement

2011-06-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

Prepare to do battle with the Greatest Fighting Team of Teenage Girls Ever Assembled!

"I really enjoyed The Dreamspeaker"-- The Neverending Shelf

"The descriptions are so vivid you start to believe you're in the book"-- Read to Read GA

"I really liked this book!" -- Outnumbered 3-1

Jessica and her friends set sail aboard their tall ship!

One day, Jessica and her friends visit the Lakeshore Historical Society to take the Tall Ship Tour. After they get separated from the tour group, Jessica discovers a gem-encrusted Lantern and a magically locked jewelry box below decks in the ship's hold. A voice from inside the Lantern tells Jessica she is in great danger because they have discovered priceless stolen artifacts sought by ruthless and evil sorcerers known as Cryptics.

Minutes later, the vessel's lights flicker to life and the sails fill even though there isn't the slightest breeze. The great ship sails across the lake carrying Jessica and all of her friends through an astral portal to an unfamiliar land called Aventar.

Talitha Hayashi helps Jessica read a mysterious map!

There, they meet the shadowy arcanist Reina, who tells them they must train at once to become Ajan Warriors. Unless they succeed, the treasures will be lost, and the last hopes of a betrayed people will fade forever.

These are the Adventures of Jessica Hoshi! Her Magical and Mysterious quest to discover the ancient and magnificent legend of the LadyStar begins as she encounters the powerful message of The Dreamspeaker!

LadyStar: The Dreamspeaker is only 99 cents for a limited time! Ordering is secure, fast and easy! Instant delivery for Kindle, PC, Mac, Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Blackberry! You don't need a Kindle to enjoy this book!

You can read ten illustrated chapters for free on LadyStar: The Ajan Champions Free Adventure Stories!

Bookmarks Giveaway

2011-06-04T11:58:00.000-04:00

So I have quite a bit of bookmarks and I want to get rid of them. What better way than to give them to readers? :) (Hope you guys don't mind used bookmarks!) I may or may not add other goodies. I may do this giveaway for the next couple of months to give everyone a chance, but we'll see.

Become a follower if you are not (I will check) and leave a comment with your email address. That's it! :D

Open to Canada and US only (sorry, I'm broke!) and it ends on June 30th, 2011.

Awakened by Ednah Walters

2011-06-02T12:04:00.000-04:00

Title: Awakened

Author: Ednah Walters

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 272

My Rating: 4/5

Unfortunately for Lil, turning sixteen does not mean she will get an awesome Sweet 16 bash. Rather, she develops powers she never knew she would even get. Not to mention that her grandpa, the only person she lives with, has a secret beyond her imaginations. With these new powers, she must be able to fight off demons that are causing havoc on Earth.

Enter Bran, a mysterious guy who begs for her and her grandpa's help to break his family free from the clutches of an evil demoness. But, can it be done?

I actually had to re-read this novel before I could do a review. The reason was that I tried to read it during the school year but it was not going through my head. I read bits and parts of the book, but had a hard time digesting it all. So when my first year of university ended, I decided to retry Awakened one more time because the author put so much effort into delivering the ARC to me that I at least should read the entire novel with a clear mind.

I was pleasantly surprised the second time around. It was much more fluid than I originally thought and had a good set to plots going. In the beginning I was a bit iffy at the fact that Lil trusted Bran very soon after they have first met. Maybe I am just a realist but knowing that someone who can be potentially dangerous, no matter how innocent they may seem, its something I wouldn't trust easily. Especially the fact that Lil is very new to this introduction of a another world and powers she didn't know exist, that makes it much harder to trust.

That aside, reading through the novel I knew that it was going to appeal to many YA readers. It has the adventure, the romance, and the supernatural. There were a few things that seems a bit cliche so I wasn't a big fan of that.

I would definitely recommend this novel to fans of The Demon's Lexicon and Hush, Hush. Anyone who is into angels and demons, pick this one up!

Review copy provided by Ednah Walters.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (May 30/11)

2011-05-30T13:14:00.001-04:00

Mailbox

None! :O

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Storm

Artist/Band: Yoshida Brothers

Language: N/A - Japanese themed

My Thoughts: Want some amazing Japanese instrumental? This is it.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

2011-05-24T12:27:00.000-04:00

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 304
My Rating: 3/5

Kate only has her ill mother in her life. Her mother's dying wish is to move back to her childhood home before she is gone.

While in her new town, Kate meets a young man named Henry, who claims to be Hades, God of the Underworld. Henry could extend Kate's mother's life a little longer if Kate agrees to accept his bargain. Wishing to have more time with her mother, Kate agrees. She must go through a series of tests but the problem is, every other girl before her died when they did the tests. Will she be able to make it through?

Although I wasn't expecting too much, I was expecting at least something exciting based from the synopsis.

Starting with the characters, I have to say I like Kate. She loves her mother dearly and I really like that quality of her caring so much. She puts her mother first in pretty much everything she does throughout the novel. She is a hard worker and I admire that. A part that I found really interesting is that she doesn't fall for Henry right away like in most books, despite that fact that he is good-looking. I love how their relationship gradually grew over time and Kate recognizes that even though Henry is centuries years old, she still cares for him regardless. Henry though, I think is slightly dull. He is a nice guy all in all but just didn't have that punch in making him stand out among male characters of the YA world. Everyone else in the book, ehhh. Some were alright while others melted into the background.

What really sucked is the fact that after reading halfway into the book, I realized NOTHING was happening. For the entire novel, Kate is cooped inside Henry's mansion and living her life. I give it points for having me read so far in and not realize that the plot was not exactly going anywhere. Towards the end there were some things but there weren't enough to get you excited. The tests Kate has to go through? Oh man, I thought it was going to be some life-and-death scenarios but it was...sigh. Too depressing, because you'd expect a lot more when one comes to do tests to be a goddess. Not to mention that the gods portrayed in the novel strayed very far from the mythology itself. I honestly should push my rating lower but there were some decency in this book. This is already a generous rating from me.

It was unfortunate that some things were not brought out to their full potential in this novel because there were so many things that could done to make it a fantastic read.

Review copy provided by Harlequin Teen.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (May 23/11)

2011-05-23T16:16:00.001-04:00

Mailbox

Borrowed

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Nightschool vol. 3 by Svetlana Chmokava

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan vol. 1 by Hiroshi Shiibashi

Review

Panjandrum by J.J. Telly

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Mambo Italiano

Artist/Band: Dean Martin

Language: English

My Thoughts: There are times where I like listening to different classics I heard throughout my life. This past week I was really in the mood for some Mambo Italiano. :) Man, I wish I am in Italy right now.

Author Interview: Hannah Harrington

2011-05-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

So it has been ages since my last author interview! For those who likes to read the author interviews, I apologize! During the school year, I totally forgot about it altogether and just focused on trying to get a post up every week as much as possible. If you guys want to see an author interview with an author I have reviewed a novel of, please comment below! (Either click the author interview hashtag or search on the side bar to see).

Three weeks ago, I reviewed a contemporary novel called Saving June about a girl who goes on a road trip to California in order to spread her sister's ashes (click here for review). Originally, the novel was supposed to be coming out this May. Unfortunately for those who are anticipating it, the release date got pushed to December 2011.

So while waiting, you can read the interview with Saving June's author, Hannah Harrington! (Apparently I'm the first to interview her, haha!)

What inspired you to write Saving June?

There wasn't really one singular event that inspired the book-- I actually wrote a bit of it while I was still in high school. I had the characters in my head, I just wasn't sure what to do with them at first. About two years after I graduated, it all sort of coalesced into a fully formed idea that I decided to write out. Some of it was inspired by my own teenage experience, either people I'd known or things I'd gone through personally, and some of it just came while I was writing.

Have you ever gone on a road trip before? If so, what was the experience like?

I've been on a lot of road trips! When I was seventeen I drove in a van with some friends from Michigan to New York for a political protest. I've also done the drive up Highway 1 along the California coast that Harper, Jake, and Laney take in the book-- it's a breathtaking drive. The most recent road trip I took was from Illinois to Atlantic City with two friends; we did both ways within less than 48 hours, which was completely ridiculous, but also a blast. We stopped in Philadelphia on the way back, where I'd never been, and I ended up accidentally wandering around five blocks out of my way trying to meet up with my friends to get cheese steaks-- it would've been annoying, except it was kind of nice to get a look at the city. There was also a lot of off-key car singing and good conversation involved, the kind that can only happen when you've been trapped in a car with someone for over ten hours and lost all sense of shame.

Where else would you like to travel to, road trip or not?

I've never been to Europe, and I'm dying to go at some point. The one city in the U.S. that I haven't ever visited but would love to is New Orleans. The whole culture there is so interesting to me.

What would you recommend someone to bring or do before going on a road trip?

Well, good music is definitely a must! I have an iPod, but I tend to go with burning mix CDs; my car is full of them. And a lot of people have GPS systems now, but I always print out online directions as a backup since those things can go a little haywire in my experience.

What are your personal thoughts on suicide?

It's complex and painful in about a million different ways. What I hope people take away from SAVING JUNE is that, like much else in life, when it comes to that, you can't always draw straight lines to find easy answers.

Do you have any other stories in progress? If so, please give us a brief description of it.

My second book will also be published with Harlequin Teen-- it's called SPEECHLESS, and it's about a girl named Chelsea Knot who takes a vow of silence after her gossip-mongering ways yield unexpected consequences. It has some romance too, of course!

To close off, please give us an interesting fact about yourself that most people don’t know of!

My favorite song to play on guitar is U2's "With Or Without You." Probably because it's one of the few I can play that is halfway passable!

Watching on Wednesday: Shutter Island

2011-05-18T23:43:00.000-04:00

Title: Shutter Island

Type: Movie

Age Group: Teens +

Release Year: 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a U.S. Marshall who is sent to Shutter Island, a place for

the criminally insane, to search for a female patient who went missing. However, whenever he starts asking questions, it seems like everyone is hiding something from him. Determined to find out the truth, the plot thickens and throws Daniels into a cycle of hallucinations and secrets...

So I decided to pick up this movie from the library to see what the hype was all about. Starting with the characters, Teddy Daniels is a man with very short temper. Leonardo DiCaprio does a splendid job depicting his character's emotions and actions, despite the fact that I am not a fan of the protagonist himself. Also, I don't know if it is only me, but I am seeing Mark Ruffalo in pretty much every other movie I am picking up these days. He does alright, being the protagonist's friend. However, he doesn't stand out but rather aids the protagonist along. Although, his character does surprise in the end.

I have to admit, this is a gritty movie in terms of dealing with post-World War 2 and the criminally insane. I did get creeped out here and there, although it is not exactly what I would call a horror movie. More like psychological horror with the effects to give you that extra scare. Honestly, I would never watch it again but I'd say everyone should try it at least once.

Nightschool by Svetlana Chmokava

2011-05-17T13:24:00.001-04:00

Title: Nightschool

Mangaka: Svetlana Chmokava

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Completed with 4 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 2

My Rating: 4.5/5

Alex's sister, Sarah, started working at Nightschool, a place for the paranormals to get their education. However, Alex realizes something is wrong when every single trace of her sister disappears all the sudden! Determined to find what out had happened to her sister, Alex decides to enroll into Nightschool. Will she be able to find the answer she is looking for?

I am a fan of Svetlana Chmokava because of her unique art style and enjoyable stories. Nightschool, like I said in my previous review, is no less. Continuing from the first volume, there is still some mystery behind what is actually happening. So I do find that a little confusing sometimes because there is this secret that is not out yet but you get bits and parts of it being revealed. So for the most part you want to know what the big surprise is because thus far, not much has been given out yet for you to make any conclusions.

What I like that is just introduced in this volume is being able to see what the Nightschool's classes are and layout of the building. I love seeing what monsters and supernaturals would possibly take if they do have school so that is definitely a fun touch to the series.

I will be getting my hands on the third volume soon so I definitely look forward to reading it!

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (May 16/11)

2011-05-16T12:45:00.000-04:00

Mailbox

Inspired by The Story Siren

Borrowed

Hell's Belles by Jackie Kessler
Bakuman vol. 1-3 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
Karakuri Odette vol. 1-2 by Julietta Suzuki
Nightschool vol. 2, 4 by Svetlana Chmokava
Natsume's Book of Friends vol. 5 by Yuki Midorikawa
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service vol. 7 by Eiji Otsuka and Housui Yamazaki
Afterschool Charisma vol. 1 by Kumiko Suekane

Review

If I Die by Rachel Vincent
Twisted by Gena Showalter

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Un-Break My Heart

Artist/Band: Toni Braxton

Language: English

My Thoughts: For some reason during the past week, I had the urge to listen to this song. Such an old but beautiful song. Nostalgia.

Recommend Me Novels: College-age protagonist

2011-05-11T14:36:00.000-04:00

Reading about teens for so long, I'd like to break away a little and try something different. Being in university now, I would love to read a novel with a protagonist who is in college/university or is at least around that age. However, there is not exactly a genre for books with characters in that age range but rather is mixed in with the adult novels in general.

So if you know any novels with the main character who is 18 (but out of high school!) and maybe up to 22 years old, please let me know!

[Late] My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (May 10/11)

2011-05-10T16:08:00.002-04:00

Mailbox

Inspired by The Story Siren

Bookmooched

Reiko the Zombie Shop vol. 2 by Rei Mikamoto

Borrowed

Emma vol. 7-8 by Kaoru Mori

Natsume's Book of Friends vol. 1-4 by Yuki Midorikawa

Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee vol. 1-3 by Hiroyuki Asada

Review

Ai Ore! vol. 1 by Mayu Shinjo

Black Bird vol. 8 by Kanoko Sakurakoji

Happy Birthday to Me by Brian Rowe

~~~

Music Machine

Title: Girlfriend

Artist/Band: Tyler Medeirios

Language: English

My Thoughts: When I first heard this song on the radio, I had no idea the singer is only 14 years old! He looks so much older too. Even though the song is very repetitive, I still like it lol.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

2011-05-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky

Age Group: Older Teens

# of Pages: 213

My Rating: 3/5

Charlie is a freshman in high school who is not exactly the kind of boy that stands out. The story of his life is written through letters to a friend, about his love life to his family life and everything in between. He befriends those who are older than him in school and learns new things through them. As the year goes by, Charlie describes his life in detail from the happy moments to the sad ones. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is well-known novel with a movie adaption coming out in 2012.

I am somewhat sitting on the fence for this novel. There are those who love it very much, but then there are those who dislike it altogether. Charlie is indeed a very deep, deep thinker. He likes to take random things and elaborate on it, even if it is rain for example. This I know have irked many readers due to the somewhat unrealistic way of thinking so much. But at the same time, had many loving it because it is something very different and had people relating to it in some sense. So I am a little bit of both, liking and disliking Charlie's way of thought.

Expanding on the previous point, I do like sometimes how he makes something so insignificant to be significant in the way of his writing. However, this wouldn't be the entire novel for me but bits and parts of it. I liked towards the ending where he describes how his friends are going off to college and such. It was just this warm, fuzzy feeling inside because I could relate since I graduated this previous year from high school. So there are those things in the novel that stood out for me.

What has to be my grand annoyance with this novel is Charlie being the biggest crybaby in the entire YA book universe. Never have I read where the protagonist cries literally every 5 pages over something mundane. I thought I was sensitive but he took sensitivity to an entirely different level. It bothered me so much how fast this kid cries by the drop of a dime and I know that if he existed, I would want to choke him so much inside if he was a friend.

Being that this is more of a day-to-day life story, it doesn't exactly have a plot. It is just reading into a life a boy who is experiencing things such as drugs and sexuality, like most teens. So there would be no cliffhanger or anything that would pump you up into finishing the novel. I guess you'd love to read it if you like the style of writing and Charlie's perspective on life.

Overall, I don't find The Perks of Being a Wallflower to reach up to the hype that it has around it personally. I think this novel depends more on the reader's personality, where you can like it either way. I would recommend this if you are the kind that likes the deep thinking sort of novel about life in the present. For the general person, you don't have to pick this novel up because you are not exactly missing out on too much.

Watching on Wednesday: The Bounty Hunter

2011-05-04T21:00:00.001-04:00

Title: The Bounty Hunter

Type: Movie

Age Group: Tweens +

Release Year: 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Nicole (Jennifer Aniston) and Milo (Gerald Butler) used to be married. Now, they hate each other's guts. Milo became a bounty hunter after being kicked off the police force due to his gambling habits. And he found out that Nicole has a $5000 bounty on her head.

Nicole only happened to skip out on bail because she had a lead for a story. It turned out though her lead got kidnapped by some shady characters. Milo, who is only concerned in bringing his ex for the reward, does not care for this story of hers. That is until things got really out of hand. What should these two do when there are people trying to kill them??

This is definitely a fun movie to watch and kill time with. I find it to be a great comedy for middle-aged people especially. It is not too serious and doesn't have any sexual content but has enough to keep you watching. It is different from the usual romcom because of the car-chasing scenes and action they threw into the movie.

In terms of acting, Butler definitely played a rude and arrogant ex who can be a decent guy as long as you are not Nicole. I think Aniston's acting is quite similar in most of the movies she has been in. So nothing new there if you are familiar with her on TV. But, I give her credit for having such a great figure at her age.

Although this is not a must-see movie, it could be one to pick up when you are at the library and there is nothing else on the rack for some quick entertainment.

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (May 2/11)

2011-05-02T00:02:00.001-04:00

Mailbox

Inspired by The Story Siren

Review

Eona by Alison Goodman

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

So I am back with MMM&MM! Although I held off requesting books during my school year, I did receive quite a few in the mailbox if I were to count what I got after I stopped doing this meme up until now. However, I forgot which ones I received and decided to post the latest ones that appeared in my mailbox to make it easier.

Have to say I adore The Girl in the Steel Corset's cover! But don't you think it is a bit more suited for an adult novel than YA?

~~~

Music Machine

Title: 피노키오(Danger)

Artist/Band: f(x)

Language: Korean

My Thoughts: So at one point I lost interest in Kpop for awhile. But then I managed to get reeled into it again. I find this song so catchy and fun that it gets stuck in your head after awhile! Enjoy. :)

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

2011-05-01T17:20:00.001-04:00

Title: Saving June

Author: Hannah Harrington

Age Group: Older Teens

# of Pages: 384

My Rating: 4.5/5

Harper's sister, June, committed suicide. Devastated, Harper has no idea why her perfect older sister decided to do so. In order to fulfill June's wish to go to California, Harper decided to embark in a journey to spread her sister's ashes to the place she always dreamed of living in. Tagged along with her is her best friend, Laney, and Jake, a classic-rock fanatic who had a connection with June.

On a road trip to the west coast, the three encountered new people and new experiences. Harper learns about herself and her sister on the journey when she discovers that nothing is all it appears sometimes.

I somewhat expected the novel to be a really depressing from the fact that the protagonist's sister killed herself. However, it turned out to be a very swell contemporary novel that I am sure many people of all ages will enjoy and take to heart.

I had conflicts with Harper sometimes in the novel. There were times where I would really like her personality as she would stand up for herself and take no crap from anyone. Then there are the times where she would get slightly under my nerves in certain situations. Overall though, I found her to be extremely dimensional with personal conflicts who still has a lot to learn. Jake and Laney who have problems themselves also added to the enrichment of the story. Although none of them are perfect, you can tell that later down the road they would take a lot from this trip together.

This novel has a lot to do with music, especially songs from your parents time. However, not being much of a classic-rock person myself, it wasn't in my interest. I did think that it added a very nice touch to the story though, because it seemed that it worked so nicely with the road trip.

Saving June is a deep novel with many layers that practically anyone could relate to, teen or not. It is a thought-provoking read with amazing music similar to Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert, without the pure rawness. I highly recommend it! However, the novel will not be out until December 2011 so hold tight! As well, there would be a cover change.

Review copy provided by Harlequin Teen.

Tokyopop Pre-Garage Sale Extravangza!

2011-04-29T18:40:00.001-04:00

If you are a manga fan like I am, you may have heard the announcement that Tokyopop has officially closed its doors. This is such sad news to all anime and manga fans because just this previous year, two other manga publishers (CMX and Go! Comi) also closed down.

Tokyopop has to clear out much of their inventory. In order to get rid of their stuff, they are hosting a contest with 10 winners. However, their location is in Los Angeles so if you are not near that area, you wouldn't be able to win because they won't be mailing out the prizes.

So if you are a manga/anime fan and is in L.A., check out this link: http://tinyurl.com/649gdqw Contest ends May 1st so hurry!

I am back!

2011-04-28T10:21:00.000-04:00

Hopefully, haha! So my first year of university has officially ended (no summer school for me, no siree!) and now I have four months of vacation. :D My plan is definitely to update Stop, Drop, and Read! more often. Even though I haven't done My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (The Story Siren's In My Mailbox inspired weekly feature) since like August, I did receive quite a few books to review despite the fact I held off requesting any. I will restart that feature this upcoming Monday with the latest books I have received this past couple of weeks.

In terms of my reading so far, you can see what I have been trying to get through on the left sidebar (has been the same 3 books for the last 2 months). I think I will have to re-read Awakened for sure. The review copy I received awhile back was actually paper-bounded so the ARC is huge. I was unable to take it with me to places and I sometimes forgot to read it. So I need to re-read it in order to give a clear and concise review. (I'm so sorry Ednah for the extreme delay! Will let you know once I have the review up!)

I actually held off reading Flowers in the Attic because I was really disliking the grandmother. I know the series is very popular, even till this day. However, it is a really dark story and I don't know how far I will be able to go. If anyone has read this novel or the series in general, what is your take on it?

Since I have been out of the YA loop for over 10 months, anything you guys want to update me on? :)

Upcoming review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

P.S. Who is watching the Royal Wedding tomorrow?

Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori

2011-04-27T21:03:00.000-04:00

Title: Ouran High School Host Club

Mangaka: Bisco Hatori

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Complete with 18 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 14-15

My Rating: 4.5/5

In volume 14, Hikaru finally confesses his feelings to Haruhi. Poor Haruhi, who has been so oblivious up until now, has no idea how to react to this situation. Later the plot spins off when she gets kidnapped while she and the host club were visiting the shrine for the New Year's!

The last time I reviewed the series was in December of 2008. Since then when there were only a few volumes out, the story lines and characters have developed so much ever since. Hatori's art style evolved ever since volume one so there would be a difference if you compare her style now and then. Tamaki and the twins I have noticed did change a lot in terms of their personalities. If you have read up to thus far, you would know that some of the Ouran characters became more complex over time in terms of their backgrounds and so on.

In this volume, Hikaru finally decides to be brave and tell Haruhi how he feels about her. This is a big step in his character especially and it is nice to see the clear difference between him and his brother. After Hikaru told Tamaki that he likes Haruhi, poor Tamaki gets into this confused state of mind. He then became a deep and philosophical person as he tried to sort out what he was really feeling inside.

We then get introduced to a new character named Megumi Kanoya, a girl who is practically twin to Haruhi in terms of appearance! Classy and gentle, Kanoya is similar to Tamaki because of their background history and is attached to the king of the Ouran Host Club. She is slightly bland in this volume so I wasn't paying attention to her as much.

I particularly enjoyed the side story at the end of volume 14 with Mori and his racoon and chicken pets. They are simply adorable. Too bad in real life they aren't that cute to actually own.

In volume 15, the host club decides that in order to get Tamaki out of his moody state, they host a race for the school!

Through the race, you get to see Kanoya's personality a lot better. I like her after this volume because she turned out to be very cute and has this funny personality. Tamaki did get out of his weird mood in this volume and turned out to misunderstood things a bit more than before!

Surprisingly up until now, the mangaka never mentioned about Hunny's and Mori's graduation since they are older than the rest of the club. So that is now thrown into the plot! This is pretty much hinting that the story will sometime ends soon in the future.

After reading up to volume 15, I really hope that in the last volume it would show where everyone would be in 5 or 10 years from now. That would be so amazing to see where our beloved characters end up at!

I definitely look forward to the next volume!

Review copies provided by Viz.

Donation Receipt to GlobalGiving

2011-04-09T14:18:00.000-04:00

Here is the proof receipt of donation where the shipping fees of the free ARCs went to. Thank you to those who contributed!

Originally I was planning to donate to Red Cross Canada. Except, I saw on the news that they weren't able to distribute $1 billion dollar donation that was received from around the world. I decided to switch to GlobalGiving since they are showing the progress of how they are helping out in Japan. Click here for the news.

After exams are done, I will likely repost the list of free ARCs. You can click here to see what is left available to take.

The Lighter Side of Life and Death by C.K. Kelly Martin

2011-04-08T21:13:00.000-04:00

Title: The Lighter Side of Life and Death

Author: C.K. Kelly Martin

Age Group: Older Teens

# of Pages: 240

My Rating: 4.5/5

After Mason starred in his school play, he and his friends had a celebratory party right after. Kat, who is his friend of three years, caught her boyfriend having sex with someone else during the party. Pissed, she wanted to leave and Mason felt bad so he went with her. They ended up back at his place and both lost their virginities that night.

Right after, Kat was so freaked out about what had happened decided to distance herself away from Mason. Mason was confused but there was nothing that he could do. He ends up one day bumping into Colette, a twenty-three year old woman, who changes his life forever.

This is the third novel by the Toronto author, C.K. Kelly Martin, who I have enjoyed her previous novels in the past. I have to say so far this novel is my favourite out of the three.

There is quite a bit of sexuality in this novel, compared to the last two if I recalled correctly. It explores the desires and lust of a teenage boy who is experiencing much more than someone at that age. Mason is honest to himself about what is happening and has issues in all areas of his life, like a real boy. It sucks that he is confused by Kat's actions after they slept together. However, as a girl, any reader could understand why she acted the way she did.

I think why I found this to be my favourite because it involves falling for someone older. However, not so old that the age difference is so clear. I haven't been able to read about anyone in their early twenties yet so Colette was a nice and different touch to the book.

There were definitely some family conflicts, especially with Mason and his tween step-sister. You can't help but get annoyed with her too because if you have a sibling, you understand Mason's irritations. Maybe I have been raised this way, but I hate the idea of siblings swearing at each other (unless something really bad happened and they are much older). So when Mason called her a bitch, I cringed. I try my best to censor my language around my sister because she is in grade 6 and I don't want to hear any swear words from her (unfortunately that can't be said with other kids her age these days...).

To conclude, The Lighter Side of Life and Death is a great contemporary read for anyone who would love a more realistic approach with romance compared to the general chick flicks.

Review copy received from Random House.

Spread a Word about Fury of the Phoenix!

2011-04-05T21:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, in all honesty I have been out of the YA book loop lately. University started last fall and bam! My reading and blogging consistency shot down. Therefore, I barely know what the latest and hottest novels are. However! There were a couple of sequels that I looked forward to for the books I read in the past. One of them is the sequel to Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon, Fury of the Phoenix! Just came out yesterday, you can go purchase it at a store near you!

I really wished they stuck with the original cover style like the did when Silver Phoenix first came out...

So in celebration, Cindy Pon created a contest where you must advertise the novel in some way (requirement is that you must read it first)! The winner receives an original Chinese painting made by Cindy herself! Please click here to read all the details. (International entries are welcome).

And by simply spreading the word about it like myself, you can receive some awesome swag! For example, you can get these GORGEOUS postcards below! (I am a huge art fanatic. Especially when it comes to Chinese art. They are LOVE.)

Ai Ling and Chen Yong

Silver Phoenix and Zhong Ye

Beautiful, aren't they??? I need to get my characters commissioned like that...

So anyway, what are you waiting for?? Buy Fury of the Phoenix now and enter!

Sidenote: Regarding the donation for Japan's Relief, I'm still awaiting for money to be transferred over to my Paypal. It seems that Red Cross has not yet distributed the $1 billion dollar donation received around the world so far to the Japanese victims (click here for the full news). So I have changed my mind to donate to GlobalGiving instead, where they update every time they are helping in Japan.

The Story of Saiunkoku by Kairi Yura and Sai Yukino

2011-03-27T12:09:00.001-04:00

Title: The Story of Saiunkoku

Mangaka: Kairi Yura (Art) & Sai Yukino (Story)

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 6 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 2

My Rating: 4.5/5

Shurei who has become the emperor's consort is eagerly trying to help him improve in his studies. When she realizes that he was pretending to be ignorant the entire time, she no longer wants to stay in the palace. Ryuki decides to lock her up in her room until she calms down. Except, he does not realize the danger he has placed Shurei in...

If you read my review here for the first volume, I predicted something would happen in this volume. And my manga intuition was correct! Shurei ends up getting kidnapped, creating a series of actions that gets the story ball rolling. It delves deeper into the backgrounds of all the side characters, painting a clearer picture of everyone's relationship with each other.

I honestly think that this manga should be turned into a Hong Kong/Chinese historical action drama. No joke. There are hidden agendas of those in palace, assassins, people with secret identities, and not to mention a beautiful setting to fit it all. I personally think reading it is not as exciting as it would be watching it live (live live, not anime). Which is why I gave this volume a higher rating than I should. I just pictured this perfect drama that I want to see so badly in real life because of how the story is set up and the variety of beautifully created characters.

This manga takes a lot more patience in order to enjoy because it is the kind of manga you have to take in bit by bit. If you don't mind that it takes awhile at first to develop to fully enjoy it, then I highly recommend it. It is just one of those mangas that you can not help but appreciate.

Review copy provided by Viz.

How It Ends by Laura Weiss

2011-03-24T12:23:00.000-04:00

Title: How It Ends

Author: Laura Weiss

Age Group: Older Teens

# of Pages: 344

My Rating: 5/5

Hanna is a sophomore who is hopelessly head over heels for Seth. She worked hard to get noticed and when Seth finally did, they started a relationship. All is well now, right?

It turns out that everything is much more complicated than Hanna thought. In the midst of trying to figure out Seth, Helen who has been very close to Hanna and her family, is fading away with age. When Helen can no longer take care of herself, Hanna ends up volunteering to care for the elder who is like a grandmother to her. During the time when Hanna was with Helen, they listened to an audio-book that changed everything.

My initial thought of this novel changed so much towards the end. When I first started, I honestly thought, "Great, a hopeless teen who thinks she is in 'love'." I continued reading nonetheless because there was something in the way the story was structured that kept me reading.

The novel chapters are split up into two perspectives, Hanna's and Helen's. This is great way to tell the story because you get to read two views from characters with completely different experiences and personalities. Hanna yearned a lot for Seth during her chapters while Helen appreciated the little details in life and had her own secrets when she was still lucid. Having to read these two perspectives, you understand the relationship of the two at a much deeper and more emotional level.

There is just so many layers to this novel that I don't even know how to put them all into this review. The audio book is such a unique piece to the story. It delves into the era of the 1940s, one that is not commonly seen in YA fiction in terms of era setting. It ranges from how women were treated to taxidermy. You honestly don't mind the fact that there is another story within the story because it makes the reading experience so much richer. You can see that Hanna learns and grows when she comes to the realization that love is not all what it seems. Love comes in many forms and it doesn't always turn out to be that perfect fairy tale.

This book is for everyone of all ages so I highly recommend it. There is something for everyone to take away after it has been read.

Review copy provided by Simon and Schuster.

Short and Simple (7)

2011-03-20T00:54:00.003-04:00

Title: Real Vampires Have Curves

Author: Gerry Bartlett

Age Group: Adults

# of Pages: 317

My Rating: 2/5

Sentence Summary: Gloria is a full-figured vampire who is determined to find the culprit who is killing her vampire friends.

Speaking Straightly: Not too fond of this book. It lacked the content even though there were so many pages to go through. I was bored most of the time and skimmed over many chapters. Regardless being a vampire book, it isn't as exciting for vampire fans to pick up in my opinion.

Won copy from Star Shadow Blog.

~~~

Title: Tangled

Type: Movie

Age Group: Youth +

Release Year: 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Sentence Summary: A princess who was kidnapped as a baby and has no idea wants to get out of her tower for the first time for her 18th birthday to see the floating lanterns.

Speaking Straightly: Adorable movie for sure. I love love Flynn! Not your typical Disney male protagonist at all. Love his personality and flawed character who contributes greatly in the development of Rapunzel.

However, I found it was way too hyped for. Don't really think it is worth a 5 stars. But is a great movie for Disney fans of all ages.

Regarding Free ARCs + Japan Relief Fund

2011-03-17T11:47:00.001-04:00

Last night I thought about it and realized something regarding the shipping fees going towards charity. I realized that I would be donating the same amount of money of the shipping fees for the books you want, rather than it going directly to charity. Because it would go like this: you pay, I go to the post office and pay, and then I donate. Since the money you pay me for the shipping fees goes towards the post office, it wouldn't make it to charity.

I apologize for this silly error on my side because I didn't think through it thoroughly. Since I am already doing this, I have decided to change around some things since I still want to support Japan. So instead, for every (rounded) shipping fee that is paid for, I will donate 25% of the amount to Red Cross Canada. This is only till the end of March!

The reason why is because I cannot spend so much. I am already planning to buy some jewelry from Etsy to help support Japan where all proceeds will go to it. I'm thinking of spending around $30. So if I was to donate the accumulate amount of the shipping fees by the end of the month, I would go even more broke as a student!

But no worries, the amount I promised to be donated before will be donated. It's just after this post, the above changes will be implemented.

If you want to help out in other ways, you can buy jewelry where all or some proceeds will go to Japan. Please check out my fashion blog (yes, I have one in collaboration with my cousin) where I made a couple of posts so far with some Etsy shops that are donating.

www.thewallflowerstyle.blogspot.com (Follow? :D )

Please forgive me for this mistake. I hope you all still help out in some way to help Japan, either by donating personally, spread the word, or do your own thing to fundraise.

Free ARCs (Shipping paid by you) + Japan Relief

2011-03-13T14:22:00.014-04:00

~~Edit: Please click here for the latest post to see the new changes!!~~

As you may know, awhile ago I said I was going to put up free ARCs for those who wants it. Except I don't have enough money to mail it out. So if there is anything you want, the shipping will be paid by you.

In addition, you may have seen the post I put up earlier regarding my sorrows for Japan. I have decided that all the shipping fees will become a donation towards Japan through Red Cross Canada. You will be getting the ARC(s) you want as well as helping out Japan. It is a win-win situation.

If you live in Toronto or the GTA, we can meet up and I will give you the books for free without charge since there's no shipping.

Here are all the ARCs I have available as well as the link to my review of them (first come, first serve):

Work What You Got by Stephanie Perry

~~Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell~~

Hancock Park by Isabel Kaplan

~~The Amanda Project: invisible i by Stella Lennon~~

Gorgeous by Rachel Vail

Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani

~~Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen~~

~~Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin~~

Stringz by Michael Wenberg

ghostgirl: Homecoming by Tonya Hurley

Bite Me! by Melissa Francis

~~The Gardener by SA Bodeen~~

The Guardian by Joyce Sweeney

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie (signed) by E. Van Lowe

Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

David Inside Out by Lee Bantle

Still Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Manifest by Artist Arthur

~~The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby~~

~~Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman~~

Greek: Double Date by Martha Warner

Crossed out means they are no longer available! You can still possibly ask for the reserved titles but if the person before you is able to get it, it goes to them. If not, I will let you know.

Here is how this is all going to work:

1. You choose the ARCs you want. Then, email your choices and address to faked_sugartone at hotmail.com with "Free ARCs Wanted" or something similar in the title.

2. I will wrap up the books and head to the post office to check the pricing before I mail them. I will include Paypal fees that you must pay as well. Note: If I don't have a package big enough that can contain all the books (if want a lot), you may be required to pay extra fees for the packaging.

3. I will email you the price and you will pay in CAD through Paypal ONLY (so it is less confusing). I will round the price to the nearest dollar. The package won't be sent out until it is paid for.

4. I will ship out the package and you will let me know when it arrives.

~~Please spread the word about this if you can. This is for a good cause. At the end of March, I will screencap a proof picture of the donation to Red Cross. Please help. :)~~

~~Donations Acquired: $23~~

~~Donation Target: $10 at the least / Target reached! :D~~

Pray for Japan

2011-03-13T01:47:00.000-05:00

I know this post is a little late but I still want to express my deepest sorrow for what had happened to Japan. I woke up on Friday morning and the first text I got was from my cousin, Vian, that there had been an earthquake and tsunami in Japan. At the time, it didn't fully sink into my head. I acknowledged it but it did not affect me fully until later on that day.

Towards the night after I finished my classes, I read on a full article on Yahoo about what had happened. I started to dread. Later when I was on my was home in the subway, I kept tearing up every time I thought about it. I couldn't believe what had happened.

Saturday, my internet finally connected so I was able to watch this video made by my favourite Youtuber, Philip DeFranco, about Japan.

This got me sad all over again. Earlier, I looked at photos on Facebook that were taken of during and the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. I finally broke down into full tears (I am still crying as I make this post). I am an emotional person and even though I have no one I know in Japan, this still affects me deeply.

Ever since grade 6 when I was introduced to anime and manga, Japan was always a part of me in some way. I have enjoyed their entertainment from dramas to mangas. I dreamed so much about one day going there, having the best time of my life and creating memories that would last forever. Japan was always that magical country of culture and history that I would love to be apart of. To know that the actors I've watched, mangakas I know about, and just everyone in Japan are in such a devastating state puts me in a similar position to those trying to get in contact with their loved ones. I badly just want to jump on a plane and fly over to help as much as I can, to do something in some way. But that is not possible and all I can do is pray. Pray for those with missing loved ones to be found. Pray for a better tomorrow. Pray for Japan.

Kamisama Kiss by Julietta Suzuki

2011-03-12T21:17:00.000-05:00

Title: Kamisama Kiss

Mangaka: Julietta Suzuki

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 8 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 2

My Rating: 5/5

Nanami is starting to get used to her new life as a tochigami. But it is so gosh darn boring! Hearing that a popular idol is going to attend her school, she decides she wants to go back after all. Tomoe isn't too happy about it but he reluctantly lets her go. Except this idol is not at all what he seems...

I love this volume much more than the last! Why? Because at one point, Tomoe gets turned into a child and it's so adorable! I love re-reading those parts because he is simply so cute!

Moving aside from my gushing of child Tomoe, I think the second volume definitely adds on to the last. It doesn't jump into a plot that is going to be continuous for awhile like most series. However, there is new development between the characters as well as introduction to new faces. I'm glad that there is a steady pace in the story, not going too fast or too slow. It gives you enough content to be satisfied fully and urges you to move onto the next volume.

Review copy provided by Viz.

"Being Nice"

2011-03-06T17:24:00.001-05:00

This is a lengthy video, but I think it is worth watching if you have the time.

Melina talks about how being nice in reviews just for the sake of being nice is not the way to go. And I agree. I think authors all need criticism in order to learn and grow. Not everyone is going to love your book. That's impossible. Everyone is raised differently and has different opinions on things.

Reviewers review so they give other readers a perspective on what the book they may buy would be like. If you are a regular follower, you know that I give my honest opinion on every book I read and review. I don't feel that I should be nice in every review because hey, time is lost for having the book read and I don't get paid at all. Therefore I should have my own opinion on whether I like the book or not.

I want to hear your opinions as a reader and/or reviewer.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

2011-03-03T21:35:00.000-05:00

Title: The Undomestic Goddess

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Age Group: Adults

# of Pages: 374

My Rating: 4/5

Samantha Sweeting is a prestigious lawyer who worked very hard to be part of the famous Carter Spink firm today. With no time on hand, she runs on strict schedule day and night with zero rest. She prays to make partnership soon.

But then, she made a mistake that ruined everything, tarnishing her career forever. Frazzled, she took a train with no idea where she is heading. She ended up in front of a house and somehow got interviewed for as a housekeeper!

Now working as a housekeeper, Samantha's life has turned 180 degrees! Except can she survive so long doing domestic work, when in reality, she can't do any at all??

This was the first Sophie Kinsella book I have ever read and I have to say it wasn't that bad. I think it does some satisfying for any chick lit readers out there. However, there were parts that I was iffy with.

In the beginning, I found Samantha to be insufferable. Since she never raised a broom in her life, her knowledge of housework is zero. Maybe even negative. She had no idea how vacuums work and what the bags attached to them were. I'm pretty sure everyone at least have some understanding of items that are used to clean the house, even if they don't do it themselves. So to see this high powered lawyer knowing nothing of the simplistic things baffled me. Even a 10 year old would know better than that! Luckily though, she evolved into a more tolerable character. One you might even root for!

[SPOILERS] I have to say I have mixed feelings at the end. After given the opportunity to come back to the company and be given a full partnership, she declined it all. I could understand that working the job she had was extremely demanding and she had no time to herself. It's exhausting and just turns you into a robot. So being a housekeeper lifted off so much burden for her, so I could see why she wouldn't want to go back into her corporate lifestyle again.

But for me, I didn't like that move, as much as I supported it at the same time. As an individual, my value of money ranks pretty high (she earns a six figures salary annually). So to literally go from a lawyer to a housekeeper just didn't sit well with me. If I was in her shoes, I would've kept being a lawyer but instead, find a firm that I am able to be flexible with. One that is not so in high demand that I literally cannot sleep for three nights straight. The thing is that, you can make time for yourself if you try.

However, I respect Samantha's choice. I could understand why she wouldn't ever want to back. And with what she had made before, she could distribute her savings over the years to maintain a pleasant lifestyle. [SPOILERS END]

I don't know if I would pick up another novel from the author, but The Undomestic Goddess was a fun read nonetheless.

Won copy from Black-Eyed Susan's.

Watching on Wednesday: No Strings Attached

2011-03-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Title: No Strings Attached

Type: Movie

Age Group: Older Teens +

Release Year: 2011

My Rating: 5/5

Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) first met in a camp when they were kids. Then, they ran into each other a couple of times again many years later. Emma, who is a doctor, has no time for a relationship and doesn't want to get too serious. She suggests to Adam that they should be friends with benefits and he agrees. But how long could this physical-only relationship last?

I am a big romcom lover. So when I heard about No Strings Attached, it was on my to-see list. I was a little wary of it though, in case it didn't turn out as good as I hoped. But so far for most romcom movies I have seen, I liked them all! And I think this one will be my favourite of 2011!

I was surprised to see Natalie Portman play the lead actress. For so long, she has been in many movies, but most of them action more or less. So I was definitely curious how she would be in a romcom. Ashton Kutcher is already a romcom veteran so I knew he would play a decent role.

I liked how different this movie is compared to the other romcoms. Emma is the one wanting to have the sex-only relationship whereas Adam didn't. The roles are flipped in this movie because Emma doesn't want to get tied down while Adam does. Adam is extremely adorable, pursuing after the girl he likes by giving her a mixed CD, cupcakes, and all these stuff that a girl would typically (maybe?) do instead.

Towards the end, the movie got me very emotional and I just love those moments where it gets you down into tears unexpectedly. This movie isn't cliched, making it even more enjoyable to watch. And because of this movie, my love for the song Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis has been rekindled. Also, I became an Ashton Kutcher fangirl.

For any romcom lovers out there, this movie is a must-see! It will get you awwing and crying all over, wishing life could be like the movies.

PS. I just realized the trailer isn't so good. Just skip over the trailer if you can and just go straight to the movie.

Z by Michael Thomas Ford

2011-02-27T13:40:00.001-05:00

Title: Z

Author: Michael Thomas Ford

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 288

My Rating: 4.5/5

Josh loves to play a virtual reality zombie game where he is able to kill all the zombies to his heart content without actual having to die for real. When the top player, Charlie, comes out to Josh and asks him to join an underground gaming league with a more real experience, he couldn't resist.

At first, it was all fun and games. Until he realizes that there is something much bigger and sinister about the game he is playing.

I read this novel practically in one sitting at night until morning. It definitely grabbed my attention as a zombie fan and was something different than the usual zombie apocalypse. The story is set decades after a zombie breakout, with a few technological advancements from now. It's not completely removed from today but you still recognize it as the future.

The plot is definitely gripping and is somewhat predictable but not at the same time. It keeps you reading because you want to know what happens next every time. For my part, I was hoping for a zombie breakout.

There are a variety of characters who all played some sort of crucial role, minor or not. The game was like an addicting drug that the players could not get out of. And not to mention there is actually drugs involved that kept them around. There is a twist at the climax that changes the pace of the story, making it much more interesting.

The ending was a huge disappointment though. I don't want to spoil it but let's say it doesn't turn out as you hope for. If anything, I hope there is a sequel to clean up the mess at the end of this novel.

I highly recommend Z for any zombie fans out there!

Review copy provided by HarperCollins Canada.

Wild @ Heart by Natsumi Ando

2011-02-21T17:58:00.000-05:00

Title: Wild @ Heart

Mangaka: Natsumi Ando

Age Group: Youth

Series is: Completed with 3 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1-3

My Rating: 2/5

Chino's father is an explorer who one day brought back a boy named Hyo from the jungle. Chino is shocked and doesn't like the idea of having a strange boy in her house at all! But things start to change when she spends more time with Hyo...

I generally like Natsumi Ando's works, but Wild @ Heart had me giving it a second thought.

You have this protagonist who hopes to one day fall in love and then out of nowhere, a cute guy starts living with her! From this, you can sort of see where the story is going. Unfortunately, it wasn't executed any better than it could have from an extremely cliche plot. The characters were dull, the plot was as bland as plain yogurt, and it didn't help that Ando's art style falls under the typical big-eyed shojo category. I barely remember what had happened in the series, in which Del Rey combined all 3 volumes in one.

I am so disappointed because I know the mangaka can do so much better than that. Some of her other series, like Arisa and Zodiac P.I., were done very well. I think she tried to do something different in Wild @ Heart by getting away from her usual mysteries. However, she fell short in her love story because there were a lack of sustenance.

This series isn't worth investing in. You can read it from the library first to get a sample before you buy if you want to.

Review copy provided by Del Rey.

Q4U: What book(s) to save during a fire?

2011-02-17T23:08:00.001-05:00

Q4U (Question 4 U) is a feature on Stop, Drop, and Read! that likes to pop up on a random day. A question is asked for you to answer, where it could range from getting feedbacks for the blog to a start of a fun topic!

A few days ago while I was lying in bed, I was thinking of my book collection. Since I'm refurnishing my room (as you likely know; and yes, it is taking forever), my bookshelf might be removed from my room and be placed in the basement (oh noes!). And to be honest as I was thinking about it, I don't need this many books. Yes, I do love reading. But what are the chances of me re-reading ALL of them again? (Which is why hopefully in the future I will give away some ARCs I no longer want. Follow for future updates, hopefully. Lol.) I still have at least two full bookshelves that I haven't even touched yet.

So this question came to my mind:

What book or books would you save during a fire?

This is assuming that the rest of your collection will burn in peril. MUAHAHA! Ahem.

Mine would have to be Why I Let My Hair Grow Out series (a trilogy by Maryrose Wood) and Death Mill Mansion: A Lighthearted Comedy by Will Hartzell-Baird. That would be 4 books in total. They are simply the favourites that I enjoy very much and they have this unique humor that I can't get enough of. I like to laugh and be happy after all. :)

Now, if I had to save something from my manga collection...I would die. No doubt. I have a few favourite series but they consist of so many volumes! (For example, Ouran High School Host Club, which I have up to the 15th volume! And it's still not done yet!) I wouldn't even make it out of my room if I was to grab them all!

Obviously if this situation was really real, I wouldn't bother cause hey, life is short. But I'm speaking in the sense that you would likely escape (unless you try to horde 100 books out).

So when it comes to books, would you be able to grab one or two you really love before the house burns down?

Grand Guignol Orchestra by Kaori Yuki

2011-02-14T16:54:00.000-05:00

Title: Grand Guignol Orchestra

Mangaka: Kaori Yuki

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Completed with 5 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 2

My Rating: 4/5

Young Celestite, disguised as her dead brother Eles, is finally part of the unofficial orchestra as their pianist. After Lucille saved her, she decided to go traveling with him and his companions to fight the zombies called Guignols.

They encounter the official grand orchestra appointed by the Queen during their journey. They arrest Lucille, taking him and the team back to the palace under the Queen's order. Lucille's dark past slowly unveils and Eles may discover his true intentions of bringing her along...

This is one of Kaori Yuki's newest series in which I absolutely loved the first volume. So I was thrilled when I received the second volume to review.

For those who are familiar with The Cain Saga/Godchild series, you will see some similarities in Grand Guignol Orchestra. Lucille has a bad family history and has this curse of death that looms over him. Even though I see some repeats from Yuki's previous series, I would still like to see what else she has to offer through her new characters. There are definitely some differences in Cain (from The Cain Saga) and Lucille. Lucille has a more upbeat personality that masks over his past whereas Cain confronts with them more frequently.

The second volume introduces new characters, most of them from Lucille's past, who would reveal more about him in the long run. The ending left off at an interesting cliffhanger and I look forward to picking up the the third volume.

I do enjoy the world they are in. There are a lot of Victorian elements, which is not surprising because of Yuki's gothic obsession. It's fun to see some different things thrown in here and there. There seems to be a lot more humor in this series compared to the other ones that I have read by the mangaka. I think she tried to lighten the mood a bit in Grand Guignol Orchestra since most of her stories are very dark.

I think the second volume is worth picking up if you have tried the first and enjoyed it.

Review copy provided by Viz.

Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

2011-02-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

Title: Give Up the Ghost

Author: Megan Crewe

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 256

My Rating: 5/5

Cass lost her older sister, Paige, to an accidental drowning a few years ago. However, her sister is not completely gone because she remains around as a ghost!

After the death of Paige, Cass developed the ability to see the dead who still lingered on Earth. Since she is a social outcast, her only friends are those unseen. They whisper secrets of the students in her school, giving her all the dirt. This gives her the upperhand.

Somehow, vice-president Tim managed to figure out that she has an ability like no other. He begs for her help in order to contact his dead mother. Reluctant, Cass agrees in return for gossip. Will she be able to get in contact with Tim's mother?

I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. Pulling out a random book from my TBR pile, I didn't have many expectations for Give Up the Ghost. I thought it was going to fall into similar stereotypical patterns that I see throughout most YA books dealing with the paranormal. Except it didn't and it gave me an excellent read instead.

I really do like Cass. Even though she is a loner, she does not have that sort of personality that would tick you off. I like the devilish side to her, where she would threaten the other students with what she knew about them. Since I'm tired of reading about innocent and bland protagonists, she was definitely a fresh character. I also loved how she didn't fall for Tim, even though he is attractive. In fact, their relationship never went to the level of romance throughout the novel. Instead, it takes a steady pace of getting the two to learn about each other at a more personal level. I found this extremely sweet.

I think Tim plays as an excellent protagonist's opposite, too. Yes, he is a brooding male, but he has a realistic reason to be. He doesn't fall for Cass either, where he would always be by her side at all times because he can't get enough of her. Rather, he comes around to have her contact his mother. They both somewhat use each other in this novel, giving a different concept from the usual YA.

The plot was not some insane ghost action with obsessive romance to the side. Rather, it is a realistic story that touches on human emotions, fears, and faults. It gives a perfect dose of drama without going overboard.

I think the story ended very nicely and made a satisfying standalone. I definitely recommend Give Up the Ghost. It's a novel anyone can connect to.

Won copy from Princess Bookie.

If I was to...

2011-02-09T22:37:00.001-05:00

give away my YA ARCs for free, would you pay for the shipping?

As you probably know, I am refurnishing my room and I'm trying to make some more space. I have a LOT of books that I accumulated over the years as a reviewer and book addict since I was little. I'm attempting to sell some books but it is a flop so far.

Anyway, I have a bunch of ARCs that I no longer want. I am willing to give them away for FREE. So for those who cannot pick them up locally in Toronto, would you pay for the shipping?

I'm not going to put up the list for awhile because I am quite busy at the moment and I have a lot of books to sort through. I just want to get the general survey to see if people would pay for shipping or not because I don't want to end up posting this gigantic list and no one wants the books.

I also want to know if there is anyone here that lives in Toronto or near Toronto (I'm actually situated in Vaughan but I go to university downtown)? If so, are you willing to meet up with me to get the free books? (You can have a friend get them for you if you live elsewhere).

Please let me know in the comments! :)

Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith

2011-02-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Solitary

Author: Alexander Gordon Smith

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 272

My Rating: 4/5

Note: Spoilers for those who haven't read the first volume, Lockdown, yet.

From the previous novel, Alex manages to blow a hole in one of the Furnace's walls. Soon, he will escape from the prison of hell. Except only to find there are more horrors that await him in the darkness.

If you have read my review for the first novel, Lockdown, you can assume that I was excited to try out the sequel. After being left at a cliffhanger, I was dying to know what was going to happen next.

However, this being a trilogy, the protagonist wasn't allowed an easy and sweet escape that early. Instead, he and his fellow inmates that were trying to get out with him were caught. Alex and his friend Zee were shoved into a hole where they were going to be locked up in the dark for a month. With Alex being stuck there for most of the time, the plot definitely slowed down from the first volume. There was just so much that one could do when one couldn't do anything at all! Luckily, the author didn't leave his character sitting around all day, which was good. However, I didn't feel the same excitement I had for Lockdown. There was a lot more freaky drama and tension, whereas this volume focused a lot more on escaping. There was an introduction to a likely plot twist because there was a new anonymous character introduced.

I was glad that Alex was not the one to give up. Even though he wasn't a good kid, he sure didn't deserve to be in the Furnace. I want to check out the last volume to see what will happen in the end. I cross my fingers for him.

Review copy provided by Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden by Yuu Watase

2011-02-03T23:14:00.001-05:00

Title: Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden

Mangaka: Yuu Watase

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 9 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1-2

My Rating: 4/5

In 1923, Takiko Okuda is angry at her father for being away so long while her mother is ill. When he came back, he brought along the text of "The Universe of the Four Gods", which he is translating. Working feverishly to finish the translation, his wife died during the meantime. Angry, Takiko attempts to rip his book apart, only to get sucked into it! Waking up in another realm, she turns out to be the Priestess of Genbu. In order to return to her own world, she must find the seven Celestial Warriors so the god Genbu could be summoned to save the country at war. Will she be able to complete her journey and go back to her own world?

Older manga and anime fans would likely have heard of Fushigi Yugi (the original series that the mangaka worked on during the 90s). Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden is the prequel to it (even though it is created 14 years after). One would be quick to recognize Yuu Watase's style, in art and writing. Her art has changed quite over the years and I definitely prefer her current style. It is more sharp and concise, compared to nearly two decades ago.

I think Takiko is a better protagonist compared to Miaka (Fushigi Yugi's protagonist). She has a sense of pride and handles her problems much better in comparison. She knows how to fight and is willing to defend herself, rather than waiting for someone to save her. Uruki is the first person who she encounters after she entered this new world. Uruki has the ability to become a woman with his powers, so it sure shocked the hell out of Takiko! He does have an interesting background that leads him to where he is today though.

The second volume doesn't hesitate to introduce a new wave of characters, not slowing down on the action for one bit. You can tell the characters are parallel to Fushigi Yugi's characters by the role they play (ex. villain) and their distinct personalities and quirks.

So far, I enjoyed the first two volumes of Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden. I highly recommend this one to be a read for Yuu Watase's fans. Be sure to check it out even if you are not familiar with the mangaka's works. Even if you haven't read the original series, you wouldn't be confused going into Fushigi Yugi: Genbu Kaiden because the stories are unrelated to each other except for the main plot idea.

Bookmooched copies from Rachel.

Book Sale Update (Toronto Only)

2011-02-01T21:19:00.000-05:00

If you saw my post from a few days ago, I'm selling a bunch of my books. I'm doing this locally in Toronto, Canada, because it costs way too much to ship. If you have friends or relatives in Toronto, you can have them buy it for you and they can ship it over or if they come visit you, they'll bring it with them.

Today, I managed to pull out a bunch of unwanted books. I took pictures so you can see what I am selling. This post does not include manga. Hopefully I will get to that soon. You can see the manga titles I'm selling by clicking here.

I don't have time at the moment to list all the titles so hopefully you are able to read the spines. Click to enlarge.

Please send offers to faked_sugartone at hotmail. I happened to buy a bus pass so I will be able to meet up anywhere in Toronto (but hopefully by the subway stations if possible). Cash only.

Most books are in good condition. Some perfect. Feel free to ask if you have concerns or questions.

YA Arcs

YA Hardcovers (except ghostgirl: Homecoming, arc)

YA Paperbacks

Children Books

Adult Hardcovers and Paperbacks

Download Dreaming Anastasia Free!

2011-02-01T20:44:00.000-05:00

I received an announcement that the ebook version of Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble can be downloaded for free! I believe today is the only day you can get it free, so hurry! It can be downloaded anywhere that ebooks are sold online.

If you want to win the sequel, Haunted, tweet about the free ebook and have a link to your favourite ebook store online where you downloaded the ebook. Do this by the end of today with #haunted hashtag.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-Anastasia-ebook/dp/B00348UMSA

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dreaming-Anastasia/Joy-Preble/e/9781402244407

Happy reading!

YA Books & Manga Sale (for Toronto only)

2011-01-29T16:30:00.004-05:00

Hey guys! My room is being refurnished and I'm trying to clear out my room the best I can. I already got rid of old toys and clothes I no longer wear. However, the biggest clutter (as you can guess) is my book and manga collection. Money is tight and I no longer have a job. Living as a university student is pretty hard. Therefore, I am putting up 1/4 of my manga collection on sale. I haven't gotten the chance to sort my YA collection yet so if you want something and I have reviewed it, you can email me and ask (use the search bar). I highly likely will not sell books that I gave 5/5 ratings for (feel free to ask though).

Also, I apologize but I'm only doing the sale locally. I don't have the money nor time to send the books out and it would add to the cost because of shipping fees. For February, I likely won't buy a bus pass because I have reading week. Therefore my ability to travel around Toronto is limited until March (but I will calculate and see). But I live in Vaughan so I can do meetups there as well.

Do this quick though! If I don't see there is anyone who wants to buy after awhile, I might sell to used book stores.

My manga sale: http://forums.redflagdeals.com/manga-sale-993684/ (Willing to swap manga)

Email me at faked_sugartone at hotmail.com with appropriate heading. Thanks!

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

2011-01-24T16:07:00.000-05:00

Title: The Julian Game

Author: Adele Griffin

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 208

My Rating: 2/5

When Raye is asked by the popular girl Ella to help her get revenge on her ex-boyfriend, she agrees. Raye uses a fake profile online of a blue-haired girl named "Elizabeth", in order to ensnare Julian. What she doesn't expect is falling for him during this little game. However, Ella finds out and promises to make Raye's life miserable. How will Raye get out of this mess?

I think The Julian Game has a very striking cover, which led me to read it. I didn't have any prior thoughts before I cracked it open. Though it did not take me long before I started to dislike it.

I don't know what is wrong with Raye, but for some reason she compels to obey Ella, even when she is a complete bitch. Ella is nothing but a bully with a pretty face. I wanted to slap Raye when her reasoning for listening to Ella was because she was beautiful. I don't know why anyone would want to kiss up to someone who tries to ruin people's lives. It bothered me so much.

There were some situations that happened so quickly in the book that I didn't even know go by. There were not enough details or depth to flesh out the story. I didn't feel connected to the characters nor the situations. To me, the book felt like a broken record. You understand the overall concept but you don't completely understand it at the same time.

Review copy provided by Penguin Canada.

Maid Sama! by Hiro Fujiwara

2011-01-22T21:00:00.001-05:00

Title: Maid Sama!

Mangaka: Hiro Fujiwara

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 11 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 2.5/5

Misaki is the strict president of the student council who keeps everything orderly. Since her school only recently became co-ed, she makes sure that the boys are well-behaved. She holds up her reputation during the day, but when in fact she secretly works as a maid in a cafe! To keep her pride and reputation intact, she tries her best to hide this other side of her. But when popular Usui finds out about this secret, will everything be ruined??

Originally, I wasn't going to pick up this series. I had a feeling I wouldn't be fond of it. But since it is a popular one and my little sister is addicted to it, I decided to give it a try... And I knew my hunch was correct.

One of my manga pet peeves is when the panels are cramped with a lot of drawing and there are way too many things going on at once. This was what it was like with Maid Sama! It wasn't as bad as Go Go Heaven!!, but I still hated how many text bubbles there were on a page sometimes. As a manga reader, you would like everything to flow and be easy on the eyes. When there is so many things happening, it deters you away from the actual storyline.

I don't mind female empowerment, but Misaki is too much for me. Honestly, I think having a job as a maid is not a big deal. Since she is a big feminist, I could understand but at the same time she needs to take a chill pill. I guess some people like that sort of character but she is by far a good protagonist in my eyes. Usui is supposed to be that opposite attraction who is laid-back and cool with everything for Misaki. I feel, however, that their personalities do not work, even if they are constrasting each other. I don't know if it is possible for characters in a manga to have a lack of chemistry because it sure felt like it did, regardless of how many romance moments thrown in.

The art is not so bad. I personally judged the art prior and had a feeling I wouldn't be a fan. (Being a manga reader for so long, you can depict what kind of story the mangaka has to offer through their art. Sometimes it is misleading, but most of the time your gut feeling would be spot on).

I could understand why fans enjoy the series. There are those unrealistic moments that you can't help but wish happen to you in real life. It has that love-hate relationship thing going on with the hot guy in the grade situation and all.

However, I just couldn't get into this manga and it took me 3 weeks or more to finish because I kept putting it down. I think shojo fans can take a look because it has some cliques that most would love.

Review copy provided by HarperCollins Canada.

Short and Simple (6)

2011-01-15T20:56:00.002-05:00

Title: Death by Denim

Author: Linda Gerber

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 213

My Rating: 3/5

Sentence Summary: Aphra is going to confront the people that are hunting down her and her loved ones.

Speaking Straightly: At first, I really liked this series. But then, it was the action that kept me going for the first two volumes. In all honesty, I was reading a series I wasn't too clear about because I had no idea what "sleeper cells" were (still don't) and what the characters did in the past that got them into the situation they are in now. So if you understood the beginning of the series completely, I think the ending would be better for you. I just found the first two volumes to be more enthralling because of the action scenes.

~~~

Title: Grand Guignol Orchestra

Mangaka: Kaori Yuki

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Completed at 5 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 5/5

Sentence Summary: The world is overrun by zombies called the Guignols and an orchestra consisting of three men goes around fighting these evil beings.

Speaking Straightly: Kaori Yuki has covered dark magic, angels, faeries, and pretty much all the other supernatural creatures you could think of. Finally, she has settled for zombies.

I love her take on zombies because she made an interesting world evolving around it (as usual with her Gothic feel). It takes place in an alternate world that mashes the Middle Ages, Victorian Era, and random items from different periods (like a car) all into one.

I'd say any Kaori Yuki fans will definitely enjoy this new series!

~~~

Title: March Story

Mangaka: Hyung Min Kim (Art) & Hyung Il Yang (Story)

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 3 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 5/5

Sentence Summary: In 18th century Europe, there are demons called Ill that takes over human bodies to commit horror and there are those who hunt them down.

Speaking Straightly: Amazing so far! The same artist who did Defense Devil (a series current in Japan) is working with this new story. I find the plot completely original and gripping with gorgeous detailed art. If you would like a new paranormal horror read as a manga fan, March Story is the one to pick up.