Showing posts with label Manga Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manga Challenge. Show all posts

Saturday, August 06, 2011

Six Sentence Saturday - August 6, 2011


Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.
Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:
5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Six Sentence Saturday is an idea that I occasionally borrow from Staci at Life in the Thumb.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Completion Date: March 14, 2011
Reason for Reading: Fun!
“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.
I had seen a lot of good reviews of this book, so I knew I was going to have to read it and eventually the library bought a copy. There were lots of things I liked about this book: The characters connection to bookstores, the idea of a notebook being the only communication with a person until you finally meet, and the characters themselves had great personalities. I didn't love the book as much as other people, though, but I think it was more me than the book. The first half was really good, but then when the characters actually met each other I felt like the quality decreased. I think that is mainly because there was a lot of drama in the second half of the book that was missing from the first because they hadn't actually met yet. It was still a very fun book with a creative idea behind it and I am glad that I read it.







Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

Completion Date: April 25, 2011
Reason for Reading: Read more from this author.
When the magician Jocelyn Brandon Hope died he bequeathed Melstone House to his grandson Andrew. He also left his ‘field of care’: an area of strangeness surrounding the land around the house, whose boundary Andrew must walk in order to preserve its power.

Andrew had always loved the house, but he finds owning it a lot more complicated, aside from all the magic. There is Mrs Stock, the tyrannical housekeeper who won’t let him move the furniture and punishes him with her terrible cooking. Just as bad is the obsessive gardener who will only grow giant inedible vegetables. To add to his troubles, twelve year old orphan Aidan Cain suddenly arrives on the doorstep begging protection from magical stalkers, and Andrew’s sinister rich neighbour, Mr Brown, begins to encroach on the ‘field of care’. The one compensation is the gardener’s beautiful niece, Stashe. Things become stranger and stranger until all is made clear with the help of the enchanted glass itself.
When the announcement was made that Diana Wynne Jones had passed away, I made it my mission to read even more of the books by her that I had missed out on. Enchanted Glass is my favourite of the lot I have read more recently, but probably not my favourite book by her overall. It contains a wonderful cast of characters and a lot of creative ideas that will hook you from the very first page. I also enjoyed the creative way that she worked the coloured glass on a door into the story and made it seem so believable. This was a wonderful book by a beloved author and by rights deserved a longer review, but it has been so long since I have read it I am not sure if I could really do it justice.

This book counted for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.





Nightschool: The Weirn Books Volume 2 by Svetlana Chmakova

Completion Date: May 2, 2011
Reason for Reading: Carry on with Series.
When Alex's sister, Sarah, vanishes and all memory and evidence of her existence is erased, Alex is determined to get to the bottom of her sister's disappearance. What better place to start her investigations than the Nightschool itself? But when she discovers that sneaking into the Nightschool isn't as simple as it might seem, Alex enrolls as a student. But is she prepared for what she might find?
I loved Chmakova's series Dramacon, but this series isn't getting me nearly as excited. I think it is probably because she is joining in on the paranormal craze and I am getting a bit tired of this craze, so the idea isn't working for me as well as I had hoped. The artwork is still fantastic and the idea is still very creative, but I am not getting caught up in the story and rushing out to get each volume after finishing the previous ones. I loved Dramacon so much that when the library didn't have the third volume, I went out and bought the series. I think this is a series that I will appreciate all the more when I look back on it overall, but if you want to give Chmakova a try I strongly recommend her other series. Still, I look forward to reading the last two volumes in this series.

This book counted for the Once Upon a Time Challenge and the Manga Challenge.




**Note: I had a really hard time getting pictures to load for this post, so I will have to add book covers later. Hopefully Monday when I have my new computer. Yay!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Comic Book Extravaganza - Take Three

L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower & Skottie Young

Completion Date: April 12, 2011
Reason for Reading: Fun!
The premiere American fantasy adventure gets the Merry Marvel treatment! Eisner Award-winning writer/artist Eric Shanower (Age of Bronze) teams up with fan-favorite artist Skottie Young (New X-Men) to bring L. Frank Baum's beloved classic to life! When Kansas farm girl Dorothy flies away to the magical Land of Oz, she fatally flattens a Wicked Witch, liberates a living Scarecrow and is hailed by the Munchkin people as a great sorceress...but all she really wants to know is: how does she get home?
I really wanted to love this book, but it disappointed me. I think it is mainly because I just watched Tin Man, which was amazing, so this was sort of disappointing in comparison. I knew it was really just the same story with pictures, but I think I wanted more. Others would probably like this book, but it just wasn't for me.

This book works for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Ursula by Fabio Moon & Gabriel Ba

Completion Date: April 23, 2011
Reason for Reading: Fun!
Once upon a time, there was a story. A love story. Different listeners will hear different things from the love story; for some, it might be a tale of journeys and rites of passage and battles won and foes vanquished and happily-ever-after. For other listeners, it might be a story about dreams and desires, for all is simple, beautiful and magical when you're young and in love. But once upon a time.... there was a story, and listen to me now: it was a love story.
This was a cute little story. It was simplistic, but fun. The blurb above is right, though. It is easy for people to get something different from this story. I think it depends on what you are reading it for, what you will get out of it. It also depends on how you look it. It could be a fantasy novel, but it also could just be a story about dreams.

This book counts for the Once Upon a Time challenge.

Chobits Volume 7 by Clamp

Completion Date: April 23, 2011
Reason for Reading: Carry on with the Series.
The continuing adventures of Hideki and Chi.

Can a computer ever replace a human being? Kokubunji built Yuzuki to replace his sister after her passing. While Yuzuki certainly feels like a sister to Minoru, the more time he spends with her, the more he loves her for who she is. Chi was also built as a bubstitute family member. Back then she was knwn as Elda, and she and her "sister" Freya were built to be the daughters of their creator and his wife. They behaved and looked like real children, and they even had the ability to love. But something went wrong -very wrong-. now Chi must find her "someone just for her" before an even worse disaster strikes.
Another fun volume in this manga series. I am not sure what I am going to do now because there is only one volume left and the library doesn't have it. I have read 7 books, so obviously I need to read the last book. A lot of answers are revealed in this book. It was interesting to find out how the story progressed. Some of it I sort of expected, but there were a few surprises.

Series:
Volume 7
Volume 8

This book counts for the Manga Challenge.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Six Sentence Saturday


Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.
Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:
5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Completion Date: January 15, 2011
Reason for Reading: Fun!
The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early.

The shrill siren song of a calliope beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. In this season of dying, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. And two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes. . .and the stuff of nightmare.

Few American novels written this century have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury's unparalleled literary classic SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin.The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. The shrill siren song of a calliope beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. In this season of dying, Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. And two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes. . .and the stuff of nightmare.
I really liked The Halloween Tree by Bradbury, but for some reason this book just didn't work for me at all. I think it can be put down to a mood at the time and having read two books before it that I just could not seem to enjoy, so I will probably try and read it again someday. The book did have a fun plot and idea behind it, but I found myself not really caring what happened to the characters after a while. If this was a book I easily could have got again I would have put it aside and tried again later, but unfortunately it was an ILL and could not be renewed, so it was read it now or maybe never. Bradbury is an author that has had lasting fame, so obviously it was just me and I still think many other people will enjoy this book if they haven't read it all ready. I think before I try this one again I will attempt read something else by him later this year.






Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Volume 2 by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Completion Date: February 19, 2011
Reason for Reading: Carry on with the series.
Does Scott and Ramona's burgeoning relationship have a future? Isn't Scott still supposedly dating Knives Chau? Who is Ramona's second evil ex-boyfriend, and why is he in Toronto? Who are The Clash At Demonhead, and what kind of bizarre art-punky music do they play? Who's their hot girl keyboardist, and what is Scott's relation to her? Why are they Knives Chau's new favourite band? Fights! Drama! Secrets revealed! The answers to all these questions and more!
I like this series, but unfortunately do not love it, so now that I have read the two books that the library has in the series I am not sure what I am going to do about the rest of the series. I recently watched the movie and actually think that considering the size of these stories, it pretty much covered the comics; so at least if I don't get a chance to read the rest of the series I know what happens! Scott is a fun character and it is entertaining that he has to fight Ramona's ex-boyfriends like in a video game. The comic really does answer the questions presented in the blurb above and I think it was better than the first book in the series. I also really enjoy that this book is set in Toronto and I have actually been to Toronto, so I knew the places that were being talked about. Overall, a fun read, and someday I may finish the series.

Series:
Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim & the Infinite Sadness
Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together
Scott Pilgrim vs. Universe
Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour

(This book counts for the Manga Challenge.)






Bone: Quest for the Spark by Jeff Smith and Tom Sniegoski (Book 1)

Completion Date: February 23, 2011
Reason for Reading: Spin-off Series from BONE.
A return to the enthralling world of BONE with book one in this gripping spin-off novel trilogy, illustrated in four-color!

Twelve-year-old Tom Elm is just an ordinary turnip farmer from the Valley, but he's always felt destined for something bigger. So when he discovers everyone in his village is asleep and plagued by nightmares, he assembles a band of unlikely heroes. They must fight to preserve the Spark--a divine light born at the core of a vast, dark nothingness called the Nacht. The Nacht is trying to permeate the Waking World with nightmares of the Dreaming, and it's Tom's mission to defeat the Nacht and its most loyal follower, the Constable. If he fails, his family--and everyone--might never wake up again.
I really enjoyed the Bone graphic novel series, so when I heard that there was going to be a spin-off series I was very excited to read it, but on the other hand disappointed that many of the characters would not be included. These really are new adventures with mentions of the events from the other series and a few choice appearances from old characters. I wanted to love this book, but instead I only liked it. It's just not the same when it is told mostly in words and there are very few pictures, so it makes for a totally different reading experience. The adventures were still fun and I will still read on in the series, but I think I am ultimately disappointed in the direction the series has taken. If it was new stories in graphic novel format, it might have worked better for me, but I found myself wanting pictures and they were not there.






Chobits Volume 6 by Clamp

Completion Date: February 23, 2011
Reason for Reading: Carry on with Series.
Can a human be happy living with a machine? Hiroyasu Ueda truly believed he could when he married his persocom but one fateful day tragedy struck and Ueda was separated from his true love. It's often said that persocoms are more perfect than humans, better looking, better lovers, better thinking. Is it possible for someone who once loved the perfect, if artificial, woman go back to loving a mere human?
Since the series is drawing to a close, this book actually answered some of the questions that have been hovering in the background, so I think I appreciated this volume more than some of the previous ones. It is a interesting idea for a series and is something that in many ways is being worked on now. It addresses the idea that if there were personal computers that looked very much like humans, would people love them and marry them? The manga series is much more complex than it first appears, so I enjoy that aspect of it greatly. It also has entertaining characters and situations that will easily make you laugh. I am glad I am reading this series and look forward to more very soon!

Series:
Volume 6
Volume 7
Volume 8

Thursday, March 03, 2011

A Look at Challenges - February 2011

Sci-Fi Experience:

Books Read:
1. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
2. Witness in Death by J.D. Robb
3. Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb
4. Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad
5. Serenity: Float Out by Patton Oswalt, Patric Reynolds, and Joss Whedon

Status: COMPLETED!

Thoughts: I wish I had read more! I will likely read more science-fiction over the coming year, though.

The Great Reading Swap of 2011:

Books Read:
1. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill
2. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
3. Witness in Death by J.D. Robb
4. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Status: 4 out of 24...

Thoughts: I honestly thought I was doing better on this than I am...

Manga Challenge:

Books Read:
1. Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova
2. Chobits Volume 5 by Clamp
3. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Volume 2) by Bryan Lee O'Malley
4. Chobits Volume 6 by Clamp

Status: 4/6

Thoughts: Well, at least with the slight reading I did in February I worked on this challenge!

Aussie Reading Challenge:

Books Read:
None

Status: 0/3

Thoughts: Yeah, need to read something for this. I have the books here and waiting!

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge:

Books Read:
1. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
2. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

Status: 2/10

Thoughts: I am really surprised at this actually... I used to read a lot more historical fiction. I did read some historical fantasy, but decided to not count it...

Essay Reading Challenge:

Essays Read:
None

Status: 0/10

Thoughts: The library is thwarting me. I keep having ideas and then they don't have the book! I am getting annoyed, so I am ignoring this challenge for a bit until inspiration strikes.

Ireland Reading Challenge:

Books Read:
None

Status: 0/2

Thoughts: Expected to be reading a book for this challenge this month. Yay!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Six Sentence Saturday


Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.
Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:
5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Chobits Volume 5 by Clamp

Completion Date: January 29, 2011
Reason for Reading: Carry on with Series
Chi is kidnapped on her way to work and Hideki embarks on a frantic search for his missing persocom. Tracking Chi down is only a matter of time but Chi is not willing to wait, and reveals a defense mechanism that is linked to her mysterious past.
This is a cute series that I have been stalled on since 2009, so I want to try and finish it up. Chi really makes the story and I don't think I would read it if she wasn't in it. She is entertaining and you cannot help laughing at her, but at the same time her clueless behaviour is a bit much. Hideki and the other characters are entertaining, too. I think the series is marketed mainly for men, judging by the story, but I still find it enjoyable. It is also a series that you cannot read for a while and still remember what is going on.







Series:
Volume 5
Volume 6
Volume 7
Volume 8

This book counts for the Manga Challenge.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova

Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova

Completion Date: January 21, 2011
Reason for Reading: I really liked Dramacon, her previous manga series.
Schools may lock up for the night, but class is in session for an entirely different set of students. In the Nightschool, vampires, werewolves, and weirns (a particular breed of witches) learn the fundamentals of everything from calculus to spell casting. Alex is a young weirn whose education has always been handled through homeschooling, but circumstances seem to be drawing her closer to the Nightschool. Will Alex manage to weather the dark forces gathering?
Fiction or non-fiction? Genre?
Fiction. Paranormal Manga.

What led you to pick up this book?
Nicola read the first two over at Back to Books. I also really liked her other manga series, Dramacon, so would have planned to read this anyway.

Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending!
This book talks place after hours at a school. The 'regular' kids have no idea what happens when they leave for the day. After 6, though, werewolves, vampires, and weirns begin a very different education. There is action and adventure, but mainly this is to introduce you to the characters.

What did you like most about the book?
The art. For some reason I really love Svetlana's art. It's fun, but it can also capture the mood very well. Then, there was a section that was in colour and it was amazingly well-done! I also enjoyed how she managed to take something that is maybe, possibly starting to get a bit overdone and make it her own. She has an original story here that I am looking forward to reading more of.

What did you like least?
With any manga I hate that it is essentially one book broken up into many books. You just get captivated with the story and is over. Plus, I am reading this through the library and have to wait each time for the book to come in. I wound up buying the collected edition of Dramacon because the library did not have book three and in this case, they don't have book four!

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books?
Yes, I read Dramacon back in 2009. It was a fun trilogy and I never reviewed it... I should reread it this year so I can remedy that. Anyway, this series is very different than her previous one. The other one was set in modern day at a comic convention. This is a paranormal world. She pulls off the differences really well.

What did you think of the main character?
You only just barely get to meet the main character. Her name is Alex and there is obviously a lot more to her than meets the eye. She is weirn, but not even she knows entirely what she is capable of. The first scene is very comical. Svetlana does humour rather well, even if this book is supposed to be a bit on the dark side. She may not have a lot of pages for you to get to know her characters, but they still made an impression on me and I am looking forward to getting to know them better in the future.

What about the ending?
As far as I am concerned, the ending for mangas is generally the last book. That being said, there is a nice cliffhanger to this book that makes me really want to know what happens next.

What do you think of the cover?
I love it! So pretty and mood-setting and pretty and, uh, I think I am becoming a bit of a fangirl for this author. I will probably wind up buying the series...

This book counts for the 2011 Manga Challenge.

I did posts like this in 2009. Since I don't really have a lot to say about mangas and graphic novels because they are often one large book and I hate spoilers, I decided to bring it back once in a while for some variety.

Series:
Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 1
Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 2
Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 3
Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Voume 4

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Manga Challenge 2011


In 2009 I read a lot of great manga, but last year, for whatever reason, I didn't read much of it at all. I decided to try and fix that in 2011, but I forgot to sign up for Rhinoa's Manga Challenge at the beginning of the year. I am remedying that now.

Challenge runs January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011

Read a Minimum of 6 manga books.

My list:

2. Chobits Volume 5 by Clamp
4. Chobits Volume 6 by Clamp
6. Chobits Volume 7 by Clamp

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Six Sentence Saturday - Take Four

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.
Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:
5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
I first heard about this back during the last readathon - and I think I read it soon after! I found this book to be a very cutesy fairy tale-retelling and I had a lot of fun reading it! Anyone that reads my blog knows that I am quite fond of fairy tales, so this was right up my alley. It is not your conventional fairy tale, though. I am not sure I was exactly blown away by the ending, but I liked watching all the pieces of the novel come together. The characters were enjoyable, as was the story, and so I do recommend this book!Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer's Night Dream
Manga Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet

Manga Shakespeare: Hamlet

Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest

I have came along way in terms of graphic novels and reading them, but I have to say very frankly that this series didn't really impress me at all! All four of them came in for me at the library at the same time and I was curious, but I wasn't very impressed. I can understand how they can encourage those less likely to read Shakespeare to read him, but you are really missing out. All this made me do is want to read the original plays, but I haven't found the time to do so yet! They did have their good points, don't get me wrong, but I don't think classics retold as graphic novels work for me, especially since they had to cut so much out of the story. So, I am not a big fan of this series, but I do know other people have really enjoyed them.



Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Sara Zarr is an author that I have seen around the blogosphere and always wanted to try. I actually was surprised that I liked this book because it is not something that I would normally read, but I guess that is why you should break out of your comfort zone once in a while. Jennifer (Jenna) thinks she has everything that she has always wanted in high school, but she holds on to the memory of her oldest friend and what life was like when she knew him. When he reappears she discovers that things do not always turn out exactly as you plan them to! This was a very good example of what high school can be like and I think Zarr captured it all very well. While I didn't love the book, I am still glad that I read it and will likely read something else by her in the future.




The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I was going to do a proper review for this book, but really, what can I say that hasn't been said before? I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it as much as other people. I found the storyline was compelling enough to keep me wondering what was going to happen next and to keep me turning pages, but there were aspects of it that I really couldn't bother being interested in. For many the ending was annoying and had a huge cliffhanger, but it didn't really bother me all that much that I was going to have to wait for another book. I liked the characters, but didn't love them, and I thought that the story was pretty original. I will read the entire trilogy for sure, but I am not waving Team Peeta or Team Gale banners with excitement!

Love is Hell by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, and Laurie Faria Stolarz
I read this for the Melissa Marr and Scott Westerfeld stories, of course! They are both authors that I just discovered this year and really enjoy, so I want to read everything I can from them. I read the entire book, though, and while I found it enjoyable I wouldn't say I loved it. I am not a huge fan of short story collections, but I do try to read them for some diversity. The Marr and Westerfeld stories were both really good, so I am glad I read the collection. I also liked the other stories enough to try out the other authors one of these days!



Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
I read Speak by her a couple years ago and was not really impressed by it like other people were. I decided to give her another chance, though, and I must say that I did like this book better, but I am still not a huge fan of Anderson. I remember the complexities of high school, but I find I have a hard time relating to them in young adult novels. This book was about a young woman battling an eating disorder and I thought that while the subject matter was disturbing, Anderson captured the character really well. I felt for the character, but I couldn't entirely relate and I think that is why I didn't love this book. I do recommend it, though, that's for sure, but advise that it is not for the faint of heart.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Six Sentence Saturday - Take One

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.
Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:


5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal
2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Staci does this cool feature that I am borrowing. I have the worst time keeping up on my reviews, so I figure if I do this mostly every Saturday than I will review books I probably won't review otherwise. It will likely just be books that I consider okay, so expect detailed reviews (hopefully) about books that I love.

A Distant Soil - Volume 2 - The Ascendant by Colleen Doran
I didn't like the first volume of this because I found it too cliched and predictable, but I decided to read the second volume anyways. The series does not improve. I found this volume as predicatable as the first volume and probably skimmed at times. Doran essentially takes popular aspects of fantasy, science-fiction, and mythology and puts them together. It sounds like a good idea, but it just didn't work for me. It makes me sad, really, because it did sound interesting.







Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
I read this because I had read the books related to it this year and wanted to feel like I completed the series. This book was actually pretty interesting because you do often wonder how authors get their ideas; but Westerfeld addresses that and wrote a book that answers the questions the readers have always been wondering about. I learned a lot. Even though it is a book about a fictional world, it is written very believably. I was glad I read it and was welcomed even further into Westerfeld's world. There are some aspects of it that I wouldn't want to experience, but some of the technology is pretty cool.



X/1999: Prelude by Clamp (Volume 1)
X/1999: Overture by Clamp (Volume 2)
Chris recommended this series to me, and it does have an interesting premise behind it, but it was not one of my favourite manga series. I find, for me, that manga takes a while to get going for me, but I guess we will have to see what happens. The library doesn't have the next volume, so not sure when that will happen, but as it stands right now the series is not working for me. It's been a while since I read it and it isn't even sticking with me. Clamp is an interesting company, though, so I have hopes because I enjoyed Chobits. I will do a more detailed review when I carry on with this series.



One Piece: Romance Dawn by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 1)
One Piece: Buggy the Clown by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 2)
One Piece: Don't Get Fooled Again by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 3)
I find manga series hard to talk about, but I have to talk about this series because it is so much fun! I love the characters and the writing. I am very happy that Renay suggested this series for the Herding Cats challenge. I need to read more books in this series right away, but somehow never seem to check anymore out. I was a bit worried that it would be just a little so strange that it wouldn't work for me, but it was enjoyable. To appreciate it, though, you really need to read it and that is about all I can say on the matter.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Fruits Basket Volume 1, 2, 3, and 4 by Natsuki Takaya


Reason for Reading: New Author Challenge, Rhinoa's Manga Challenge
Tohru Honda was an orphan when one day fate kicked her out of the house and on to land belonging to the mysterious Sohma family. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for cooking and cleaning. Everything goes well until she discovers the Sohma family's secret, when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal!
Title and author of book: Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya - Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Graphic Novel. Fantasy or Mythology.

What led you to pick up this book? I had heard of it before and it sounded like as good a series as any to try out!

Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending! See above...

What did you like most about the book? I like a lot of things about this series. First off, I really enjoy how the Chinese Zodiac is used in the book. What a great idea! That whole idea has always interested me! I was born in the Year of the Rat. It's kind of funny how when Tohru hugs without thinking, they turn into animals. It's a strange idea, but it works! The characters take after their animals, too. There is competition, arguments, and all other sorts of adventure in the Sohmas family. Tohru finds herself mixed into it. You can tell these stories are written for a teenage crowd, though, because in the midst of the humour they deal with serious issues. It's a good series!

What did you like least? I get confused with the characters sometimes. I am still rusty with this pictures idea. I am used to reading the words and getting the whole story, so remembering to look closely at the pictures is a problem! In some of the other manga series I have tried to read, I can pull it off, but this one I find that I have to keep back-tracking because I missed something!

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? This is the first series I have read. I am going to be at it for a while if I plan to read everything! I was looking at her other series online, though, and it looks interesting. I have to finish a manga series before I can start another one, though.

What did you think of the main character? I like all of the characters in this book. They each bring something to the story. The Tohru annoys me sometimes, but that's a teenage girl problem. She has been through a lot and is trying to cope with all the changes in her life. The Sohma family is delightfully dysfuntional. It really works!

What about the ending? I have only read four volumes... The ending is a long way into the future!

This is another series that I really liked the art for. The covers are also great. Very simplistic, but it works. I actually read the collected versions of these four, so it included notes from the author. I thought that was an awesome idea!

Other Reviews:

Books & Other Thoughts (Volume 2): "I am looking forward to reading more about Tohru's further adventures in this delightful, lighthearted series."

Words by Annie (Volume 2): "I enjoyed this book a great deal, but not as much as the first one. It was a bit more confusing, but other than that it was a wonderful story!"

T.V. And Book Addict: "This manga is my all time favorite. Has wonderful characters, beautiful art, very funny, and a great plot. You will definitely love it till the end. It truly teaches you about how important it is to be strong and live your life by just being yourself."

Books & Other Thoughts (Volume 3): "
This third volume in the Fruits Basket manga series seems to be a transitional book, with the relationships between the characters gaining more definition and depth, and events being set up for things to come in future volumes."

Words by Annie (Volume 1): "This story was spiced up with the perfect amount of romance and magic. I like the idea of the Zodiac spirits, and I'm eager to read the next book to find out more about the Sohmas!"

Books & Other Thoughts (Volume 1): "This is a lighthearted, humorous series, but it also covers more serious issues, such as Tohru's sense of loss in the wake of her mother's death, and while she is perky beyond belief, her enormous optimism is countered by her occasional moments of grief, and that, to me, makes her a more believable, sympathetic character. I look forward to reading about her further adventures!"

Mixtures: Books... (Volume 1): " I love this manga because its super CUTE. Its my FAVORITE of all time and i think you should all read it!!!! Its impossible not to love Shigure's antics and Yuki's personality. Tohru brings them much needed help and friendship. The cover is really cute too. :D"

Did I miss yours? Comment and let me know!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Chobits Vol. 1, 2, 3, and 4 by Clamp


Reason for Reading: New Author Challenge, Rhinoa's Manga Challenge.
In Japan there are robots known as Persocons, walking computers in the shape of humans which preform many mundane tasks. They seem to be incredibly expensive, if a student saved up enough money he might be able to buy a little one. A boy named Motosuwa Hideki who works at a bar and is also a prep student for college decides he's going to buy a one of these expensive robotic companions. Of course, being broke he can't afford one, but he finds a Persocon in the garbage outside of the store. Being an oppurtunistic guy, he takes her! The rest of the manga describes his trials and joys with the little Persocon he names Chii.
Title and author of book: Chobits by Clamp - Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre? Graphic Novel. Science-fiction.

What led you to pick up this book? I needed some books for the manga challenge. This series was recommended to me by Chris.

Summarize the plot, but don’t give away the ending! See above...

What did you like most about the book? The thing I like so far about the series is both the idea and the characters. I find a lot of manga I have encountered is a bit like a superhero-type series. This is just about a regular guy who has a personal computer in the form of a female. Chii doesn't have any memory about what life was like before he found her, so she is learning everything all over again. It's actually pretty funny! Her owner has to keep reminding himself that she is a computer. She's cute, though. I think the series is well-written and I enjoy all the characters.

What did you like least? I don't have many complaints really. The annoyance of getting them from the library, maybe. I still have to get the rest. Apparently Clamp is an all-female team, and it is very apparent in this series. The female characters are not as annoying as they can be!

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of those books? This is the only series that I have read enough in that I feel I can really comment on. Any others I will wait until I have read further in! I find that manga takes a couple books to grow on me. This was the first Clamp series I read, though, the fact that I read more since is just because I am so behind on reviews!

What did you think of the main character? I guess I answered this already. There is Chii and her owner. They are the main characters. Chii is cute and her owner is pretty funny. He is just a regular guy, so it makes him very easy to relate to! Hideki likes porn and there is one scene where Chii buys him a magazine. I found that pretty funny. He is really just struggling to survive, but at the same time take care of Chii. I like it.

What about the ending? I cannot comment on the ending yet. I have to finish the rest of the series, first!

I should also point out that I really like the covers for this series. They are nice and eye-catching, huh? The art overall for these books is really good! Recommended series!

Other Reviews:
In Bed With Books: "Filled with adorable loli-style art and adorable moments of unbearable cuteness between the pervy stuff, I love CHOBITS. It's a well-plotted series that sets up and establishes a relationship in seven volumes even with all kinds of crazy conspiracies going on."

Anyone else? Let me know if I missed your review! (I am on a roll with books that don't seem to get much blogging attention, huh?)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Challenges Update

My sidebar is getting rather cluttered and I have actually finished a lot of challenges, but have just been keeping them there anyway. I am going to do a bit of a progress report now so I can clean the sidebar off a bit, but if books still apply I will probably continue to keep track... Just not on my sidebar.

The Series Challenge Season 3
December 1, 2008 - November 30, 2009

Read Four Books that Finish an On-going series:
1. Mercy Thompson Series - Book 4 - Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
2. Grave Goods: A Mistress of the Art of Death Novel by Ariana Franklin
3. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry (The Giver Trilogy, Book 2)
4. Messenger by Lois Lowry (The Giver Trilogy, Book 3)
5.
The Guests of War Trilogy - Book 3 - The Lights Go On Again by Kit Pearson (need to review)

Challenge Status: COMPLETED!

Dewey's Books Reading Challenge
January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2009

Read 5 Books that Dewey Reviewed:
1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
3. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
4. Looking for Alaska by John Green
5. American Born Chinese by Gene Luch Yang
6. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
7. Paper Towns by John Green
8. The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot
9. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
10. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson
11.
Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body by Courtney E. Martin
12. The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg
13. The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby
14. Gossamer by Lois Lowry
15. Nation by Terry Pratchett
16. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
17. One Piece, Volume 1 by Eiichiro Oda


Challenge Status: COMPLETED!

Read 5 books by any women:
1. The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme - Book Two - The Thief Queen's Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon
2. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
3. Messenger by Lois Lowry (The Giver Trilogy, Book 3)
4. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
5. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale
6. Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
- Still Need to Review

Challenge Status: COMPLETED!

New Author Challenge 2009
January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009
Read Ten New Authors:
1.Hiro Mashima
2.Barbara Randall Kesel
3.Bill Willingham
4. Art Spiegelman
5. David Wolman
6. Jon & Kate Gosselin
7. Katherine Barber
8. John Green
9. Gene Luch Yang
10. David Michaelis
11. James Bow
12. Scott Westerfeld
13. Ellen Hopkins
14. Carrie Vaughn
15. Edith Pattou
16. Queenie Chan
17. Trenton Lee Stewart
18. Christine Fletcher
19. Melissa Marr
20. Linda Medley
21. Jo Graham
22. Jessica Abel
23. Nick Abadzis
24. Kaoru Mori
25. J.H. Sweet
26. Bryan Talbot
27. Jeff Smith
28. Alison Bechdel
29. Natsuki Takaya
30. Clamp
31. Mary E. Pearson
32. David B.
33. Colleen Doran
34. Derek Landy
35. Charles Burns
36. Eizabeth Wein
37. Ingrid Law
38. April Lurie
39.
John Scalzi
40. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
41. Francesca Lia Block
42. Eiichiro Oda
43. Sara Nelson
44. Courtney E. Martin
45. Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg
46. K.L. Going
47. Nick Hornby
48. Ysabeau S. Wilce
49. Sonya Sones
50. Erich Von Daniken
51. Megan Whalen Turner
52. Claudia Gray
53. Mark Crilley
54. Carolyn Turgeon
55. Susan Beth Pfeffer
56. Ted Naifeh
57. Christopher Barzak
58. Carrie Ryan
59. Marc Eliot
60. Raymond Briggs
61. Sharon Creech
62. Ali Smith
63. Erica Kirov
64. Kristin Cashore
65. Suzanne Collins
66. Bryan Lee O'Malley
67. David Almond
68. Anne Fadiman
69. Melina Marchetta
70. Lesley Livingston
71. Pierre Bayard
72. Andi Watson
73. Ellen Potter
74. Rachel Neumeier
75. Philippa Pearce
76. Alessandro Baricco
77. Jay Asher
78. Philip Reeve
79. Holly Lisle
80. Per Petterson
81. Jennifer Holm
82. Kelly Link
83. Margaret Peterson Haddix
84. Janet Taylor Lisle
85. Chris Wooding
86. Martin Wilson
87. M.T. Anderson



Challenge Status: COMPLETED!




Rhinoa's Manga Challenge
January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009

Read Six Mangas:
1. Fairy Tail - Volume 1
2. Fairy Tail - Volume 2
3. Legends of the Dark Crystal - Volume 1
4. The Dreaming Vol 1
5. The Dreaming Vol 2
6. The Dreaming Vol 3
7. Emma - Volume 1
8. Emma - Volume 2
9. Emma - Volume 3
10. Emma - Volume 4
11. Emma - Volume 5
12. Emma - Volume 6
13. Emma - Volume 7
14. Chobits Vol. 1
15. Fruits Basket Vol 1
16. Fruits Basket Vol 2
17. Chobits Vol. 2
18. Chobits Vol. 3
19. Fruits Basket Vol 3
20. Fruits Baskey Vol 4
21.
X/1999: Prelude by Clamp (Volume 1)
22. X/1999: Overture by Clamp (Volume 2)
23. Chobits Vol. 4
24. One Piece: Romance Dawn by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 1)
25. One Piece: Buggy the Clown by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 2)
26. One Piece: Don't Get Fooled Again by Eiichiro Oda (Volume 3)
27. Emma - Volume 8 by Kaoru Mori
28. Miki Falls - Book 1: Spring by Mark Crilley
29. Miki Falls - Book 2: Summer by Mark Crilley
30. Manga Shakespeare: A Midsummer's Night Dream
31. Scott Pilgrim: Precious Little Life - Volume 1 by Bryan Lee O'Malley
32. Manga Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet
33. Manga Shakespeare: Hamlet
34. Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest


Challenge Status: COMPLETED!

Graphic Novels Challenge
January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009
Read Six Graphic Novels:
1. Fables Volume 1: Legends in Exile
2. Fables Volume 2: Animal Farm
3. The Book of Ballads
4. Maus - Volume 1: My Father Bleeds History
5. Maus - Volume 2: And Here My Troubles Began
6. Fables - Volume 3: Storybook Love
7. Fables - Volume 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers
8. Fables - Volume 5: The Mean Seasons
9. Fables -Volume 6: Homelands
10. Fables: Volume 7: Arabian Nights (And Days)
11. American Born Chinese
12. Fables - Volume 8: Wolves
13. Fables - Volume 9: Sons of Empire
14. Castle Waiting
15. Life Sucks
16. Laika
17. Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment
18. Rose
19. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
20.Epileptic by David B.
21. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale
22. A Distant Soil - Volume 1 - The Gathering by Colleen Doran
23. A Distant Soil - Volume 2 - The Ascendant by Colleen Doran
24.Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
25. The Tale of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot
26. Black Holes by Charles Burns
27.
The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci & Jim Rugg
28. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
29. The Good Neighbors: Kin: Book One by Holly Black & Ted Naifeh
30. Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs
31. Clubbing by Andi Watson
32. Babymouse: Our Hero by Jennifer Holm
33. Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley


Challenge Status: COMPLETED!

2nd Canadian Book Challenge, Eh!
July 1, 2008 - July 1, 2009

Read 13 Canadian Books:

1.Traveling Music by Neil Peart
2. Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland
3. Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
4. The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews
5. Lord Beaverbrook by David Adams Richards
6. Coventry by Helen Humphreys
7. Jolted by Arthur Slade
8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
9. Conceit by Mary Novik
10. What They Wanted by Donna Morrissey
11. Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa
12. Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong
13. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
14. I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors by Bernice Eisenstein
15. Santa Claus: A Biography by Gerry Bowler
16. Cats I Have Known and Loved by Pierre Berton
17. Louis Riel: A Comic Book Biography by Chester Brown
18.Turtle Valley by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
19. one good story, this one by Thomas King
20. Men of the Otherword by Kelley Armstrong
21. Only in Canada, You Say: A Treasury of Canadian Language by Katherine Barber
22. The Unwritten Girl by James Bow
23. Dust by Arthur Slade
24. JPod by Douglas Coupland

25. The Golden Phoenix and Other Fairy Tales from Quebec Edited by Marius Barbeau & Michael Hornyansky
26. Scott Pilgrim: Precious Little Life - Volume 1 by Bryan Lee O'Malley
27. Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley
28. The Guests of War Trilogy - Book 3 - The Lights Go On Again by Kit Pearson
29. Wonderous Strange by Lesley Livingston


Challenge Status: COMPLETED!