Monday 28 February 2011

What are you reading? #56

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.

Books I've read this week
Gladiator: Fight For Freedom by Simon Scarrow
Children's
(An engaging historical novel that has me eagerly awaiting the second!  My review...)






Painfully Ordinary by Stephanie Amox
Young Adult, Romance
(A pretty awesome book...with a few minor issues that give me a mixed conclusion about it.  Review to follow on 3rd March over on Enduring Romance.)




The 10pm Question by Kate Di Goldi
Children's
(An engaging read which subtly addresses a few serious issues so cleverly that you don't realise it until quite a way into the book - well, I didn't.  Review to go up 3rd March here on Nayu's Reading Corner, along with a guest blog post from Kate!)





The Fairytale Hairdresser: Or How Rapunzel Got her Prince! by Abie Longstaff
Children's
(Super cute picture book involving fairytale characters, especially Red Riding Hood [my favourite even though her role is secondary] and Rapunzel. Someone's got to keep their hair perfect!  My review...)





It's Friday as I write this, and I'm planning a reading fest weekend, so hopefully I'll have more books to put up next week.
 
Edited to add: I've read a lot already! Yay! 

Sunday 27 February 2011

Princess Poppy: Playground Princess by Janey Louise Jones


3rd March 2011, Corgi 
32 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Children's

School life, playtime, a child's imagination, bullying, being in a gang (I use the term very loosely), the negative traits of a girl's personality, staying silence when action should be taken, confessions, saying sorry, having fun. 

Summary from Random House Children's Books (note: This is copied and pasted from RHCB Australia - at the time of writing this review, the English site was down and a wonderful Australian friend got the info for me. They aren't getting the book until May). 

Poppy and Honey play together every break time until the day when Poppy decides to join the Blossom Tree Club. She simply can’t wait to be one of the gang but Honey is not so keen, she is perfectly happy playing fairy princesses with Poppy. 

Things soon go wrong when the club members start picking on Honey and when they not only break the blossom tree but smash the school green house during Poppy's induction into the club. 


Nayuleska's Thoughts
Squeee!! as one of my friends says (a phrase a few of us have adopted). Another Princess Poppy adventure. It was a lovely surprise to see this in my box of books this month. I love the colour and style of the illustrations, which naturally play a huge role for picture books. I can sense the fairy princess magic that Poppy and Honey feel when they play together. But for a little while that isn't enough for Poppy. She sees the girls having fun, and wants to join them. She doesn't think about the consequences it will have on Honey. She notices how mean the girls are, but I think a part of her likes the attention she has with them, so says nothing. I think maybe she feels that keeping silent means she isn't joining in on teasing Honey, but in actual fact she is. She doesn't stand up for Honey, and then they get in trouble. I think that was a wake up call that in fact her new 'friends' weren't friendly. Poppy seeks forgiveness from Honey, and she gets it. 

I think this book sends out a brilliant message that no one is perfect. Friends can make mistakes at any time, but if they are sorry for what they've done they should be forgiven. Plus mean-ness never wins. These girls are spiteful, and I had girls like them not at my primary school, but definitely at my secondary school. I know what it feels like to be Honey. I'm pretty sure most readers can relate to several elements in the story. I'm sure all will like the cute little letter in an envelope at the start of the book which has a letter from Poppy about friendship and how to play fairies!

Final conclusion
Poppy is a realistic image of a young girl's imagination, one who is true to her friends (eventually), who wants to have fun with everyone. 

Suggested reads: Princess Poppy: The Hidden Jewels. This was the first Princess Poppy book I read, and it's very cute. 


Saturday 26 February 2011

Re-Posting of Gladiator: Fight for Freedom by Simon Scarrow.


Major apologies - I've only just noticed the link to the review on Cem's Book Hideout never got activated! So today's review is this one (again). Click here to go to the review.

Friday 25 February 2011

Foreign Language Friday Meme #3

Wow, this week has whizzed by! I'm keeping this post short since I'm not feeling amazing this afternoon. But at least I rested up with lots of anime!

I love foreign languages because even if you don't go to classes, even if you don't have a native speaker it is still possible to hang on to the skills you learn, and reinforce them too.

My favourite way of reinforcement for French and Spanish is reading. I've seen a few French films, but not that many. I love those languages just for reading. Although I haven't really read them in ages, so perhaps I'll start doing so.

Japanese - I find reading a bit trickier, because of the different writing systems. I can read them, especially if the kanji is written in small hiragana/katakana (the other 2 alphabets), but it's still slow going. My favourite mode of learning Japanese by far is watching anime. I'm really recognising various grammar structures now, as well as going over vocab I already know, and learning new words as characters repeat them all the time. I'm learning different types of speech - formal and informal, and the variety used among friends.

Today I've been watching Sasami Magical Girls' Club. A group of girls who are mostly loners each have magic, and it brings them together. They train up under the guise of a cooking club, with a teacher and the handyman/janitor person. They get to go to the world of witches, which is full of glitz and glamour. However, beneath the surface there are secrets abound, and the girls end up being split from one another, as one of them takes the side of the witches and carries on learning offensive magic. That hasn't quite happened yet, but I'm in the 2nd season (which really is half of the first, since the seasons were only 13 episodes long). Misao hasn't cut her hair yet, although the way the last episode ending she's nearly taken in by the other witches! I love this anime because it's a feel good one. The central themes are friendship, and the troubles & joys that go with it. I love the girls hair, and the magic they can do is cool. I like it that the witches manages to turn Misao, but eventually she comes around.

One last thing...I'm hoping to maybe try sashiko, which is a particular form of Japanese sewing. I'll give more details when I get a book or a kit :) Hopefully I'll have pictures then too!

Have a great weekend, be sure to pop in both tomorrow and Sunday where I'll have book reviews here!

Thursday 24 February 2011

Thrilling Craft Adventure Meme #2

Today's meme consists mostly of photos of work I've done, with a little comment on it (feeling lazy & want to get chapter 14 written today). 

This is a bunny I made using spare yarn from a hoodie, for my Japanese teacher's baby. 
Below is a close up of her face.  


This is the hoodie! It has a simple cable pattern on both front sides, the same cable is repeated once down the centre of the arms. The back of the hoodie is plain, and the hood is plain too.

This is a close up of the cable pattern.  

And here's a closer look at the bunny buttons! Aren't they cute?! 

This was an orange cardigan for my teacher's baby. It was quicker to knit than the cable (cable takes time...I'm not that fast with it yet). This one was simple, I just had to knit (or purl) a group of stitches at a time. It was fun to whizz along.  

Here's a closer detailed view of the pattern on the arm.  

This is what it looks like from the back.  

This is the blanket I knitted for my teacher's baby. The central heart is in garter stitch, with little bobbles surrounding it.  

This is a close up view of the bobbles. I'd never created them before, and they were quite easy to make. The only problem was that the bobbles liked popping through the other side.  

This is the cross stitch picture I made for my sister. It's not all that easy to see, but surrounding the picture is a half cross stitch sea of blue (supposed to be the sky, I think). 

Here's a close up.... 

...and another one. It's easier to see the stitching. This is where I confess the mistake I made. At least 3 times I used the wrong colour thread. I did unpick most of it, but when I did the boots I couldn't be bothered. So they are mostly pink, rather than just being fawn.  

This is the cover of the cross stitch kit I'm working on at the moment for a friend who's just had a baby.  

This is my progress so far. Because it's quite little, it is growing quickly.  

This is a close up view. I love the kit because ribbon will go at the top, and I'll have to put sequins on the shoes! (That might be tricky....but this is a perfect gift for my friend who loves shoes).  

This is the Japanese lady cross stitch kit which I sewed several years ago for my mother. I've added the shoe picture just to give you some perspective of the size. Plus there's an extension lead next to it - I promise that is always switched off! 

Here's a close up view, as far as I can go without missing out most of the picture. It took me months to do this. I loved making progress as I worked with the sections.  

The backstitch took forever to do. However, it wasn't as frustrating as the metallic thread. I learned to loath metallic thread with this kit. A serious vendetta built up. It would break easily, it was hard to use. Grah! I try and avoid kits with it in. Over all, I love this kit, because it turned out quite good. Years on and I can't remember where the mistakes are, which is a good thing!  

Okay, these are two lots of yarn I have. This is the stash which is for fingerless gloves/socks for me. I love the yellow! I've got another skein, so I might see if I can knit a shawl with it.  


This pop-up cube is my stash of baby yarn. I have a wide variety. 

I would say the rest of my yarn stash, is definitely the same amount as the baby yarn stash above, possibly a little more. I've mostly got sock yarn, with a few others that are probably going to be for presents. 

That's it for this week's meme. I hope to show more often progress of my knitting & sewing (which means I might just stick up photos every week, even though I only planned to do this meme fortnightly.) 

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Tuesday 22 February 2011

The Fairytale Hairdresser: Or How Rapunzel Got Her Prince! by Abie Longstaff and Lauren Beard(Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E)


January 2011, Corgi
32 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Children's, picture book 

Classical fairytale characters with an interesting take, hairdressing, the wonders and weirdness of fairytales, cheery personality, saving new friends, happiness, laughter, fairytale romance 

Join Kitty Lacey, the fairytale hairdresser, as she tames the wildest of locks, deals with the most demanding and unusual of customers, ultimately foils the Witch’s evil plan and plays cupid to the newly coiffed Rapunzel. (A decent haircut really can work wonders!)

Nayuleska's thoughts
I think most of us are familiar with the popular fairytales involving Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, the Little Mermaid and many more. All of the mentioned have gorgeous hair. So it should be obvious that someone has to take care of those ladies. That someone is Kitty. 

Kitty herself is highly skilled, has an awesome hair colour scheme going on (pink & purple), has a cheery personality and isn't phased by her clients, even when she has unusual requests. I mention Red Riding Hood and the Little Mermaid because both of those get a mention with Kitty, who caters to their unique needs. 

Kitty is the heroine, for it is she who plays a vital role in Rapunzel's life. It could only be magic keeping Rapunzel alive and breathing in her nest of fuzzy, unkempt hair. Plus it was probably really hot and stuff too. It's a good thing that no job is too big for Kitty. Helping Rapunzel puts Kitty in danger, but it is Kitty herself who finds how to flee the wicked witch. Great things happen as a consequence of that escape, which lead to the stories we know so well being made. 

Picture books have two major focuses, the story (which is important to every single book) and the pictures. Pictures aren't in all books, so when they are present they need to make an impact on the reader. The impact on this book made me smile. I'd half-forgotten about this (I put books away when they arrive, so often I forget what they look like). I picked it up and thought 'Cute!' & 'Pink & sparkly!' Rapuzel's hair and the yellow border has glitter on it. It's so funky! There's glitter on the final page too, which is a stunning work by Kitty. I love the vibrant colours, how cool the fairytale characters look. It's a book that will make you smile, and make you feel warm on a cold, grey winter's day, or if you're feeling miserable it'll warm your heart. The pictures are ones which set off lots of ideas in the imagination. I looked at them and could quite easily get lost at imagining what all the fairytale girls do - Goldilocks is a locksmith, and as for Red Riding Hood, well you'll have to read to find out what her profession is. This is one awesome book that I'll definitely be re-reading!

Final conclusion 
This book belongs on the shelf of everyone who loves the following: pink, funky hairstyles, fairytale characters especially Rapunzel & Red Riding Hood and sparkles! 

Be sure to find out more about Abie's work on her website and Lauren on her website.

Recommended read: Princesses Are Not Perfect by Kate Lum and Sue Hellard (another fun occupation tale)
For older readers: Cinderella, From Fable Town with Love by Chris Robertson & Shawn McManus

Monday 21 February 2011

What are you reading? #55

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.

Books I've read this week

Imprisoned in Time by Laura Gay
Time Travel Romance
(A great historical read!  My review over at Enduring Romance...)




The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Young Adult, Fantasy
(Awesome tale full of magic, high drama & lots of edge of seat moments!  My review...)





Children's
(This one will set your mind thinking about many things.  Your chance to win a copy right HERE!)





The 10pm Question by Kate Di Goldi

Saturday 19 February 2011

The Iron King by Julia Kagawa


January 2011, Mira Ink 
384 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Young Adult, fantasy 

Fairies, evil creatures, love between siblings, mild teen romance, talking cat, consequences of heeding/ignoring good advice, humour, heaps of danger, suspense, a few tissues needed 

Summary from Mira Ink
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined… Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Nayuelska's thoughts
This is just an awesome book. I warmed to Meghan immediately, I love how she takes good care of her brother - even when he isn't quite himself. She just wants to do the right thing, which is hard to do when the world she thought she knew is revealed as being quite a different one. There are a lot of changes that she has to get her head around, and often the revelations come at times of great peril. I have a great deal of respect for how Meghan handles the news. She does make a few mistakes, which makes her all the more human. There is no doubt of her love for her family. Finding out her true lineage is also a shock. Her father isn't as easy to get along with as her mother. He has his own agenda with her, as does everyone she meets. I've never read Midsummer Night Dream so I don't know anything about Puck or Queen Mab, but that didn't matter. I understood their characters as Meghan met them. Queen Mab is a very slippery personality. As are quite a lot of those in the fairy realm, for most hide secrets from Meghan. Appearances are most definitely deceiving, especially with the prince she meets. 

I love this book for the imagination of the world Meghan finds herself in. I love how all the relationships develop, and have lots of layers to them. I love the intensity of the peril Meghan gets in, and how the stakes get really high and mean that she has to risk everything to save her brother. I enjoyed having my heart racing most of the time, unsure of what would happen next. The creatures that wish Meghan harm really scared me, and I'm glad there aren't any illustrations in the book, otherwise I'd be covering them up. The Iron King in particular is extremely frightening. I can all too easily imagine what he looks like. Meghan thinks she's just trying to save her brother, but she ends up becoming involved in a race to save the fairies. I'm delighted that there are 2 more books to come in the series (I think it's only 2...), because the way the Iron King ends has me on tenderhooks. I have a feeling that the second book would be very dramatic. 

Final conclusion
If you love adventures with fairies filled with danger, lots of plot twists and an entertaining heroine, go read The Iron King! Brilliant start to a new series. 

Check out more information about the Iron King on the Mira Ink website.

For information about Julie Kagawa, check out her author website.

Suggested reads
I, Coriander by Sally Gardner, Children's, Historical & Fantasy 
Black Swan by Lee Carroll, Young Adult, Dark Urban Fantasy

Edited to add: I've learnt the 2nd book comes out in Aprill, and the 3rd will come out in October!

Saturday Reviews #5

With a wonderful influx of books, I find that I have to pick which ones I review. I don't like doing that. I want to review more. With the definition and exploration of a review on this post, I present this week's Saturday reviews!



The Medusa Project:  Hunted by Sophie McKenzie
Release Date:  January 2011
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster UK
320 pages, Paperback
Review copy


Children's Fiction
Contents:  Thriller, special powers, friendship and crazy people.


-----------------------------


Summary from Simon & Schuster UK

Dylan, the daughter of the scientist who created the Medusa gene for psychic powers, has never felt she really fits into the crime-fighting Medusa Project. But then she makes a discovery about her father's death which changes everything. As she and the other Medusa teens search for the truth, Dylan meets Harry - a boy who seems to know more about Dylan's past than she does. But can Dylan trust him? While Dylan searches for the mysterious legacy that her father has left her from beyond the grave, her dad's killer closes in. But just how far is the murderer prepared to go to keep Dylan from finding out the truth?



------------------------------------


Nayuleska's Thoughts:
I have read other books by Sophie, but none in this series. I felt up to speed with the summaries. Dylan is so likable because she is moody and wants to isolate herself from the group, which is normal for a teen. Her attitude leads to mistakes, and a chilling revelation at the end has me staring at the empty space on my shelf where the next book will be.




Final Rating:
10/10


Friday 18 February 2011

Foreign Language Friday! Meme #2

Once again it is Friday, the sun has set, and it's time for my weekly meme about languages! (First one is here).

Today is a quick one because a) I'm sleepy since I saw my Japanese teacher after work instead of going straight home b) I have a craft deadline looming. I'm seeing my sister on Sunday, and I'm giving her a belated birthday present of a country companions cross-stitch mouse holding balloons. I've yet to sew the balloons, the half-stitch background, the butterfly, and the backstitch outline (more next week on my Thursday craft meme). So I need to get sewing!

Languages are an awesome opportunity to meet people. At school a lot of students go on language exchanges. I never did, but I did go on work experience to a book shop in Strasbourg (my entire class went there for 10 days when I was at sixth form). That was brilliant fun. I didn't make pen-friends with any French or Spanish students, but I enjoy reading the books.

As for Japanese, well I'm glad I have my tutor (lessons suspended due to my health and she's just had a baby). My lessons were always fun, I got on well with her and enjoyed our weekly/fortnightly (depending on circumstances) lessons. I've missed her since I had to stop my lessons, but today I went over to see her and her new baby boy. He's so adorable! I probably could write an entire post on the cuteness of babies. But the point I'm making is that firm friendships can be made with people who you meet while learning a language. Be they the teacher, other classmates, or just people that you bump in to. In my experience they are always friendly, like to hear how you are getting on with the language, and eager to explain cultural differences.

As well as baby talk, today I learnt that her son will have to make up his mind whether he will be Japanese or English citizen when he is 22 years old. How in Japan, people don't really buy houses. A second hand house is rare. Japanese (at least where my teacher is) buy land (which is expensive like our houses are expensive), then build a house of their own design on. She says it isn't exciting looking for a house to move into. She has to accept someone else's design, their layout. It's very different to what she's used to (she's been here for years but been in the same place).  Japanese babies generally have short arms (this is so true! He was swamped in the cardigan I'd knitted), and whereas in England a lot of women prefer not to know the gender of the baby until birth, in Japan it is considered odd if you do that. It is these nuggets of information that you can't learn from a textbook. It's a feel for the culture that has to be experienced rather than taught.

I'd love to hear if any of you have formed friends with people you've met through learning a language, or just by living near/working with someone who isn't native to your country (or whose origin isn't native, since I know a lot of people born here but of a different culture).

Date Publisher Pages Format Review copy / Personal copy / Library copy Genre Content: Violence? Romance? Swearing? Mystery, suspence, etc?(if so, please put without mild, moderate or a lot/graphic, and frequency in the book) example: moderate violence occasionally Summary from [publisher] [my] thoughts: Final conclusion: [links to author site/book site] If you like this, you might like [put which book you would recommend]

Thursday 17 February 2011

Imprisoned in Time by Laura Gay, translated by Federica Pibiri


Check out the time travel romance, Imprisoned in Time over on Enduring Romance. A must read if you like modern heroines entering the past, who get themselves into more than a little bit of trouble. A few strong swear words, some infrequent intense adult situations 

The Necromancer by Michael Scott



5th August 2010
Paperback
416 pages
Review Copy

Children's Fantasy

Content: Fantasy violence, Tension
Summary from Random House
 
Sophie and Josh have returned to San Francisco. They must protect themselves from the Dark Elders, but they've not yet mastered the magic they'll need to do so. Their trust in Nicholas Flamel is shaken, and their friend Scatty is missing. Unbeknownst to the twins, John Dee has amassed an enormous army of foul creatures, with which he plans to battle Nicholas and his wife, Peronelle. In order for his plan to work, he must train a necromancer to raise the Mother of the Gods from the dead. The twins of legend will make the perfect pupils in his diabolical scheme.

 The Mole's thoughts

The 4th book in the series and we see a welcome change in direction. In book 1 - The Alchemist - we meet the main characters including Josh and Sophie Newman and start to understand what they are to face and who they are to face and they finish the book running, almost powerless, from their enemy. Book 2 - The Magician - sees their powers increased but they still are running from their enemies. Book 3 - The Sorceress - and we saw the exact same formula. Frankly it started to get a bit tiresome and I am sure the series was starting to lose some readers. We now come to The Necromancer and at last the style has changed and we start to take an offensive instead of just being chased. While this book does bring a welcome change of direction, I finished it feeling that not enough had happened and that the plot is being drawn out to fill a certain number of books. This is very much a shame as The Alchemist set us up for what promised to be a very exciting adventure. 

While this series of books started by putting the HP books in the shade, I am afraid they have started to leave me cold. If you have read so far then read on though as this book is far better than book 3.

If you are into fantasy then I would recommend "The Star of Sakova" by Richard S Tuttle.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

What Am I Watching? Meme #1

Welcome to my new Wednesday meme! Every two weeks I'll be chatting about movies and programmes that I've watched recently. I'd love to hear your views on the programmes and movies if you've seen them too.

Right, here's what I've been watching! 

Primeval

Primeval was on ITV1 recently. I'd started watching it mid-way through the previous series. It's about a team who deal with strange portals that lead to a by-gone era (usually in a variety of dinosaur eras). There's a new story each week, and most of the dinosaurs that come through into the modern world are harmful. Some breed very quickly, others cause great devastation. I like the show because there is a lot of action, it's quite entertaining, and there's a really cute dinosaur who belongs to one the group. Unfortunately I'm not sure if there will be any more. I checked the TV guide on Saturday to see what time it was...and I saw that there were only 4 episodes for that series. So no Primeval on Saturday. I was pretty annoyed, because I was all ready to settle down and watch it. Instead I went and relaxed :) 

Promise

This is a four-part drama series on Channel 4. It's just under 2 hours long per episode. Initially I thought it was a bit slow - it involves a girl in England who follows her friend to a war torn country (Palestine...possibly Gaza too - I'm sorry my geographic knowledge is really poor, and although Gaza is on the news a lot I'm not entirely sure where it is). Initially the girl seems a bit of an airhead, as though she doesn't care for much. But, the plight of the people hits home. She doesn't understand why her friend's brother just lets a guy they helped through the checkpoint go back. There's something going on with her friend's brother, but I'm not quite sure what yet. What is really good is how the not-an-airhead girl borrowed without permission her grandfather's diary from when he was a soldier just after the second world war. There are glimpses into his life, what he did as a soldier, which I think gives a portrayal of what soldiers are doing for us now. Time marches on, but the principles of warfare & aiding people are the same. Although it was a bit slow paced, I quite enjoyed it, especially with the dramatic ending! Things go boom :) 

Outcasts

This is currently on BBC1 at the moment. There have been 4 episodes. I watched the first one and felt that the BBC have really outdone themselves. Normally I prefer shows from America (most of the series I watch are American (or Japanese)), but all the right elements were there: high stakes, explosions, oodles of danger, decent technology/weapons, dystopian society. I missed the 2nd episode without realising, which might be why I don't think much of the third episode. I will catch up with the 2nd before I watch the 4th one. I think by then I'll know whether I'll fall in love with it again. The way it was on the 3rd episode, I honestly wouldn't mind if I never found out what happened next. 

Mai Hime 

I've had this anime series for several years. It does have a teen rating for content (a reasonable amount of innuendo, a few adult romance situations not always between the traditional guy/girl couple), and at these points I tend to focus on my knitting/sewing until I know the scene has moved on (it's not as easy to fast forward on my little multi-region dvd player. Anyway, I probably should have mentioned that last because this is an awesome anime. I adore it! There are these girls at a boarding school (it is a mixed school), who have the ability to summon an awesome creature called a 'Child'. There are 12 of the girls, called Hime, and they have a dark destiny awaiting them. For there are evil 'Child's to fight. Additionally, there are many in the school who have secret motives involving the girls - not all are friendly. The characters are really funny, each with different attributes. One, Mikoto is very childlike and innocent, but Mai likes her (after a while - she rescued Mikoto out at sea). Mai, the main character, has a lot of issues. She and her younger brother are on a scholarship, and Mai has to work all the time to help pay for Takumi's heart medication/procedures. The girls try and keep their abilities hidden, but as time progresses subtle isn't an option. 

The different fighting techniques and weapons that each girl employs depending on what creature their 'Child' is makes my eyes light up. The soundtrack is incredible, usually very upbeat and inspiring. I love this so much I could watch it over and over - I loved it enough to watch the director's cut of the final episode straight after I'd watched the last episode this afternoon. There wasn't really anything different apart from the end. Although the end was brilliant on the DVD version, I'd always wanted to know how the  girls got on with their lives. The director's cut shows exactly that! It extends the end song (well, plays the full song with lots of verses), showing the girls doing new things. There's so much to this series. It explores all the different friendships we can have, both the highs and the lows of knowing people. It deals with some normal school issues which anyone can relate to, and also deals with some pretty intense issues. There's a lot of tragedy - so please have tissues at the ready. The first time I watched it my eyes were streaming because I cared so much about the characters that when things happen it really got to me. Each Hime (princess) risks losing the person they love the most, if their 'Child' gets killed. 

Since I've finished that I decided to start on....

...Negima (Season 1)

Negima also has a teen rating (I think) because like Mai Hime, there is a fair amount of innuendo. Once again it is based at a boarding school - this time an all girls school. Negi is 10 years old, a wizard and a teacher. Only he has to keep it a secret that he can use magic. Atsuna quickly susses out his secret - Negi tries to erase her mind but it backfires. It later turns out that there's a reason why Atsuna is immune to Negi's magic - she ends up being able to help him. Atsuna's classmates adore Negi because he's so young. They do play tricks on him, but they learn a lot from him too. He teaches them more than just lesson, he helps them develop their personalities. Although there are a lot of girls in the class, you soon get to know each one well. The girls are all in after school clubs: library committee, walking committee, cooking club, Chinese martial arts, gymnastics, magic tricks (not real magic) etc. These skills are useful when the girls are faced with various challenges. Negi does his best to hide his magic, but he has to use it to avert disaster. Unfortunately there is always a consequence to this, but with Atsuna by his side it works out in the end. Out of the episodes I've seen so far (on this time of watching. I've seen it at least twice before), Negi is finally lodging in Atsuna's room (it's not as dodgy as it sounds!), Atsuna is still day dreaming over her old homeroom teacher, and she's learning what Negi can do. Currently he is helping her out with her newspaper delivery job in the mornings - it is so early no one will see her riding on Negi's magical staff (which is used like a broomstick, only without all those twigs). 

Masterchef

Well, I haven't started this one yet - it's on in 50 minutes (BBC1). It's always fun to watch, although I feel bad when the contestants muck up or get really nervous. It's interesting to learn about different food combinations, because it can give me ideas of what to cook, and also just to learn more about the food industry as a whole. 

The following I haven't watched this week, but I'm about to start the fourth and final series...

...The Unit!!

I bought this in December when it was on special offer. I'd never seen it before. I watched a brief clip on it, and knew I'd like it. So I ordered the boxset of seasons 1-4. It's awesome! It's all about army life in a special forces unit in America. It's about the men who go on operations, how they have to remain undercover for every aspect of their lives (their cover is that they are in the logistical corps). What interests me more is that half the show is about their wives, how they live, how they deal with not knowing where their husbands are. Again this has at least a teen rating because there are some adult situations. It deals with a lot of issues that those in the military face. I think it also gives a good idea on what life is like for a military family - I know a few whose husbands are in the forces, and in the Unit I'm seeing what they've explained to me. The weaponry and tactics are spectacular! There is a lot of fighting (obviously), lots of drama, tissues are definitely needed. There are good times too :) I think I've been putting off watching the fourth season because there are no more after it, and I think two of the seasons were only 12-13 episodes long (so really it's 3 full length seasons). I'll definitely be rewatching this a lot! I primarily got it as research for some of my novels, where I need to know about fighting/tactics/military life/working in a special force unit. I prefer it to the English equivalent 'Ultimate Force' because there is far less swearing, less adult content too which I find in some ways is more common in American dramas than in English ones. 

I think that's everything that I've watched recently. The next What Am I Watching? Meme will be on 2nd March - I look forward to sharing more of the programmes I watch with you! 

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Tuesday's Review rescheduled

I was due to start something on Tuesdays after work, but yesterday my friend said she wasn't around today. So I didn't write the review yesterday, because I thought I'd do it today.

Well, at work my friend (who is also my colleague) said she was free. So I'm home but I need to rest up, so this review will be slotted in somewhen else in the week. Or I might just skip it! Yes. I'll be good and skip it. Takes the pressure off me :)

Enjoy whatever you're reading, and be sure to check back tomorrow for my first What Are You Watching? Meme!

EVENT CLOSED Win a copy of The 10pm Question by Kate Di Goldi INTERNATIONAL, ends midnight 2nd March


Summary of The 10pm Question by Templar (Children's)

Twelve-year-old Frankie Parsons has a head full of questions. Only Ma takes him seriously, but unfortunately she is the cause of the most worrying question of all, the one Frankie can never bring himself to ask. Then a new girl arrives at school with questions of her own: questions that make Frankie’s carefully controlled world begin to unravel.



The lovely people at Templar, in conjunction with a blog tour (I'm scheduled for 3rd March with a guest post from Kate) have given me an extra copy of The 10pm Question for a competition!

Details of the tour (taken from Templar)

The 10pm Question UK Blog Tour
28th February - 5th March 2011
Exclusive extracts, giveaways, interviews and guest posts!
28th FebChicklishvisit the blog
1st MarThe Book Mogulvisit the blog
2nd MarThe Bookettevisit the blog
3rd MarNayu's Reading Cornervisit the blog
4th MarOnce Upon A Bookcasevisit the blog
5th MarI Want To Read Thatvisit the blog


The Prize: One person selected at random (via a random number generator) will receive a copy of The 10pm Question.

The details: The competition is open to everyone, including international entrants. One entry per person. Please remember to check my competition guidelines.

All you've got to do is fill in this form,  and you're done! You don't have to be a follower to enter, although obviously that would be nice :)

The deadline: You've got two weeks to enter, with the competition closing midnight GMT 2nd March.

Please check out more information about the book, including an extract, here.

There is also a new Templar blog which explains about the tour here.

Additionally there are two Facebook pages, here and here (I'm not on facebook, so I'm not sure how it all works).

Monday 14 February 2011

What Are You Reading? #55

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books (I skip that one now because it kept changing so fas). Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.

Books I've read this week 


Lies by Michael Grant 
Young Adult, with a content warning for violence
(This was on my friend Cem's blog who I review for twice a month. This wasn't as scary as the others, but still good.) 


The Other Countess by Eve Edwards
Young Adult, Historical
(Lots of lovely costumes! And great drama). 


The Queen's Lady by Eve Edwards
Young Adult, Historical
(Historicals rule! This stays with the Lacey family, but explores other characters) 


Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Young Adult, 12+ 
(lonely male teen vampire in a high school who doesn't know all his family's secrets)


Imprisoned in Time by Laura Gay 
(translated from Italian, time travel novel so sort of a historical romance. Lots of thrills, adventure, and gripping moments (to be reviewed on Thursday 17th Feb))

Sunday 13 February 2011

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer


January 2011, Razorbill 
192 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Young Adult 

Vampires, high school, hidden identity, friendship, orphan, family secrets, occasional mild teen romance, infrequent violence, bit of intrigue. 

Summary from Penguin

Vladimir Tod has a secret. His mother was human, but his father was a vampire...
With no idea of the extent of his prowess and no one to teach him, thirteen-year-old Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and enlarged fangs. And when a strange substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown.
But then he realises he has a much bigger problem. He's being hunted by a vampire killer who is closing in . . . fast!


Nayuleska's thoughts
From the blurb alone, this book sounded pretty fab. There were a few cool parts when I started it. However, for a good part of the novel it rated just 'okay'. It wasn't so bad that I'd put it down, because I wanted to find out why it was so popular. For me the pacing was a little all over the place - there would be chapters with the killer which had me going 'eeep'. But then when it switched to Vlad, the story wasn't very dynamic. It was great to learn about how he fit in at school, how close he was with his friend who knows he's a vampire and the lengths his aunt goes through to keep up his appearance of being a normal boy. 

Closer to the end the pace picks up a little, so there is action and drama in most of the chapters. There are some pretty neat revelations for and about Vlad. I'd have liked a little more hints for these earlier on, and possibly a bit more detail - sometimes it felt that it was quite abrupt and choppy (possibly not the best expression for a book...but it chopped and changed). 

Please don't think that I disliked the book. For me it was a light read. I am now very eager to read the second because of what happens at the end. I see why it is so popular. I think I wish the drama near the end could have been sustained throughout the book. However, there are major creep factors with both the killer, and also Vlad's new substitute teacher, who is rather shifty and not someone you'd want to meet after dark. It was really neat how Vlad had blood capsules hidden in his school food, just so that he wouldn't starve throughout the day. He works hard on keeping his identity hidden. His friend Henry will stick by him even if he does get outed. 

Final Conclusion 
A light read if you enjoy vampires in high school with a little bit of adventure and a whole load of intrigue. 

Be sure to check out more books in the series, and further information on Heather's website

Saturday 12 February 2011

The Other Countess & The Queen's Lady by Eve Edwards



July 2010, Razorbill
352 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Young Adult, Historical

Elizabethan England, life at the royal court, politics and nobility, friendships, courtships of various kinds, intrigue, adventure, a few tissues needed, plenty edge of seat moments, gorgeous costumes, a few references of innuendo,

Summary from Penguin

England, 1582
ELLIE - Lady Eleanor Rodriguez of San Jaime - is in possession of a gold-seeking father, a worthless title and a feisty spirit that captivates the elite of the Queen's court, and none other than the handsome new Earl of Dorset . . .
WILLIAM LACEY has inherited his father's title and his financial ruin. Now the Earl must seek a wealthy heiress and restore his family's fortune.
But Will's head has been turned by the gorgeous Ellie, yet their union can never be. Will is destined to marry a worthy Lady so the only question is - which one . . . ?


Nayuleska's thoughts
I love historicals, and this cover lured me in. Now initially I was a little disappointed. I wasn't as gripped as I can be with historicals. I wasn't involve with the characters, they were okay but not exactly anyone I really liked. It was an enjoyable read so I read on past the first few chapters. Very quickly I reversed my opinion of the book.

Initially the characters make mistakes and act inappropriately, but under the surface they do have hearts, and I warmed to them. All of them go through so much - some of it their own fault, some of it not. Ellie was the first one I liked the most. She's full of enthusiasm. She clearly wishes her father was different, and is resigned to her fate. However, she isn't a doormat. She is highly intelligent, fends off those who have dishonourable intentions towards her. She likes to do the right thing, which actually lands her in deep trouble.

I didn't warm to Will much for quite a while, mostly because he wasn't serious about Ellie. But as time flew by, and I learned more of his character, I was cheering him on.. As for Jane...well...she's quite a madam and quite frankly I thought she deserved everything that happened to her in the beginning of the story.. But, as is often the way with books, by the end I was rooting for all of them. There were lots of tense moments which had me thinking 'will this end happily?'. The situations Ellie finds herself in seem irreversible, and the get out clauses in the plot are nice and twisty.


I adore the front cover - it clearly shows the type of costumes within the book. There are plenty of dress descriptions to keep me happy. It was interesting to learn more about Queen Elizabeth, it clearly shows the amount of research Eve did for this series.

As you may have noticed from the title of this post it is a review of two books.



3rd February, Razorbill
352 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Young Adult, Historical

Elizabethan England, life at the royal court, power and money hungry nobles, families who don't care for their children, forced marriages, blackmail, sea voyage, a small amount of racial prejudice, firm friendship,  courtships of various kinds, intrigue, adventure, a few tissues needed, plenty edge of seat moments, gorgeous costumes, a few references of innuendo,

Summary from Penguin

1584 - Surrey, England
When Lady Jane Rievaulx begins service to the Queen at Richmond Palace, she is thrilled at the court's newest arrival . . . Master James Lacey.
Despite her previous courtship with his older brother, James is the man she truly loves. And for his part, he cannot deny his fascination with her. However, James is setting sail on a treacherous journey to the Americas, seeking absolution for what he sees as past sins.
But when Lady Jane is forced into a terrible situation by her own family, there is only one man to save her. Will Master James return to his lady ­- before it's too late


Nayuleska's thoughts
I started this one the moment I finish The Other Countess. It is a sequel to the previous book, and a brilliant one. I'd never have thought I'd love Jane, who takes the spotlight here. In spite of all that she did in part of The Other Countess, I really felt for her here. Her stepsons are ruthless, and as for her family - well they don't care one iota about her happiness. They only care about their own station and how much money is in their wallets. They stop at nothing to get her married to someone who will better their status - it is almost as bad as those wish her great harm.

This was as fun as the first book, more so because I already know the characters. It's so interesting seeing all their views of events. James acted like quite a moron during the book, but then he was struggling to deal with terrible sights of death that he'd encountered while on a job. I was frustrated because it was so clear what he should have done, and how he failed. His melancholy was well betrayed, and very realistic in how he reacted to life and the dim view he took of himself. In contrast there was Jane. She's turned out to be a very nice person. She has so much to deal with from her family - even though technically she was free of their reign thanks to her marriage, they possess quite a hold over her. Unlike them, she doesn't always like to use her connections with Ellie or the Queen, but situations arise which force her to do so. It was nice to see where her previous maid ended up.

Milly was another favourite of mine, for many reasons. She's worked hard for her business as a seamstress. She's funny in her mannerisms, and takes great measures to try and aid her best friend Jane. Will and Ellie make several appearances too, and two new members of the Lacey family feature in it, one of whom is quite unexpected.

What I love best about these books is the forms of loyalty and friendship that are forged between the Lacey's and their friends. They aren't perfect, and their mistakes make them seem very easy to relate to. It's fun to watch some of the customs of the time, and how connections could be used to affect a person's future. It's true that I always thought nobles could do whatever they like, but as one character comments being rich can be quite troubling. Additionally I really like how well I get to know the Lacey family. They feel so familiar now, and I'm already excited about the third book, The Rogue's Princess. I'm not sure when it's out, but I hope to read it!

Final conclusion for both books
This is an awesome new historical series, one that I'll reread and treasure. I'll be keeping a close eye on Eve's future work. It's fun if you like period books with likeable heroines who aren't perfect, but become very charming by the end of the book.

Suggested read: if you would like something similar, try The Prisoner of the Inquisition by Theresa Breslin.

Another suggested read: Alyxandra Harvey's The Drake Chronicles which starts with My Love Lies Bleeding. This is a completely different genre - contemporary Young Adult (with vampires) but it's a series which focuses strongly on family connections, letting the reader get to know the family since each book focuses on a different family member (with encounters with the other characters)