Monday 30 April 2012

What are you reading? #113

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.


Not a lot of reading has happened this weekend because life has been chaotic, I've been battling germ gremlins which hijack my ability to read. Still working on a petition to get them to stay away....
  
Books I've read this week




The Secrets of Ordinary Farm by Tad Williams and Deborah Beale
Children's, 9 years +
(Some VERY cool & cruel concepts here, as well as scary ones!)
8/10









Number Rhymes Tens and Teens by Opal Dunn & Hannah Shaw
Children's Picturebook, Non-fiction
(Getting to grips with numbers is made fun with catchy rhymes and hilarious illustrations....my review...)









Polly Price's Totally Secret Diary: On Stage in America by Dee Shulman
Children's, 9 years +
(The true to form diary style added to the hilarity...)
10/10



 
 
 
 
 
 

The Look by Sophia Bennett
Young adult
(Ted and Ava's journeys examine the essence of life in a materialistic world of fashion, with cancer changing the sisters forever...)
10/10
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Books I'm Re-reading
 
 
 

Drina Dances in Italy by Jean Estoril
Children's, 9 years +
(I'm in part two where Drina goes to meet her Italian family - little does she know that she'll get to dance with the Dominique too!!!)
10/10







The Demon Trappers #1: Forsaken by Jana Oliver
 Young Adult
(Reading it the second time through is a real treat - I'm even more upset for Riley with all that happens as she fights demons, but I feel more connected through her hot chocolate love!!)
10/10



 
 
 
 

Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin
Urban Fantasy
(It turns out I haven't reviewed this one (I've reviewed book #2!), so I will review it but it is a reread. Got to love the danger Raine gets in!) 
9/10
 
 
 
 

Number Rhymes Tens and Teens by Opal Dunn & Hannah Shaw (Children's, Picture book, Non-fiction)



October 2011, Frances Lincoln
32 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: counting, rhymes, maths, animal antics, memory, lots of humour
 
Summary from Frances Lincoln
This entertaining collection of rhymes explores counting backwards, counting in twos, and counting numbers beyond 10. From 'Five Little Monkeys' and 'Ten in a Bed' to 'One, two, buckle my shoe' and 'One hundred bees round a hive', these rhymes provide a rich range of enjoyable opportunities to familiarise children with ways of manipulating numbers.

An introduction, 'Cracking the Code', discusses ways of learning to count and use numbers beyond 10 - tens and teens - thus providing a useful help for adults.


Collected by a highly reputable early years educationalist with the clear aim of developing early number skills, these rhymes are vividly illustrated by an exciting new talent in children's picture books. This is a book that no foundation stage class should be with out.

 
Nayuleska's thoughts
The illustrations are equally, if not more important by the easy to chant rhymes. It joins the pile of books from when I was at school which I wanted (and did) reread because they made me laugh and fired up my imagination. Seeing the monkeys throughout the book made me think of the rhymes they were in; the sight of a cat on an upended broom was funny; the expressions of the sausages in the pan which were cooking cracked me up. 

My imagination got going with the bees - I imagined shopping malls within the funky coloured hives; the frogs in the retelling of one two, buckle my shoe made me think instantly of the frog toys & merchandise in the anime Read or Die The TV Series (yes that is the full title, a bit weird but an awesome read). This cheerful and memorable book gets 10/10 from me.


Suggested read
For more counting fun check out Three Little Mermaids by Mana Van Fleet 

Sunday 29 April 2012

Nayu's News #16


I would love to be snuggled up in this bed (from here) at the moment.


Been feeling tired this weekend quite a bit, so spent a lot of it watching anime. Which has been great fun. I've managed to read two children's books, and tonight I'm returning to more anime.

Princesse Sarah, the French cartoon version of the book The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, is still really cool.
 (Sarah in a winter outfit) 
Sarah is extremely spoilt, but her ignorance of how things work is more because people haven't told her what happens at the seminary. If anything, Lavinia has the attitude problem I'd have expected Sarah to have. I've watched 3 episodes, and have met all the girls at the school. For now Sarah's father is alive.

Alice Academy is a bit mature, a bit strange but it's starting to make more sense.
 There's an awful lot going on in the plot, and I suspect it's going to get a lot more complicated before it straightens out. It also is still really cool, so I'm  happy with these two purchases.

As for Shugo Chara....
 (most of the cast)
.
...it's amazing!!! I mean seriously amazing. I've seen Ami transform into her three charas. In the short time she's had them she's more confident of her abilities - especially when she sees what a lack of confidence can do to those children whose hidden charas turn into evil punishment eggs. Anime is and always will be more than just a cartoon. All human emotions and situations are explored, which when combined with super cute graphics makes it easier to understand, and a joy to watch.
(Amu with her three charas, Ran (the pink one) who is sporty, Miki (the blue one) who is artistic, and Su (the green one) who is a cooking genius)  

I'm due a busy week at work, judging from the tasks I had on my desk when I left on Friday, so other than posting links on Twitter, there will be no blog post until Wednesday at the earliest. I'm still working on my character duel blog post, but hope to launch that soon.


Hope you all managed to do something fun this weekend. To those who are battling germ gremlings, give them a whack on the head from me.

(or blast them with Bloom from Winx Club's power) 

Ah! Speaking of Bloom reminds me I started watching Season 1 of Winx tonight (again. Not sure how many times I've seen it now. A lot). All the series are quite different - I love the first one because it is more school focused, there's lots of different songs for the transformations, depending on who the Winx are fighting. 
(Bloom and Stella meet for the first time) 

Have a great evening!

(Holo from Wolf and Spice (or Spice and Wolf - I think I'm getting muddled. Ah - the title below says it all. Spice and Wolf. I'll try to remember that))

Fever by Lauren Destefano (Young Adult)

 (Pretty cover) 

February 2012, Harper Voyager
342 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: escape, dystopian, strange disease, fugitives, hunted by evil people, disappointment, small kindnesses, family secrets, female slaves in places of a dubious nature, moderate teeb romance & adult situations, a little violence, a tissue is needed.

Summary from Harper Collins

 For 17-year-old Rhine Ellery, a daring escape from a suffocating polygamous marriage is only the beginning…

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago – surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous – and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion…by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price – now that she has more to lose than ever.

Nayuleska's thoughts

I liked the premise of this - girl on the run with a friend, picking up an innocent who needs saving. It didn't have instant zing, but it was enjoyable.

However, I then got annoyed with Rhine. I honestly thought she shouldnt have run away. What happens to her is horrible, so much so I nearly stopped reading. I realise I haven't read the first book, and that when I'm tired I don't fully grasp plots all that well, but there wasn't enough menace in the antagonist. I was scared for Rhine, but she didn't have a fighting spirit, she didn't seem desperate enough to get out, there was absolutely not a peep from her friends which felt rather odd - often in stories they make at least one busting out attempt.

Still, because I enjoyed a fair amount of it I give it 6/10.

You can find out more on Lauren's website 

Suggested read
For one of my favourite heroines check out Maria V Snyder's books, including Poison Study

Saturday 28 April 2012

Mice by Gordon Reece (Young Adult)



February 2012, Macmillan
330 pages, Paperback
Review copies

Themes: bullying, domestic violence, abuse, mean girls, home tutoring, crime, fear of discovery, black humour, some strong violence

Summary from My Kinda Book website

  
Sixteen year old Shelley and her mother move to Honeysuckle cottage in the middle of the countryside, fleeing their fears and anxieties and hoping to put behind them years of suffering at the hands of others. 

Shelley has endured terrible bullying from the girls who used to be her best friends, and her mother has been left reeling following a divorce from her selfish, demanding husband. For Shelley and her mother are ‘mice’ – timid, nervous and obliging. And for a while, in their cottage-haven, the women flourish.

But one night, their fragile peace is shattered when Shelley wakes to hear a creak on the stairs. Someone has broken into the house . . .

In the shocking, chilling events that follow, Shelley’s world is turned on its head, as the women find themselves tested as never before. And as their lives spiral out of control, the tension reaches fever pitch, and Shelley begins to wonder: if she and her mother are not mice after all, then what are they?

Nayuleska's thoughts
The book started as I expected, and I felt so sorry for Shelley. Sadly I know that kind of bullying happens these days. What happens afterwards blew my mind away. The various emotions and consequences of what happened were well written. I'd hoped for quite a different ending, which is why this is an 8/10 read.

You can find out more on Gordon's website.

Suggested read


For another tale ofbullying that gives pause for thought is Wonder by R J Palacio

Friday 27 April 2012

Nayu's News #15

 (Alice and Aika from the anime Aria are spying on Akari (not in this picture) 

Ok, I'm well aware that I've decided not to do this on week days, butt there might not be one tomorrow (as I'll probably just be scheduling up reviews) I feel like Alice and Aika because I've snuck on my blog on a day where I shouldn't be here. See, I'm a rebel!

 
(This is what Aika wears one time when she's ill: she feels better so she goes out for an ice cream, but then she gets upset when she sees Alice and Akari together. She feels that they don't care about her, when the opposite was true (they got her a treat) She headed home, dropping her ice cream in the process. What a waste!)

I'm so glad to have reached the weekend without needing to go off sick. I'm definitely fighting something off, which means I've barely read anything. *wails* I miss reading! Don't have the energy though, so it's stupid to even try to read. 

 (I'll be resting up, just not in my bed)

Just as I got in the house after work, I decided to have an anime weekend. My thinking was that when I'm off sick from work, I just watch DVDs so I can rest. I've been shattered each day this week (work kindly decided to be quite busy, just when I wanted a quiet week), so could do with some serious R&R. Apart from blog scheduling, which won't be as many as normal because last weekend I put up enough reviews to take me through to Tuesday last Saturday, I'm going to be relaxing with anime. The best news? The bit which has me going squee and mentally dancing around the room?

ALL MY DVDS ARRIVED!


(Kirino from the anime Bamboo Blade - when she's really happy she gets stars in her eyes. That's what I was like when I saw the parcels)

I got home and saw a pile of parcels on the worktop. I settled down opening them after I'd got in, and beamed as I opened this one first.
(Shugo Chara is MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!)

And the Amazon package, not due until Monday, presented me with this one 
(Alice Academy (anime, Japanese))
and this one
 (French version of A Little Princess,  called Princesse Sarah)

There is no way I'll be watching the 3 seasons of Shugo Chara, or the 8 discs for Princesse Sarah, or the one season of Alice Academy in one go. But I'm going to have fun diving into them all. Especially Shugo Chara. 

(What I'll be doing this weekend)

I will also deal with emails that I've been ignoring this week (only because I knew I'd deal with them at the weekend - some of the content is very good for me! (mostly books)) Those include one type of email which I love to receive: the person requesting that review their book addressed me by name (my online name), and it felt like they'd read my website. Sometimes I get form requests which don't use my name and that annoys me. I don't automatically say no to those types, it depends on what the book offers. But the simple addition of the reviewer's name makes the reviewer feel more loved and respected. (I wish I could put flashing lights in this paragraph, because I can't stress how happy I get when people use my name). 

Anyway, hope you have a fun week and are staying away from germ gremlins. I'll leave you with a picture of my Twitter Avatar, Holo from Wolf and Spice anime. 


Drina Dances in Exile by Jean Estoril (Children's, 9 years +)




Summer 1989, Scholastic 
192 pages, Paperback
Personal copy

Themes: seeing life in black & white, total commitment to a passion, dealing with jealousy, learning how to deal with unpleasant situations, ballet school, trying too hard, unexpected pleasant surprises, separation and all it entails, friendship, sense of belonging, trials of snow, some humour, tissues needed

Summary from Goodreads

When her grandparents go to Australia for the year, Drina is at first horrified to be sent to the Dominick's residential campus. She feels as though she is in exile at Chalk Green, so far from London. However, she slowly begins to enjoy it more and make friends, and things definitely improve when Rose joins her out in the country, given a scholarship in the hopes that the fresh air will help improve her health.

Nayuleska's thoughts

Only when I read this book did I realise where I'd read about a ballet school in the country. Drina is very passionate about ballet, and blames herself for not dancing well when in reality she's struggling to cope with various emotional turmoil. She's not herself and it takes a combination of people and different approaches to help her overcome the depths of sadness. I admire her strength and determination to persevere in this 10/10 read. Jenny features a little, as does Rose, who both plan a surprise for Drina.

Suggested read

Be sure to have read previous books including book 2, Drina's Dancing Year.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Talina in the Tower by Michelle Lovric (Children's, 9 years +)


February 2012, Orion
314 pages, Hardback
Review copy

Themes: alternate history, Venice, wolf like creatures, animals are like humans, people vanishing, a lot of cats with attitude, magic, anger, revenge, destruction, despair, value of friendship, awesome grannies, many sweet things, lost parenta, a little violence and major peril, lots of humour, tissues needed

Summary from Orion

Savage hyena-like creatures threaten Venice - the Ravageurs are on the prowl and seizing men, women and children. On the night of 30 June 1846 Talina's parents disappear and she and her cat, Drusilla, are forced to go and live with her Guardian and his three savage dogs in his lonely tower in the northernmost edge of the city. Here she discovers that she has the ability to change herself into a cat, but changing herself back into a girl isn't quite so easy. As a cat she learns about the Ravageurs and how over the centuries they have become semi magical creatures, visible only to children in the human world, and that they are intent on destroying Venice. She is determined to save the city - it's time for desperate measures - and her adventures are about to begin.

Nayuleska's thoughts
It is unquestionably how Talina looks on the cover - I wanted to know why she was part cat. It's hilarious - and sometimes inconvenient- when Talina turns into whatever she is nearest to when she's angry. At first she is angry all the time, but gradually she gains maturity and is able to remain calm when life is really tough. The style of language and the way magic works for her makes this a 10/10 delightful read.

You can find out more on Michelle's website.

Suggested read

For more adventures in Venice for older readers check out Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould 

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Nayu's News #14

(random picture of a girl staring at the moon. I try to use this for my 'thinking' posts) 

Blog schedule announcement
This week I've been doing a little bit of thinking. I'm now not going to do personal blog posts on days I work. It's to save energy for writing! And have extra rest time, which I seem to need more of at the moment. Resting most of today has made me feel a bit better, so I've really got to try and do more of it. *groans* Even with a firend's suggestion of calling it *chilling out* I'm still struggling a bit to do enough of it.
(Unless I feel really rough, I don't rest in bed. I stay in my comfy chair, with my home made crochet blanket (I must take a photo soon and show you it)), my portable DVD player, some Winx and anime DVDs.
 
I guess I try to shorten my rest times because I want to read all the lovely books on my shelves. Resting for me no reading, as that uses concentration more than watching DVDs. I hate reading less, but if I don't listen to my body I'll be in Big Trouble. So yeah, I look like my Twitter Avatar Holo when I have to rest sometimes 
 (At last I can use the picture of her! Hadn't found an appropriate topic before.)

New blog feature
I'm currently devising a new meme, Character Duel. I'll take a character from a book I've read recently, and pair them up with the character who I think they are most like. I'll say why I think they'll get on, and possibly why they may annoy each other. 
 (The girls from the anime Bamboo Blade: which book characters will I put together in the forthcoming new meme?) 

The second past of the meme post will be matching the character with an anime/game character (that part is mostly for my pleasure. I'm guessing not all that many of you watch anime/play games (please tell me if I'm wrong! I'd love to be wrong)) so I'm trying not to swamp you with my anime addication. Sometimes I just can't help myself!

(Can you resist President Aria (the cat) in Akari's arms, an Undine apprentice (female gondolier in the anime Aria the Origination)? Look at how cute he is. The President of the Orange Company, President Maa can't resist him.....
(...launching herself at President Aria's podgy tummy is Maa's favourite past time.)

Back on track...
Anyway, back to this blog post! I've yet to decide which day to allot the new meme, but I suspect it'll be at the weekend, just so I can give a mid week update on life as well as a weekend update. As usual there'll be reviews every day, sometimes more than one depending on how much I read. 

(Random anime girl not sure where from but I love her blue hair) 

I know I've said it recently, but I'd like to thank you all for your support. I'm thrilled to share my love of books and anime with you - and other stuff too. 

DVD arrival update: 

Still no sign of Shugo Chara. It is shipping from abroad, so I'm not worried yet.
 (I think this is the picture of Ami (the girl in Shugo Chara) which made me keep looking for the anime)

Thanks to selling an anime I no longer like, I'm getting two new ones! 
 Alice Academy looks lots of fun (it's Japanese anime) 

Now after purchasing and loving the original French animation series Loulou de Montmartre, I've been on the look out for shows of a similar style. The one I'm getting is the French version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess (book)

This is called Princesse Sarah. 

Both have been despatched and I'm eagerly awaiting them.

Today's anime watching was Winx. It's the one I use to totally relax. Last night was extra special because I dreamt I was the Winx! I think I was sometimes Tecna, sometimes Flora and sometimes Bloom. It was so much fun. 
 (an excited Musa, Bloom and Stella in Enchantix mode)

Tinkerbell was in the dream too - which made an interesting character combination. 
They all worked together to battle a bizarre sky monster. And won. (Naturally)

Time to get some food! Nominess awaits me. Have a good evening!

(My Twitter Avatar, Holo from the anime Spice and Wolf)

The Pack by Jason Starr (Urban Fantasy)

April 26th 2012, Berkley UK
368 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: werewolves, New York life, unexpectedly unemployed, stay at home dad, life with a 3 year old, suspicion, police investigation, a wife's fear of being cheated on, close friendships, taking risks, lots of meat eating, fair amount of humour, moderately strong gore (infrequent), strong adult relations (frequent mentions & innuendo)

Summary from Penguin
  
Let the hunt begin . . .
When Simon Burns is fired from his job without warning, he takes on the role of stay-at-home dad for his three-year-old son. But his reluctance pushes his already strained marriage to the limit. In the nestled playgrounds of the Upper West Side, Simon harbors a simmering rage at his boss's betrayal.

Things take a turn when he meets a tight-knit trio of dads at the playground. They are different from other men Simon has met, stronger and more confident, more at ease with the darker side of life- and soon Simon is lured into their mix. But after a guys' night out gets frighteningly out of hand, Simon feels himself sliding into a new nightmarish reality.

As he experiences disturbing changes in his body and his perceptions, he starts to suspect that when the guys welcomed him to their "pack", they were talking about much more than male bonding . . .
Nayuleska's thoughts 
I warn you now you won't be a happy bunny by the way it ends - I want to read more now, not in however many months it is until book two. Its a shape shifter story that drew me in morr than I expected given the protag is a guy. There was quite a bit of strong adult content, but it wasn't out of place in the story and I skimmed a few paragraphs. This gets 9/10 from me for being captivating and having a character with a family.

You can find out more on Jason's website.

Suggested read

Another good urban fantasy read witb a father experiencing the supernatural is Sixty One Nails by Mike Shevdon