Friday 30 November 2012

Film Friday #1 Barbie & the Diamond Castle and Barbie Princess and the Popstar (Children's, U rating, 9/10)

After several title attempts I finally settled on one for my film reviews. Film Friday means that I shall review a film or an anime episode(s)/series on a Friday. I won't necessarily watch the films on the Friday, but it just so happens that for my first post I did. 

Barbie films in general 

I never had Barbie as a child. I wouldn't pick her as a good role model, although she does have some reputable characteristics. However, I was intrigued by the movies when I was trying to find some new French films to watch. I thought I'd give them a go. Some are ok, some I love. I hate the guys in them. I always watch the French version. They are good for a fun film.


Barbie et le Palais de Diamant/Barbie and the Diamond Castle
 (Liana (left), Alexa (right))
Film Summary from Amazon (I get nothing from mentioning them) 

 Barbie™ and Teresa™ tell us the fairy tale story of Liana™ and Alexa™, best friends who shared everything including their love of music. One day their simple lives change when they are given an enchanted mirror and befriend the girl trapped inside! To save their new friend, Liana™ and Alexa™ embark on a dangerous journey to the hidden Diamond Castle that will put their friendship to the test. But through the power of song and with the companionship of two adorable puppies, the girls face their challenges together and learn that friendship is the true treasure.

Nayuleska's thoughts

I watched the French version, since for me that's more fun than the English version. There's heaps of singing and dancing which was pretty good. I loved the strength of friendship between Liana and Alexa. All they want to do is be happy and help others. Unless they are enchanted by an evil Muse, who is the main enemy in this film. Her sidekick is a dragon who was scary but also a little cute (had he been good) who is a bit dim-witted. 

I was totally enchanted by the outfits the girls wear - they were elegant and colourful, and somehow never snagged on anything or got muddy. Funny, that! The puppies were distinguishable and added extra humour. I was chuckling away at the two guys who rescue Liana & Alexa - they are twins and very full of themselves. I cheered when the girls managed to ditch them. I'll definitely be watching this film again. 

Barbie La Princesse et La Popstar/The Princess and the Popstar
 (Which is which?)

Film Summary from Amazon (I get nothing from mentioning them) 
In this sparkling musical adventure, Barbie™ stars as Tori™, the kind-hearted princess of Meribella who would rather sing and dance than perform her royal duties. When her favorite pop star Keira™ visits the kingdom, the girls discover they have much in common, including a magical secret that lets them look like one another.

At first, swapping places seems like a great idea, until each girl realizes that the other’s life isn’t as easy as it seems! But Meribella also has a magical secret, and when it’s stolen, the whole kingdom is put in danger. Will true friendship save the day?

Nayuleska's thoughts 
This is a take on the classic story, The Princes and the Pauper. Personally it's the funniest one I've ever seen. It's nice and girly. Tori works hard as a princess. I enjoyed the fun she had the younger ones in her family - it was carefree, unrestrained by rules and regulations. I didn't know why she (or Keira) had magical objects  and other people didn't, but who cares! What the objects did was very entertaining - Tori has an amazing sense of humour. Keira also works hard as a popstar, yet is feeling constrained by being told what to do all the time, and not being free to sing her own songs. 

Both girls have a blast when they change into each other. Yes there are hiccups, but they merely add to the humour - until it goes wrong. Then each girl uses what is unique to her to get through the dangers. Once again I adore all the costumes - come on, who wouldn't love the all purple Keira? It would have been awesome if her purple hair was her natural colour. Their two dogs are so different in character, but manage to help the girls out in their swapped roles. I got a tiny bit bored when the focus wasn't on Tori or Keira - that's because they have a blast! Definitely a film to rewatch, with good values about helping others and being true to yourself.
Nayuleska's conclusion 
The reason both films reviewed get 9/10 is because the guys are stupid in both films. Seriously stupid. It's a good thing I'm more interested in friendship and fun. They made me laugh and cringe a lot.Thankfully the rest of the films more than make up for the inadequate male cast.

Thursday 29 November 2012

Emerald by Karen Wallace (Young Adult, Historical, 9.5/10)



August 2011, Simon and Schuster
288 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Themes: family drama, heaps of secrets, devious enemies, life at court, staying in the Queen's favour, marrying for necessity rather than for love, inner strength, gorgeous costumes, spying, being in disguise, shocking truths, well laid plans, a pet bear, impish servants (the good kind), lots of thrills and humour, tissues needed

Summary from Simon and Schuster

 Emerald St. John is in trouble. She has been condemned to marry a man she hates, her enemies are conspiring to have her pet bear Molly torn apart in the baiting pits, and the man she loves is far away on the high seas. And she has stumbled into a web of spies with a plot to poison Queen Elizabeth I. To save herself and the kingdom, Emerald must beat the spies at their own game - which means transforming herself from a country girl into a lady of the court. Can she do it in time?

Nayuleska's thoughts 

Little beats a good historical jam packed with different outfits to wear, the heroine mostly doing her own rescuing with help from some good friends (old and new). There's shock after shock which left me gasping for air. There's a good mix between Emerald being safe and Emerald being in danger - how she avoided/escaped from danger always surprised me. Her enemies are devious and will stop at nothing to get what they want - even if it's illegal. Of course there are many legal ways that Emerald was thwarted in her plans, but I shan't say how. From the cover I could easily imagine the rest of her wardrobe from the story's descriptions. 

The only reason this is 9.5/10 is that I thought the relationship between Emerald and the hero was formed a little too quickly to be realistic - I laughed when it happened. I'm not much of a romantacist, I'm more interested in the times Emerald looked well and truly doomed and how she found her way out of them. This is exactly the type of historical I love reading. 

You can find out more on Karen's website

Suggested read 

For more historical courtly drama you must check out a series by Eve Edwards which starts with The Other Countess.


Wednesday 28 November 2012

Samantha the Swimming Fairy by Daisy Matthews (Children's, 5 years +, 9/10)





July 2012, Orchard Books
80 pages, Paperback
Personal copy

Themes: friendship, adventure, gremlins taking over a swimming pool, thinking up solutions, lots of adventure, occasional mild peril, some humour

Summary from Orchard

The Sporty Fairies are in need of Rachel and Kirsty's help. Everyone in Fairyland is preparing for the Fairy Olympics, but Jack Frost and his goblins have stolen the magic sporty items so they can win by cheating! What's more, with the items missing, everyone in the human world is playing sports really badly, and so the human Olympics is in danger of being ruined too! Samantha the Swimming Fairy is desperate to get her Magic Goggles backs from the goblins - can Rachel and Kirsty help?

Nayuleska's thoughts

This is a book I read for my own research (see here for details). Aside from the wings still being see through which makes the illustrations look a little odd with objects being in the wings, and the black snd white hair for Sam on the front cover, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I love how the gremlins are good at swimming because of Sam's magic goggles - the synchronised swimming team made me laugh. Rachel and Kirsty come up with good ideas on how to get the goggles back.The friends have great courage and are perfect to help rescue the goggles for Sam in this 9/10 read.

You can find out more on the dedicated website.

Suggested read

Check out the first book in this epic series, Ruby the Red Fairy (link to follow once the review is up)

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz (Young Adult, 10/10)



September 2012, Mira Ink
350 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: magic, curse, special necklacem0, reincarnation, moving schools, living with an aunt, super rich school, mega mean girl, heaps of tense moments, very dramatic, heroine gets hurt, the cruelty of rumour, standing up for yourself, being chased, moderate teen romance, regular major peril, lots of humour

Summary from Mira Ink

"What’s a girl to do when meeting The One means she’s cursed to die a horrible death? Life hasn’t been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But at the posh Upper East Side prep school she’s forced to attend, friendly faces are few and far between. Except for one that she’s irresistibly drawn to – Brendan Salinger, the hottest guy she’s ever seen and the richest boy in school, who might just be her very own white knight. But ever since Emma laid eyes on Brendan, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go dark wherever she walks and Emma’s been having terrifying, intoxicating dreams. Visions of herself in past lives – visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. OR ELSE. "

Nayuleska's thoughts

This book is awesome! I adore how mentally strong Emma is, the way she takes care of her cousin, how she gets into serious danger more than once, and her new friend Angelique. Angelique is definitely different to other friends Emma has had, especially with her magical pkwers which take Emma a bit of time to get used to. I like the way the curse affects Emma's life, the way it nearly caused a tragic accident. Emma isn't perfect which makes me like her even more. When she has a showdown with her enemy I was rooting for her. I'm delighted this 10/10 read is part of a trilogy.

You can find out more on Cara's website.

Suggested read

Check out the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer which starts with Twilight - no curse involved but it has a similar feel. I wrote this review a while back - thanks to the movies I sort of adore Twilight as my fluffy watch/read.


Monday 26 November 2012

What are YOU reading? #143


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



Revived by Cat Patrick
Young Adult
(Oh wow, I love a mysterious read which isn't too emotionally hard or all doom and gloom...check out my review for more!) 
9/10




Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz
Young Adult
(Wow, this reminds me a little of 'Twilight', but it's much happier and there's some funky magic.)
10/10





Things I've watched



Lil Pri
Anime
10/10
Totally enjoying the re-watch; especially as I know what happens! 





Shugo Chara: Party!
Anime
9/10
I adore the anime side of it, not so much all the extras although they are growing on me. Not many episodes until it's over and I can start with my favourite season, the first 1! 





Yumeiro Patissiere
Anime
10/10
Do you remember me watching this before?  (See post 1 and 2.)  This time around I watch it with as much adoration as I did the first time, if not a little more. Watching Ichigo realising she needs to work really hard if she's to get anywhere near her peers' level of skill is inspiring for my writing. 





La Corda D'Oro primo passo and secundo passo
Anime
10/10
This is sort of like Yumeiro Patissiere in that the heroine hasn't a clue how to play music, but with a fairy giving her a magical violin which will play whatever she likes only if she is really into the music entering a music competition isn't such an issue. It's kind of light hearted, it's got lots of humour and I'm hooked on it!




If you're an anime fan like me...you might want to check out a new site that I just started following!  Read more in this week's post...





Lemon Angel Project
Anime
9/10
This is a bit confusing but it's about a girl getting into a band (the first band turns out not to be real, but merely CGI!), and the diverse characters which make up the band. I'm currently at the audition stage, which is full of surprises. 





Tokyo Mew Mew
Anime
10/10
This is super cute and fun and crazy...I love it!  :-)





Nanatsuiro Drops
Anime
9/10
This is a bit weird but not in a bad way. I haven't watched heaps of it as it is slightly less cute than the other shows I'm watching at the moment. (I'm in a super cute mood right now...) 




Now, for the final watch, please do not judge me....



Barbie et Le Palais de DIamants
(Barbie and the Diamon Palace)
Anime
10/10
 I'm currently halfway through the French version of this film. I'm not into Barbie per se (don't like all that she represents) however I find these shows charming. I think I'd hate them in English - the French sounds beautiful and not all that corny. It's happy go lucky, filled with adventure and magic and fun! 





That's me for this week - yes it's been more watching than reading because waking up early has made me more tired than normal (sadly I have no control about when I wake up). Hopefully this week will be more of a reading week!



Ruby the Red Fairy by Daisy Matthews ( Children's, 5 years +, 9/10)



May 2003, Orchard Books
80 pages, Paperback
Personal copy

Themes: Jack frost, fairies, being able to fly, making friends, holiday, exploring, adventure, magic, trapped fairies, the beginning of a quest, some humour

Summary from Orchard

When Rachel and Kirsty meet on the ferry to Rainspell Island one summer holiday, they have no idea that such incredible adventures with the fairies await them!

in this first book in the series, Rachel and Kirsty meet Ruby the Red Fairy at the end of the rainbow...

Nayuleska's thoughts

I chose this book for research purposes for my current wip (a writer's Work In Progress) which involves fairies. It's important to know the market you're writing for, so my research is super fun! I loved how Rachel and Kirsty discover Ruby, how she helps them temporarily become fairies and how much adventure the friends will ahve in future books. The front cover is stunning, and the illustrations match the image of fairies that I have in my head.

My grumbles for this book which made it an 8/10 read are firstly the plot wasn't as clear as it could have been. The girls meet Ruby, and they go and meet the fairy king and queen, and that's it. I was surprised when it ended as it didn't feel like an end. I'd have expected the girls to at least had more of a quest in freeing Ruby. The other things are minor details. The king and queen didn't have wings in the illustrations, the fairies had see through wings which made it tricky to appreciate them in the illustrations, and Jack Frost's verse wasn't explained or signposted, it was in a place I would have ignored if I had read this when I was little.

You can find out more on the dedicated website.

Suggested read

For more magical quests try the Spell Sisters series which focuses on Arthurian legend. The first is Spell Sisters: Sophia the Flame Sister by Amber Castle.


Sunday 25 November 2012

Nayu's News #42 Living the dream (for 5 days)

"A low on pics post today" 

Hi! 

Super speedy post as I'm supposed to be resting now (as in shutting the laptop down, no blogging, no surfing etc). 

I'm doing well, the world is still turning. Writing wise I'm 2/3 through my current edit! 
Whoohoo! This is super exciting. I've got an extra long weekend coming up (Weds to Sun inclusive) due to a flu jab. I was spectacularly ill when I last had it. I'd never had it before, and because my health is already 'interesting' my body tends to do funny things when it shouldn't.
I doubt it will be the case this time, but I can't take the risk so I'm at home until Monday. I'm hoping to finish this round of edits! How cool will that be! It should only be a read through before handing over to betas - I'm not sure who's more excited out of all of us, them or me! 



Reading wise I'm making a dent in the books on my review shelf. 
 A big dent. Because I need happier (mostly) books, a lot which I pick up just aren't right for me at the moment. It's sad when it's from a series I've enjoyed up until now, but that's the way life goes. I'm not forcing myself to sit and read books I don't like because reading time is precious.

Other things = I'm eating chocolate cake in an hour! Yum yum! (Hopefully I won't get disgruntled emails saying I'm teasing people with yummy food). 


Right, see me rest! 


Magic Ballerina Book 1: Delphie and the Magic Ballet Shoes by Darcy Bussell (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)



October 2008 and this edition September 2012, Harper Collins Children's 
96 pages, Ebook
Personal copy 

Themes: being poor, a passion for ballet, being given a chance, making new friends, entering a magical realm, inborn talent, popular ballet stories, lots of places to smile at, a very happy ending 


Delphie’s greatest dream is to become a ballerina, and she can't quite believe it when she is invited to join the new ballet school. But there's more to Madame Zarakova's than it at first seems and with the help of some very special ballet shoes, Delphie finds herself spinning into a whole new world…

Nayuleska's thoughts

This book looks pink and dainty, which is how I imagine to be. I know it's a lot of sweat and tears, but at least on the outside it looks effortless. I love ballet books, which is why I had to check this one out as it's written by a former dancer. I like how basic steps are explained at the end of the story. I was stunned by how good the illustrations look on my e-reader - even the cover (which was in black and white for me) looked stunning. There's a true magical feel to this book - which is appropriate since Delphie gets to experience magic for herself. 

I like how popular stories used for ballets are used in this series: in this book the Nutcracker is looked at. The main story is woven into Delphie's adventure, so the reader knows exactly what's going on. It was a neat idea of how all the magic disappeared. I'm intrigued as to how the other ballets will be transferred into Delphie's life in future books - this is most definitely a 10/10 read. 

You can find out more about this book and dancing on  Darcy's website. 

Suggested read

One series you must read is the Drina series by Jean Estoril which starts with Ballet for Drina

Saturday 24 November 2012

Revived by Cat Patrick (Young Adult, 9/10)


July 2012, Egmont
336 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Themes: death, secret government departments, the price of keeping secrets, being different, trying to fit in high school, living with people who aren't your real parents, breaking the rules, having fun, making friends & enemies, taking risks, some teen romance, a fair amount of humour and tension, a tissue is needed at the very end of the book.

Summary from Egmont

The world fades to nothing, and before I have the chance to think another thought . . . I'm dead.

My name is Daisy West and my whole life is a lie.

I have died five times. I've been Revived five times. With each revival comes a new name, a new town . . . a new life.

But this time, I won’t let myself die. This time, I’ve found a love that I can’t let go of. This time, I’m going to make my life my own.

Nayuleska's thoughts

What hooked me to this book was the concept of dying more than once. I wanted to know how it happened, and I wasn't disappointed with it. I loved Daisy's voice - she's funny, she knows what risks there are keeping her giant secret yet she wants to find out more about her situation. She wants something most people want, to be the non-existent 'normal'.  And she gets it. 

Being 'normal' includes having people who you love undergo tragic events. Being normal includes a lot of heartache. There are laughs to balance it out, and Daisy's voice stops the more tense parts becoming overwhelming - trust me, some books I don't even pick up because I can't have too hard-hitting reads at the moment. I loved the way Daisy's 'normal' emotions are examined, how she reacts to things - it's all 'normal' even though Daisy isn't quite 'normal'. But then who is? 

There isn't anything obvious that makes this a 9/10 read - it is an awesome read but didn't quite have the edge for the magical 10/10.

Oh, the reason why I say you need tissues for the very end of the book, not the very end of the story, is that the acknowledgements made me cry. 

You can find out more on Cat's website

Suggested read

If you like lots of tension with an engaging voice try The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson.