Monday 31 December 2012

What are YOU reading? #148


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



Shugo Chara, vols 1-5
(vol 1 English version, vols 2-5 French version)
Manga
10/10
(So far the anime follows 90% of the manga, which made it such a delight to read, 'hearing' the voices said by the voice actors...) 





Scent of Magic by Maria V Snyder
Fantasy
9/10
(Avry is back and always in danger with major unexpected twists that I've come to expect from Maria...)







 Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos by Simon Tofield
Humour
10/10
(Simon's cat both terrorizes and is terrorized by a new addition in the family...)





 Deadly Diaries by Steve Backshall
Non-fiction
10/10
(Aside from the snakes, this is extremely interesting; full of facts and scarily funny tales about animal encounters while filming the TV series 'Deadly'.)





 The Railway Rabbits: Berry and the Amazing Maze by Georgie Adams
Children's, 5 years +
10/10
(These adorably cute bunnies get pretty scared thanks to dinosaurs in a maze!)





 Sister Assassin by Kiersten White
Young Adult
Release Date:  February 2013
10/10
(This is a confusing and weird book, with an ending I hate, yet for all those things...I loved it!)







Anime Watched



La Corda d'Oro
9/10
I loved this character driven anime, because Kahoko suffered a lot of anguish, self-guilt and reflection thanks to Lili, the fairy who had given the magical violin to play. One plot thread was a bit bizarre because after 3 episodes nothing more was really mentioned about it, but I'll examine that further in my review. 




Shugo Chara
Rewatch!
10/10
At last I've reached the point again where Utau is on the scene! I'm loving seeing her, possibly because I'm reading the manga which are funny. Long live Iru and Eru, Utau's Shugo Charas! 




Lilpri
Rewatch!
10/10
The way this anime cheers me up when I'm feeling bleh has made it the highlight of my week. 




Georgie
French version
10/10
It's one I'm unable to stop watching - I'm watching episode after episode. There's something about Georgie and the life she has with her adopted family (she doesn't know she's adopted). They are now teens and I suspect soon she will start learning part of the truth about her real family. She makes me laugh, there's a real sense of innocence to her. 





Tokyo Mew Mew
10/10
I loved the costumes in this episodes as the girls ended up going to a party wearing very elegant dresses. & of course were able to fight monsters! 




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



I have watched 1-2 episodes of the following anime, but since I watched it after only having >3 hours sleep AND having had my latest ketamine treatment, I can't really put a grade or make a summary of them.  Cie la vie, the shows watched were the French versions of...


 
Heidi




Creamy




Emi Magique





Suzy aux Fleurs Magiques







Sunday 30 December 2012

Nayu's News #46: Dvd marathon


*sleepily waves* 

Very short note to say the ketamine treatment was the success I expected to be - and I know have nearly all the supplies to do at myself at home! I go back in 6 months for a review at the pain clinic - 6 months! Six months! It's so incredible, after having been going back every 2 or so months for treatment (or having a 3 month wait). 

I've gained pain relief freedom in a big way. I will blog in more detail when I'm up for it, but for now it is very easy to take the ketamine under the tongue. I'm not feeling quite as lousy as I did the last time, but I have zero energy so am now resting. Okay so I did see family today, but it was the only day and I lasted well enough. Been watching the anime Georgie in French all afternoon. Totally addicted to it, I've got 1 episode and then the 3rd boxset to get through. It'll get a review in good time too! Georgie's smile & laughter is infectious - she smiles most episodes, even when life is pretty grim something makes her smile.


I plan to take things easy for a couple of days still, hopefully getting some of this done
some of this 
and some of this! 

Plus blogging & writing when I'm up for it, but I'm being really strict as I don't want to incur the wrath of my friends if I overdo things. It's not worth it as I then feel lousy, so I want to be fully back to normal as I can be, then start reintroducing activities. It's nice to have less pain, and know that when the ketamine starts fading I can top it up! 

This pic doesn't match anything in this post, but I have to include it because it's cute! 

Take care! 

My Twitter avatar, Holo from the anime Spice and Wolf which I will finish watching in 2013! I've needed lighter watches at the moment.

Saturday 29 December 2012

Guinea Pigs Online: Furry Towers by Jennifer Gray & Amanda Swift (Children's, 5 years +, January 2013, 10/10)


January 2013 (eBook is out now) Quercus 
192 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Themes:  going away on holiday, online deceptions, intelligent & spoilt guinea pigs, luxury hotel and a pig sty, a military guinea pig, a tank, lots of poo, working together, help from unexpected corner, moderate amount of major peril, frequent humour 

Summary from Quercus

Furry Towers promises the best food and fabulous facilities for guinea pigs – Fuzzy and Coco are so excited! 

But when they arrive, the friends find themselves in a smelly old hutch with only mouldy lettuce to eat. Coco is not impressed!

And it soon becomes clear that something terribly sinister is going on at Furry Towers – can the friends save the day again?

Nayuleska's thoughts

These are very adventurous guinea pigs! I hope one day they do get to go to an upmarket hotel. They went to one in the story - and were rushed to the dump of a hutch. Those who experience the luxury for a while realise that it isn't fun without their friends, and that it's only luxury because the enemy has very evil plans in mind. I laughed a lot when Coco and the others attacked the enemy - they use a novel way to dispose of their droppings. 

There's no end to the guinea pigs' imagination - they are resourceful little creatures, who have caring owners. It was sweet how devoted Ben and Henrietta are to their pets - they have no idea just how intelligent Fuzzy and Coco are. I imagine that if they knew the truth, they would have even more fun with their pets in this 10/10 read.

You can find out more on the dedicated website.

Suggested read

Check out Fuzzy and Coco's first adventure in Guinea Pigs Online.

Friday 28 December 2012

Undone by Cat Clarke (Young Adult, January 2013, 10/10)


31st January 2013 (ebook is out now), Quercus
352 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Themes: losing someone close, dealing with suicide, keeping people at arm's length, sexuality, prejudice, bullying, mean teasing, mean girls, popular group at school, unexpected & continuous presents, suicidal thoughts, being impulsive, trying new things, betrayal, dark moments, moderate to frequent strong language, moderate amount of strong adult situations, tissues needed. 

Summary from Quercus

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she’s learning to live with it.
Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online … and he kills himself. 

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down. 

Nayuleska's thoughts

I'm rather biased because Cat is a friend ^o^ It's because she's a friend that I kept reading the book. At the moment, I mostly prefer lighter reads, with hope and happiness in them. This is a dark read. It deals with really intense moments. There was hope in it but most of the time it was dim home. The betrayals and tragedy widens. It's very intense and graphic in terms of language, and adult situations. I would have stopped reading at some of them, as they shocked me, but I kept reading because I wanted to read what Cat had written. 

Although I didn't agree with Jem's actions, or what else happened in the novel, it's such a captivating read that I couldn't help but be impressed by the level of emotion Cat writes with and captures in Jem's story. It shows the darker side of humanity, just how far people will stop, as well as how much one sentence can change a person's life. Never underestimate how much you can help someone just by being there and supporting them, as Jem discovers in this 10/10 read.

You can find out more on Cat's website

Suggested read

Definitely check out Cat's other books! Another book which focuses on finding the reason for a suicide is Gina Blaxill's captivating Forget Me Never

Thursday 27 December 2012

Daisy Star Ooh La La! by Cathy Cassidy (Children's, 7 years +, 10/10)


October 2012, Puffin
192 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: school life, friends changing, school trips, Paris, dreams, trying to find your talent, trying too hard, artists, art sellers, crushed dreams, friendships rekindled, lots of laughs, a few tears and 'oh no' moments

Summary from Puffin

Daizy can't believe that primary school is nearly over and when Miss Moon surprises Year Six with a trip to France Daizy wants it to be perfect... 

Paris might be the city of poets, painters and chocolate croissants, but so far Daizy's no closer to finding her own star quality. And with Willow and Beth acting weirdly (not to mention Ethan Miller) will Daizy's dream trip turn into a nightmare?

Nayuleska's thoughts

It's been a while since I read the first book in Daizy's series, yet she's still quite a character. I love her. She tries so hard at everything she does. I like how she's very mixed over the way her friends are changing - it's exactly how I've felt with my friends when I was little. The transition from child to teenager is an emotional one. I wanted to hug Daizy and tell her that things would work out in the end - and they do. Until they do though I wanted to cry for her at times. She gets carried away a few times with dreams, which is what I tend to do. She needs to learn to be herself, rather than trying to be brilliant at things just so she can have star quality in this 10/10 read.

You can find out more on Cathy's website.

Suggested read

Check out the book where Daizy gets introduce, Shine On, Daisy Star

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Winners of Losing Agir by Liz Fisher-Frank



This is a belated winner announcement for winners of Liz's fab book Losing Agir. I shan't keep you waiting any longer! 

The international (non-UK) book winner is....

Ardyth! 

The 3 UK winners are...

ILoveDylan

artemisia36!

adorkable!

Many congratulations - I will be emailing everyone at the weekend as I forgot today (sorry) and tomorrow I'm not thinking straight after some treatment. The publicist won't be working just yet (I don't think so...) and I desperately  need to be resting.;  There will be more competitions in 2013 - and if I get a move on definitely one more in 2012!

A Recipe for Disaster by Ardyth DeBruyn (Children's, 9 years +, 9/10)


December 2012, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 
170 pages, eBook & Paperback
Review copy

Themes: life for villains, lots of mischief, a temper tantrum throwing princess, a greedy & spoilt prince, an accident prone apprentice, lots of magic & mayhem, lots of humour, lots of mild peril, 

Summary from Ardyth's website

Villain apprentice Cal desperately needs cash to take his girlfriend to the Dreaded Ball. Prince Bueford needs out of an arranged marriage. Mullog, Bueford’s manservant, would love to marry the princess and has the perfect solution: Bueford can buy a potion for disaster from Cal to disrupt the betrothal. Then Mullog can rescue the princess, and everyone can live happily ever after.

Nayuleska's thoughts

I'm probably a little biased because Ardyth is a good friend of mine. There is just so much mishap to laugh about in this book. Cal tries numerous ways to get cash - most of which fall through. I hated Prince Bueford for being so spoilt, but had to admire how he pushed himself in the trials. Mullog is a real piece of work - didn't like hiim at all. The princess is one big Brat - but she ended up being my favourite character. She is far from stupid, knows how to get what she wants (often not in a good way) and made me laugh a lot.

The reason this gets 9/10 is mostly because I read this when I was tired and not feeling brilliant. It is a hilarious read, it's meant to be silly - which ended up making me rather confused about what was going on. I know if I was more awake and feeling well I'd have been able to keep all the plots straight in my head. It's normal for me to understand things less when ill, so I guess this would be a 10/10 read. 

You can find out more about Ardyth & her other books on her website 

Suggested read

Do check out Ardyth's A School for Villains which is in the same universe that this novel is based on. 

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Naked Trevor by Rebecca Elliott (Children's, Picture book, 9/10E)



January 2013, Templar 
32 pages, Paperback
Review copy 

Themes: being different, having to fit in, ignoring tradition, being brave, accidents, being yourself, finding yourself, acceptance, a lot of laughs

Summary from Amazon UK (I don't benefit from mentioning them, at the time of writing this review Templar don't yet have Naked Trevor on their website)

Meet Trevor! He's no ordinary bird... he wants to be totally naked! It's a well-kept secret that all birds are naked, and every morning they put on their feathery clothes to go about their day. But Trevor refuses to wear his sparrow outfit, much to the horror of his family. In a quest to find his own unique look, he crashes into a pile of sticky mud and colourful flowers. He ends up looking the best he ever has, inspiring the birds around him to shed their own boring outfits!

Nayuleska's thoughts

If I hadn't seen the cover, and didn't know what it was about, I wouldn't have opted to read this. I mean, my internet search engine which is on 'strict' wouldn't let me see it! There is absolutely nothing inappropriate in this book. It's very clever the way the animals are all naked - they just wear clothes of feathers! Or, in the case of Trevor, other things. He strikes out, determined to feel more like himself and be different. It's really hard because most disapprove and want him to copy them. But he perseveres and in the end gets an extraordinary reaction. 

As well as the concept I loved the looks from the other birds & animals, as well as all the little captions that were on every page, which gave the other characters depth to their personality. The only reason this colour read is 9/10 is that some of the illustrations were drawn in such a way it looked as if the birds had two eyes in the wrong places. It's not often, and the rest of the fabulous read more than makes up for that bizarre sight. 

You can find out more on Rebecca's website

Suggested read

For another creature who is different from the others check out Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell by Sue Hendra

Monday 24 December 2012

What are YOU reading? #147

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


A Stallion Called Midnight by Victoria Eveleigh
Children's, 9 years +
(Another engaging pony story from the author of X...my review...)
9/10





Hello Kitty: Let's Pretend
Children's, Picture book
(I kept going "Awww" at the cute outfits Hello Kitty wears as she pretends to be different people and animals...check out my review...) 
9/10





Naked Trevor by Rebecca Elliott
Children's, Picture book
(I was giggling away at all the phrases the animals said to Trevor!) 
9/10





Recipe for Disaster by Ardyth DeBruyn
Children's, 9 years +
(Things don't go smoothly when evil is involved...or rats! Lots of humour and mishaps!) 
9/10





Daisy Star Ooh La La! by Cathy Cassidy
Children's, 7 years +
(There is such a thing as trying too hard, and friends who last through all mishaps and fallings out...) 
10/10





Undone by Cat Clarke
Young Adult
Release Date:  January 2013
(A dark, intense, heavy read that made me cry a few times...)
10/10





Guinea Pigs Online: Furry Towers by Jennifer Gray & Amanda Swift
Children's, 5 years +
Release Date:  January 2013
(The hilarious guinea pigs get literally stuck in their latest adventure!)
10/10









Watched 



Vampire Diaries
Drama
9/10
At times this can be a bit scary, but it seems to be my current 'human' series that I'm watching... 





Winx Club Season 2
Anime (French)
REWATCH!
Just watched the episode when the mini-fees (that is the French word, the English might be pixies) have a spell put on them and they try to go back to their village (a bad idea as the enemy, the Phoevnix, wants to go there. Yeah, he's the one who cast the spell)





Lilpri
Anime, Japanese
REWATCH! 10/10
The girls deal with a brat of a girl and face losing their powers! (They don't.)





Cendrillon (Cinderella) 
Anime, French
10/10
In this French version the animals talk! That was a huge surprise - the fairy godmother is in stalker mode at the moment (my interpretation). Poor Cinderella! 





Little Women
Anime, French
10/10
I adore this story, and haven't seen this version so jumped at the change to get it. I seem to like 1980's style anime, which can be simple but so many emotions are conveyed that I don't care if it's not flashy. I'm carried away with the familiar drama. 





Charlotte aux Fraises (Strawberry Shortcake)
Anime, French
REWATCH! - 10/10
Orange Blossom learns a valuable lesson about pets... 





Chocolat et Vanilla (Sugar Sugar Rune)
Anime, French
9/10
The two apprentices have to try and gain hearts from girls, rather than boys. Vanilla is the gentle one, but Chocolat manages to be herself and gain the necessary magical hearts.