Monday 28 April 2014

What are YOU reading? #215




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



Read

Captain Bull and the Calico Avengers by Ardyth Debruyn
Children's, 9 years +
10/10E
(A fun swashbuckling pirate adventure!) 





The Unicorn Thief by R. R. Russell
Children's, 9 years +
10(E)/10E
(I've a good reason for having the E be in brackets for this not exactly gentle unicorn filled book...)





Lottie and Dottie Sow Carrots by Claire Burgess and Marijke van Veldhoven
Children's, 5 years +
10E/10E
(A real sweet sisterly tale...)





Maisie Mae: No Boys Allowed! by Poppy Harper
Children's, 7 years +
10E/10E
(There's a laugh to be had at every sentence!)





Eliza Boom's Diary: My Explosive Adventure & My Fizz-Tastic Investigation by Emily Gale
Children's, 7 years +
10E/10E
(Absolutely hilarious tales of mishaps and criminals...)





Amber by Julie Sykes
Young Adult
10E/10E
(A not too doom and gloomy read; ever so compelling!)









Watched


Holby City
Drama, English version
8/10E
(Some crazy goings on this week...) 





Casualty
Drama, English version
8/10E
(Can't...remember...what...happened!) 





Aikatsu
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese version
10E/10E
(I confess to missing out on episodes which I'm not so keen on - when you groan at an episode summary it's a good idea to skip it if you weren't that keen on it in the first place...)





Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese version
10E/10E
(There's something that seems so fun about the prism jumps that Aira & Rhythm do!) 





Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese version
10E/10E
(It's starting to get a bit gritty, so I'm not watching it every day...) 





The Clique
Film, English version
7/10E
(I was hoping that the lead protagonist would avoid becoming mean, but it was pretty much along the same lines as the film 'Mean Girls' as the protagonist ended up being mean for the sake of trying to fit in...never a good move. )








Crafts/Games played...
Making great progress with the blanket for my colleague's birthday - hope to be finished by Thursday.  This is the current progress, about 21+ repeats of the white row which is heaps more than last week's 14! I crocheted like a fiend for over 8hrs yesterday...it helped the hyperness from my medicines.  




That's all I've really done this week.




Sunday 27 April 2014

Review, Guest Blog Post & Giveaway: Journey to Rainbow Island by Christie Hsiao (Children's, 9 years +, 7/10E)

 November 2013, Benbella Books, 386 pages, Hardback, Review copy

Themes: good vs evil, love conquers all, save those in danger, fight for what you believe in (in a non-aggressive way), talking animals, 

Content: child slave labour, some fighting, religious/spiritual views

Summary from Serenity Media
Journey to Rainbow Island (November 2013 release at all bookstores), which is also currently being developed into a film and video game, is a story about a brave, dark-eyed little girl, Yu-ning, who ventures out into the world to reignite faith and optimism through her purity, innocence and wisdom. Believing her perfect life on Rainbow Island will never end, Yu-ning’s strength and beliefs are challenged when the idyllic island she has grown up on is attacked by a dark dragon called the Obsidigon. Surrounded by flames, Yu-ning’s best friend gets kidnapped and the island’s Sacred Crystals are stolen. Determined to avoid losing her world full of love and joy, Yu-ning, armed with a magic bow, must venture into the dark corners of the world to uncover secrets thought best ignored, find a weapon believed to be long destroyed, and recapture seven sacred stones—without being burned to a crisp by a very angry dragon. With the help of her master teacher, Metatron, and the comfort of her enchanted pet frog, Magic, Yu-ning embarks on a dangerous journey to overcome not only the darkness attacking her home, but also the scars of sadness that mark one’s own heart.

Nayuleska's thoughts
When asked to read this I nearly declined as it's good vs evil and the moment I want mostly chirpier books (which it ended up being), but then I saw that Yu-ning had a bow which appeals to me a lot (bows sound like a cool weapon to have) and had to say. In this instance I'm going to talk about the parts I wasn't so keen on first. 

It wasn't always the easiest read because the language is highly descriptive, sometimes too much, so I had to read it in parts as I need more straight forward reads when I'm low on energy. There wasn't enough conflict overall: Yu-Ning was able to get through every hurdle fairly easily with the help of her friends - I predicted how every challenge would pan out and it remained the same, I never feared for her life. She almost always knew what to do, she didn't seem to make mistakes or get angry like most children/teens would - there wasn't really any personal development in her character which I was disappointed with. 

I wasn't keen on the animals talking - don't get me wrong, I love animal stories, but for some reasons not all the talking animals sat well with me. The same goes for the strong conviction that love and light can conquer all - I mean this literally. I couldn't suspend my belief enough to believe in Yu-Ning and her story - to have a girl who solves everything using her love, and having people always follow her and believe her and solve the riddle together it felt like something was missing. It felt a bit too easy, and I do like a bit of unpredictability in novels. It was too idealistic for my tastes.

Having said all that, I have graded this as 7/10E, and for good reason. The cool bits were slightly awesome! Overall the theme of love and peace is a positive one for readers to take away. It is far better to love people than to hate them. I'm all for encouraging being nicer to people. Although lacking in certain areas for me it did make a change to have a happier themed book where I knew everything would work out somehow, eventually, and not be all doom and gloom. 

Important issues such as child slave labour is touched upon, as is finding somewhere safe for children to be, where they can be children. I did like how cool the crystal hearts were - you can see Yu-Ning's on the cover...and that leads me to the illustrations! 

These wowed me big time. The characters looked pretty much exactly as I'd imagined them to before I knew what they were like - I love Yu-Ning's practical yet stylish outfit! The illustrations are highly detailed, pleasing to look at, and provide fun breaks in the story to stop and look at them. Yu-Ning ends up with many companions, I loved the picture of her frog called Magic (yes I like frogs...they are cute, ok? Maybe not while a tadpole (too wiggly) but who wouldn't want a frog with them? Ok so I probably did think of the anime Sugar Sugar Rune's frog who is a side-kick to a magic user and looks like this...

Either way a frog sidekick is exciting! Yu-Ning has friends who can help her fly and swim through the sea - no terrain is impassable. If anywhere was dark, well, with Yu-Ning there light shortly followed both literally and figuratively. Her mentors all have distinctive personalities - I grew fond of Metraton and I looked up Cristobel. I fell in love a little with the floating palace, if not the people in it, and the intrigue surrounding Yu-Ning's identity and future which was pretty much the only unsurprising part of the story. This probably isn't enough for me to read the rest of the series, but that is only because I didn't seem to connect with Yu-Ning as I usually do the protagonist, many other readers do connect with her as this is a New York Times best selling hit. I'd say give it a go, as being able to shoot arrows of light which transform the baddies is kind of awesome ^o^. Such a shame we can't do the same in real life.

Find out more on the dedicated website (when I checked it there wasn't a lot of content up yet).

Suggested read
For more magical adventures involving dragons check out Dragonskin Slippers by Jessica Day George (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)

Author Q&A + Competition

It's been fun for me to put forward a few questions to Christie about Journey To Rainbow Island, I'm sure you'll find her answers interesting! 

Nayu:  1) Dragons are a classic element of fantasy stories - what made you pick these for Yu-Ning's adversaries?

Christie: The dragon is an archetype of chaos and disorder, and one of the main messages of this book is that when we choose love, order and serenity can prevail. I picked dragon as a representation of the shadow self, the ego, and then had Yu-ning represent the light that we all are. It's her mission to transform darkness and evil creatures (ego, shadow self) into light. 

Nayu 2) I'm squee-ing heaps over the fact that Yu-Ning has a bow - what made you give her the bow as a weapon? Have you got experience in archery?

Christie: I had to check the Urban Dictionary for "squee," but I'm glad you are excited! And of course, more recently in fantasy fiction and film, bows are finding their way into the hands of the ladies-  Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and Princess Merida in Brave spring to mind.  I don't see it as a weapon really- it’s made of light, which she shoots out to transform darkness. I wanted to turn the violent aspect of the bow on its head by making it a weapon of transformation, rather than an instrument of death in the traditional sense. That's all I can say, however, because I don't want to spoil things! And no, I've never actually taken up archery--but perhaps I will now. 

Nayu 3) Did you ever consider having Yu-Ning be kidnapped, and somehow escaping then searching for the seven stones?

Christie: Yes, I wanted the book to involve a kidnapping. However, because so many of our fairy tales involve a damsel in distress, I wanted to instead create a "gentleman in distress." So rather than the female protagonist needing to be rescued, we have Yu-Ning working to rescue her best friend, young Romeo.

Nayu 4) Emotions are very much part of the story and I suspect I'll need a tissue while reading it: had you intended of sadness to be a main part of the story, or did it evolve as you wrote it? 

Christie: Children today live in and among sadness, and the sad stories we see in the news are so readily accessible. Just 75 years ago young ears and eyes could be sheltered from the saddest events in the world by turning off the radio and keeping the daily newspaper out of reach. Today, however, with technology, it's nearly impossible to keep even the most horrific events from children. My goal in Journey to Rainbow Island was to deal with some very sad issues, but to do so in a way where young readers will feel empowered to do something about those sad feeling--to choose love and redemption rather than giving in to hopelessness.

Thank you Christie for the insight into your novel. Now, for those of you intrigued by Yu-Ning's adventures, please do enter the competition below to win 2 copies! 

Rules: One entry per person. Please make sure you read through my protection policy. 
To enter: Just fill in the form below! Please note that 2 copies are up for grabs, 1 is a hardback copy for anywhere in the world, the other is also a hardback copy for a winner in the US (or, if no-one enters from the US it will go to a winner living anywhere)

Saturday 26 April 2014

Magic Trix Magic Mansion by Sara Grant (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)


March 2014, Orion Children's Books, 176 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: magic in ordinary life, compassion, helping others, party time, tests, working together, being hasty, meeting deadlines

Content: Lots of humour and tension, tissues needed.

Summary from Orion
Trix is desperate to attend the exciting and glamorous Sisterhood of Magic Ball, but first she must pass a series of magical tests. Can Trix draw on all her witchy know-how - and the power of friendship - to become the belle of the ball?

Nayuleska's thoughts
I still have tears in my eyes as I type this review from finishing yet another awesome magical read. Trix is so likeable and kind that every mishap made me feel all jumbled up inside my tummy. Her excitement and fear throughout the tests kept me holding my breath in several places. There are so many cool elements to this installment. If I have to pick one it would be the way Trix had to choose shoes.

Trix manages to get the other witches working together except for Stella. Doing the right thing seems to be the wrong thing for Trix, which is why the end had me crying hard.She is an ideal role model for readers, since there are times when she wants to be mean but, through Jinx's point of view readers learn it's better to be kind. I had guessed one plot twist straight away, but that meant I was eager to read it when it was completed, and also probably explains why I cried at the end. I'm desperately hoping there are more adventures for Trix!

Find out more on the dedicated website.

Suggested read
Be sure to check out other books in the series including Magic Trix: Secrets and Spies (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

Friday 25 April 2014

Nayu's News #122 It's been 5 weeks already!

Time flies
I'm surprised at how fast my next ketamine dose has come around, but then life's been a bit crazy with my grandad being really ill then dying, and sorting everything out. Had a few false starts in arranging my flowers, as the florist kept being unexpectedly closed. I nearly had to choose a different one, but at the last try I got through and they are all ready to pick up on Monday (I'm taking them down to the funeral with me on Tuesday). 
There were heaps of flowers to choose from, and the florist was helpful. I decided on an orange and white posy.
I've quickly gone through emails, got one more to write then I'm off to get legally drugged up! These days I just get hyper on the day after the ketamine, which I can deal with. I'm rather tired as I went out for lunch at work for a colleague's birthday, which involved a tasty mushroom in stilton sauce with bread. 
No random  fish head on our table!
As I'm tired I won't read tonight, I'll just watch drama & anime and do a bit of crochet to keep me occupied. 
Craft can be perfect for staying preoccupied when resting quietly
Hopefully tomorrow I'll be reading away, as it's a safe way of being hyper, rather than overdoing things by doing other activities. Muse hates these weekends with a passion. 
This will be Muse all weekend.
 I usually refuse to write while under the influence - she could come up with anything that seems sensible at the time but is in fact extremely random and   pointless! Will see how it pans out. Hope you have a fun weekend whatever you've got planned!

Double Daisy: Tigers and Spies by Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt (Children's, 5 years +, 10E/10E(


 January 2014, Red Fox, 64 pages, Paperback, Review copy  
 
Themes: full colour illustrations, pretend play, spies, spy equipment, imagination, being misunderstood, having an ace mother, life in the jungle, having so much fun it would be a shame to stop,
 
Content: Lots of humour


Join Daisy in this Double Daisy adventure perfect for new readers!

006 and a Bit: Daisy is on a mission - to be the best spy in the world. She's found the dark glasses and spy gadgets she needs, but can she find someone who understands her secret spy code? 

Tiger Ways: Daisy has been adopted by tigers and quickly learns the tiger way. But how can she get the tigers and Mum to learn the Daisy way?

Nayuleska's thoughts

These are the best Daisy stories to date! Seriously hilarious, clever, and unexpected twists at the end of each story. It's a magnificent example of how rich a child's imagination is, that you don't need lots of expensive toys to have fun. Simple, everyday items can become anything, even making you invisible! Daisy's invisibility ability cracked me up, as did the way she got out of eating humans with the tigers. Nick's memorable illustrative style teams perfectly with how I imagine Daisy to be.

Find out more on Kes's website and Nick's website.

Suggested read
For more Daisy drama check out Double Daisy: Peas and Tickles (Children's, 5 years +, 10E/10E)
 

Thursday 24 April 2014

Do Dare Duck by Joyce Dunbar and Jane Massey (Children's, Picture book, 10/10E)

February 2014, Jonathan Cape, 32 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: being active, doing dares, animal antics
 
Content: Lots of humour

Does Duck dazzle as much as the peacock? Does he dawdle like the tortoise, or does he dash like the hare? No? Well, what does Duck do? Does Duck . . . dare?

Nayuleska's thoughts
This book made me smile a lot. Just when I got into the sequence of there being a question of what the duck did followed by who did the action there was a surprise twist which was clever and funny. I liked how through watching duck readers get to explore what certain animals do/look like/sound like.

The different animal footprints on the inner pages provides fun in figuring out which animal goes with each print (this isn't a suggested activity, just one which said hello to me) I enjoyed the plainish background which changed colour on every page which put the focus on the large illustration of the animals whose actual technique of illustrating varied and seemed to enhance the type of fur/feathers/other coat that they had. I liked the mud flying up with the hare and what happened when they all got together was quite  inventive writing! 

Find out more on both Joyce's website, and Jane's website

Suggested read
For more animal antics which include a dare (sort of...) check out The Great Snortle Hunt by Claire Freedman and Kate Hindley (Children's, Picture book, 8/10E)

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Knightley & Son by Rohan Gavin (Children's, 9 years +, 8/10E)

2nd January 2014,Bloomsbury Children's
336 Pages, Paperback
Review Copy

Contents: Violence, tension, magic
Summary from: Bloomsbury Children's
Meet Knightley and Son - two great detectives for the price of one . . .

Darkus Knightley is not your average thirteen-year-old: ferociously logical, super-smart and with a fondness for tweed, detective work is in his blood. His dad Alan Knightley was London's top private investigator and an expert in crimes too strange for Scotland Yard to handle, but four years ago the unexplained finally caught up with him - and he fell into a mysterious coma. Darkus is determined to follow in his father’s footsteps and find out what really happened. But when Alan suddenly wakes up, his memory is wonky and he needs help. The game is afoot for Knightley & Son - with a mystery that gets weirder by the minute, a bestselling book that makes its readers commit terrible crimes, and a sinister organisation known as the Combination . . .

A funny, warm, fantastical crime caper with an unlikely hero and a brilliant comic cast, perfect for fans of Sherlock and criminally good storytelling.

The Mole's Review 

I was not impressed with the character of Darkus or his father, Alan, for that matter. They both had a two dimensional arrogance although Darkus ironically also demonstrated naivety at the same time which seems somewhat contradictory. Tilly has to be my favourite character in this book. While being intellectually on a par with Alan and Darkus she has a pivotal role in the story. She manages to have all the characterisation missing from the other 2 and brings a great deal to the story.

Then there's Uncle Bill who's no-one's uncle but once again has more than enough characterisation for one.

Overall I really loved this book although scenes in the tunnels did seem to try to contain too much detail and I felt a far simpler approach could have been adopted - I almost felt that I had to sketch it on paper to follow the detail. The best approach is to just carry on and follow what happens to who and when and not worry about the geography.

Aimed at the 9-11 year old readers this one will certainly appeal although it's title, sadly, may put girls off despite Tilly's role - which is not an insignificant one.

Suggested read from Nayu
For more excitement why not try Ministry of Pandemonium by Chris Westwood (Children's, 10 years +, 9/10E) 

Tuesday 22 April 2014

Blog Tour: Wonder Light by R R Russell Review + Q&A (Children's, 9 years +, 9/10E)

 
 January 2014, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 320 pages, Paperback Ebook, Review copy (PDF)

Themes: adventure, false accusations, secrets, unicorns, ponies, getting away from it all, friendship, hot chocolate with cream, love, war
 
Content: some humour, moderate to major peril, tissues needed

Summary from Sourcebooks
Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.

Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for “troubled” girls on a misty, haunted island, Twig is about to discover the impossible — someone who needs her.

Jolted awake from a bad dream, Twig follows the desperate whinny of a terrified horse out to the stables. There in the straw is a bleating little scrap of moonbeam. A silver-white filly with cloven hooves and a tiny, spiraling horn.

A baby unicorn.

Now Twig knows what secret is hiding in the island’s mist: the last free unicorn herd. And a mysterious boy named Ben who insists that this impossible creature is now Twig’s to care for. 

That she needs Twig’s love and protection. Because there’s something out there in the deep, dense shadows that’s hunting for them…
 
Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.
Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for “troubled” girls on a misty, haunted island, Twig is about to discover the impossible — someone who needs her.
Jolted awake from a bad dream, Twig follows the desperate whinny of a terrified horse out to the stables. There in the straw is a bleating little scrap of moonbeam. A silver-white filly with cloven hooves and a tiny, spiraling horn.
A baby unicorn.
Now Twig knows what secret is hiding in the island’s mist: the last free unicorn herd. And a mysterious boy named Ben who insists that this impossible creature is now Twig’s to care for. That she needs Twig’s love and protection. Because there’s something out there in the deep, dense shadows that’s hunting for them…
- See more at: http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/wonder-light.html#sthash.w7ZbdfyT.dpuf
Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.
Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for “troubled” girls on a misty, haunted island, Twig is about to discover the impossible — someone who needs her.
Jolted awake from a bad dream, Twig follows the desperate whinny of a terrified horse out to the stables. There in the straw is a bleating little scrap of moonbeam. A silver-white filly with cloven hooves and a tiny, spiraling horn.
A baby unicorn.
Now Twig knows what secret is hiding in the island’s mist: the last free unicorn herd. And a mysterious boy named Ben who insists that this impossible creature is now Twig’s to care for. That she needs Twig’s love and protection. Because there’s something out there in the deep, dense shadows that’s hunting for them…
- See more at: http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/wonder-light.html#sthash.w7ZbdfyT.dpuf
Nayuleska's thoughts
The only reason Twig's story doesn't get full marks is because there was a bit too much of a dark undertone to the story. When I think unicorns I think gentle, lovable creatures, not ones who can turnwild and have a taste for killing. Those parts of the book were gruesome and extremely scary. The softer side of unicorns does get some page time - I was captivated by how much Wild/Wonder Light trusts and loves Twig. She is exactly what Twig needed at a time when her family life was wrecked. Through her 4 legged charge Twig regains courage and confidence within herself, she starts becoming someone others want to know. She makes mistakes and gets punished for them in her temporary new home with sumptuous food and delicious hot chocolate with cream.

It was frustrating in a good way that Twig's alleged reason for being sent away was revealed a snippet at a time. I wanted to know what she did from the start, and got more into the story the madder I got about not knowing. The relationships that Twig develops with Mr and Mrs Murley is touching, as is her friendship with little Casey which made me go aww in several places, and laugh a lot when Casey had to lie for Twig and the lie was inventive!

I hope that later books touch more on what life was like for Twig when she was with her mother, as it's an intriguing part of her life. At the moment I'm honestly not sure I will read any further books, as I feel life is going to get darker rather than lighter for Twig, and although there are odd moments of humour there aren't enough to balance out the dark side of the novel which is too much for me at the moment. That was how I felt at the end of book one, but I forgot the dark parts and happily read book 2 which is ACE & is being reviewed here as part of a blog tour on May 12th! So do check it out. 

You can find out more on R R Russell's website.

Suggested read
For more stories about a girl who raises a pony from a foal check out Katy's Wild Foal by Victoria Eveleigh (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)


Questions & Answers with R R Russell!  
 
Nabbed from R R Russell's website
It is with great pleasure that I can present the Q&A I did with R R Russell which gives a little more insight about Wonder Light and glorious hot chocolate! Thank you R R for creating such a fun series which I'm sure many will enjoy.


Nayu 1) I have a preconceived idea of unicorns as being loving, gentle creatures. Wonder Light explores the possibility that they aren't exactly like that - can you tell us about your decision to write about them in such a way?  

R R Russell: Well, for one thing, what’s an adventure story without danger? Howling creatures lurking in the woods! Battle! But on a more serious note, I wanted this book to be more than just a fun book about unicorns. I enjoyed exploring the capacity for change in my characters—change for the better as well as change for the worse. I felt that Twig could really learn something about herself as she discovered how the violent herd on Lonehorn Island had changed, and as she dared to hope that even they could become the beautiful creatures they were meant to be again. The herd’s story is one of the parallel stories of redemption in Wonder Light. 

Nayu 2) Twig and the rest of the gang aren't exactly 100% balanced teens. What gave you the idea to create the island retreat as a place filled with love and hard work? 

Twig’s character and the idea of an isolated island—with the last herd of wild unicorns—came to me before the ranch and the foster family, the Murleys. I soon realized that Twig needed people who she learned to love, people she’d be driven to protect. The Murleys, the ponies, and the girls of Island Ranch were just what Twig needed. 

Nayu (possibly the most important question of them all!) 3) As a hot chocolate fan I have to ask - is the hot chocolate with cream based on a specific type in real life? I kept waiting to see it appear in Twig's life after she first has it!  

R R Russell Yes! All you need for delicious homemade hot chocolate is hot milk, baking cocoa, and sugar. You can also add a drop of mint, orange, or raspberry flavoring. My kids are hot chocolate connoisseurs. They’ve created all kinds of yummy concoctions. Of course, they always top theirs with whipped cream. Sometimes they add peppermint marshmallows instead of sprinkles. 

Nayu 4) Any hints as to what's in store for book 2, due out in May (with a review and stop on your tour here on NRC!)  

R R Russell: Adventure, treachery, secrets, and giant swamp lizards! Here’s a link to a sneak peek

Nayu 5) Is there any particular food/drink you like to have when working on a novel? 

R R Russell COFFEE! And M&M’s. Pretzel M&M’s, coconut M&M’s, mint M&M’s, orange M&m’s…do you think they’re looking for a spokesperson? Nayu: Probably not, but I wish they did for Lindt!! Never tried all those M&M's flavours, sound delicious!