Saturday 30 August 2014

Blog Tour: My Tethered Soul by Dorothy Dreyer (Young Adult, 9/10E, semi short 'n' sweet review)




17th August 2014, Month9Books, 272 pages, Ebook, Review copy 

Book Blurb
It’s been months since Zadie faced her sister’s Reaper, months during which she’s been under her mentor’s magical protection. But now that she’s turning seventeen, that protection is about to run out.

When dark forces lure Zadie to wander at night, she’s manipulated into committing unspeakable acts. With her friends and family at risk, Zadie must try to use her powers to break free from the Reaper’s grasp, or surrender to the Reaper’s Rite, which can only lead to death.

Nayu's thoughts
It's here! Dorothy's second book is here!!!! Whoohoo! Er yes, I was excited to be able to take part in this tour. I know Dorothy through Twitter *waves hi*, & her first book, My Sister's Reaper had me wanting to know what happens next in Zadie's life. 

The reason for the grade is, I think, more a me thing. I don't think I was quite in the mood for the book when I started to read it. I knew Zadie from book 1, so it was like returning to visit an old friend, but initially I wasn't 100% hooked. However, that changed as soon as things started to happen. I mean, being covered in mud knowing nothing about it is more than a bit odd. Trust me when I say it gets much scarier, and had me unable to put the book down. (It's such a good thing when I read I usually have a few hours free to read uninterrupted). It was a shame that her wanderings couldn't have been to an ice cream palour or a milkshake bar, since mud is very icky. (Yes I really think that.)

I was terrified what Zadie would be forced to do. I loved the way Mara and Gavin protected her (it doesn't always work...). Yes, I liked watching Zadie learn more magic, and the Reaper be scary, but, what I loved most of all was the sense of family. Zadie and Mara shared the ups and downs that all sisters do. I whooped loads when something wonderful happened to Mara. She totally deserved it, and seeing it happen added another dimension to the story as well as simply making me smile. I understood why Mara found it so hard to visit their mother, and the mixed emotions which Zadie felt about the whole situation. There were times when I seriously thought things were Very Bad and that a happy was impossible. It was a bittersweet one, that's for sure, and a must read for anyone's bookshelf. 

Find out more on Dorothy's website. Here's a little bit of info about her too.
Dorothy Dreyer has always believed in magic. She loves reading, writing, movies, and spending time with her family and friends. Half-American and half-Filipino, Dorothy lives in Germany with her husband and two children.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Suggested read
This is an obvious suggestion, read My Sister's Reaper (Young Adult, 10/10E) to see where it all began for Zadie.


Competition

Grab the chance to win a copy of Dorothy's book in the giveaway run by the tour organisers. Here are the important details; 

Winner will be drawn September 13, 2014
  •   Four (4) winners will receive a digital copy of My Tethered Soul by Dorothy Dreyer (INT)
  •  One (1) winner will receive a digital copy of My Tethered Soul by Dorothy Dreyer AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)

Just enter below! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday 29 August 2014

Nayu's News #141: Inspired Muse

Yo!
It's the weekend - whoohoo! I'm putting this up in advance because I need to take my pain treatment of Ketamine tonight. I think it's been about 7 weeks since the last dose, which is the longest I've gone without it this year. Come back wonderful heat wave! So tomorrow will probably be spent baking cupcakes to get rid of excess energy,
Cupcake time!
  scheduling up a whole load of reviews
 (less energetic way to get rid of my hyperactivity, which can be productive),
'I love this book because...'
  and reading.
Lost in a book (or 3...)
  Or something else. It always makes me antsy, but it's worth having the edge taken of the pain. Plus I don't have to do it in hospital any more! Yay!!! 
Home is far more comfy, involves no travelling (so less tiring)...and doesn't look like this, but is an option I only dreamed off a year or so ago.

Anyway, last weekend was awesome. It was super long due to a national holiday on the Monday, and me taking Thursday & Friday off work because I was going to stay over at a friend's. 
Me being brave
It involved going on the evil Motorway, something I don't enjoy, but was better than 2+ hours on the backroads, which is my preferred way of travelling. Given that my journey with 2 stops was 2hrs, the backroads would have taken 3-4 hours...

I had loads of fun with my friend! We chatted a lot about books, 
We discussed children's books, young adult, new adult, favourites, ones we'd like to try...
played with her cute bunnies
Mine are of the stuffed variety..

...my friend has live ones!
I even taught her to crochet!
Remove one girl, switch the knitting for crochet & you have an accurate pic!
It's so fun doing craft with a friend!
I've never taught anyone before, so it was a learning experience for me...especially when I realised I'd been missing out a crucial step! By the time I left she'd made 2 small squares which may not have been exactly square in shape but they were a great effort for a beginning. Hopefully she will stay hooked! She's already going to make her friends crochet bracelets as presents (using beads). Yay! I love encouraging craft. 

Sleepy Nayu...
Being social, the long drive and staying 1 night was tiring, so I did rest well once I returned. The reason for this post's title is that ever since I stayed with my friend, Muse has been energised to the nth degree. 
Time to write! Let's write! Squeeee!
She is bouncing off the walls, compared to her usual quiet sulky self who communicates with a lot of glaring and poking.
Whatever her mood, Muse is always cute!
By watching Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream, 
Scenes of Rhythm performing Prism Jump Macaroon Spin
Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live, 
Otoha isn't as shy as she looks
Aikatsu, 
Top Idol Mizuki being Mizuki, showin her pretty aura
 and only just being aired Puri Para (or however you spell it. Pri Para doesn't like correct to m because the Japanese prounciation of Pri is Puri) 
Lala is wearing a Wonderland outfit!
Muse & I are editing my wip full of energy. We've made it past page 3 & 5 (something which I never thought would happen). I'm cutting a fair bit out, adding some new material in. It's all fine tuning which is super fun as Muse reveals layers to the story which I hadn't known were there. 
I didn't know that!!

Today I haven't written at all, despite it being my day off. Wednesdays are a time to rest for me, so that's what I've been doing. I read all morning (3 books in total) 
Reading. Don't disturb me.
I meant to watch anime after lunch, but simply had to finish the book I'd started.
Just a few more pages....
Then I watched anime! Puri Para is my current favourite - sadly there aren't heaps of episodes out yet, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it! 
Lala gets cute outfits!
Lala is full of energy and inspiring all who see her, including me, to keep striving to the top! I will be a published writer one day! I will have my name on the front cover of books that will be in your hands!!!! 
Muse hates me telling her to stop getting me carried away!
 *Ahem* Muse makes me get carried away, honest! 

Once I've finished this post and helped with dishes I'll be rewatching some Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream & Aikatsu! Hope you enjoy your weekend, whatever you end up doing.

Thursday 28 August 2014

Cardcaptor Sakura anime entire series (Magical Girl, 10/10E, semi short 'n' sweet review)

Sakura transformed with Kero
I have far too few anime reviews on this blog. I aim to change that over the next few months! Those of you who know me relatively well online know how passionate (try obsessed) I am with anime, especially ones which are mega cute. After several years I've finally finished Cardcaptor Sakura! The end wasn't quite a let down, as I'd read ahead to see if I could handle the conclusion. It misses gaining the magical 'e' ranking simply because with some of the difficulties Sakura faced earlier in the series, the end battles were hard but not as super scary as I'd expected them to be. The reason I'd held off from continuing watching it was due to the odd dark episode which I didn't like at all. So, if you don't like scary things don't fear, Cardcaptor Sakura is safe! 


For those of you who like collectors editions, here are the covers of mine. 
So cute!

Also so cute!!
The only reason I've got it is because Amazon France has an amazing anime collection, which so happened to be special edition for these dvds. I don't care about what a cover looks like, but I do think they are pretty. I could have Japanese (with French subs), but because I mostly watch anime when I'm tired I stuck with the French version which has a few name variations but they didn't matter at all. 

Small tangent coming up!
For new blog readers, I can understand 90-95% of French, so it's like watching English, only cooler because English can be dull compared to other languages. (Totally all my opinion). Japanese is uber cool, but I don't know it as well, and it's harder work on my brain than French.

Back to the subject of this post...
Oh, I guess you need a bit of info about what Sakura is about....here's some info from CCS Wikia  (all credit to them)

Cardcaptor Sakura was adapted into an anime television series by the animation studio Madhouse.[1] The manga creators, CLAMP, were fully involved in the project, with head writer Nanase ÅŒkawa writing and composing the series' screenplay and Mokona Apapa overseeing the costumes and card designs.

Directed by Morio Asaka, the series premiered on NHK on April 7, 1998 where it ran for seventy episodes until its conclusion on March 21, 2000. The series was also aired across Japan by the anime satellite television network, Animax, who later broadcast the series across its respective networks worldwide. The series also has two movies.

The series focuses on eleven-year old Sakura Kinomoto, a fourth grade elementary school student who discovers that she possesses exceptionally strong magical powers after accidentally freeing a set of fifty-two Cards' from a magic book in which they had been sealed for years. She is tasked with retrieving those cards in order to avoid an unknown catastrophe from befalling the world and is thus chosen by Keroberos as the Cardcaptor. 

Reasons why I love Sakura: I love her magical girl transformations, they are a huge reason for loving the show. Each episode has a different outfit - more details below - but that in itself is super squee! 
Like this one!
I adore the different 'magic' power she gained from each card - how she has to figure out which card/s to use to 'beat' another.
Cards can look like this (I don't think this is a fan art one...)
 I also love the sweet relationship she has with her brother, who knows way more than he lets on. The way they annoyed each other was funny. 
Siblings!

The whole background story of collecting the cards is important...but I really loved Sakura's mega rich friend who is called Tiffany in the French version. 
She spends a lot of time looking like this
 Her mother is so powerful that she has to have her own bodyguards...although they either ignore the adventures she goes on with Sakura or simply aren't there because Tiffany gets put in danger but they don't appear.  She has the best technology...which now looks dated but then was top of the range. 
Tiffany searching for something
She is totally into Sakura, and creates exquisite outfits for Sakura to wear when off on her adventures. A video camera is never far from Tiffany's hands as she likes to capture the action to treasure forever (and gets quite upset when she misses out on doing just that). 
See? It's literally in her hand!
As Sakura's close friend Tiffany features in pretty much all of the episodes, which kept me happy. 

There's heaps more to say about the other characters, both her family, friends & enemies,  who provide a mild romance interest, lots more laughs, mystery, danger etc but I need to go, so hopefully I'll chat more about this series another time. Enter the title into any search engine and you'll get more than enough information about it. I'd like to collect all the manga one day, and see how different it is to the anime. I'm wary of watching the 2nd movie as the 1st movie proved too scary for me to watch again. 

editions of the movies which I've got
Sakura & Tiffany having fun - I can't remember if this is fan art or not. Either way it's cute!

So go, check out this super fun anime! You won't be disappointed!
That's a Nayu promise!

Wednesday 27 August 2014

A Knight's Tale #1 Getting By by Claudia Burgoa (New Adult, 8/10E, semi short 'n' sweet review)

February 2014, Createspace, 306 pages, Ebook, Review copy

Summary from Claudia's website
When Emma Anderson arrived at San Francisco International Airport, she regretted accepting the distinction of being the maid of honor to Gaby’s—her childhood friend—wedding. It had been years since the last time she set foot in Menlo Park, where her parents had been killed. The rug where she had been shoving her feelings since that day looked bumpier than a camel’s hump. Who could blame her; if she hadn’t been selfish they’d still be around. Ever since that fateful day, Emma has been perfecting the knack of Getting By.
Cade’s wedding in Menlo Park—a city close to San Francisco—might be the perfect place for Jake Knight to shake the memories of his ex, Emma Anderson for good. Single, available women galore for an entire week was the perfect medication, one he intended to take three times a day for an entire week to return to his player days. It was a plan the former spy thought flawless until he came face to face with the maid of honor. Jake’s perfect retreat turns into a flight, fight or hide week of celebrations.
Nayu's thoughts
I'm still relatively new to the New Adult genre, but Claudia has created an interesting series. From the summary alone I was pretty hooked. Emma has some severe emotional baggage, which combined with what ends up being more dangerous than she expected pre-wedding events kept me turning the pages as fast as I could read them. The humour was always well timed, taking the edge off a few seriously nasty moments where I found breathing a bit tricky. I'm a huge fan of books with family values at their heart, which earns Emma's story a place on my shelf.

Now, you may be wondering about the grade. I think it might have been more a case of what mood I was in when I read the book, rather than there actually being anything 'bad'. I did get a bit frustrated at how poor the communication between some of the characters was, but again I think that was more me than the book itself.
Find out more (including info on A Knight's Tale #2!!!) on Claudia's website.

Suggested read
One of my favourite New Adult reads is If I Forget You by Michelle Davidson Argylle (New Adult, 10E/10E)

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Blog Tour: Review of Viva Alice! by Judi Curtin + Q&A (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)


The cover has a holiday feel to it, don't you think?
August 2014, O'Brien Press, 240 pages, Paperback, Review copy
 
Themes: friendship, school holidays, going abroad, adventure, mild crush,
 
Content: mild teen romance, oodles of hilarity
 
Summary from The O'Brien Press
Alice and Megan go to Lanzarote with Grace, for some fun in the sun. But life's never simple when Alice is around, and now she wants to fix Grace’s brother’s love life! Alice's schemes seem crazy, but sometimes she really can sort things out. Maybe Megan just needs to trust her best friend – even if it means helping mean girl, Melissa ...
Nayu here: there is a blurb with more description on the website which gives away some of the story, which is why I opted for the shorter one
 
Nayu's thoughts
Alice is a certified lunatic, but I love her to bits. My younger self was definitely more like quiet Meghan, and Grace is well, Grace! I was impressed with Alice's gung-ho attitude, and a little wary of what the consequences of her idea of fun will be. This is the first time I've met her and her friends, and it's not going to be the last. I always dreamed of going on holiday abroad with friends when I was younger - it never happened, which is perhaps why I was so captivated with Alice's eventful trip. 
 
Initially the trip wasn't involving all three of them, but with some careful manipulation by characters who shall remain nameless the friends ended up having quite an adventure both in and out of the pool. They might want to forget the memorable night where they camped together outside, as it first made me laugh then sober up & feel really sorry for the predicament they find themselves in. It felt like they couldn't avoid being in major trouble, but Judi made sure they had a way out. Phew!
 
 I loved how their holiday plans didn't necessarily go as hoped, but there was still fun to be had, and they all learnt something valuable to take home with them. What surprised me most of all was what I like to call the second main plot involving the resident mean girl, Melissa. I was more shocked than the camp out scenario, and could see the conflicting thoughts all three friends had regarding the Melissa situation. The end was more than satisfactory for me!
 
Find out more on Judi's website.
 
Suggested read
For more holiday fun which I honestly had forgotten was written by Judi is Eva's Holiday (Children's, 10 years +, 10E/10E) 
 
 
Question and Answer session with Judi!
 
The lovely Judi!
It is with great pleasure that I was able to ask Judi a few questions about Viva Alice - including that memorable night which I won't spoil for you. Thank you Judi for answering them, and for writing such an exciting read! It goes to show you don't have to read a series from book 1 to enjoy it ^o^
 
Nayu Q1: This 8th book is the first in the series which I've read and I'm totally hooked. Alice is decidedly bonkers. Can you say who she is based on? 
 
Judi: Oh, dear, poor Alice! She might be a bit bonkers, but she’s also very kind and well-intentioned. She’s not based on anyone real, but as I was a timid child (like Megan), I always dreamed of a brave, fun friend like Alice. She’s the imaginary friend I never had.

Nayu Q2: Friends going on holiday together seems the ultimate trip: was there something you wanted the girls to experience that couldn't happen if they'd been at home? 
 
Judi: The story could easily have taken place in Ireland, but I love sending my characters abroad. Conveniently, in an earlier book, I’d given Grace a summer house in Lanzarote, so it was easy to send the girls there.

Nayu Q3: Is any part of that fateful night on a balcony true? If yes, which part? (oops - tiny spoiler here!)
 
Judi: It was inspired by a story someone told me a long time ago, but the person who told me definitely does not want a writing credit, so I can’t go into any more detail!

Nayu Q4: My word is pretty much all I can say about the Melissa situation. Poor Megan. I can see this happening in reality-is that why you included it in the story, to show readers forgiving your enemy is hard but sometimes necessary? 
 
Judi: Forgiveness is generally a good idea, I think. When my children were small, if they were being picked on by someone, I always told them that bullying says a lot about the bully, but absolutely nothing about you.

Nayu Q5: Where is your favourite place to write? Do you have a favourite food and drink to get those words out? 
 
Judi: I write in a corner of my kitchen/living room. Not very exciting, I’m afraid. I snack on green tea and almonds, so not really a rock and roll lifestyle.

Monday 25 August 2014

What are YOU reading? #232



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


Read

The Phoenix Presents: How To Make Awesome Comics by Neill Cameron
Children's, Non-Fiction
10/10E
(Great tips for comic making as well as a few story tips for writers too!)





Angela Nicely Superstar! by Alan MacDonald and David Roberts
Children's, 5 years +
10E/10E
(Angela has to find a talent, goes on a nature trail and plays football-just not all at once!)





Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? By Liz Kessler
Children's, 9 years +
10E/10E
(Jess's life changes mostly for the better when she becomes invisible, although she ends up in a lot of scary situations too!)





The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan
Food Fiction
9/10E
(Another fascinating read from Jenny about a chocolate shop in Paris and how it changes two women's lives...)





Going Home by Cliff McNish
Children's, 7 years +
10E/10E
(I may prefer cats but his tale from the animals' point of view made me cry and smile...a lot!)





Frankie Dupont and the Mystery of Enderby Manor by Julie Anne Grasso
Children's, 9 years +
9/10E
(A charming sleuthing story...)





The River Singers by Tom Moorhouse
Children's, 9 years +
10E/10E
(Must be read with tissues in hand, especially if you love animals!)








Watched


Cardcaptor Sakura:  Season 2
Anime, Japanese
10E/10E
(I finished it! Taken a few years but we won't go into that. It ended up being not as dark as expected, and it a rather sweet!)





Princess Sara (A Little Princess)
REWATCH! - Anime, French
10E/10E
(Poor Sara feels alone when all the other girls go on holiday – even Becky gets sent away for the next episode...)





Holby City
Drama, English
9/10E
(A really good episode if you were me [poor Jac was misunderstood. She is not as cold as she seems], although a friend thought it was ok...)





Casualty
Drama, English
6/10E
(I'm being generous...yet another episode I wasn't fond of.)





Once Upon A Time:  Season 1 & 2
English
10/10E
(The story is coming along in leaps and bounds. I love all the layers, I don't like the scary beast in season 2, but I've been told it doesn't appear very much. Phew! I'm not sure if I'd watch it again, but I'm fully enjoying it this time around!)





Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese
10E/10E
(Very excited as tonight I'll be watching the episode where Mion appears! Yay!)





Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese
10E/10E
(Still at the stage where Beru is an antagonist, but I love her because of it.)





Puri Para/Pri Para
Anime, Japanese
10E/10E
(It continues to be AMAZING!!! So lovely and upbeat. *happy sigh*)





Jewelpet Tinkle
Anime, Japanese
10E/10E
(Akari gets another Jewelstar – whoohoo!)










Craft, Games & More
It's been a semi-busy week craft wise I finished one baby blanket and started a blanket for a young girl in my family. It's cute and has girly colours; lots of pink & purple!

I've been branching out with my gaming this week. As well as the 3 10E/10E regulars...




Ice Age Village 
My Little Pony 
Littlest Pet Shop 





....I've been getting back into Diner Dash Deluxe for Kindle! I'm proud to say you don't need to use boosts to clear each level or get expert score in this 10E/10E game. I refuse to use them as I'm not fond on them in this particular version. Once I get started, I have to keep going until I finish the levels. I'm cutting back on gaming for a little while as it means I've read less, which although is fun doesn't get review books read. So limited time only for gaming! Otherwise I can spend hours on it ^o^