Monday Meme

Each week I will showcase a manga volume that I have read & loved. I'll do a little mini review or more likely I will babble on incoherently (can you babble incoherently on a computer?) & you will have to fish through for things that make sense.

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Title: Uwasa no Midori-Kun うわさの翠くん
Author: Ikeyamada Go
Artist: Ikeyamada Go

Yamate Midori is a 15 year-old girl and is very much a tomboy. One day Midori meets a boy called Hino Tsukasa, who came to the island she lives on for a holiday. He teaches her to play soccer and she falls in love with the sport. Midori is inspired by Tsukasa and continues to play soccer in hopes that they would meet again someday. When they do meet again Tsukasa loses her trust by doing something unforgivable. Determined to defeat Tsukasa on the soccer field Midori enrolls in an all boy high school.

This is my all time favourite (FAVOURITE) ever manga. I've probably said that about a lot of manga's I've read haha, but this time I mean it. This manga is so awesome it makes me want to play football (or soccer if you're american) and I hate football (mainly all sports in general because I suck at them). 

When I started reading this all I could think was SKIP BEAT SKIP BEAT THIS IS SKIP BEAT. Which is awesome because they aren't making any more of the anime and I'm lost without it :( They're really similar (in a good way) because they share the whole woman scorned vibe. Both manga's are about the main characters trying to get revenge on the men that have broken their hearts.

In this manga said man is more of a love interest for Midori (OH TSUKASA) which is totally fine with me. There is another love interest (also fine) and I like how Midori handles both of the guys - she seems to be very confused about them both but it's not one of those (very very annoying) story lines where she's constantly jumping back and forth between them. 

I love that the football is a big part of the manga as well. Often I'll find that something that's meant to be a big part of the story slowly disappears after the beginning or it takes up too much of the story making it difficult to read. Not in this case. The balance between football and romance is perfect! They both work well together and the football really adds that something extra to the manga.

Ikeyamada not only got the football and romance right but the main character too. Midori is HILARIOUS. She reminds me so much of one of my best friends - often Midori is told off for walking around her house (and later dorm room) naked & when ever I call for my friend in the morning she always answers the door buttoning up her top because 'I came too early and no one was around so it was OK...'

Honestly, you have to read this manga. If not for the football then for the guys & if not for the guys (ARE YOU CRAZY?!) then for the sheer comedy - there is a laugh guaranteed in every volume.  

Hope you enjoyed this post :) Let me know if you've read this manga or if you're interested in reading it - you can find all volumes on Manga Fox!

Friday Hops

I just want to start off this post by saying a really big sorry!!! I kind of just disappeared from the internet for a while without saying anything, but I'm back now, kind of(i'll explain in a minute). I've been a bit ill recently so that meant no technology for me, it was horrible. Blogging withdrawal symptoms are not nice, but I'm better now so I'll be blogging again! 

However, Tuesday I'm going on holiday to America for three weeks. I'll try to make as many posts as possible but there probably won't be many of them because I really don't think my dad will appreciate it if I'm glued to a computer screen at every chance I get haha....

I hope you can bear with me and keep following, I promise I'll be blogging constantly ASAP! 

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Q: Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?

YES. This is me all over. I do it with everything really, music, food. It's sad to say my emotions rule me. 

When I'm sad I always always always read Kate Le Vann books. Maybe I should read happier books to bring my mood back up (theory of the four humours anyone?) but I don't. I think I just like to let myself wallow in self pity for a while & Kate Le Vann is perfect for that!

Also every song on the Vampire Diaries soundtrack and chocolate, lots of chocolate. This is my sad recipe, guaranteed to get all the crying out the way.

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I'm trying to think of books I pick up when I'm happy (which I like to think is most of the time) but I can't really say there's anything particular I read. I could read something really depressing and it wouldn't get me down. I do listen to loads of happy music though, mainly Jack Johnson just to keep me in that feel good mood :)

So, what about you guys?? Do your moods dictate what you read? I'd love to know! Sorry again for my little hiatus :( 

Waiting on Wednesday (Two)

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13 by Kelley Armstrong

July 26th 2012

War is coming to the Otherworld. A sinister cult known as The Supernatural Liberation Movement is hell-bent on exposing the truth about supernaturals to the rest of the world. Their violent, ruthless plan has put everyone at risk: from werewolves to vampires, from witches to half-demons.Savannah Levine – fiery and unpredictable – stands at the heart of the maelstrom. There is a new, dark magic inside her, granting her the power to summon spells of terrifying strength. But whether this magic is a gift or a curse, no one knows.On the eve of battle, all the major players must come together in a last, desperate fight for survival – Elena and Clay; Adam and Savannah; Paige and Lucas; Jeremy and Jaime; Hope, Eve and more… They are fighting for lives. They are fighting for their loved ones.

They are fighting for the Otherworld.

OMG!!! It's like the Avengers all over again. I'M SO EXCITED. Women of the Otherworld is my favourite series EVER. I'm so sad it's ending but I can't wait to read this - ALL OF THE CHARACTERS TOGETHER. JOINING FORCES. It really is the paranormal version of the Avengers which is pretty damn cool. Only 8 days!!! 

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The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

August 7th 2012

Emma Bannon, Prime sorceress in the service of the Empire, has a mission: to protect Archibald Clare, a failed, unregistered mentath. His skills of deduction are legendary, and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. It doesn’t much help that they dislike each other, or that Bannon’s Shield, Mikal, might just be a traitor himself. Or that the conspiracy killing registered mentaths and sorcerers alike will just as likely kill them as seduce them into treachery toward their Queen. In an alternate London where illogical magic has turned the Industrial Revolution on its head, Bannon and Clare now face hostility, treason, cannon fire, black sorcery, and the problem of reliably finding hansom cabs.
The game is afoot…

First of all Lilith Saintcrow IS AWESOME. (Strange Angels anybody?) As soon as I saw her name at the bottom of this really cool cover I got really happy! Alternative history books set in the 19th century are something I've always loved - I've always wanted to publish a book in that world so I love everything Victorian. I don't think this will be an exception - it's got that Parasol Protectorate/Sherlock Holmes feel which is a perfect combination!! 

Both of these books are published by Orbit & I just have to say - they have very good taste. Let me know what you guys are waiting on in the comments! Are you excited for these too, or have you never heard of them before? 

Monday meme

I saw this meme over at Alison Can Read  and I got really excited, because I love memes & I especially love manga. Seriously, if I thought about what I really do on the internet all day (since I am practically on it all day - it's been REALLY rainy this year so I have an excuse) a bit fat section of it would be dedicated to mangafox.me & manga.animea.net. So now that I've found this meme, you guys are going to have to put up with all my fan girling, yay!

Anyway, I forgot to explain the meme to you *oops* - basically each week I will be showcasing a manga volume that I have read & loved. I'll do a little mini review or more likely I will babble on incoherently (can you babble incoherently on a computer?) & you will have to fish through for things that make sense. Manga is my weakness - especially the guys.

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Title: Black Bird ブラックバード; 黑鸟恋人
Author: Sakurakouji Kanoko
Artist: Sakurakouji Kanoko

There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person and she want nothing to do with magical realms. She just want a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. All that changes on day when Misao is attacked by a demon. her childhood friend Kyo suddenly returns to save her and tend to-her cuts with his tongue! It turns out Misao is the Bride of Prophecy whose blood gives power to the demon clan who claims her. But most demons want to keep her power for themselves- by eating her! now Misao is just trying to stay alive... and decide if she likes it when Kyo licks her wounds.

Okay, first off, if you're already interested in this (who wouldn't be, the summary is kickass!) but you don't like smut, do not read this book!!! It's pretty damn smutty. I wouldn't class it as an adult manga, because (as far as I've read up to) they don't go further than heavy making out which is common in most YA books, but it's kind of different when you're looking at images of it as opposed to reading about it.

Moving on to the incoherent babbling...

THIS MANGA WAS JUST HFUSHIJKHGYREUJSHFKJ. Originally I read this on Manga Fox but, it was so awesome that I had to buy it. I stopped at 4 volumes though & I've gone back to reading them online because there are now 14 volumes, each volume is £7.99 from Waterstones, I'm too lazy to do the math but, you get what I'm saying right? It's an expensive addiction...

And it is an addiction. I couldn't stop reading them. Speaking about manga generally for a minute - the main characters never annoy me. Even when they're whiny. I think because manga is such an over the top, dramatic thing, it never bothers me that the characters are over the top too. Misao wasn't really that OTT though, so I liked her even more. Plus she has the prettiest name ever. I also like the fact that she's independent too. Yes, she does get saved all the time (it's manga what do you expect?) but she does try to get out of situations herself & she's capable of doing most things on her own. I don't know though, if I were her, I may just be tempted to 'accidently' trip now again so that Kyo could rescue me ;)

Oh Kyo. Kyo, Kyo, Kyo...Why aren't you real? He has to be one of my favourite manga guys of all time. Not only is he gorgeous (is that weird to say that?) but he can FLY. AND AND AND he has magical spit. Which sounds gross but it's so hot. Trust me.

Anyway, enough Kyo talk, it's getting a little hot in here. I'll explain the storyline a bit more for you guys :) Basically, Misao is a normal high school girl, apart from the fact that she can see all the demons & monsters in the world & oh yeah, she's the bride of a demon prophecy and it just so happens that if said demons drink her blood they get awesome powers & if they decide to eat her flesh (as you do) then they get immortality. Enter Kyo. Her old friend who left when she was young. It turns out *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* that he was always the weakest of his demon bird clan & he left so that he could be strong & protect Misao and also claim her as his bride.

The Manga's mostly about Misao & Kyo trying to get rid of all these enemy demons (kind of like the Dark Swan series by Richelle Mead) & also Misao trying to come to terms & accept that she loves Kyo and he loves her. It's so sweet :}

If you love manga or if you don't (WHY?) either way you should check this one out. It might be another read to add to your shelf or the manga book that starts your addiction. Don't worry - it's a totally healthy addiction!

Hope you enjoyed this post :) Let me know if you've read this manga or if you're interested in reading it - you can find all volumes on Manga Fox!

Review - Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster
Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: CreateSpace 
Pages: 344
Source: Bought 

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

I really wanted to like this book. I tried to like it, but I just couldn't. Which was really disappointing because I've been into contemporary lately & this sounded amazing. Especially Travis ;)  Unfortunately there was just too many things wrong with it.

The writing style was okay, there's not really a lot I want to say about it because I didn't really pay attention to it, so it wasn't spectacular, but not terrible either.

It was mainly the characters that let this book down. They annoyed the hell out of me -__- Abby Abernathy was whiny & spoilt. Seriously, I know authors want to make their characters realistic but we aren't all whiny & spoilt, & not all the time. I just felt like smacking her round the head for most of the book. It was like she had NO MORALS. You would think that when she got a boyfriend that she would stop sleeping in Travis' bed. But no, she doesn't, because she NEVER backs of a bet. Then she complains that there are rumours that she's sleeping with both of them. SERIOUSLY? Her stupidity amazes me.

Not only was Abby annoying though, but Travis too. I felt really sorry for him in the beginning because of the way Abby was treating him but then, he turned all psycho. He took controlling & possessive to a whole new level. To kind of put it into perspective when she sleeps with him & leaves before he wakes up, he goes CRAZY. As in, he trashes his room, throws his stereo, takes a swing at his room mate, knocks his door off its hinges, the list goes on...

On top of all this I thought the story fell through when they went to Vegas. First of all, Abby's whole relationship with her father had not been developed at all. So it was very unrealistic when he popped up out of the blue & begged her for thousands of dollars to pay back a debt to some evil Mafia lord.

They all hop on a plain to Vegas after this and Abby tries to win all of the money at a casino. She turns into some pro and there's loads of people there that are all 'oh lucky 13, can't believe it's you!!!' Again, the fact that her past has not been developed makes it all seem unrealistic and stupid. The whole winning the money back doesn't last long either. She has 2 days to get all the money, but what does she do? She goes to this evil Mafia lord after only 1 day, without the full money, and begs for more time. WHAT THE HELL? ARE YOU COMPLETELY BRAIN DEAD?!

I got so confused at his point.

It all just seemed so rushed. In fact, after this bit, the rest of the book seemed really rushed & the plot was the only thing this book had going.

So overall, I was really disappointed with this book. It wasn't developed enough & the characters were just crazy, but I guess this is what I get for reading all the negative reviews on Goodreads and still buying it :( The only reason I read it till the end is because I liked Finch :}

Review - The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Title: The Luxe
Author: Anna Godbersen
Publisher: HarperCollins 
Pages: 448
Source: Bought 

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn. Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions. White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups. This is Manhattan, 1899. Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future. With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear... In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

Reviewing is hard. There's just so much to cram into a few short paragraphs & it's especially hard when you've never written a review before. So bare with me because the verdict's still out on my reviewing skills! 

I didn't think I'd like this book. There's a little caption on the cover that says it's the 'OC of the 1800's' & I hate those types of programs. I don't like Gossip Girl or the OC, and although I used to be obsessed with 90210 I stopped watching it, because I got really sick and tired of listening to rich people complain about how much money they have. None of their story lines could hold my attention for long & I didn't think it would be any different with this book, but I bought it any way because the cover is gorgeous and I am obsessed with the Victorian period.

Boy, was I wrong about this book!

After the first few lines I was completley hooked, not only is the story line amazing, but the writing style too. I'm starting to think that it's no coincidence that Anna's name has 'God' in it. She is a writing God. Honestly, she's really talented :) I have to say though, even though I was hooked by the beginning, I was still a bit hesitant during it, because it first talks about Elizabeth's death & then goes back in time to show you how it happened. I kind of felt like this was pointless & I didn't really want to invest myself in this character if she was just going to die. 
So............I skipped to the back of the book. I get told off a lot for doing this :( but I couldn't help it! & trust me, without saying too much, it's definatley worth reading :) 

I didn't like all the characters, but I didn't hate them in the way that made me want to throw the book against a wall & never pick it up again. They were just real characters. They had their flaws & that's what made it okay for them to be annoying. Usually I don't like characters because writers make them too perfect & unrealistic. The characters I did like though, well, I really liked. 

This book was like one endless supply of yummy guys. 

But don't let that fool you into thinking there was no plot. Originally I thought most of the story lines were going to be really obvious; when I was reading it I just couldn't stop thinking 'well, we all know what's going to happen now,' but time & time again I was surprised when the story went down another route. The plot was a lot more complex than it I thought it was. 

Honestly, this book (and the rest of the series) was amazing, but if I had to say one little negative thing, it would that the book is told from different characters pov's & sometimes it would be one characters pov for five or six chapters which got a bit boring. Other than that, it was a really good series - well researched & well written. I highly recommend all books :) 

Friday Hops

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Q: Jumping Genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you usually don’t like and LOVE it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place.

I'd like to say that I read books from a wide range of genres but, thinking about it, I don't really. I read anything with fantasy & paranormal in it & occasionally the odd contemporary but that's about it. A couple of months ago, however, my friend lent me a book - she'd been begging me for ages to read it & I'd been putting it off for ages. Now I'm very angry at past me for not reading this book sooner!! 

These are the types of books I usually say 'I'll wait till the film comes out.' I was just never interested in reading them, but this has got to be one of my favourite books ever now, I loved it! 

It was hilarious. 

Seriously, if you haven't already read this book, or ANY of Sophie Kinsella's ( I also recommend I've got your number) then you should. Right now. Even though the plot was very simple it had me laughing on every single page (Kinsella is a comedy genius) & it was nice because it was just an easy read :) I'll definatley be reading more in this genre in future.




Here's a little extract I found on Kinsella's website. Just to show you how awesome this book is:

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Of course I have secrets.

Of course I do. Everyone has a few secrets. It's completely normal. I'm sure I don't have any more than anybody else.

I'm not talking about big, earth-shattering secrets. Not the-president-is-planning-to-bomb-Japan-and-only-Will-Smith-can-save-the-world type secrets. Just normal, everyday little secrets.

Like for example, here are a few random secrets of mine, off the top of my head:

1. My Kate Spade bag is a fake.

2. I love sweet sherry, the least cool drink in the universe.

3. I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.

4. I weigh 9 stone 3. Not 8 stone 3, like my boyfriend Connor thinks. (Although in my defence, I was planning to go on a diet when I told him that. And to be fair, it is only one number different.)

5 I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.

6. Sometimes, when we're right in the middle of passionate sex, I suddenly want to laugh.

7. I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum, while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben Hur.

8. I've already drunk the wine that Dad told me to lay down for twenty years.

9. Sammy the goldfish at home isn't the same goldfish that Mum and Dad gave me to look after when they went to Egypt.

10. When my colleague Artemis really annoys me, I feed her plant orange juice. (Which is pretty much every day.)

11. I once had this weird lesbian dream about my flatmate Lissy.

12. My G-string is hurting me.

13. I've always had this deep down conviction that I'm not like everybody else, and there's an amazingly exciting new life waiting for me just around the corner.

14. I have no idea what this guy in the grey suit is going on about.

15. Plus I've already forgotten his name.

And I only met him ten minutes ago.

You can find the rest of the extract here.