Ooku by Fumi Yoshinaga

Title: Ooku

Mangaka: Fumi Yoshinaga

Age Group: Adults

Series is: Ongoing with 5 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1-2

My Rating: 4/5

Ooku takes place in an alternate Edo Period (1603-1868) of Japan. A new disease has emerged and it only strikes out on men. Since then, the male population has fell drastically. Thus, leaving the traditional roles of men to be taken over by women.

With little men left in the country, it's important for them to survive as they provide seeds. Beautiful men are taken to be served in the Inner Chamber of the shogun.

The first volume evolves around a young man named Mizuno Yunoshin, who enters the Inner Chambers on his own free will. He learns that the life there is not as luxurious as it seems. Being harassed constantly and still learning the rules of the castle, Mizuno ends up becoming the groom of the bedchamber, a high and honorable rank that serves the shogun.

In the beginning, it took me awhile to get used to the old English the translators had for the series, with all of the "thou" and "thy" words being used. At first, I did not like it. But after awhile, I saw that it really did suit the manga because they spoke in a very sophisticated-manner. Therefore when reading it, the audience must take time to go through it or else they could miss out on what the characters are saying.

I like the new shogun who Mizuno ends up serving for. Unlike what is generally expected of a shogun, she likes simplicity and does not want the men of the Inner Chambers to serve her because she thinks it is unfair for them to waste their lives within the castle. After, she becomes curious of why things has turned out like it has today. Decades ago before the disease, it used to be male lords who were in command. Wanting to know more on why male names are taken by female lords, shogun Yoshimune goes back to the old archives.

This leads us to the second volume when it goes back in time where the disease first broke out. This volume follows a monk who is imprisoned in the Edo Castle to serve the shogun of the time. Not only does it focus on the monk but the shogun, who is the daughter of the late shogun, as well. You could see her history as it shows why her personality is unpleasant towards the monk.

I do find the second volume to be a bit darker than the first due to the monk's imprisonment. Arikoto, the monk, takes his duty very seriously and to see that he is stripped away from his faith is heartbreaking.

Although I do not like the series, I think it has a realistic representation when it comes to the storyline. The details are excellent and the history of the mangaka's world is drawn out. The art style contributes greatly to the series too. You can tell a character's personality immediately from their face.

Ooku is a contemporary manga for an older audience who would like to see what the world would be like with female domination instead of the traditional male domination.

Trailer Tuesday: The Thirteenth Chime by Emma Michaels

Title: The Thirteenth Chime

Author: Emma Michaels

Description: No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago.

Hatred never dies.

I recently have been seeing this book cover. I am quite intrigued by the story line. Hopefully I will have a chance to read it!

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (July 26/10)

Mailbox

Review

Stringz by Michael Wenberg

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Music Machine

Title: Better Together

Artist/Band: Se7en

Language: Korean

My Thoughts: I love this song so much! But I love the MV even more! I swear, I oogle at the screen. He has such a pretty face. And sexy biceps. :D

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Title: Forgive My Fins

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 304

My Rating: 4/5

Lily has a secret. She is a mermaid. And a mermaid princess at that! Her problem is that she must find a mate before her 18th birthday or she will lose her position in the throne. No worries though, she has her eyes on gorgeous Brody. She is determined to have him realize that they are meant to be together. Too bad her next door neighbour, Quince, always ruins everything!

When Lily accidentally receives a kiss from the wrong person, everything comes crashing down! Once kissed, she is forever bonded to that person! Can she reverse it before it is too late?

Lily is the type of lovesick character that goes after this one "godly" guy and is oblivious to her surroundings. Surprisingly, I wasn't annoyed with her as much as I thought I would, considering her personality. Yes there were times I wanted to shake her, but the other characters compensated for what she lacked. I guess I forgave her because she is a mermaid and only lived on land for three years. With her personality combined with everyone else, it balances out the novel instead of it being lopsided with her undeniable "love" for Brody. In ways, female readers can relate to Lily because of her constant infatuation.

My favourite character would have to be Quince. I do think that he is a little too good for Lily. He is the logical one that beats some sense into her after all. It's nice to know he would always be there for her. When they were stuck doing challenges with each other in order of Lily's father, it definitely tightened their relationship. I found the things that they ended up doing for each other were quite adorable and it added the extra fluff to the story.

I think that Forgive My Fins should be a stand-a-lone because it wrapped up really nicely. I don't like the idea of the sequel too much though. However I do recommend Forgive My Fins as a read this summer. It's a splashwork full of fun!

Won copy from Tera Lynn Childs.

Fairy Navigator Runa by Miyoko Ikeda and Michiyo Kikuta

Title: Fairy Navigator Runa

Mangaka: Miyoko Ikeda (Story) & Michiyo Kikuta (Art)

Age Group: Teens

Series is: Ongoing with 5 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 2/5

Runa was left at an orphanage when she was still a baby. She knows nothing of her past except she was left with a pendant and a wooden box. She later finds out through two fairies that she is a fairy princess!

When Runa's best friend gets attacked, her hidden powers are unleashed! This is the start of a new life for Runa!

I dislike reading manga series on protagonists younger than me. The fact that Runa is a fourth grader already puts me off. I don't mind them if the plot is actually for kids, but this series is indicated for 13+.

However, my annoyance does not stop there as it compiles a couple of more things I highly hate reading in a manga series. Runa is the type of character that is supposed to be helpful and non-violent because she is told she must learn to open up to people, love everyone, and so on and so forth. Nothing gets to me more than any of those moral crap. If done effectively, then I don't mind. Except when tacking it in to make the character be a goody-goody for the sake of it is a no-no. Second thing is when Runa ran into a cute boy somewhere along the chapters, "his piercing gaze captured [her] heart". Um, how old are you again? I am sick and tired of seeing female protagonists falling in love with this cute/hot guy they just met. The fact that she is not yet even in middle school makes the whole thing stupid.

The art is definitely all cutesy shojo and is meant for younger girls to like. It's the style that I'm most tired of but it works with the fact that the characters are younger, rather than being high school students.

I personally can not stand this series for it checks quite a few things I don't like in manga. But if to recommend, I would recommend it for girls around ten years old who enjoys girly mangas that involves magical powers.

Review copy provided by Del Rey.

Watching on Wednesday: True Blood (Season 1)

Title: True Blood (Season 1)

Type: Show

Age Group: Adults

Release Year: 2008

My Rating: 4.5/5

Vampires are now among us. Some humans accept them, while others wish for them to be destroyed.

Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is a pretty barmaid living in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Only her closest friends and family know that she is able to hear other people's thoughts. When Bill (Stephen Moyer), the vampire, comes along, she can not tap into his mind at all. This draws her towards him and it becomes the start of a new thrilling adventure for Sookie and the people around her.

I finished the entire series in a day. Yes, the entire series. Which was a little unfortunate because I had nothing to do thereafter. There might be some spoilers in this review.

Let me start with the characters. The first episode, I didn't really like Sookie. She was too perky in the beginning and it slightly annoyed me. However, she got better by the second episode. I like how she doesn't delude herself and when things get serious, she does distance herself away from Bill and anyone dangerous. Towards the end of the season, there were times where she got annoying as she was attached to Bill when he was away. However, she wasn't as bad as two other characters that I ended up hating.

Tara (Rutina Wesley), Sookie's best friend, is the first person I dislike. She has problems with her life and pretty much seeks out attention for it. I could understand that having an alcoholic mother is difficult but throughout the season, it seems like Tara is just making things worse for herself. Honestly, she continues putting herself in a position where she gets depressed and angry all the time. It made me pretty peeved. But, one person that annoys me even the heck more is Jason (Ryan Twanten), Sookie's brother. He's pretty much this sex crazed guy that continuously sleeps around. But that is not the part that bothers me. It's his stupidity. If you have seen the first season, you will know what I'm talking about. He is the most absolute idiotic person EVER. He is easily manipulated and will always listen to whomever is talking to him. He gets into so many stupid, stupid situations that it aggravates the hell out of you becayse he doesn't learn from ANY of them! I wanted to throw a boulder at him every time I saw his face.

Towards the end, I was so sad when my favourite character died. Literally, out of all the characters, he had to die! Anyone thought it was unfair when they could've written off like, Jason, or someone else? I was a little surprised (or maybe not) that this series is likely going to expand out to other supernatural creatures. I haven't seen the second season yet to see how much it will expand out to.

Anyway, enough with the ranting. I find that this series has a really engaging plot. It tackles common problems we see around us, such as discrimination and drug abuse. New situations always arise, keeping the audience engaged into the story. There's one main problem from the beginning where someone has been going around killing people. You don't find out who until the end though. In between all that, you get the sub-stories for the rest of the characters. But theirs are mended in perfectly that you can enjoy the side stories also.

I highly recommend True Blood. It is definitely different than most vampire stories. However, there are many explicit scenes so make sure that children or parents are not present when watching!

Trailer Tuesday: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Title: Forgive My Fins

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Description: Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

I will have the review for this novel up this week! :D Look forward to it!

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (July 19/10)

Mailbox

Borrowed

Hoshin Engi vol. 12-14 by Ryu Fujisaki

Ooku vol. 1-2 by Fumi Yoshinaga

Review

The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen

Ugh, I have no idea why the picture is sideways. But yea, I haven't borrowed manga from the library for so long that I decided to again. I have nothing else to do this summer lol.

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Music Machine

Title: Slowdive

Artist/Band: Vargo

Language: English

My Thoughts: I don't know how many times I listen to this song a day but every time I have the chance, it's on. It's such a gorgeous song, don't you agree?

Free E-Book: The Choir Boats by Daniel A. Rabuzzi

I have been notified of a YA novel that you can download the whole e-book version for free! Read the description below and if you like it, you have all of July to download it by clicking here!

Title: The Choir Boats
Author: Daniel A. Rabuzzi

Description: London, 1812 | Yount, Year of the Owl

What would you give to make good on the sins of your past? For merchant Barnabas McDoon, the answer is: everything.

When emissaries from a world called Yount offer Barnabas a chance to redeem himself, he accepts their price -- to voyage to Yount with the key that only he can use to unlock the door to their prison. But bleak forces seek to stop him: Yount's jailer, a once-human wizard who craves his own salvation, kidnaps Barnabas's nephew. A fallen angel -- a monstrous owl with eyes of fire -- will unleash Hell if Yount is freed. And, meanwhile, Barnabas's niece, Sally, and a mysterious pauper named Maggie seek with dream-songs to wake the sleeping goddess who may be the only hope for Yount and Earth alike.

Manifest by Artist Arthur

Title: Manifest

Author: Artist Arthur

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 256

My Rating: 4/5

Krystal's new life in Connecticut is not exactly ideal. Asides the fact that her mother left her father for a man she dislikes, she has bigger problems than that. Krystal has the ability to communicate with the dead and she can not ignore the cries from beyond the grave. When a handsome ghost comes and asks for her help, she ends up trying to figure out who his murderer is.

Krystal befriends two other classmates who have a similar birthmark like hers. Both of them have supernatural powers also! They decide to help Krystal in the search of the ghost's killer. Along the way, they discover the history of their powers. In this new series, Manifest goes beyond the borders of paranormal with the power of love and relationships.

I love how the protagonist is African American. It's just pleasant to see more ethnicities for protagonists in YA novels. Krystal I found was someone you could sympathize. To have your mom leave your dad without reason can be hard, especially when you are a teen. Although there were times where I wished she could just move on, she was mature overall. She knows how to handle herself in most situations and I admire her for that.

Building up to the climax, the novel gets exciting in small doses. However, the big event I found went by too quickly. For others, I don't think it would be noticed but with everything built up to that point, I wish there was a bit more. Luckily there is no cliffhanger towards the end but it leaves plenty of opportunities for the series to develop over time. Krystal doesn't "fall in love" with anyone and I'm glad for that. She does have a crush on Ricky, the ghost, but the relationship is obviously not going to happen. With four novels in the series, there is plenty of time for her to get into a relationship and the author is good at not rushing it.

I recommend Manifest to paranormal lovers and readers who would like to read about the supernatural but not with a heavy content of it. Look for it when it releases next month!

Review copy provided by Kimani TRU.

The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer

Title: The Bad Queen

Author: Carolyn Meyer

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 420

My Rating: 4/5

Surely you have heard of Marie-Antoinette. From Austria, she married Louis-Auguste at fourteen in which she later on became the Queen of France. Greatly disliked by her people before her execution, was Marie-Antoinette really that bad? Explore her life and era in this young adult fiction as it weaves around the historical facts, bringing Marie-Antoinette once again back to life.

One thing that I dreaded for this novel was the execution. Whenever it comes to fictional stories that are based off historical queens, they always end it off with some sort of execution (from what I have read so far). It's the one thing that held me back several times to continue reading the book. Other than that, I liked the consistent flow of the novel. I got to see more of what Marie-Antoinette was like, especially for someone who didn't know anything about her.

What was my opinion on the portrayed queen from this novel? I wasn't very fond with the fact that she spent large sums of money upon parties and gowns. With that, she did not care for the French economy at the time when they were in a financial crisis. I found her to be careless and especially with the fact that she was queen, she should've restrained herself. However, I was glad that she was loyal to her husband, despite loving another man. It was most unfortunate in her situation but the fact that she stayed with the king until the end, you can't help but sympathize for her.

It's like you are there with the character yourself as she describes the events around her and her feelings. It's a read that you will put down once in awhile but you will always eventually come back to it. I recommend this novel to historical fiction lovers and those who are curious to know more about the famous Queen of France.

Review copy provided by Book Divas.

Trailer Tuesday: and Falling, Fly by Skyler White

Title: and Falling, Fly

Author: Skyler White

Description: Olivia is a vampire bored with modernity. Tattooist, boyfriend, black-metal singer: everyone you don’t love tastes the same. Since the fall from Eden, she has hungered for love, but fed only on desire. Dominic O’Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist plagued by impossible visions.
When his research and her despair collide in Ireland’s L’Otel Mathillide – a subterranean hell of beauty, demons and dreams – rationalist and angel unite in a clash of desire and damnation that threatens to destroy them both.

Is there anyone else slightly annoyed with the title of this novel? Lol, I just hate saying it so much! When this novel first debuted, it was everywhere! Has anyone read it? Opinions?

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (July 12/10)

Mailbox

Given

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Rebel Angels Libba Bray

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Reckless by Cecily von Ziegesar

Tempted by Cecily von Ziegesar

Review

Other by Karen Kincy

Lol, my cousin gave me a bunch of books she no longer wanted to give away on my blog. I'm not gonna host the giveaway any time soon because I'm broke as hell and these books weigh a ton. But one day, hopefully, I'll be able to host a giveaway for these novels. :)

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Music Machine

Title: Queen

Artist/Band: Son Dambi

Language: Korean

My Thoughts: Talented and beautiful, I highly adore Son Dambi. Here songs range from dance funk to sad, mellow songs. This song is one her many latests. I don't really like the video, but the song gets quite addicting. Especially when she repeats "sexy" and "smarty" haha!

Recreated Cover of Tell Me a Secret

I got a little bored so I decided to recreate the cover for Tell Me a Secret because Princess Bookie is having a contest for it. You can join the contest by clicking here! Man, I wish I have photoshop skills.

Here's the original:

And here's my version:

Short & Simple (5)

Title: Dracula

Author: Bram Stoker

Age Group: Adults

# of Pages: 400

My Rating: 4/5

Sentence Summary: The original vampire classic.

Speaking Straightly: A read that grabbed my attention for sure. Many moments where I got sucked into the novel. However, the plot tends to move very slowly and characters like to talk a lot, making it a little frustrating to get through. Displays a lot of beliefs the Victorian people had.

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Title: Hollywood Moon

Author: Joseph Wambaugh

Age Group: Adults

# of Pages: 352

My Rating: 2/5

Sentence Summary: The lives of criminals and police force in the Hollywood area.

Speaking Straightly: I tried. So hard. But I could not finish this novel. It took me months and I only managed to reach halfway before I stopped altogether. A lot to do with money-making scams, theft, sexual crimes, and so on. It pretty much had all elements that I am strongly against so I couldn't enjoy the novel at all.

Review copy provided by Hachette Book Group.

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Title: Sumomomo, Momomo

Mangaka: Shinobu Ohtaka

Age Group: Older Teens

Series is: Completed with 13 volumes

Volume(s) Reviewing: 1

My Rating: 4/5

Sentence Summary: Koushi wants to live a normal life but cannot when martial artist Momoko begs to have children with him!

Speaking Straightly: Surprisingly I liked this volume more that I expected. A little outrageous in terms of plot but it keeps you going. All the characters for some reason are all drawn in different styles (in my eyes), like a bunch of artists merged together to work on one character each. Sort of like it though! Not sure if I would pick up the second volume but you can be sure to check out this one!

Won copy from Tiamat's Manga Reviews (RIP).

What Should I Read This July?

I realized that I haven't had a lot of YA reviews up lately. I was a little busy in the beginning of the summer but now that I'm free, I have more time to read! I am planning to do this sort of post once every month where you guys can sort of decide what I should read next! Of course I might not take up everyone's suggestion but I will try.

So these are my current TBR bookshelves! Just click to enlarge and let me know which novel(s) you would like me to review next!

28 Days Later: London Calling by Michael Alan Nelson, Declan Shalvey, and Nick Filardi

Title: 28 Days Later: London Calling
Creator: Michael Alan Nelson (writer), Declan Shalvey (artist), & Nick Filardi (colorist)
Age Group: Older Teens
Series is: Ongoing with 12 volumes
Volume(s) Reviewing: 1
My Rating: 3/5

The comic series pick up where the movie 28 Days Later left off. Following only Selena, she ends up in Norway at a refugee camp. Clint, a reporter, requests her to be a guide as he plans to head back into London which is quarantined. She reluctantly agrees to go and with a team of people, they journey back to the infested capital.

Mistrust, death, and zombies, 28 Days Later: London Calling is a start of a new adventure!

First time reading a full comic book, 28 Days Later is not a bad read. With a dark atmosphere, everything is drawn with lots of shadows and dark colours. I wasn't very fond with the mood because I felt it was too grim for my liking. There's plenty of gore but I didn't find them to be explicit, just enough for a zombie comic.

Although not focused upon, you could see a glimpse of Selena's past before the infection spread. I can't say the plot completely held my attention but enough that I could finish it. The characters are defined and in this situation, they act like any normal person would with conflicted feelings. I admire Selena's ability to feel indifferent to the things that happen around her.

28 Days Later: London Calling is recommended to those who highly enjoyed the first movie. It sets off the same sort of environment except in comic book form. I personally will not look into the next volume. It's not that I dislike it, there is not enough drive for me to continue on.

Review copy provided by HarperCollins Canada.

Watching on Wednesday: Toy Story 3

Title: Toy Story 3

Type: Movie

Release Year: 2010

Age Group: Youth +

My Rating: 5/5

Andy is now all grown up and is ready to go to college. Woody, Buzz, and the gang know that they may never be played with again. With much complications, they all end up at a daycare centre.

The toys find out that the place that promises a lifetime of fun turns out to be their worst nightmare. They must find a way out before it is too late!

In the beginning, I wasn't one of the many that was dying to watch Toy Story 3. When I was invited to watch with my friends and classmates to celebrate the end of high school, I was like why not? I have to say, it is the PERFECT movie to end off high school!

With stunning graphics, audience will admire the scenery and the details of the movie. If you watch the IMAX version, everything will be much more enhanced. (However you will not be missing out on anything if you were to watch the regular version). All new character designs match their personality perfectly as well as the voices given to them.

Compared to the first two movies, Toy Story 3 has a lot more danger involved for the toys as they try to save themselves from peril. You will be rooting for Woody and friends with all your might throughout as the fight their ways through difficult obstacles. I simply love their escape tactics as Woody's ideas always save them, not to mention entertaining to watch!

I highly recommend this movie to everyone! Everyone that came to watch with me loved it! It was very heartfelt because it reminded me that I was also going off to university. I watched Toy Story when it came out as the first 3D movie. So many years and memories have passed every since. I swear the movie made almost everyone close to tears. I wanted to take out all my old toys again to play with them one last time. It is definitely a must-watch for the entire family!

My Monday Mailbox & Music Machine (July 5/10)

Mailbox

Bought

Death by Denim by Linda Gerber
Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
Soulstice by Simon Holt

Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

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Music Machine

Title: The Rest of You
Artist/Band: Late Night Alumni
Language: English
My Thoughts: I absolutely love Late Night Alumni. Their songs are very relaxing and you can definitely fall asleep peacefully to them. They always take me away to another world.

Duplikate by Cherry Cheva

Title: Duplikate

Author: Cherry Cheva

Age Group: Teens

# of Pages: 242

My Rating: 4.5/5

Kate Larson strives to get into Yale. She continues working hard ever since the start of high school by being in part of all the clubs, helping out other students, and excelling in her own education. Her life is practically set out for her.

However, a strange phenomenon occurs after she cleared out her computer. Her character from a virtual computer game comes to life! Rina, who looks exactly like Kate, is completely different in terms of personality. Rina who is desperate to experience life will do anything to help Kate out.

Is having a double going to be a miracle for Kate? Or a curse?

I absolutely enjoyed Cherry Cheva's last novel, She's So Money. Like the previous novel, the main character is a workoholic, trying to get into a prestigious school. The only time where I actually see characters trying to excel in their academics are in Cheva's novels. Which makes me slightly disappointed for the general YA novels because school does play a large role in teen life but are not often portrayed as supernatural hotties or depressing matters take over.

Kate is a character most teens could surely relate to. Maybe not everyone is insane as her as she loses her social life due to school, but one could understand her reasonings. I do think that at time she does take it to the extreme. I felt that she should've taken a break once in awhile just to have fun rather than have Rina replace her. With her determination to be on the top is her downfall. She learns her lesson in the end and I think that whatever happens to her afterwards, she will be satisfied with her decisions after losing so much.

I really like the concept behind this novel. What I find it is trying to say is basically balance both your school/work life and your social life. Yes, it is important to do well but when you are losing your love partner and friends in the process, it's just not that worth it.

Those who would like to see the school life side of teens should definitely check out Duplikate. Fans of She's So Money will also take a liking to this novel too! You can preview the novel here.

Review copy provided by HarperCollins Canada.