Blogging Rules!

OK! So I am just going to go ahead and admit right now that I am not exactly where I wanted to be with reading and blogging this year before I ask my questions today. I always think it’s better to have full disclosure

My questions:

1. If you blog do you do a post every day? And how many of those are reviews in comparisons to memes?
2. Do you actually plan out your reading and stick to your plan?
3. If you do stick to your plan…how on earth do you do it?!?!?!?

Umm….. if you can’t tell I suck at sticking to a reading plan! LOL

I don’t do a post every day if I don’t have anything to post. In other words I try not to post just fluff but I do three memes. I do Follow Friday, Waiting on Wednesday, and In My Mailbox. I find a lot of what I want to read in the future through these memes. I also try to post three reviews a week, but recently that has been more often two a week.

Happy reading and blogging!

Manga Review: Fruits Basket Volumes 1-3 by Natsuki Takaya

I’m going to go ahead and warn you now that this is going to be a long post  I just don’t see the point in only reviewing one manga at a time if I have read a lot in the same series. But, let me know if you don’t like it this way.

Book Details

Title: Fruits Basket, Vol. 1
Author: Natsuki Takaya
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: TokyoPop
Release Date: February 10, 2004
ISBN-10: 1591826039
ASIN: B001O9CE0A
Source: Library

Tohru Honda was an orphan, living with her grandfather, when one day fate kicked her out of the house and she was forced to take up residence in a tent in the forest. Little did she know that the land she was staying on belonged to the Sohma family, a mysterious clan. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for housework. Everything's going well until she discovers the Sohma family's greatest secret: when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they each turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal! (Goodreads)

Review

Let me start my Fruits Basket review by saying that this is my first traditional manga read. Meaning that it reads from right to left. It took me a little while to get the hang of it but not so long that it took away from the story. Fruits Basket was very different from anything I have read recently. I say this because 1) I have never read about characters that are cursed in the way that the Sohmas are cursed. And 2) I have never read a character as optimistic as Tohru Honda.  In all honesty she should have gotten on my nerves, but somehow the storyline and her character all balanced out for me.

I liked the Sohma family members that I got to meet in volume 1. It was fun to see how they are like their Zodiac animal they turn into. They are like any other dysfunctional cursed family you know. After Tohru goes to live with the Sohma’s it is very obvious that there is going to be some chemistry between Tohru and Yuki and also between Torhru and Kyo, they are all teenagers, I like how this didn’t get weird or angsty. I know this is marketed as a comedy and even though it is funny I thought it dealt with death and family issues well. 

My intro into Fruits Basket was super fun! I think I smiled from start to finish.

 

 

Book Details

Title: Fruits Basket, Vol. 2
Author: Natsuki Takaya
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: TokyoPop
Release Date: April 13, 2004
ISBN-10: 1591826047
ISBN-13: 978-1591826040
Source: Library

The enigmatic Sohma family shares a great secret -- they are possessed by spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, and when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into their Zodiac animal! Tohru Honda, an orphaned high school freshman, is given lodging in the Sohma household in exchange for taking care of household chores. The humble Tohru is quite grateful for the Sohma family's generosity, but the longer she stays with them, the more they realize what a blessing she is in their lives as well. (Goodreads)

Review

This volume starts out with Tohru’s two best friends coming over for a visit. I love that her friends are real friends that care for her well being, they want to make sure that she is being taken care of in the Sohma house. Which could be bad for the Sohmas as one of her friends is a bit psychic and they have that curse to keep secret.

At school they are all getting ready for a festival and that is were we get to meet two new Sohma’s who are also members of the Zodiac. Momiji, who has got to be the cutest little guy ever! How can you not love someone who turns into a bunny when you hug them…so cute. The other new Sohma is Hatori who scared me more than a little bit at the beginning, but by the end of volume 2 I just wanted to give him a big hug because of all he had been through.

 

I really liked that we got to see what a big deal new years is in Japanese culture in this volume. I loved how Yuki and Kyo came to Tohru’s rescue so that she would not have to be alone. It was nice to see their friendship grow.

Book Details

Title: Fruits Basket, Vol. 3
Author: Natsuki Takaya
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: TokyoPop
Release Date: June 8, 2004 
ISBN-10: 1591826055
ISBN-13: 978-1591826057
Source: Library

It's Valentines Day and you know what that means -- lots of chocolates for the cutest boys at school! In this case, it's a pretty close tie between hot-headed Kyo Sohma and Yuki 'prince charming' Sohma. Of course the kind-hearted Tohru, guest of the Sohma family, has chocolates for everyone! But when White Day comes around, what will the Sohma family give back? How about a trip to the family hot springs?! Also, a new member of the Zodiac shows up at school to lay the 'MOO'ves on Kyo. (Goodreads)

Review

I have not said this about the previous volumes but I love the notes that the author, Natsuki Takaya has distributed through out Fruits Basket. They are so much fun to read! They always retain to the story or something a fan has asked about.

Ok, so one of my new favorite characters in this series is a total cow! No really, he turns into the cow of the Zodiac. Haru has a split personality. There is black Haru who wants to get into trouble and fight with Kyo all the time and there is white Haru who is perfectly polite and nice. Haru is just fun because you don’t know what you are going to get.

Through this volume I could see walls that have been up between Kyo and Yuki slowly being melted by Tohru’s influence over them. Though I don’t know that they will ever really be friends, it was nice to find out more reasons of why there was so much animosity there. I’m glad they have her.

This series is so fun! Anyone who is wanting a manga starter needs to look no further.

Happy Reading,

 

Awesome! Reread worthy.

Recommended For

Teen and up 

Computer Issues!!!

I don’t know what is up but I am having computer problems, so no IMM today I hope to be back tomorrow!!!

I hope you are having a great weekend.

~Rebecca

Follow Friday (34)

Welcome to Follow Me Friday Hosted By Parajunkee.com and Alisoncanread.com

Featured this week!

This Weeks Question:

Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

I know that on the Spine you only see reviews for paranormal, urban fantasy, science fiction, and dystopian genres so you may think that is all I read. But, those are just my favorites and always will be. I actually read anything that I think I will like regardless of the genre. I can’t really think of a genre I avoid at all cost, but I can say I don’t really seek out any other genres but those listed above.

Happy Hopping,

Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

 

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

 

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

 

In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage. (Goodreads)

 

Book Details

Title: Fateful

Author: Claudia Gray

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: September 13, 2011 

ISBN-10: 0062006207

ISBN-13: 978-0062006202

Author’s Website

Source: Self purchase

Review

Let me warn you now if you start Fateful by Claudia Gray make sure you have nothing to do until you finish the book, because that is all you will want to do.

We all know what eventually happens to the Titanic and what it looked like, but the way Claudia Gray painted the Titanic in my mind was so much grander than any picture I have seen. I also feel like I have a much better understanding of the class system in that time. It made me wonder how I would be considered during that time, what type of family I would have been born in? Would I be rich like Alec or poor like Tess?

What an amazingly resilient character Tess is. Tess has done everything she can to save enough money to break away from the Lisles as soon as she reaches America. Tess has lived a hard life working for the Lisles since she was 13. The night before she is to leave on the Titanic she stumbles upon some people she is not supposed to see. The thing I love about Tess is that she is always trying to figure out her next move. Of course, she could never figure Alec into the picture.

I loved Alec from the get go! He saves Tess the very first meeting they have, but he is also with the super evil of the book so it took me a bit to be completely sure how much I could trust him. Alec is dashing and wonderfully swoon worthy. But, there is a dark side that he can’t hide for long and when it come out Tess' reaction surprises him. Their love story, even though it only goes a few days on the Titanic, was beautiful.

Even though I said before that I knew what was going to happen to the Titanic, it made it no less tragic when it started to sink. I could not read fast enough and I could not skip a word. I cried when characters I had grown to care about died because there was nothing more I could do for them. Claudia Gray did an amazing job of showing the character of people in horrific moments like the Titanic sinking.

I don’t know how everyone feels about the ending, I have stayed away from reviews until I could read Fateful myself, but I all kinds of loved the ending. It left you able to hope, and that is all Tess needs. Like I said before she is resilient! 

I highly recommend Fateful! I will actually be pushing/lending out my copy today because it is wanting to be read again I am sure. 

Happy Reading,

 

Loved it! I want to know about everything this author writes.

Recommended For

Teen and up: There is violence, language, kissing, nongraphic sex.   

Are You Buying Today?!?!

YA Books That Release Today!!!

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's... (Goodreads)

She should not exist.

He should not love her.

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.

Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans. . . .

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her? (Goodreads)

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

 

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.

 

Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

 

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

 

Megan Crewe crafts a powerful and gripping exploration of self-preservation, first love, and hope. Poignant and dizzying, this heart-wrenching story of one girl’s bravery and unbeatable spirit will leave readers fervently awaiting the next book in this standout new series. (Goodreads)

 

Cass Dollar is a survivor. She's overcome the meltdown of civilization, humans turned mindless cannibals, and the many evils of man.

 

But from beneath the devastated California landscape emerges a tendril of hope. A mysterious traveler arrives at New Eden with knowledge of a passageway North—a final escape from the increasingly cunning Beaters. Clutching this dream, Cass and many others decamp and follow him into the unknown.

 

Journeying down valleys and over barren hills, Cass remains torn between two men. One—her beloved Smoke—is not so innocent as he once was. The other keeps a primal hold on her that feels like Fate itself. And beneath it all, Cass must confront the worst of what's inside her—dark memories from when she was a Beater herself. But she, and all of the other survivors, will fight to the death for the promise of a new horizon…. (Goodreads)

 

So do you plan on getting any of these today?

Happy Reading,

Manga Review: InuYasha: Family Matters, Vol. 2 by Rumiko Takahashi

Manga Monday was turned into a meme by the awesome Alison Can Read!

Description

After falling through an ancient well, schoolgirl Kagome has become the defender of both modern and 16th-century Japan against the forces of myth and darkness. But if she thought the horrors she and partner Inu-Yasha have faced so far were bad, she hasn't met Inu-Yasha's family yet. This installment includes the final fight with the soulless, seductive Yura of the Hair. (Goodreads)

Book Details

Author: Rumiko Takahashi

Library Binding: 192 pages

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 2 edition

Release Date: April 1, 2003 

ISBN-10: 1417656484

ISBN-13: 978-1417656486

Source: Library

Review

* I will warn you now that there may be spoilers in my Manga and/or Graphic Novel reviews.

In this installment of InuYasha I was excited to get to meet some of InuYasha’s family, well sort of…

Volume 2 starts out with a battle with Yura (an extremely creepy demon) , were Kagome shows just how awesome she is by figuring out how to defeat Yura and save InuYasha. I can’t get over how much I love Kagome! So often the teenage girl is so whiney and she is just not. She sees what has to be done and fights hard to do it.

After the battle with Yura, InuYasha’s brother shows up. While InuYasha is a half-demon his brother Sesshomaru is a whole demon and there is no love lost between these two. Sesshomaru wants InuYasha to tell him how to get to their fathers grave site so that he may retrieve his fathers sword. Sesshomaru uses any means necessary to get this information out of InuYasha so that he can get his hand on the sword, but will he be able to use it? I was surprised at how much feeling came off the page when Sesshomaru came onto the scene. I could not stand him but I loved what he added to the story line.

I really enjoy the back and forth between InuYasha and Kagome. It is obvious that they like each other, but they are trying so hard to keep their I-can’t-stand-you-I-just-have-to–work-with-you vibe down. I also love the action in this series! there is never a dull moment. and the creepy demons are a mega plus for me.

Happy Reading,

Loved it! I want to know about everything this author writes.

Recommended For

These actually have ratings on the back!

Older Teen: For violence and some nudity.

In My Mailbox (27)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren and is a post for bloggers to share what books they've received to review, bought, won, borrowed or were gifted.

For Review

I am very excited to get to this! I loved Fairy Metal Thunder.

I Bought

I didn’t think it was ever going to come to my door!!!

Free at Amazon!

I love the cover of Zombies Don’t Cry!

What did you get in your mailbox?