Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!!

YEAH!! It's CHRISTMAS :D A time for family, presents and for seniors to work their butts off writing college apps. So, to celebrate I want to share some of my favorite Christmas songs, because, Christmas songs are, well, amazing. Enjoy!

I Want a Hippopatamus For Christmas By: Gayla Peevey It's been my favorite song for well ever...and basically, one of the best Christmas songs!!



All I Want for Christmas is You By: Mariah Carey Can you say classic?!



The Most Offensive Christmas Song Ever (South Park)-Mr. Hankey ft. Kenny Please...just blame this darn SP obsession (The lyrics are in the description of the movie...so you'll have to click on the vid to see the actual vid on YouTube :( ) But god...I love SP for the character of Kenny, he basically says EVERYTHING and the censors can't censor anything because, well, they don't understand. Haha. And Kenny's giggles are just so darn adorable!


12 Days of Christmas By: Relient K (I believe-Speed Up) This is my most favorite version of the song and the South Park animations are sooo cute/wonderful...and I love the Style moment in the end...even though I know it's a Star Trek refrence but still STYLE :D



Baby, It's Cold Outside (Glee Version) God...I love Darren Criss, I've really liked him ever since of AVPM and of course Chris is just awesome in this and I just wished that they would kiss already because they are so cute together!!~



I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas By: Bing Crosby Had to end on a classic note...love :)



Merry Christmas everyone!!

Wdebo :)

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Bitter Melon By: Cara Chow

Title: Bitter Melon
Author: Cara Chow
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages:
320
Release Date: December 28, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"I am glad that I have speech, a place where I can be courageous and strong."

Summary (From B.O.B):
What would you do if your mother planned every step
in your life...and demanded you follow?

Frances has one job in life. To get into Berkeley and become a doctor so that her mother's ambitions for her will be realized. And Frances doesn't think there's anything wrong with that-until the day she accidently steps into speech class.

Frances turns out to be a natural at debate and public speaking. But to win in competition, Frances needs to say things she really believes-and to hide what she's doing from her mother. And once Frances steps out beyond her narrowly prescribed life, she begins to question many things about the way she is raised. Frances knows she must be obedient to her mother, who has sacrificed so much for her education. But how much is Frances living out the life her mother wants her to have, instead of the life that's right for Frances?

Wdebo's Review: As I am sure many of you know, I am ABC (American Born Chinese), so I have always been searching for YA books about people of Chinese decent. Therefore, when I was given the chance to review Bitter Melon, I was so excited, it's so hard to find books about Chinese people and especially Chinese Americans in the YA world. I really enjoyed Bitter Melon, a great novel that delves into Chinese traditions and the stress that are put on Chinese children.

I am sure many readers have been pushed by their parents to travel certain roads in life. Frances' mom is just like that, she pushes Frances down the road that she believes in best for her, but instead of just pushing her she takes it much further. It really shows the darker side of a parent pushing their child to succeed.

The novel uses short, choppy sentences to create imagry. In the beginning, the use of these sentences felt awkwardly put together, but as the novel progresses, the sentences are put together more smoothly, and the story flows well together, and the novel becomes addicting until the end. There is also a nice addition of certian Chinese phrases and culture, but it does not dwell on it which was how the story felt, it talked about Frances' Chinese heritage and culture but mainly focused on her growth and finding what she wanted for herself and building her own path in life.

I also loved the romance between her and Derek. It was so cute and innocent. And I think the reason why I loved it so much is because, this might sound really stupid, but because of Frances' faults, how she's not perfect like the rest of us. She isn't the skinniest, she isn't the prettiest, but Derek is able to overlook that and fall for her all the same, it was just really sweet. :) I hate stories in which the main character may be a nerd, or not as popular as they want, but they are still pretty and has this really fantabulous boyfriend that adores them, gah, stick to reality please!

Cafe Cover Chat: I love finally seeing an Asian person on the cover and so I really like this cover, haha, but it's a pretty cover, but she seems too happy. (B+)

All in all, a wonderful book that brings together growing up and finding yourself in a Chinese culture and finding love outside of it.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Monday, December 20, 2010

Drought By: Pam Bachorz

Title: Drought
Author: Pam Bachorz
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 400
Release Date: Jaunary 25, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Geared Towards: Teens/Dystopian Readers
From: Publisher (ARC)
Extra Info: Pam Bachorz is the author of Candor. [Click HERE for review]


"For all of these two hundred years, none of us has seen a drought like this. We suffer more every day, each day worse than the last, all of them endured in the dry woods."

Summary (From B.O.B):
A young girl thirsts for love and
freedom, but at what cost?

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape form the backbreaking work of gathering Water. Escape from living as if it is still 1812, the year they were all enslaved.

When Ruby meets Ford-an irresistible, kind, forbidden new Overseer-she longs to run away with him to the modern world, where she could live a normal teenage life. Escape with Ford would be so simple.

But if Ruby leaves, her communit yis condemned to certian death. She, alone, possesses the secret ingredient that makes the Water so special-her blood-and it's the one thing that the Congregation cannot live without.

Drought is the haunting story of one community's thirst for life, and the dangerous struggle of the only girl who can grant it.

Wdebo's Review: When I saw Drought I knew I wanted to read it. I really enjoyed Candor, though it was not the best book I've ever read, it was def on my top list of dystopian books. From the first paragraph of Drought I was hooked, I absolutely loved the way Pam Bachorz wrote, though I was confused for a bit about them being alive for two hundred years, the rest of the story went smoothly.

The writing was superb, it flowed so well and just keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The story goes one way and when it slowly begins to become too repetitive, it changes course quickly to keep the storyline fresh and addictive. I always loved dystopian novels and Drought is such a wonderful example of a great dystopian story. It was amazing from beginning to satisfying ending.

I found all of the characters to be very strongly defined. I liked Ruby but she was too indecisive but strong in her own way. Ford was awesome, but a bit creepy at the same time. I found Darwin West to be really, I don't know how to put this but childish, he was cruel, but childish at the same time. One example is when he makes Ellie, an old, weakened woman, do the limbo for her water and right when Ruby's mother is going to give it to her, Darwin hits it out of her hand and yells psych. Seriously? Psych? Haha. I laughed because it was so...immature... I was very disappointed in the congregants espeically *spoiler alert* when Darwin dies and they just latch onto the first person that is willing to be their leader. All their hopes for freedom just seem so trivial. *End of spoiler alert*

Cafe Cover Chat: I like the cover it has that mysterious flair that the story has and the blue in the eye is just so gorgeous. (B+)

All in all, a wonderful novel that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Remains of the Day-Corpse Bride

Title: Remains of the Day
From: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Language: English
TTS: No

Wdebo's Review: I basically am I humongous Tim Burton fan, so this MV post is for my second favorite Tim Burton movie (First being The Nightmare Before Christmas, of course). This song is awesome and I was reading the comments for the vid and I have to say I totally agree with one of the comments, "if death is like this, I can't wait to die!!!!!"

Listen and Love!

Click HERE for the actual vid...



Hope you enjoy! And please comment!
Wdebo :)

Monday, December 13, 2010

Ghostgirl: Lovesick By: Tonya Hurley

Title: Ghostgirl: Lovesick
Author: Tonya Hurley
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 311
Release Date: July 12, 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Geared Towards: Teens/Paranormal roamnce lovers
Extra Info: This is the third book in the Ghostgirl series. (List on bottom)
From: Author

"And though the symptoms of lovesickness may be many, they all share a single cause and single cure: You" (P. 82).


Summary: Charlotte's life, or more correctly, her death, has now been going down a wonderful path. She has her parents back, she now has a wonderful boyfriend, Eric (who cares if they haven't kissed yet, or that they can't kiss in the first place, they still have each other) and the work at the hotline is finally ending and so she can get on with her death. Now, Charlotte and the Dead Ed students learn that their next step is to go back to where they lived and help the living. Charlotte is paired up with Damen and Eric with Scarlett. When Eric finds out about how Charlotte basically died for Damen he goes into a state of jealousy, leaving Charlotte confused, about her feelings for Eric and also what she is going to have to do with Damen.

On the other side of the death pond, Scarlett is confused about her love with Damen, she has a need to change for him, but does she really want to? Petula finds herself slowly losing the place she has worked so hard to get because a new girl who brings about a dark shadow whom lurks in the, well, shadows.

Wdebo's Review: Ghostgirl: Lovesick was defidently my favorite of the Ghostgirl series. The writing has improved as each book passes and this one was wonderfully written, the storyline was fresh and I am just so happy that Charlotte finally has a love that actually likes her back.

The story was very well written, it was addicting and, of course, had a twist at the end, that really keeps you interested. I really love the little sayings and explanations before every chapter, they are all so fun and interesting to read.

I was only displeased about a couple of things with the story. One being that I did not like the quickness of relationships, how, as happy as I was that Charlotte and Eric were together, I really wanted to know a little history of how they met, and also with the relationship between Petula and Tate, I wished that their relationship would have been expanded on, there was a very small amount of their actual falling for each other, it seemed to have just been boy meets girl ________ boy falls in love with girl. The other thing how things seem to come at the perfect time and coincidentally, it seemed kind of fake how all of a sudden something that would help them would just pop up. Apart from those two things the story was great.

My favorite character def has to be Scarlett, she is so real and awesome. Charlotte has become a character that has really grown on me, I remember how I absolutely hated her in Ghostgirl, but she has slowly matured and become a better and better person/ghost.

Cafe Cover Chat: This is my favorite cover of all of the Ghostgirl covers. I love the maroon (?) color and Charlotte's pose is gorgeously wonderful. (A-)

All in all, a great continuation to the series. Ghostgirl lovers will not be disappointed!

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

*********

Books in the Ghostgirl series:

Ghostgirl [Click HERE for review]
Ghostgirl: Homecoming [Click HERE for review]
Ghostgirl: Lovesick [This one!]

Saturday, December 11, 2010

I Like (No, I love)-Yen-J

-ENGLISH SUBBED-
Title: I Like (No, I Love)
Chinese Title: 我喜歡 (不,我愛) [Wo Xi Huan (Bu, Wo Ai)]
Artist: Yen-J
TTS: None :(

Wdebo's Notes: I believe Yen-J might be a debut artist this year but I'm not sure. Anywho, his voice is wonderful, this song is so soothing and sweet and I was obsessed with this song for some time. I just love the way he sings it and the lyrics are so cute! Well, enjoy!

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Monday, December 6, 2010

Ghostgirl: Homecoming By: Tonya Hurley

Title: Ghostgirl: Homecoming
Author: Tonya Hurley
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 285
Release Date: July 1, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Geared Towards: Teens/Paranormal lovers
Extra Info: This is the second book in the Ghostgirl series (List on bottom)
From: Author


"Dead, alive, or in-between, nothing is more futile than being in the right place at the wrong time" (P. 122).

Summary: Afterlife is nothing like Charlotte Usher thought it would be. She's now working in a hotline for troubled teens, but feeling as alone as she did when she was alive because as the days tick by her phone stays silent and her friends seem to be drifting slowly away from them as their phones ring off the hook and they are able to reunite with their loved ones. Nothing seems to go Charlotte's way at all until she meets Maddy, who seems like the perfect making for a best dead friend...seems....

On the other side of death, Scarlet and Petula's lives seem to be going on as normal. Scarlet is going steady with Damen, but they seem to be drifting apart and Petula is dating their rival school's star quarter-back and their last date turns out great until Petula goes pale and comatose and is dumped on the side of the road by her so called "boyfriend". Now Scarlet has to find a way to save her sister and the only way she can do that is to call upon Charlotte before both she and Petula end up dead like Charlotte.

Wdebo's Review: When I finished Ghostgirl, though it was not my favorite book in the whole world, I still wanted to read the second book and I am very glad that I did. The second book's writing improved immensely and I was also able to enjoy all of the characters except for the Wendy's of course because they are total bs.

I quite enjoyed the writing in this book, the storyline was very interesting and quite addicting. I did not see the ending at all which was very nice, a paranormal story where you don't see the ending, it's a pretty novel idea :) The humor in the novel was also added in smoothly which was nice because awkwardly added humor is annoying to read...because it feels like you have to go out of your way to read then chuckle awkwardly at it.

I also enjoyed many of the characters especially Charlotte. I hated Charlotte in the last novel but this novel showed the maturity in Charlotte but it also showed her insecurites which is very realistic because even though she did change she still has some of her old personality that is very hard to change. I of course also liked Scarlet because she's just awesome and Damen is super sweet too. And I also started to like Petula, which is hard to believe but her character did show some humility.

Cafe Cover Chat: I love the Ghostgirl covers so I of course like this cover, but it's not my favorite cover of this series. (B+)

All in all, a great continuation of the Ghostgirl series, and even if you did not enjoy the first book you might enjoy the second one better becuase of the improvment of the writing and characters.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

**********

Books in the Ghostgirl series:

Ghostgirl [Click HERE for review]
Ghostgirl: Homecoming [This one!]
Ghostgirl: Lovesick [Coming soon!]

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Devil-Vanness Wu ft. The Empire

Title: Devil
Artists: Vanness Wu ft. The Empire
Language: English and a little Chinese (Mandarin)
TTS: HERE (Vanness)

Wdebo's Notes: I have always been a fan of Vanness, mostly because his voice is so wonderful and soothing, which he shows off wonderfully in this song.

Vanness Wu is a very public Christian and so this song shows off his Christian side. Though I am not religious, I still love this song a lot. The beat is very good and as for the lyrics, hm, well, not all of it speaks to me, but the song is still wonderful.

I hope people of all religions can enjoy this song, it does speak of the general belief of fighting the dark, I believe...well...anyways..

Listen and Love!




Hope you enjoy! And please comment!
Wdebo :)

Monday, November 29, 2010

ToGetHer

Title: ToGetHer
Chinese Title: 愛就宅一起 (Ai Jiu Zhai Yi Qi)
Other Titles: Superstar Express
Language: Chinese (Mandarin)
Amount of Episodes: 12
Opening Song: 越來越愛 (Yue Lai Yue Ai/Loving More and More) By: Fahrenheit [Click HERE to listen english subbed]
Closing Song: 默默 (Mo Mo/Silently) By: Fahrenheit [Click HERE to listen english subbed]
Starring: Rainie Yang [Click HERE for TTS] as Chen Mo Mo, Jiro Wang (Fahrenheit) as Mars/Zhuang Jun Nan, George Hu as Wei Jia Sen and Linda Liao as Chen Chu Chu.
Reccomended For: Teens

"Why are you gazing at me like that? Be careful of falling in love with me"

Summary: Mars is a superstar whose popularity has plummeted from all of the negative publicity he has recieved. Having no money and having been kicked out of his house, he ends up having to rent a very cheap room from Chen Mo Mo and her sister. Chenn Mo Mo is a homegirl who's only interest is in Prince Kasaba. At first, they develop a mutual disdain for each other but are unable to distance themselves for each other because Mars has been put into her university and their living arrangement does not make it very easy to not see each other. After while, they start becoming friends and soon start falling for each other, exciting Mo Mo's sister and angering her friend Jia Sen, a swim captain with the intellegence of an eight year old.

Wdebo's Review: When I first heard of ToGetHer, I did not want to watch it at all, the drama recieved very low ratings and the summary seemed really boring. After seeing all of that, I forgot the drama for about a year, and just a week ago I decided to watch it because I was really bored. From the first minute I started to watch it I was hooked. ToGetHer was one of the most addicting, hillarious, sweet and cute dramas ever.

The drama was very simple and cute. I don't know why but it was just so great and made me very happy. The characters are all very loveable in their own ways except for these mean girls and this one really mean guy, but apart from that, I loved everyone :) I absolutely loved the ending too...I pretty much died from the sweetness it had...super cute!!

Jiro's character was awesome...maybe it's because Mars is very Jiro-like but Jiro's acting was very natural and hillarious and cute. Rainie was awesome, except Mo Mo gets kind of emo at times so it's quite annoying but she's still awesome. George's character was so cute, George is super cute. I felt very bad for George's character the whole time, I really wished he would get someone :(

Oh yeah, but my favorite...FAVORITE character is Mu Mu (姆姆) (So cute!!)

I want one so unnaturally badly but they are very expensive :(

All in all, a wonderful drama that is sure to make you happy and well Jiro is in it and he is, well, amazing =] so that is a great incentive to watch the drama.

Grade: A++

Wdebo :)

Watch Episode 1......

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Touch Your Heart-Fahrenheit

-ENGLISH SUBBED-
Title: Touch Your Heart
Artist: Fahrenheit (飛輪海)
Language: Chinese (Mandarin)
TTS: HERE

Wdebo's Notes: I love Fahrenheit. Ok I am not ashamed to admit it but I am a giant Fahrenheit lover. And I am guessing Touch Your Heart is basically Taiwan's official tourism song. So Taiwan and Fahrenheit? BEST SONG EVER :DD Ok, so I'm kind of baised but..yeah...the whole time I was listening I was thinking...holy crap...I would DIE if Fahrenheit greeted me at Taiwan XDDDD But this is a wonderful song because it shows many of Taiwan's most beautiful scenary and stuff...and really if you've never been to Taiwan I would highly reccomend you to go :) Just such a wonderful country...and well my family is from there so of course I would say that...but it's TRUEEEEE :)

Listen and Love!!


Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Guest Blog: Jess C Scott

Hey buddies!! Hopefully everyone is having an awesome Thanksgiving :) So, today, I have for you a guest blog by Jess C Scott, the author of EyeLeash: A Blog Novel, now she has a new book called 1:The Intern...so here is her post for that book...enjoy!!

~~~~
BOOK SUMMARY: A 17-year-old intern must choose between trusting an irresistibly suave dance instructor—or her instincts. SINS07 is a series featuring lighthearted tales that explore each of the seven sins in order, beginning with lust.
* Jo.Zee is the dance instructor in the book. This would be his character profile.

Name: Joshua Zee / Nickname: Jo.Zee (21 years old)
Zodiac: Gemini Sun

Occupation / Credits:

1) Performed in several concerts and major events, for companies like Adidas, MTV, and Samsung.

2) Teaching dance and fitness classes for over a year at studios, schools, and clubs, such as the prestigious CRUNCH Club RX, DefDance, and Equinox.

3) True passion is, and always has been, dance. Continues to develop multiple skills from a wide array of disciplines including Muay Thai kickboxing, Latin jazz, hip hop, and yoga, to name a few.

Eye/Hair Color: Dark mysterious eyes, and dark (slightly messy) hair
Heritage: Biracial (Korean father, Eurasian mother)
Biggest Inspirations: Michael Jackson and Rain (K-Pop)
Favorite Food & Drink: Chicken wings. Chai tea. Water. Smirnoff.
Favorite Sport: Dance. Motorcycling. Rollerblading.

In 6 Words: Suave, attractive, “badboy”, talented, sociable, enigmatic

Quotes: “[Dance is] more than a feeling. It’s a vibe you get from the music. It’s a connection with the body. My goal is to help others experience the joy and freedom I have found through dance.”
“[Hip Hop is] the dance to me. It moves my soul the most.”

“[Rainism is] a quite difficult dance by a singer called Rain. I respect him a lot. He’s been in a couple of Hollywood movies too.”

“Being healthy is not defined by the number of hours you workout or the amount of calories you eat. Eat in moderation and remember to move everyday. A fit, healthy body—that is the best fashion statement.”

EXCERPT (from POV of protagonist, Suzie Q):

There’s even a freakin’ roof garden at the top level. It gives an alluring, brilliant view of the city nightscape. Roxeth is a grand city, awesome by day but even more spectacular at night.

“This is so beautiful.” I’d like to turn a little to face Jo.Zee, another “view” for my eyes, that wouldn’t be too much of a bad thing. I’m lingering, breathing deeply, just because he smells so good. He isn’t stinky in the turnoff kind of way—it’s a sweet, natural, hint-of-a-sweat boy smell. I think I’d like this even more than if he were fresh out of the shower.

“I love rooftops,” Jo.Zee says, taking in the city skyline. “It’s nice dancing high above the crowd. Takes you to new heights.”

I ask if he’s ever danced on top of a building before.

“Many times...but never with somebody else.”

---------------

Author Bio:Jess identifies herself as an author/artist/non-conformist. Her literary work has appeared in a diverse range of publications, such as Word Riot, ITCH Magazine, and The Battered Suitcase. She is currently working on the SINS07 series, as well as an urban fantasy project featuring cyberpunk elves. Her novella, The Devilin Fey, hit #1 in Amazon’s “Hot New Releases in Bargain Books” in July 2010.


~~~~

Wdebo :)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Heart With Joy By: Steve Cushman

Title: Heart With Joy
Author: Steve Cushman
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 182
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Canterbury House Publishing
Geared Towards: Teens
Extra Info: Check out the book's official site HERE.

"'Everyone should have something they are passionate about, something that fills their heart with joy. Those who don't, I'd say, are missing something'" (Page 45-6).


Summary (From B.O.B): In Heart With Joy, fifteen year old Julian Hale's life is turned upside down when his mother suddenly moves from North Carolina to Florida under the pretense of running her parents' motel and finishing the novel she has been writing for years. While Julian has always been closer to his mother and wants to go with her, she tells him he has to stay with his father until the end of the school year.

When Julian's father decides to run a marathon, Julian agrees to help him train, and the two develop the sort of close relationship they've never had before. Also, with the help of an elderly neighbor who loves to spend her days bird-watching, Julian learns that the most important thing in life is to follow your heart. And Julian's heart leads him to a passion for cooking and a young cashier at the local grocery store even as his own parents drift apart. By the end of the novel, Julian is forced to choose between staying with his father and going to live with his mother.

Wdebo's Review: At first, I wasn't sure whether I should read Heart With Joy but after seeing all of the good reviews for the book, I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. Heart With Joy really did feel my heart with joy, it was heart-warming and sweet, just such a wonderful read.

I just loved how the writing really made me happy. It was very simply written but very well done. The only complaint I have on the writing is the over use of the word "damn" as a substitution for cussing/swearing.

Julian is a character that seems very innocent but not in an annoying sense, it felt comforting to be able to grow and mature with him. He was a very likeable character. I also really liked the character of Tia she is such a good match for Julian. Actually, now that I think about it, I really like all of the chracters, they all have their own personalities that makes them loveable, well except for Simon and Julian's mom, I really felt that Julian's mother was very selfis hand just eww I would not like my mother to be like her.

Cafe Cover Chat: Well, my best friend, who is in love with birds, loves this cover, but I think it is ok, it is pretty but I've never been a big fan of drawn covers, but I do have to admit this one is a better one then other drawn covers. (B+)

All in all, an amazing coming-of-age novels that is able to be enjoyed by not only teens but also adults. A most definite must read! Sure to raise your spirits.

Grade: A

Wdebo :)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Commercial LOVE!!

So, today, I decided to take a break from mvs and show some of my favorite Taiwanese commercials...enjoy!!! :)

This one features Wilber Pan and Angela Zhang. OK Wilber is absolutely the cutest thing ever in this commercial haha...I love it!



(English subbed) And of course I had to share Show Luo commercial...this one is just so cute and well Show is funny and makes me really want some bread right now =]



(Eng sub) Haha, even though it doesn't have the full commercial but I still like Chun (Fahrenheit) and Ella (S.H.E) a lot and this commercial is so cute :)



Hope you enjoy!

Wdebo :)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Random Entertainment Clips (23)

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

So, as a few of you prob know, I have my own YouTube channel where I sub 100% Entertainment Clips and sometimes other random stuff. So here is one of my subbed clips...and this clip made me laugh for so long when I first watch it. I love when Show and Xiao Gui act as a couple...they never fail to make me laugh!

Enjoy!

Hosts: Xiao Zhu and Xiao Gui
Guest: Yida


Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Nothing Left To Say-Jolin Tsai

-ENGLISH SUBBED-
Chinese Title: 無言以對
English Title: Nothing Left To Say
Artist: Jolin Tsai
Language: Chinese (Mandarin)
TTS: HERE

Wdebo's Notes: This is one of my favorite songs off of Jolin's newest album Myself. This song is so awesome!! Totally shows off just how talented she is...though her dance seems a bit fast for the song, but it is still wonderful. This song is just so addicting and I press the replay button so much everytime I listen to this song =]

Listen and Love!



Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Friday, November 12, 2010

Ghostgirl By: Tonya Hurley

Title: Ghostgirl
Author: Tonya Hurley
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 328
Release Date: August 1, 2008
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Geared Towards: Teens
Extra Info: The first book of the Ghostgirl series.
From: Author (Review Copy)

"She grabbed her wrist and pressed for her pulse. Nothing. She brought both palms to her chest to feel for her heart, which should have been pounding by now. But there was no beat" (P. 34).

Summary: Charlotte Usher has always possessed a strong desire to be popular; however, she is more invisible then the school's unused lockers, and now it's even worse, because she's invisible in a more horrible way, as in she's dead. And gummy bears and super-popular hottie, Damen are to blame.

Charlotte cannot believe that she's dead and she's in total denial. All she wants is to go to the Fall Dance with Damen and maybe, just maybe get a kiss from him. She has to go through a group of dead kids that apparently need her for them to pass onto the afterlife, Damen's "All-American" girlfriend, Petula, and convince Petula's goth younger sister, Scarlet, to let her possess her. Then she might just be able to get everything she wanted during her lifetime, in death.

Wdebo's Review: I saw a lot of bad reviews for Ghostgirl before I first started it, so I was very nervous of beginning it. When I first began it the writing was ok, it wasn't the best but it wasn't the worse but I also thought it was pretty good. Then the character of Charlotte became more and more annoying. There are a lot of characters that shallowly desire to become popular but reading about Charlotte annoyed me more then any other character in Charlotte's position. After a bit, the writing got more addicting and I slowly started to liked Charlotte.

At the end of the book, I felt that writing was pretty good and Charlotte became pretty likeable, but I felt Charlotte's transformation came too fast, I would have thought that it would her longer to mature because she has always wanted to be popular. However, after a while, I found the writing to be very addicting after a while now I am really excited to read the second book.

I really like the character of Scarlet, except she was pretty cliche goth but she was pretty awesome and though the romance aspect of the book was very unoriginal but it was still cute.

Cafe Cover Chat: I have to confess that the biggest reason I wanted to read this book was because of the cover and the pages and just the overall look of the book. It is so beautiful book (physically) and just so pretty. (A)

All in all, though not the best in the beginning it does pick up after the middle and gets better and even gets pretty addicting and makes the reader want to pick up the next one.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

*****

Books in the Ghostgirl series:

Ghostgirl [This one!]
Ghostgirl: Homecoming [Review coming!]
Ghostgirl: Lovesick [Review coming!]

Monday, November 8, 2010

Spirit Bound: A Vampire Academy Novel By: Richelle Mead

Title: Spirit Bound: A Vampire Academy Novel
Author: Richelle Mead
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 489
Release Date: May 18, 2010
Publisher: Razorbill
Geared Towards: Vampire Academy fans/Paranormal romance lovers
Extra Info: This is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series. (List of books on the bottom)
From: Library

"I couldn't do it. Dimitri couldn't die. Not yet"

Summary (From Front Flap): After a long and heartbreaking journey to Siberia, Dimitri's birthplace, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Liss Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives outside of the academy's cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri. He's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance, and now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he has silenced her...forever.

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey-whispers of a magic too imporssible and terrrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what-and who-matters most to her. And in the end, is true love really worth the price?

Wdebo's Review: Wow, so after finishing Blood Promise [Click HERE for review] I was so unnaturally excited for this book, it ended in this giant cliffhanger and I just could not wait to get my hands on Spirit Bound and see what happens, and especially what happens between Rose and Dimitri. Now that I am done however I feel kind of torn, on one hand, the end...wow...the ending was amazing very well-written and another giant cliffhanger (>:( ) but on the other hand, the route it took to get there was not a very smooth one.

The beginning was ok, a little slow, and since there was no Dimitri that made it kind of boring. But that wasn't the thing that annoyed me, it was Rose herself. She is usually one of my favorite characters, she is posseses a very strong and bad ass personality, but in this book, yes she does have that personality, but her head-strong-ness and her totally disregard for thinking ideas through was frustrating. She gets into so much trouble and gets others into so much trouble because of her personality. And when Dimitri is involved, she just morphs into a total child, and is so pitiful...Rose, I thought you were stronger then that!

I also had selfish feelings towards Adrian like Rose did. I wanted Rose and Dimitri together, and I still do; however, I did not want Adrian to leave Rose. He is such a good person and so good to Rose, and I knew something bad was going to happen between Rose and Dimitri and I thought I would be important to keep Adrian next to her, even though it's totally obvious that Rose and Adrian...will never actually be, as in be what she and Dimitri are.

Now for the good things, because my ranting about the bad just makes it seem like a horrible book, which it's not.

After a ways in the book picks up speed and it becomes addictive like all of the other VA novels. It is filled with so much romance, drama, and action, it was like a vampire romance version of Black and White (The current TDrama I am watching :) ) minus the cop scenes. Once the good parts come, the book becomes so deliciously amazing, and drags you in until the OMG ending.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like the cover, it has a Vampire Academy feel and I'm pretty sure the two people on the cover are Rose and Dimitri..and well, "Dimitri" is pretty hot in this picture. (B+)

All in all, for Vampire Academy fans a good continuation of the series, and for those that have not begun the series yet...go...now! As for me, I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!!

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

******

Books in the Vampire Academy series...

1. Vampire Academy [Click HERE for review]
2. Frostbite [Click HERE for review]
3. Shadow Kiss [Click HERE for review]
4. Blood Promise [Click HERE for review]
5. Spirit Bound [This one!]
6. Last Sacrifice [Coming December 7, 2010]

Friday, November 5, 2010

Classic Friday (5): The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Movie)

Title: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Language: English
Release Date: September 26, 1975
Director: Jim Sharman
Rating: R
Cafe Warnings: There is a tremendous amount of adult matter in this movie.
Actors: Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Susan Sarandon as Janet Weiss, Barry Bostwick as Brad Majors and Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff.


"Let's do the Time Warp again!"

Summary: Brad Majors and his fiance Janet Weiss were driving down a road one night when their car breaks down. With the rain pouring down and no one around for miles, they decide to hike up the road to a "castle" they saw a few miles back. When they get there, the handyman (Riff Raff-O'Brien) that answers seems a bit on the strange side. When they get into the mansion they see just how weird the whole place is. As they are taken into the Frank-N-Furter's (Curry) convention and immersed in "The Time Warp". Later they are taken into his lab and see his creation, Rocky Horror, a new-born, innocent, blonde "god" :) Brad and Janet's life alters completely from that moment as they are dragged into the world of Frank-N-Furter, the transexual transavanian scientist.

Trailer...



Wdebo's Review: I first watch RHPS during the Freshmen year, I loved it, but I only watched half of it because YouTube blocked the other parts :( So, when I found out that Glee was doing a RHPS episode I decided to rewatch it (the whole thing!) Even the second time it was wonderful and awesome, it's just so weird but so addicting, no wonder it's a cult classic!

The characters are so over-the-top, you have Janet and Brad who seem like they're very clean cut but they turn out to have a dark side too that is brought out by being in Dr. Frank-N-Furt's life. And everyone in the house is so...weird..but awesome. And of course there is the doctor himself played by Tim Curry, and I just have one thing to say. TIM CURRY IS A GENIUS!!!!! He is soo amazing his acting is so good and so convincing, such a wonderful actor, and he has really good legs which is scary....

However, even though this movie is like awesome, in all actuallity it is actuality it is a bad movie. It is low budget like, it has cheesy 80's things going on, the lyrics of the songs are quite weird, but it is still so amazing for some reason!

Seriously, if you haven't watched this go have some kind of RHPS day and just have a wildly fun time!

Grade: A-

My RHPS playlist :)




Wdebo :)

Monday, November 1, 2010

CONTEST REMINDER!

So, just a small reminder, my Halloween contest ends tomorrow...so click HERE and enter if you haven't yet ^^

Good luck!

Wdebo :)

Sunday, October 31, 2010

In My Mailbox (17)

Wow, I haven't posted an IMM for a few months...but I'm back again!! AHH I have the SAT IIs next week, so nervous :(

IMM is brought to you by The Story Siren~

The Books...

Recieved

The Ghostgirl series

The Haunted By: Jessica Verday + Perfume Kit

Pretty Little Liars Secret Keeper Halloween Gift (PLL flashlight + m&ms)

So what's in your mailbox?

Wdebo :)

Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Contagious Spread of C-Pop~

So, I totally forgot about posting a mv today, and I'll probably forget next week, because of the SAT IIs...well here is something that just makes me really happy, I love how Americans are starting to get into C-pop...it always makes me happy when I see Americans sing C-pop...so I decided to dedicate this post to all those C-pop songs sung by Americans...enjoy~

YouTube Channel: woopthereitis123
Song: 今天你要嫁給我 (Jin Tian Ni Yao Jia Gei Wo/Today You Will Marry Me) By: David Tao and Jolin Tsai.



Check them out! I think their voices are really good and so are their rapping :)

YouTube Channel: frankie0414
Song: 童話 (Tong Hua/Fairytale) By: Guang Liang



His voice is very good...pronunciation needs work, but he's quite good...and he's using the mv music so haha...I love this song a lot and I think he did very good:)

YouTube Channel: euroc2
Song: 黑色毛衣 (Hei Se Mao Yi/Black Sweater) By: Jay Chou



He has a very good voice, but of course...pronounciation...

YouTube Channel: brainsteww
Song: Kiss Goodbye By: Leehom Wang



YEAH!! Leehom!!

YouTube Channel: chryswlch1
Song: 你不知道的事 (Ni Bu Zhi Dao De Shi/The Things You Don't Know) By: Leehom



Her voice is so good...and this is such a good song!

YouTube Channel: dannypamu
Song: 我愛的人 (Wo Ai De Ren/The Person I Love) By: Jordan Chen



Good song...and good singing.

Ok well that's that...hope you enjoy! And get engulfed in the C-pop craze...Yeah~~~~

Wdebo :)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Cafe Chit Chat: Erin McCahan

So, this post was supposed to be apart of a blog tour...but since of some circumstances I was not able to recieve the information and post it up until now. But, oh well!

Here is an interview I did with Erin McChan the author of I Now Pronounce You Someone Else [Click HERE for review]. Enjoy!

~~~

Wdebo: Please describe yourself in three adjectives.
Erin McCahan: red, blue, 5’7”
I got these from my driver’s license – hair, eyes and height. Driver’s licenses should come with the following warning: Photo merely approximates actual subject’s appearance. In real life, I do not walk around looking as if I’m following a very bad smell but trying to politely ignore it.

W: Please describe a typical day.
EM: Up early.
Chai/coffee with my husband.
Wave as he leaves for work.
Say morning prayers inside, in my icon corner.
Read paper, watch a few minutes of national news.
Go up to my desk.
Write.
Delete.
Stare blankly at computer screen.
Write.
Get on the treadmill.
Go back to writing.
Race up to the store at 5:30 when I realize I have nothing in the house for dinner.
Dinner.
Read.
Sleep.
Up early . . .
Yes, it’s true. Writers lead exciting lives.

W: How did you come up with the storyline for I Now Pronounce You Someone Else?
EM: It evolved from the collision of three elements:

1. My shameless fascination with weddings. From black tie to blue jeans, I love weddings.
2. My own alias, which I gave myself in the event I ever need to leave the country in a hurry. Phoebe Lilywhite – sounds English, which I long to be, and also sounds like someone who has never been tan in her life. That’s definitely me.
3. My relationship with my step-dad – who died before I had a chance to tell him how much I loved him.

W: What do you believe is one important message readers will take from your book?
EM: The one that most people write me about it this: You really need to know who you are as an individual before you become part of a couple – before you become an “Us,” as Bronwen says.

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five items what would they be?
EM: Wood, a saw, a hammer and two shipbuilders to build a boat to get us off the island we got stranded on.

W: Are you working on any projects now? And if so, can you please tell us about them?
EM: Yes, I’m working on another YA novel, tentatively called Kissing Mr. Glaser. In it, brainy sixteen-year-old Josie Sheridan falls in love with a guy who falls in love with Josie’s older sister who is engaged to a man Josie hates. When the sister seems to return Josie’s love interest’s feelings, Josie finds herself armed with all the ammunition she needs to prevent her sister’s wedding. But Josie hesitates and must examine how pure her motives are, where her loyalty lies and just what this business of love is all about.

W: Who are some of your favorite authors?
EM: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Kurt Vonnegut, J.D. Salinger, David McCullough, Annie Dillard, Francisco X. Stork, Katherine Howe.

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the world?
EM: Franny and Zooey

W: Do you have anything else you would like to add?
EM: Yes. I would like to add 13, 679 and 4,192. In my head. Just to see if I can.

~~~
Hope you enjoyed!

Wdebo :)

Saturday, October 23, 2010

I Don't Want to be Immortal-Alien Huang

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Chinese Title: 我不要長生不老 (Wo Bu Yao Chang Sheng Bu Lao)
English Title: I Don't Want to be Immortal
Artist: Alien Huang (小鬼)
TTS: Yes (Part 1 and Part 2)

Wdebo's Notes: I really loved this song ever since it first came out, but I could never find the English subbed version...I was always too busy to sub it myself. But now that I found an english subbed version I can finally share with everyone ^^ I love this song....it's very sad...and what he says at the end is really sad also. Bravo Xiao Gui you did wonderfully on this song :)

Listen and Love!




Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Contest: Spooktastic Giveaway

-CLOSED-

So, to celebrate Halloween I have a wonderful contest for you guys!! You can either win Pack 1 or Pack 2, pack 1 will have two winners and pack 2 will have one winner!

Pack #1 (Scary Teen Reads)
*Bloodthirsty
*The Witches' Kitchen
*The Saga of Larten Crepsley: Birth of a Killer
*Dark Song


Pack #2 (Four-legged Friend Middle Grade Reads)

*Dewey the Library Cat
*The Adventures of Nanny Piggins
*Tuntum & Nutmeg: Tales from Rose Cottege


Don't these just look so wonderful? So to enter all you have to do is fill out the form HERE! And you can recieve an two extra entrees if you comment on this post to the question "What are you going to be or what do you want to be (if you could be anything) for Halloween?"

My answer to this question is...Nana...yes I am gonna be Nana, as in Nana from the manga Nana...my first time dressing punk and it's for Halloween...YES =]

Contest ends: November 2nd

Contest is US only (Please no P.O. Boxes) Srry international winners :(
Good luck!!
Wdebo :)

Cafe Chit Chat: Jessica Verday

As a way to promote her new tour with Michelle Zink, Jessica Verday has decided to do interviews with a few bloggers. And so here we are! Jessica Verday is the author of The Hollow and the second book The Haunted...well enjoy!

~~~


Wdebo: Please describe yourself in three adjectives.
Jessica Verday: Adventurous, Creative, and Silly

W: Please describe a typical day.
J: Wait, there's a such thing as a typical day? Every day's a little different.

W: How did you come up with the idea for your The Hollow trilogy?
J: A lot of credit has to go to Washington Irving for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. But it was Abbey herself that first came to me and I built the story around her.

W: Do any of your characters remind you of someone you know from real life?
J: Several of my characters have traits that were inspired by real people but they are all very much fiction.

W: What is your favorite color?
J: Purple


W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five things what would they be?
J: My husband, a fully loaded Kindle, plant seeds, a box of matches, and rope.

W: Are you working on any new projects now? And if so, can you tell us more about it?
J: I am. But for now, it's super secret.


W: Who are some of your favorite authors ever?
J: L. M. Montgomery, Charlotte Brontë, Eudora Welty, Stephen King, L.J. Smith

W: What is your FAVORITE book in the whole world?
I don't really have one. I enjoy reading a lot.

W: Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Thanks so much for having me. I hope you enjoy The Haunted and I hope to see everyone at the Ghosts and Graves Book Tour.


W: Thanks so much for letting me do the interview!

~~~

Wdebo :)

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Wicked Lovely By: Melissa Marr

Title: Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 328
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: June 12, 2007
Geared Towards: Teens (Faerie/Paranoramal Romance Lovers)
From: Friend

"Then he said the words that'd sealed so many mortal girls' fates. 'I've dreamed about her. She's the one.'" P. 14


Summary (From B.O.B):


Rule #3:
Don't stare at invisable faeries
Rule #2
Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Rule #1
Don't ever attract their attention.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. When the rules that have kept Aislinn safe from them stop working, everything is suddenly on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first centruy faery tale.

Wdebo's Review: I had read many good reviews about Wicked Lovely and so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and read it. Though in the beginning it was a bit hard to get into and it felt slow, but after a while it sped up and became, not only action-filled but it was also able to capture romance, intrigue and so many other spell-binding characteristics that many faerie books try to do but do not succed.

Before Wicked Lovely, I had read a lot of faerie books, I never thought I would like Wicked Lovely a lot, most of the faerie books did seem to feed off of each other and have a lot of the same characteristics over and over again. So, when I first began reading it I wasn't all that interested, I would put it down for long periods of time and randomly pick it up and begin skim-reading some of the pages before putting it down. But after a while I found myself getting sucked into Aislinn and the Winter/Summer Court faeries' worlds. It became very very addicting.

Melissa Marr was able to paint the scenes of the courts beautifully and get much emotion into the book. Even though this was her debut novel her writing was very strong and wonderfully done.

Aislinn wasn't my most favorite character,she seemed kind of weak, even though at times she did have undeniable strength; however, she always seeemed to need someone by her. I liked Seth a lot more, I mean he was strong character that was always behind Aislinn, it was sweet to read about Seth, he was this tough guy but with a soft side espeically when it came to Aislinn. Keenan was ok, I mean he is doing all this to save his courts and he does get a good love story (all the characters did, which made me a happy camper :) ); however, I really do not understand why people always have to write about beautiful Faerie males as having long hair...everytime I see a guy with long hair it kind of scares me, so I don't really understand the attarctiveness of long hair.

Cafe Cover Chat: I really like the cover, it has a blue-ness to it and since blue is my favorite color so yeah! =] (B+)

All in all, a wonderful story for Faerie/Paranormal romance lovers. Filled with wonderful imagry and writing. Sure to enthrall readers 'till the last word.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Too Naive-Guang Liang

-ENGLISH SUBBED-
Chinese Title: 太天真
English Title: Too Naive
Artist: Guang Liang (Michael Wong)
Language: Chinese (Mandarin)
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: This is from Guang Liang's newest album and all I can say is that I LOVE THIS SONG! I love Guang Liang...he has such a wonderful voice and his songs always have so much feeling and beauty to them. Amazing song...he never fails to impress and will def be another one of my top songs =] His voice is just so gorgeous!

Listen and Love!



Hope you enjoy! And please comment!
Wdebo :)