The Electrical book cafe...and more!

CONTEST: Pure By: Julianna Baggott

2012-01-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

Hiya, my lovely readers. School started a few weeks ago so I've been crazy busy with that. I haven't been able to find time to read for fun at all D: But I am taking a lit class about Western European and Russian Literature from the 17th-19th Century, and I've never done ANYTHING with those kinds of stories so I really like it ^^ So far we've read Tartuffe and Candide and I've enjoyed both. We're reading Faust now, which I like, but it's hard to concentrate because I keep having Black Butler and Ao No Exorcist flashbacks. Well....I'm getting WAY off topic.....

Anywho, to kind of make it up to you guys I have a contest for y'all :3 Enjoy!!

Title: Pure

Author: Julianna Baggott

Summary: PURE focuses on Pressia, a scrappy, brilliant, and tough-as-nails teenage girl fighting for survival in a city destroyed by “the detonations.” Her world is one populated by mangled survivors, known simply as Wretches. Pressia’s life, like that of all Wretches, is dictated by the Pures, an aristocracy unharmed by the denotations. To remain untainted, Pures never step out of the Dome that protects them. But what happens when an unsatisfied young man escapes from the Dome and into Pressia’s world?

YEAH~

Le rules....
Contest will end on 2/8/2012

To enter please answer this question in the comments and leave your name/email: "If you could create a utopia/paradise, what would you do in it?"

Hm, personally for me, I would combine all of my favorite things (food, books, music, anime/manga, etc) and be able to indulge in them unguiltily.

To Earn Extra Entrees:

+1 Becoming a Follower

+2 Already a Follower

+1 Becoming a Twitter Follower

+2 Already a Twitter Follower

+2 Publicize (Please link to it ^^)

+3 Get Creative! Make a button, etc.

Good luck! Two signed copies of Pure will be available. Contest will be open to all in US and Canada.

A little Hetalia for y'all~ (Yep, embracing my inner otaku :) )

Wdebo :)

Review: Falling For Hamlet By: Michelle Ray

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

"You wanna know the truth? Here it is. Not the truth I tell Zara or the truth I tell the DDI or anyone else. I'll tell you, but no questions. I've had enough questions" (P. 3).

Title: Falling For Hamlet
Author: Michelle Ray
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 348
Release Date: July 5, 2011
Publisher: Poppy
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (Review Copy)
Extra Info: This is a modern adaption of Hamlet

Summary (From B.O.B): Meet Ophelia, high school senior, daughter of the Danish king's most trusted adviser, and longtime girlfriend of Prince Hamlet. She lives in a glamorous life and has a royal social circle, and her beautiful face is splashed across magazines and TV screens. But all this comes with a price-her life is ruled not only by Hamlet's fame and his overbearing royal family but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go.

After the sudden and suspicious death of his father, the king, Hamlet spirals dangerously toward madness, and Ophelia finds herself torn, with no one to turn to. All she wants is to live a normal life. But will that ever be possible when her boyfriend is royalty?

In this stunning contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet from Ophelia's point of view, debut author Michelle Ray brilliantly weaves togehter old and new-and introduces some surprises along the way.

Wdebo's Review: I discovered this book last year when I started reading Hamlet for my AP Lit class. When I was given the opportunity to review this book, I could not wait and jumped at the opportunity. Though I found this book enjoyable and did like the concept but it was nothing too memorable.

I really enjoyed how this book is from Ophelia's point of view. The thing that annoyed me about Hamlet was the weakeness in the female characters, especially Ophelia. She is always relying on the men in her life and falls apart because of them. But with the Ophelia in Falling For Hamlet, she has adopted a modern teenage air to her which is very refreshing. Though she is weak at times, she is still willing to stand up for herself and throw out a few sarcastic phrases while she's at it.

I also liked reading from Ophelia's point of view because in the Shakespeare's version it just sort of glosses over Ophelia's actions after she slips into madness and suddenly throws out that she commits suicide. With Falling For Hamlet all the action is explained and it just felt much more satisfying for me (Even though it was modernized, and probably not what Shakespeare was going for...oh wells....).

Each chapter is divided into three parts: Ophelia's description of the story, a police questioning and also her appearance on a talk show. I liked the division, it creates three different ways of looking at the story, but I wished the order could have been reveresed at time, instead of having it be, TV appearance, story then questioning. If it was switched up, it could have added some variety to the story.

The writing itself was good, but it just felt kind of average. I was interested but not so immersed in it that I could not put it down. Towards the last hundred pages, I was just having so much trouble motivating myself to finish it. Though when I started reading it, the last few hundred pages went by pretty fast. Right after finishing it though, instead of feeling sad that it was over, I felt relieved that it was finally over.

Though the characters were entertaining, they did not have much depth to them. They were pretty one-dimensional, as opposed to ol' Willy's version of the characters. In the Shakespeare version there were just so many ambiguities and conflicting beliefs surrounding each of the characters. Even though I personally dislike Hamlet, that was one of the elements about the play that I admired, his ability to create such complex characters. But with Ray's verison, what you see was what you get, the characters themselves were not that interesting to read about, very generic YA characters.

Cafe Cover Chat: I really like the cover, the black and white picture of Ophelia and Hamlet and the bright color of the throne really creates a sharp contrast between the two. It pulls the viewer's sight to the throne, showing just how magnetic becoming royalty is. (B+)

All in all, though it was not the best written book out there, Falling For Hamlet creates a fresh approach for modern teens to look at the timeless classic Hamlet.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (30): Nico Nico Singers

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Since I talked about Vocaloids last week, I thought I should do another post, this time about Nico Nico Singers. NicoNico is short for Nico Nico Douga, they are a video sharing site in Japan. (And now there is also a Taiwanese version of Nico Nico ;) ) They are doujin singers (fan singers) who cover a lot of Vocaloid songs.

I first got into Nico Nico after discovering Clear. I am still absolutely head-over-heels in love with his voice and his songs, gah I could listen to him all day *Heart* Anywho, eventually I started getting into Nico Nico Choruses which are usually solo versions of a cover of a song put together by a fan, but sometimes they do form actually choruses.

Without further ado here are a few favorites of mine...Enjoy!

Hope by Hanatan
Vocaloid Version: Hope By: Miku
This is just so amazing. Hanatan is amazing. I absolutely adore her voice. The chorus just gave me a crazy amount of goosebumps.

Scissorhands by Panyo
Vocaloid: Scissorhands By: Miku
Really like Panyo's voice, even though I personally like Clear's version more but this one is so good too.

Magnet by Clear ft. Dasoku
Vocaloid: There are so many versions out there, but the "original" (I believe) is Magnet By: Luka ft. Miku
As stated above I am a huge Clear fan, this song is one of the main reasons why. I first discovered Clear through Magnet, yep yep, I love how Dasoku and his voice blend together.

Spice! by Nico Nico Chorus [Guys]
Vocaloid: Spice! By: Len
Total nosebleed song right here ^^ They just sound so amazing together and I really like it when Len's voice blends in even though he sounds like a total girl.

Just Be Friends by: Nico Nico Chorus
Vocaloid: Just Be Friends By: Luka
I first listened to the Clear version then I listened to the Luka version, finally I listened to the Nico Nico version. Though the beginning of the Chorus version of JBF is kind of shaky the chorus part is absolutely wonderful, it sounds like they are actually singing together.

Wdebo :)

Wishlist Wednesday (3)

2012-01-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

The Selection: Gorgeous cover and the summary sounds so intriguing

Take A Bow: Lovely cover and the storyline sounds very good. I really want to read The Lonely Hearts Club by her also.

The Story of Us: I love Deb Caletti! I really enjoyed Stay by her, she is just such an impressive YA author.

Hush, Hush: I am pretty sure I am the last person on Earth who hasn't read Hush, Hush yet. It's on the top of my TBR list, but I can never seem to find time to go to the library and check it out =.=

So, lovely blog readers, what is on your wishlist?

Wdebo :)

Review: Forbidden By: Tabitha Suzuma

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

"Lochan cannot be my boyfriend. Out of the millions and millions of people that inhabit this planet, he is one of the tiny few I can never have. And this is something I must accept-even if, like acid on metal, it is slowly corroding me inside" (P. 202).

Title: Forbidden
Author: Tabitha Suzuma
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 454
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Library

Summary: With an alcoholic mother and a deserting father, Lochan and Maya have always been more like parents than an actual brother and sister to their three younger siblings. They care for them, they cook for them, they do everything for them that a parent would do, all in hopes that social services will not come and tear up their family anymore than it already has been.

But when their lives start weighing down on them, Lochan and Maya start relying on each other more and more and begin to realize how their feelings for each other have changed. They have never truly felt like siblings, instead they've always felt like equals, best friends. Their stress and also their mutual understanding of what they are going through brings them closer together. But their closeness causes them to tread into a dangerous territory, a place that no sibiling is allowed to go, a love that goes beyond a family bond.

They both know that their love is wrong, that it should never continue. But why does something so wrong just feel so right?

Wdebo's Review: Incest is truly a difficult topic to read and also write about, but Suzuma has handled this topic wonderfully. The story itself is incredibly well written, from the creation of the characters themselves to the interactions between everyone, especially the connection between Lochan and Maya.

The story is written from both the point of view of Lochan and Maya. However, instead of just having it be a way to look at one part of the story from two points of view, it was, instead, written as a continuation of the story, just from a different voice. This works so much better than the former, mostly because there was no awkward pause in the story for the next character to telltheir side of the same part of the story story. There was no repition, which helped move the writing along. Also, this bouncing between the two narrators helped the reader understand each character's feelings, seeing each characters' growth of love for the other, the timid steps towards their eventual relationship.

The organization of the story is another plus. Instead of just jumping into the romantic relationship between the two, the first half of the novel was more of a background of the family life. Which allowed the reader to begin to empathize with their situation. The beginning of the relationship, though the writing was a bit shaky, came very suddenly and the story seemed to change speeds, from slow (in the beginning) to a fast-paced love story and it seeemd to gain momentum until the heart pounding last like 50 pages. I thought the conclusion came too fast though, it should have been drawn out a bit more just to balance out with the lengths of the previous parts of the story but it was still well done. The ending came as a total shock, which is a very refreshing change from the usual cliche, cookie-cutter endings one usually finds when one reads YA.

The actual writing was very well done, very polished. However the only true complaint I have about it is that the beginning seemed to be trying too hard. As in, there were too many "big" words thrown randomly into the mix as if it was just trying to sound intellectual, but it just did not flow well. As the story progressed, this writing style smoothed out and it became much easier to read after that small bump in the novel.

I really enjoyed all of the characters, there was something distinct about all of them that allowed me to grow attached to them. I especially loved Willa, she was just so sweet and innocent and a great contrast to the dark, heart-wrenching feeling of the novel. I nearly started crying when I read the ending, which just goes to show how much the characters had grown on me.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like the cover, it is simple but conveys the true feelings of the story. (B+)

All in all, a haunting love story that is sure to follow you well after the last page.
Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

"How to explain that this situation, the love we feel for each other-everything that to others may seem sick and twisted and disgusting-to us feels completely natural and wonderful and oh-so, so right?"
(P. 357)

No. 6 (Anime + Manga/Novel) + Happy New Years

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!! Can't believe it's 2012 already. Hope everyone has a good day and year !

Anime

Title: No. 6

Japanese Title: NO.6 ナンバー・シックス

Amount of Episodes: 11

Status: Completed

Tags: Sci-fi, dystopian

For: Teens

Summary: Set in the year 2013, No.6 seems like the perfect place, with all the intellects and people who contribute most to society allowed to live in lavish luxury and everyone else given a chance to live in comfort.

At the age of two, Shion was tested to have the"highest-ranked intelligence" so he and his mother were allowed to live in the highly regarded, luxurious area named "Cronos".

On the rainy night of his twelfth birthday, Shion discovers and aids a runaway by the name of Nezumi who escaped from the City's Special Security Area. And with this simple gesture of goodwill, Shion's life changes forever, as everything that he is given in No. 6 is suddenly ripped away from him as quckly as Nezumi disappears the next day....

Wdebo's Review [This review is for the anime only]: I first discovered No. 6 over Summer, and as a huge fan of dystopians, I was so excited to start watching. When I first saw No. 6's MAL profile, it was when it first started airing and held very high ratings, but when I went back to the page a couple of weeks ago (because that is when I started it), the ratings had dropped considerably. After finishing the show, the ratings make complete sense. Even though the anime started on a high note, it ended flat. After the first couple of episodes, the only thing I was watching for, instead of plot was just the relationship development between Nezumi and Shion.

The first few episodes were absolutely amazing. Each episode was filled was so much action and emotion and there was just so much potential. However, after that block of episodes, the plot started to slip and everything just fell through. There were a lot of plot holes that created confusion and the plot itself seemed to be going no where. However, the last couple of episodes were pretty addicting, I just could not stop watching them, but then it spirled down again and the ending was a huge disappointment. It wasn't because it wasn't an ending I wanted, it was because it just didn't feel like it fit in well. It felt too rushed and there were a few huh? moments.

There were a lot of interesting characters that were thrown into the mix, but, apart from Nezumi and Shion, none of them seemed to be given much development. They just seemed to be placed into the story as decoration, they did not really seem to be doing much to help the plot move along. While the plot and secondary characters were not all that impressive, the protagnoists, Nezumi and Shion, and their relationship with each other was basically the only thing that kept me watching the show.

I absolutely adored the relationship between Nezumi and Shion. And no matter what people say, it was not only "bromance", it was defintely a romantic relationship. Seriously, what pair of best guy friends kiss each other "good night"?

Now that we have that out of the way, the reason I loved their relationship was because the growth of their closeness and realizing how they needed each other in other to survive and also how the other brought out their best side, was just wonderful. It was a very nice little BL undertone to the story.

I am also absolutely in love with the opening and ending. The opening took a bit for me to get used to because the voice was just so high, but the artwork was very well done (As opposed to the art in the actual anime which was just ok) and I loved the effects it utilized. The ending, on the other hand, had me completely hooked from the very beginning. The song is beautiful and the video that accompanied it was so bittersweet.

All in all, even though the plot fell flat, the only redeeming factor of this anime is the relationship between Nezumi and Shion.

Grade: B-/C+

Watch No. 6 HERE

Novel/Manga

Novel~

Volumes: 9
Chapters: 43
Volumes Read: 3
Status: Completed
Translated Source: HERE

Manga~
Volume: ?
Chapter: ?
Chapters Read: 7
Status: Ongoing

Wdebo's Review: The novel was the first that appeared and then there was a manga adaption and finally an anime adaption. The novel is definitely the best out of the three, mostly because there is just so much more oppurtunity for there to be more details added.

The storyline of both is so much richer. There is so much more added to Nezumi and Shion, the readers are able to understand what Nezumi and Shion are feeling, it really shows their growth and also their reasoning for their actions. The details also help to explain the progression of events, which the anime failed to at parts.

The secondary characters are also given a better chance to grow and allowed to take on a bigger role in the actual story.

All in all, I highly recommend readers to begin with the novel and manga first, just to get a better understanding of the actual story and then to start on the anime.

[Note: The site I posted only has half of the volumes translated. I don't know if there are any sites out there that have the entire thing translated, just search around! And if you know Chinese, the entire thing is translated to Chinese (The Chinese novel was first published in Taiwan...Hehe I love being Taiwanese ^^)!]

Grade (For Novel): A
Grade (For Manga): A--

Read the manga HERE
Download the manga HERE
Read the novel in Chinese HERE [Chinese Title: 未來都市NO.6]

Wdebo :)

MV: I Don't Want To Forget You-Claire Kuo

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: I Don't Want To Forget You
Chinese Title: 我不想忘記你 (Wo Bu Xiang Wang Ji Ni)
Artist: Claire Kuo (郭静)
Language: Mandarin Chinese
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I absolutely adore this song. I've first heard this song a while back and just could not get it out of my head, and I finally rediscovered it a few months ago. So beautiful.

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

Review: Girl In The Arena By: Lise Haines

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

"I could talk with young people, young women in particular, about how we once lived in a time of blood. Blood and money and lots of publicity" (P.324).

Title: Girl in the Arena
Author: Lise Haines
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 324
Release Date: October 13, 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Geared Towards: Teens/Dystopian Readers
From: Library

Summary (From B.O.B): During the week, Lyn lives in a big house in Cambridge and hangs out with friends in Harvard Square. But over the weekend, she cheers her father on as he gears up for neo-gladiator competition-a high-profile televised blood sport that rivals the NFL. Lyn's father is the top player in the league, and the paparazzi that have always swarmed him have started to dog Lyn's every move. All this fame comes with another price-Lyn's family lives with the constant presence of violence, uncertainty and a strict cultural code set by the Gladiator Sports Association.
When a skilled young fighter slays Lyn's father, the GSA imposes an unthinkable sentence-Lyn must marry her father's murderer. Though her mother has made a career out of marrying into Glad culture, Lyn is prepared to do whatever it takes to claim her independence. Even if it means going into the arena herself.

Wdebo's Review: Growing up, I always found Gladiators to be these disturbingly curious creatures. The whole idea of slaughtering a bunch of people and animals and also having people actually watching that as entertainment is just so strange to me. (I regard bullfighting in that light also, but that's a story for another time....) Therefore, when I saw Girl in the Arena I was immedietely intrigued. Having anything to do with gladiators is something I've never seen in YA. The story, though enjoyable at times, had many flaws.

The first thing that should be pointed out is the formating of the writing. Mainly, instead of quotation marks to offset the dialogue Haines uses hyphens instead. This made the writing difficult to read at parts, even though I did get used to it after a while, it could still get confusing if I just glazed over a sentence. The structuring of the writing was also awkward in certain places. When I quickly read some paragraphs some things just did not seem to make sense, and it caused me to have to go back and slowly re-read sentences.

I was also unsatisfied with the prologue. The reasons just did not make sense to me. I appreciated the "backstory", I just wished the beginning was better...I'm not sure what to say...articulated? Beefed up? Changed to a more "exciting" reason? I really don't know exactly what I'm expecting from it, it just did not work for me.

I also felt that there would be a lot of heart-pounding action in this story, but there was none. There seemed to be some kind of clear film between me and the emotional aspect of the novel, no matter what situation Lyn was thrown in, I just could not feel any nerves for her. I did not have any of those heart-pounding-on-the-edge-of-my-seat experiences. It was as if I was watching a slide of pictures zoom by without any thought about it.

Even though I did list a lot of cons to this book, there were positive aspects also. For example, I really liked the character of Lyn. Though she was conflicted towards the middle of the story, I regarded that as very natural behavior, but she stuck to her beliefs and was very independent. She relyed on herself which is a very good quality.

The storyline itself was very enjoyable and interesting, even if the writing was not superb. The dystopian aspect of it was quite frigtening. It was basically the mirror image of our current society with neo-gladiators thrown into the mix. The addition of pop culture such as YouTube and movies was a nice garnish and helped create an interesting satire on our current society about the consumerism aspect of our lives.

Cafe Cover Chat: I really like this cover. This cover was one of the reasons I wanted to pick up this novel. It just seems so intense and the pose itself just seems so magnetic. (A-)

All in all, though Girl in the Arena was not the best executed novel, there were parts that were enjoyable . If you are looking for a novel on the level of an author like Suzanne Collins (Since GITA is quite similar to The Hunger Games) do skip this one, but otherwise pick this book up for an fun and exciting little read.

Grade: B--

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (29): Vocaloids

2011-12-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

I recently got crazily addicted to Vocaloids this term, so here are a few favorites....

World Is Mine- This is one of Miku's most famous songs, so many Vocaloids and Nico Nico singers have covered it. Even though I like Miku's version, I love Len's version more or maybe that might just be because Len is one of my favorites.

Immitation Black- I love this song. Hehe. Even though I like the Nico Nico version better just becuase it's smoother, but this is just lovely. This was one of the first vocaloid songs I've ever heard. (I first listened to this before my Vocaloid addiction, so sometime last year)

The Last Revolver- I really like Gumi. Her voice seems to be one of the more realistic ones in Vocaloid standards. This is such a sad song. For some reason, it gives me Agent J memories. The tune, however, just seems so...happy...for such a distressing topic.

A Restless Night's Song (Hot Cocoa)- This song is basically my life in three minutes. I am the world's worst procrastinator. I totally had this song on repeat when I was scrambling to finish my journals for Lit class.

Wdebo :)

Wishlist Wednesday (2)

2011-12-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've done a post like this...enjoy!

Chain Reaction-As a giant Simone Elkeles fan who is absolutely amored with Perfect Chemistry, it really is no surprise that this book is on the top of my "Wanna Read" list.

Clean-I really enjoyed Beautiful and really want to read Clean.

V For Vendetta-Loved Watchmen and I've wanted to read this one for so long.

Jessica Rules The Dark Side-I stayed up so late to finish Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side, I was obsessed with it for a while...I want the obsession to *hopefully* continue :3

What's On Your Wishlist?

Wdebo :)

Update: What I'm Watching/Reading Now!

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

[Note: Click on the picture to be directed to each works' MyAnimeList or Amazon or Goodreads page]

F i n i s h e d:

Watching:

No.6 (11 Episodes)-Started out amazing, but then the episodes started to get kind of boring and pointless. But the opening and ending were totally lovely. [Full review coming sometime this week or next week!]

Nyanpire (12 Episodes)-The cat vampire anime that went by very fast. It was cute but nothing too amazing.

Reading:

Forbidden-Review coming next Monday!

I n - P r o g r e s s:

Watching:

Freaks & Geeks-Can't believe I JUST started watching this show. It's just so awesome. Sad it was cancelled :/

Ao No Exorcist-GAHH it's so great right now. I love Rin and Yuki. Except I love the first opening so much more than the second opening (But it's still pretty good)

Reading:

Yankee-Kun To Megane-Chan-I've been reading this since Summer. Even though this manga is completed in Japan, it's still being scanlated into English so it's taking forever for me to finish it. I am absolutely in love with this manga.

Falling For Hamlet-Been reading this forever, but I just cannot find any motivation to finish it.

Acid Town: Like "YKTMC" I've been reading this since Summer but this manga is currently in progress so I'm dying wondering what will happen next, I am so addicted to this story. *Love*

Wdebo :)

Shut Out By: Kody Keplinger

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 288
Release Date: Septermber 5, 2011
Publisher: Poppy
Geared Towards: Older Teens
From: Publisher (Review)

"'It's the one thing they could never say no to. The one thing they beg and plead and cajole for. Up until now, I didn't realize we could use it to our advantage. But last night, I realized that it's our best shot.' I paused, took a breath. 'We go on...a sex strike!'" (P. 38).

Summary (From Front Flap): Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight or haze a freshman. And on three seperate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing iwth a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming. In this hillarious and romantic reimagining of Aristophanes' Lysistrata, the battle of boys against girls is on.

Wdebo's Review: As a giant fan of Kody Keplinger's debut novel, The Duff, I could not wait to begin Shut Out. Though this was definitely an enjoyable read, it did not reach the level that The Duff had and, in turn, had disapointed me in that way.

The writing was very well done. It was a wonderful read from the very beginning and posessed a well thought out stroyline. Each event happened at the perfect time. It had a nice amount of romance and comedy and a smart mouthed protagonist. However, there just felt like there was something lacking to it that just made it not as impressive as The Duff.

It was one of those books that, though enjoyable, was easy to set down and pick up later. I did not have a giant longing to read it at all hours of the day, but the good thing about this book is that it is easy to get into again when you just pick it up from the middle. However, there was a section in the middle that was very slow, as if there was two distinct sections to the book and no perfected connection between the two. I also wished that there would be more of a battle between the boys and the girls as it is made to seem in the summary. It just felt like more of a girl beating down guys fight then an actual straight up battle of the sexes.

Lissa was a pretty good character, I liked her a lot in the beginning of the book but then she because very whinny and annoying towards the end of the book. However, I did really like the character of Cash.

Cafe Cover Chat: The cover is pretty good and shows the strength and fighting spirit of the girls. (B)

All in all, a pretty good read when one just looks at it by itself, however, if it is compared to Keplinger's debut novel, it falls short of it.

Grade: B

Wdebo :)

Black Butler (Anime + Manga) + Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL :) Hopefully you all get to spend a wonderful day with your families =] And I also wanna say "Happy Birthday" to my mom =] Happy birthday mommy!!~

And as my Christmas present to you, a "little" Black Butler review for all of you. Enjoy~

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)

The reason I got into this series was only because I saw how attractive Sebastian was, but once I started the anime and just saw how wonderfully gorgeous the gothic artwork was and found out just how much I enjoyed the storyline, I was instantly addicted and could not stop watching!

Season One:

Title: Kuroshitsuji

Also Known As: Black Butler

Japanese Title: 黒執事

Amount of Episodes: 24 [Watched: 24]

Status: Completed

Tags: Shonen, Supernatural, Dark Comedy, Fanservice
For: Teens (13 +)

In Victorian-era London, the head of the Phantomhive corporation is no ordinary man, in fact he cannot even be considered a man, for he is only a boy of twelve years. This boy's name is Ciel Phantomhive. Ciel is no ordinary boy either, he acts as the Queen's "gaurd dog" and rules his own manor with the help of his four clumsy, airheaded servents and one omnipotent butler, Sebastian. But Sebastian is no mere mortal, in fact he is a demon employed by Ciel who made a pact with him. His soul in exchange for being saved and getting revenge on those who disgraced him and his family name.

Grade: A-

Season 2:

Title: Kuroshitsuji II
Also Known As : Black Butler II
Japanese: 黒執事II
Amount of Episodes: 12 [Watched: 12]
Status: Completed
For: Older Teens (16+)

A year after Black Butler ends, Black Butler II begins and a new butler and master appear. Alois Trancy at first glance appears to be a cheerful, sweet looking fourteen year old boy but at closer inspecition, one can see he is anything but that. Alois is a sadistic, angry, cross dressing little teeange boy, flanked by a servent named Hannah, servent triplets and a stoic demon butler named Claude Faustus, making the Trancy family, one to be feared. Behind Alois' evil demenor though is a dark past, one directing his actions and also his newest wish, that of obtaining the head of the Phantomhive household, Ciel.

Grade: C+

Wdebo's Review: I had no idea what to think when I started this anime, I had never watched anything like this before, I had never read anything by this author before, I barely knew the plot and the only reason I was looking into it was, as stated above, the art, mainly the character of Sebastian. But I was instantly drawn into it. The world, the art, the story, everything was just so intoxicating. I was so addicted to it and just could not stop watching until the very last episode.

However, there were a few fumbles in the plot in the middle of Season one. The story also gets progressively stranger and darker as the episodes continue. (This is something I have to warn my friends about when I show them this series...and make them start from episode one).

I do have to add though that there is a ton of fanservice in season one and about 5000 times more in season two. For season one, it was mainly for the fangirls. Because the author, Yana Toboso, is also a yaoi artist. I also read somewhere that Black Butler was supposed to be a yaoi manga, but I am probably wrong about that. Anywho, there are a bunch of shonen-ai and shota undertones in this story, most likely to keep the fangirls placated. Season two, however, not only includes fanservice for the girls but also for the guys (think abnormally large boobs and clothes being ripped off as though they were made out of paper).

I loved the characters from Season one. There was something about every character that I just feel in love with, even the side characters like Pluto, Drocell, Undertaker, etc. I really enjoyed the relationship between Ciel and Sebastian. There are a lot of fan pairings of Ciel and Sebby and I am totally conflicted as to whether I like them together romantically or just as master and butler.

Season two deserves its own review section. I was completely satisfied with the ending of Season one, so just having a season two there was strange. The only thing I really loved about season two was the introduction of Alois, he was just the most messed up yet awesome character ever. I wasn't sure whether I would like him at all in the beginning, I had crazy conflicted feelings towards him, but at the end, I was in love. Apart from that and also just the whole revisitation of all of the previous characters, this season was absolutely disappointing and just not necessary. However, I guess if you look at it from the view of someone who has never watched season one, it can be considered a pretty decent anime.

I also have to add that I am in love with the very first ending song: "I'm Alive" By: Becca, mostly because Becca's voice reminds me of Hayley Williams' voice =]

Watch Black Butler (Season 1) HERE
Watch Black Butler (Season 2) HERE

The Manga

Title: Kuroshitsuji

Also Known As: Black Butler; Dark Butler
Japanese Title: 黒執事

Author: Toboso, Yana

Status: Ongoing

Current Amount of Volumes: 12 (+ 7 Extra Chapters)

Geared Towards: Teens

Wdebo Notes: The main idea of the manga version is the same as the anime version. However, after the (I can't quite remember, but I think) Prince Soma and Agni storyline, the story goes in a completely different direction. There are many characters that appear in the manga version that are completely absent in the anime version or are very very similar to a character found in the anime series. (IE Drocell and Joker).

Personally, I love the manga series more, but the anime series has Pluto...Haha. But no, the manga series, I think is getting much more action in it than the anime version. It just seems to have so much more details stuffed in it both art-wise and also story-wise. The art is just so beautiful. I could stare at it all day, or more specifically, I could stare at Sebas-chan all day. Many of the characters in the anime who only appeared to be side characters are given much larger roles in the manga and so much more depth.

[Note: I have currently finished all of the chapters that have been scanlated already and might I add that I am crazily addicted to this manga and I wish that there was a new chapter everyday. *Sigh* ]

All in all, a darkly delicous story that I am sure will cause me to develop some kind of strange butler fetish later in life. Not that I mind. I think.

Grade: A

Wdebo :)

Grow A Pear-Ke$ha

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Grow A Pear
Artist: Ke$ha
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Review: I am about as far from a Ke$ha fan as one can be, but for some reason I could not stop listening to this song. However, that might have just been because I first heard it on a Toradora! AMV (Posted below) and since I love Toradora and that AMV this song just got dragged into the mix and got stuck in my head. Whatever. It's an addicting song and I did *Confession time* have it on repeat while I was studying for finals. Haha, I'm so lame (Cries)

Listen and Enjoy!

Toradora! AMV

Wdebo :)

How Many of the 100 Most Popular YA Books Have You Read?

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

I abosultely love quizes like these because I am a(n awesome) dork who loves to keep track of her reads. =] So when I saw The Book Girl Reviews had this quiz on her blog I knew I had to try it!

The key:
[ x ] - Books I've Read
[ - ] - Books in my To Be Read Pile

Start!
[ - ] 1. Alex Finn – Beastly
[ - ]2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
[ - ]3. Ally Carter – Callagher Girls
[ - ] 4. Ally Condie – Matched
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (book one only)
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (book one only)
[ X ] 8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
[ X ]9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider
[ - ] 11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings
[ - ] 12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush
13. Silence Brandon Mull – Fablehaven
[ - ]14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
[ - ] 15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (ALL)
16. Carrie Jones – Need (ALL)
[ - ] 17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth
[ - ] 18. Christopher Paolini
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart
[ - ]22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
[ x ] 23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
[ X ]27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
[ X ] 28. Holly Black – Tithe
[ X ] 29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter
[ - ] 30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride
[ X ] 32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
[ X ] 33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid
[ X ]35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
[ X ] 36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
[ X ] 37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
[ X ] 38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus
[ - ] 40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Beautiful Creatures
[ - ] 41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers
[ - ] 42. Kristin Cashore – Graceling
[ - ] 43. Lauren Kate – Fallen
[ X ] 44. Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events
[ X ] 45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle
[ - ] 46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
[ - ] 49. Maggie Stiefvater – Shiver
[ X ]50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study
[ X ] 52. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
[ X ]53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
[ - ]54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
[ X ] 56. Maureen Johnson – 13 Little Blue Envelopes
[ X ] 57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl
[ X ] 58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator
[ X ] 59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries
[ X ]60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief
[ X ]63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods
[ X ] 65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely
[ - ] 66. Michael Grant – Gone
[ X ]67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind
[ X ]69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
[ - ]70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
[ X ]71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night
[ - ]73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires
[ X ] 75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
[ X ]76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
[ X ] 81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
[ - ] 82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
[ - ] 83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
[ X ]84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars
[ - ]85. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan
[ x ] 86. Scott Westerfeld - Uglies
87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
[ X ]88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
[ X ] 91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry
[ X ] 92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host (Read half then dropped it)
[ X ] 93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors
[ X ] 96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching
[ X ]99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl
[ X ] 100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

I've read 39 of the 100, and 25 are in my TBR pile! So, all together that's 64 of the 100 accounted for!

Not as good as I had hoped but yeah, really need to get cracking on that TBR pile :3

Now it's your turn! Copy and paste the above quiz and see how well you did! Link back in the comments :D

Wdebo :)

Instructions For a Broken Heart By: Kim Culbertson

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Title: Instructions For a Broken Heart
Author: Kim Culbertson
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 291
Release Date: May 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Gift From Friend

"Jessa's eyes fastened themselves to that red dress mostly because she couldn't bring herself to keep looking directly at them. Like the sun. Or a blinding light from an alien spaceship. More like that" (P. 4).

Summary (From B.O.B): When Jessa catches her boyfriend, Sean, making out with Natalie "the Boob Job" Stone three days before their drama club's departure to Italy, she completely freaks.

Stuck with a front-row of Sean and Natalie making out against the backdrop of a country that oozes romance, Jessa promises to follow all of the outrageous instructions in her best friend's care package and open her heart to new experiences.

Enter cute Italian boy stage left.

Jessa had prepared to play the role of humiliated ex-girlfriend, but with Cariassa directing her life from afar, it's finally time to take a shot at being a star.

Wdebo's Review: Instructions For a Broken Heart was a part of my birthday book pile so I thought that I should read it because it had been sitting there for so long, just collecting dust. While reading this book I found it to be average, nothing particulary amazing, but not something that I hated too much.

I felt that I should have been feeling myself being transported into Italy and empathizing with Jessa while reading this book, but I just could not. Even though, growing up, one of the main places I always wanted to visit was Italy, I still could not thoroughly enjoy the extensive descriptions of the scenary around her and to feel exactly what she was feeling. But I guess that is one of the main problems that I found with the book. The descriptions were just too "extensive" almost to an extent of being...pretentious.

I had read a positive review of this book that had stated one of the mian reasons for reading this book to being its beautiful writing. But there is a fine line between beautiful writing and over flowery and over the top descriptors. When I read books, I definitely enjoy straight-forward narration as opposed to the whole beating-around-the-bush kind of writing. I also disliked how the story seemed to stuff romance randomly into the conclusion. It would have ended so much better if they showed Jessa "surving" the trip just by relying on herself.

I liked the progressve addition of characters into the storyline, however, the characters themselves did not impress me too much. With the character of Dylan Thomas I found him to be a decent character, but I was just not the biggest fan of how he was presented through the writing. I did not mind that the charcter was named after the poet, instead, I actually appreciated it, it feels like a great way to introduce teens to culture apart from just pop culture. The thing that annoyed me though was the repitition of his name. If Culbertson had written Dylan over and over again, I would have been fine with it, but instead she would continually refer to "Dylan Thomas." Which got annoying after a while.

The protagonist, Jessa, is a different story. I found Jessa to be a very selfish, whinny and annoying character. I get that this all came about because she was cheated on, but that doesn't give her the right to act like a total bitch throughout the entire trip. At least she did have growth throughout the story, but I still could not find her very likeable. On the other hand, I really liked Tyler, he just seemed like such a sweet guy.

Cafe Cover Chat: The cover has a sweet side to it and also has a romantic undertone to it with the blurred out background of Italy. It's cute. (B)

All in all, though not the most perfect, memorable book, it still posesses a few good qualities that makes it a readable story sure to fill up a few open hours.

Grade: C+

Wdebo :)

New Stalking Options :)

2011-12-21T19:41:00.001-08:00

Hiya everyone!

I just wanna make a short post to tell you guys I am now a part of two new sites...

1) Networked Blogs so please follow :3

2) CustomReads as a recommender, so be sure to follow there too so hopefully you can get some good recommendations from me =]

Other places you can find me....

Hopefully I will see you around. I'll be waiting =]

Wdebo :)

Waiting On Wednesday (10)

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

WOW is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine :)

Today's book is...

Dead Is a Battlefield By: Marlene Perez
Summary (From Goodreads): Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother’s graduation. She wants to have a normal high school experience. But that’s easier said than done in Nightshade.

When a new boy shows up at school, the girls are infected with a case of seriously creepy crushes. But when their obsession turns to violence, Jessica and her friends start to wonder if there’s more going on than just a little friendly rivalry. Are the smitten girls turning into love zombies?

And Jessica has other worries—like her crush on Dominic Gray, the cute but moody new singer for Side Effects May Vary, and the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her arm one day and lets her know whenever there is trouble brewing. Jessica learns she's a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to fight evil whenever it threatens her hometown. But does a lowly freshman really have what it takes to keep Nightshade safe?

Why I Want To Read: It sounds cute and I've been craving zombie books for a while especially since all I've been able to read in Honors College are books like The Odyssey and The Aeneid. Yeah, I'd rather read cheesy YA zombie books any day. And might I add that I love the cover. Such a captivating shade of green right there :)

Release Date: March 2012

So, what are you waiting for?

Wdebo :)

Oh. My. Gods. By Tera Lynn Childs

2011-12-20T10:05:00.001-08:00

Title: Oh. My. Gods.
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 264
Release Date: May 1, 2008
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Geared Towards: Teens/ Fantasy readers
From: Library

"But even if I'm not a believer in 'alternative realitites,' as Nola calls them, I'm willing to keep an open mind. Sure, I'll believe they're real. Just as soon as I see one" (P. 33).

Summary (From B.O.B): All Phoebe Castro has to do is keep her grades up and have another stellar cross-country season and her dream of attending USC with her friends on a track scholarship is a reality. So it's a complete shock when her mom announces that she's marrying a near-stranger and moving them to Greece.

Before Phoebe knows it, she's stuck on a secret island in the Aegean and attending the superexclusive Academy, where her new stepfather is the headmaster and the kids are anything but your average students-they're descendants of the Greek gods, superpowers included. If regular high school wasn't bad enough, this is mortal misery.

Phoebe's only chance of reclaiming her old life lies in securing that scholarship. But managing that may be an ungodly challenge, considering she's got a sabotaging stepsister from Hades and a gorgeous guy-what a god!-in her way...

Wdebo's Review: After seeing so many good reviews of this novel I decided to give it a try. Though this was definitely an enjoyable read, filled with enough magic, teenage angst, fluff, humor and, of course, romance, to make any teenager swoon with happiness, it is actually a very cliche book with a "Greek God" kick added to it. But that is preferable at times, no?

The plot is quite cute, the love between the two main characters was..nice, but, as stated above, it definitely walked along the totally predictable side of things. What annoyed me though was how all of the problems were resolved so suddenly and quickly. There was no time to absorb apologies or for denials, etc. The behavior of all of the characters just seemed so unnatural, it all seemed to be boxed up in a happy, fluffy world of perfect-endings. I also hoped that the story wouldn't have started so sudden, I think it should have given a bit more of her background in her previous life before being whisked away to Greece. Though I do have to admit I want to read the sequel, Goddess Boot Camp, just because I am interested in what happens later.

Phoebe and I had a love-hate relationship going on. On one hand, I liked her because she spoke her mind and had snappy combacks. But, on the other hand, I found her to be weak and annoying at times. I did, however, really like Nicole and Troy, the friends she met in the academy, they were kind and always there for her. But I wasn't the biggest fan of her friends from SoCal, they seemed kind of meh. Finally, Griffin was just blegh, I didn't like him in the begining, I didn't like him at the end, which is surprising because I usually fall in love with characters like him just like that. *Snaps fingers together to show quickness* Disappointing...

Cafe Cover Chat: I like the color scheme and picture even if it feels like one of those cheesy middle school covers. (B-)

All in all, an entertaining read that will fill up a few open hours.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

CONTEST: The Discovery of Jeanne Baret

2011-12-19T06:09:00.000-08:00

Title: The Discovery of Jeanne Baret
Author: Glynis Ridley
Summary (From Amazon): The year was 1765. Eminent botanist Philibert Commerson had just been appointed to a grand new expedition: the first French circumnavigation of the world. As the ships’ official naturalist, Commerson would seek out resources—medicines, spices, timber, food—that could give the French an edge in the ever-accelerating race for empire.

Jeanne Baret, Commerson’s young mistress and collaborator, was desperate not to be left behind. She disguised herself as a teenage boy and signed on as his assistant. The journey made the twenty-six-year-old, known to her shipmates as “Jean” rather than “Jeanne,” the first woman to ever sail around the globe. Yet so little is known about this extraordinary woman, whose accomplishments were considered to be subversive, even impossible for someone of her sex and class.

When the ships made landfall and the secret lovers disembarked to explore, Baret carried heavy wooden field presses and bulky optical instruments over beaches and hills, impressing observers on the ships’ decks with her obvious strength and stamina. Less obvious were the strips of linen wound tight around her upper body and the months she had spent perfecting her masculine disguise in the streets and marketplaces of Paris.

Expedition commander Louis-Antoine de Bougainville recorded in his journal that curious Tahitian natives exposed Baret as a woman, eighteen months into the voyage. But the true story, it turns out, is more complicated.

In The Discovery of Jeanne Baret, Glynis Ridley unravels the conflicting accounts recorded by Baret’s crewmates to piece together the real story: how Baret’s identity was in fact widely suspected within just a couple of weeks of embarking, and the painful consequences of those suspicions; the newly discovered notebook, written in Baret’s own hand, that proves her scientific acumen; and the thousands of specimens she collected, most famously the showy vine bougainvillea.

Ridley also richly explores Baret’s awkward, sometimes dangerous interactions with the men on the ship, including Baret’s lover, the obsessive and sometimes prickly naturalist; a fashion-plate prince who, with his elaborate wigs and velvet garments, was often mistaken for a woman himself; the sour ship’s surgeon, who despised Baret and Commerson; even a Tahitian islander who joined the expedition and asked Baret to show him how to behave like a Frenchman.

But the central character of this true story is Jeanne Baret herself, a working-class woman whose scientific contributions were quietly dismissed and written out of history—until now. Anchored in impeccable original research and bursting with unforgettable characters and exotic settings, The Discovery of Jeanne Baret offers this forgotten heroine a chance to bloom at long last.

~~~

To join fill out form HERE!

Contest open in US only

Deadline: January 1, 2012

Wdebo :)

Seven Days (Manga)

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

WARNING: This manga is shonen-ai (Guy X Guy) [But please don't let that be the reason that stops you from reading this manga]

Title: Seven Days

Story By: Tachibana Venio

Art By: Takarai Rihito
PAPERBACK
Amount of Volumes In This Series: 2
Amount Read: 2
Geared Towards: Teens

"[It's Monday], the day he'll definitely say 'yes'. And at the end of the week, he'll tell his partner exactly this: 'I couldn't fall in love with you. Let's break up.'"

Summary: Seryou Touji is a popular first-year student who is known to date anyone who confesses to him first at the beginning of the week and break up with them right after seven days. As a whimful joke, third-year student Shino Yuzuru decides to test if the term "anyone" can include, well, "anyone", more specifically, if it can pertain to him.

Wdebo's Review: (Sorry for the lame summary, haha...but one really doesn't need to know a lot about this story before reading it) Seven Days is definitely a favorite manga of mine. I read it this summer and reread it on the plane a week ago. I found it enjoyable, even the second time around. There is something about this story that is just so captivating, I'm not quite sure what it is.

The plot itself is pretty cliche, I mean from the first few pages it is pretty easy to guess where this story is headed. (Into la-la fluff land, obviously) However, I could not stop myself from being drowned into the story. I loved the chemistry between Seryou and Shino. The only thing that I wasn't 100% satisfied with was how quickly their relationship came about, I thought there would be at least some more confusion and hesitation but maybe that is just how Seryou's personality is. Apart from that, there was something so pure and sweet about the relationship between the two, the tender inching closer towards one another feel that seems to only be present in shonen-ai.

At some parts, the artwork feels, light almost unfinished in a sense but I am still in love with it. There is a beauty and grace to all of the characters, especially Seryou and Shino. They both had this lovely flowyness to them but still had masculine qualities.

I really liked the characters themselves. I loved the contrast between the sweet Seryou and the (In a way) harsh Shino, except I felt Shino's personality changed a little too quickly. I liked the side characters but I wished they could show up in the story more, especially Koike-Chan. I rarely see girls in shonen-ais that I actually like, so Koike was an enjoyable character.

All in all, a wonderful manga that is sure to keep you glued to the pages until the last pannel.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

P.S. I absolutely adore this mmv...enjoy!

Read it HERE
Download it HERE

Did you enjoy Seven Days? Check out these titles!

Bokura Ni Matsuwaru etc.

Watashitachi No Shiawase Na Jikan

Doukyuusei

Alright-Shiloh

2011-12-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

Title: Alright
Artist:Shiloh
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I love this song. It is just so happy, actually I just like songs like this, the whole let's-look-at-the-world-from-an-optomistic-point-of-view music. However, the irony of how Shiloh's life has fallen into the gutter is wafting over the song (which gives it a sad tone to me) but it is still a great song. It is a shame she didn't become more famous. Shiloh has a great voice and presents great messages in her songs.

Wdebo :)

P.S. I'm back! Well for a few weeks only though.....(I only brought three books with me *Cries* but I do however have a lot of read mangas/watched animes so I'll review those instead :3 )

Blogging Break

2011-11-21T21:58:00.001-08:00

So....Hi.

*Awkward pause*

I know I haven't blogged in like two months, but I have a *really* good reason why. Three words. I started college.

Every time I get home the only thing I want to do is curl up with a good YA novel, but then reality hits me and I remember, aw crap, I have a buttload of homework left. And since I am in the Honors College, I have a crazy amount of reading and writing I have to do.

I will be in touch soon!

I PROMISE: I WILL READ LIKE CRAZY DURING WINTER BREAK.

Wdebo :)

Desert Apple-Versailles

2011-09-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Desert Apple

Artist: Versailles

Language: Japanese (No singing in this one though)

TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I got into Versailles after I saw a cosplay picture about Visual Kei and not knowing what it was, I decided to search it up and found them. (Not a very exciting story, I know...) At first I was like 0_0, then it started to grow on me, and now I'm absolutely in love with them. Versailles is awesome, I love their costumes/looks, it's so cool. This is one of my favorite songs from them.

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

BB: Guest Post + Contest: Linda Joy Singleton

2011-09-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Next up is Linda Joy Singleton, author of of many books including the DEAD GIRL series. (DEAD GIRL WALKING, DEAD GIRL DANCING, and DEAD GIRL IN LOVE)

Enjoy!

~~~

MY PERSONAL HISTORY OF E-BOOKS

With e-books so popular, I thought I'd share some of experiences with electronic books. I know to most readers, it seems like e-books just suddenly sprang up last year and seem to be taking over the publishing world. But you might be surprised to know that I sold my first e-book over ten years ago. It wasn't an easy process, either. I went through ALL the same steps as I would have with a traditional publisher.

In 1999, I attended a writing conference at a castle where an e-book editor spoke and talked about this new method for publishing. I love to try new things, so I pulled out some manuscripts that hadn't sold yet and sent them to HardShell Word Factory. It took a long time to go through the submission process, then when my books were accepted (for middle-schoolers) I had to wait my turn for editing and for the cover art. They had their own artist -- a talented young man who was sadly murdered a few years ago -- and he did the covers for MELISSA'S MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, MAIL-ORDER MONSTER, PHANTOM BOYFRIEND and LOVE POTION (mysterious, magical, romantic books for younger teens). I went through editing the same as with my traditional publishers (at the time I was writing a cloning series for Berkely called REGENERATION). It took two years before the first two books were out in floppy disk format. They packaged these books in little boxes with disks inside and covers like real books. Readers could also buy two-books-in-one paperbacks of these books. I love these books and was excited to embark on a new type of publishing. This was years ago before the Kindle or Nook. But there were e-readers. The best was the Rocket Reader. The first out into the world and a great device. But it didn't survive and the others that followed had battery problems and were still too expensive to lure readers away from paperbacks. (Not that I wanted to do this -- although I have many e-books on my I-Pad, I continue to buy and prefer paper books).

So I had these e-books published and online waiting for readers. Guess what happened? Not much. In 2001, kids weren't going online to look for books. My annual royalty statements from the e-books totaled less than $5. Still I loved these books and was glad to have them out there.In 2003, I gave it one more try and my favorite e-books, DOUBLE VISION, was published by Amber Quill. This YA is about a teen girl who must pretend to be an alternate version of herself in a parallel world to prevent a murder in her family. Still the market wasn't there yet so few sales.

Jump ahead to January 2011. I've published over 35 traditional YA/MG books and still have the 6 e-books out, too. My publisher, Flux, decided to try an experiment by offering my THE SEER book, #1. DON'T DIE DRAGONFLY for free for a month to Kindle readers. Many people received e-readers for Christmas and were eager for free books. My book sold like crazy! My book made it down to #12 in the top free books for Kindle. In May, my publisher tried this again with my book DEAD GIRL WALKING, and it made it down to #7 in the top free-books. Now I seem to make more e-book sales than paperback sales.

And my e-books published years ago--suddenly they're selling. I'm receiving royalty checks larger than 3 digits! E-books have come a long way -- and I've enjoyed going along for the ride.

CHECK OUT MY E-BOOKS:

Double Vision

Mail-Order Monster
Love Potion
Phantom Boyfriend

~~~

Now for a giveaway!

Linda will be giving away an autographed copy of DON'T DIE DRAGONFLY. Enter now for a chance to win!

Random Entertainment Clips (28): Anime Attack (1): AMVs

2011-09-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

So, basically during this summer I have gotten crazily addicted to animes, so as a tribute to this insane addiction, I have decided to set aside some Random Entertainment Clips for anime ^^

One main thing that comes with animes are AMVs, so here are some of my favorites :)

Enjoy!

Anime: Soul Eater
Song: This Is Halloween
By: sarfios

Anime: Ouran High School Host Club
Song: High School Never Ends
By: MeliChan923

Anime: Gravitation
Song: Never Had a Dream Come True
By: gokusanzokami
*Warning: Contains shonen-ai (BL, BoyXBoy-Whatever you wanna call it)*

Anime: Black Butler (Grell) & Death Note (L)
Song: Grace Kelly
By: Kitovraska

That's it for now ^^

I have a playlist on YouTube where I add some of my favorite AMVs if you wanna check it out HERE :3

Wdebo :)

BB: Guest Post + Contest: Jess C Scott

2011-08-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Next up is Jess C Scott!! Enjoy!

~~~

Staying Focused as an Indie Author, by Jess C Scott

Jess C Scott, author of The Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy and EyeLeash: A Blog Novel
Independent publishing offers tremendous opportunities to writers everywhere. The indie publishing model is speedy and efficient, and allows a writer to have full creative and business control.

I decided to self-publish my debut book (EyeLeash: A Blog Novel) in June 2009. I published my second book in August 2009. Both these books (and many of my subsequent novellas/novels) aren’t exactly “commercially categorizable.” They don’t fall neatly into a specific category. These types of books can be problematic for mainstream commercial publishers, who have certain expectations with regards to the business of commercial genre fiction.

Some writers write for the money. Others write because they love to write, and want to share their work with the world. I happen to fall somewhere in the middle.

My ultimate goal in life has always been to “making a living from writing” (I’m currently 24, and have one more “basic financial goal” to meet in 2011).

I’ve noticed that there seems to be a lot of focus on how much indie authors earn, and how many copies they sell. There seems to be a lot more emphasis on quantity, instead of quality. Maybe this is because society values money and materialism. I’ve had to question my own values and beliefs, along the way, to decide for myself what I really wanted to do (as an indie author).
At the end of the day, I want the stories I write to be able to stand the test of time. Earning an income from writing is important to me, but I cannot do it at the expense of my vision as an author/artist/non-conformist.

What I’m making money from is just as (if not more) important to me, as how much I’m earning (with regards to writing/publishing).

Indie publishing offers me the opportunity to get stories out in a timely fashion, and create stories that I want to write, not what a conglomerate dictates to me is right for a particular genre/market.

As an artist, I’m very careful to ensure that I do not exploit this opportunity, which traditional commercial publishing is not be able to provide for me. This is why I continue to stay focused on the characters and storyline.

Making money is great. But making money from providing something of meaningful value is even better.

To all the indie authors out there who share a similar perspective: Do what you love. Keep improving. Keep going.
---------------

LINKS:

Website: http://www.jesscscott.com
EyeLeash Page: http://jessink.com/eyeleash.htm
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jesscscott
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jesscscott

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 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 a YA “seven deadly sins” series, an incubus-themed anthology, and The Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy. Connect with Jess online at www.jesscscott.com.

~~~

NOW CONTEST TIME!

Just fill out the contest below for a chance to win a signed copy of EYELEASH: A BLOG NOVEL.

Wdebo :)

Basket Case-Greenday

2011-08-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

Title: Basket Case
Artist: Greenday
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: My current favorite Greenday song. Muah. I love Greenday's older songs better ^^

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

BB: Guest Post + Contest: Alex Cavanaugh

2011-08-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

Next up is the author of CassaStar [My review HERE], Alex Cavanaugh! Enjoy!

~~~

Challenges of Writing a Sequel

Some writers envision detailed worlds and further adventures for their characters. They plan for more books. Not everyone has that vision, though. I certainly didn’t!

When I wrote CassaStar, it was intended to be a standalone book. I’d carried the idea around for years and even wrote a rough draft when I was younger. I’d envisioned many adventures for Byron and Bassa, but when I wrote CassaStar (spoiler!) I killed off one of the characters. That rather nixed further stories.

I panicked when people began asking about a sequel, even before CassaStar’s release. What the heck was I going to write?

One question continued to come up from fans - why weren’t there any women in the book? I decided to give the fans what they wanted and introduced a female lead into the story. Drawing upon an earlier idea, I created a whole new storyline, one that I hoped would satisfy my readers. That definitely taught me to continue fueling new ideas.

I also continued with the theme from the first book - friendship and trust. After countless rewrites of the outline, I used NaNo last year to complete the first draft of the sequel. I revised the story, ran it by my critique partners and test readers, and submitted it to my publisher in June.

And I am happy to say the sequel will be released next February 28 as CassaFire!

Of course, now everyone expects a trilogy! Back to the drawing board…

Thanks again, WDEBO, for allowing me to be part of your anniversary celebration!

~~~

Now for CONTEST!

Enter to win an ebook copy of Alex's book CassaStar. (Just fill out the form below!)

Loading...
Wdebo :)

Huntress By: Malinda Lo

2011-08-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Huntress
Author: Malinda Lo
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 371
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (Review)
Extra Info: HUNTRESS is the "prequal" to ASH. It is part of the same land, just many centuries before.

"There was an emptiness inside of her, but she did not think it was due to hunger" (P. 99).

Summary (From Front Flap): Nature is out of balance in the human kingdom. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go forward on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speak of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one Huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

Wdebo's Review: As a giant fan of ASH, I was very excited to begin and read HUNTRESS. When I first started I found it hard for me to get into the story, but after a bit the writing came to become addicting until the very last sentence.

Personally, I always find stories about different lands difficult to take in, read and understand from the very beginning. It always takes me a while to get into stories like this, so when I first started HUNTRESS, I had trouble getting interested, which was disappointing for me, a girl who loved ASH so much. Though once I hit a point towards the middle of the story, I was instantly addicted and could not put down.

The story is written in an omniscient third-person point of view, and it switches between characters throughout the chapter. At first, that caught me off gaurd, I got confused in the beginning, but after a while I got used to the writing and became more comfortable with it and enjoyed it a lot more, it is always nice to see what different characters are thinking about during the same moment.

The most solid element of the novel is the love between Kaede and Taisin, the timidiness between the two in the beginning that grows into a beautiful romance, was a wonderful progression to witness in the story itself. Both girls, though from different walks of life are brought together through love. It was not too overcliche and had a realness to it that made it so great. The chemistry and romance between the other characters was also great too, mostly the one between Con and Shae.

Cafe Cover Chat: I love any cover with an Asian person on the cover, so I love this cover and it looks so pretty and cool. (A-)

All in all, though the story itself had a magical fairy-tale aspect to it that made it enjoyable, the best ingredient to this novel was the romance between the two main characters.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

BB: Guest Post+Contest: Steve Kluger

2011-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Next up is the talented author of books such as MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR and ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE (Both of which are my personal favorites), Steve Kluger.

Enjoy!

~~~

People are constantly asking me where I get my ideas for the stories and characters I put into my fiction. In fact, I’m not nearly as prolific as I’ve been perceived to be, since virtually all the stories are true and all of the characters are real people. I call it “creative reporting” rather than “creative writing.”

Of all the novels, the one that comes closest to being pure autobiography is ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE. Fundamentally about two boys who fall in love with each other in twelfth grade and then don’t meet again for twenty years, it didn’t really require a hell of a lot of imagination on my part. All I had to do was reconstruct my senior year of high school. Exactly as it happened. Well, okay—maybe with one teensy little tweak. Because if I’d actually written it the way things played out in real life, the novel would have ended on page nine.

How To Fall in Love With Your Straight Best Friend

(If You Absolutely Must)

Anybody who's ever wondered just how long gay kids have been falling for straight kids need only take a closer squint at Mercutio, who somehow managed to glide through all fifteen years of his life without ever ungluing himself from Romeo's side. Furthermore, he had impeccable taste in clothes, a dancer's body, and a passion for Queen Mab–who, to this day, bears a suspicious resemblance to Bette Midler. It's not like you needed a road map to figure out what was going on.

Mercutio, of course, wound up on the wrong end of a rapier before he had a chance to pitch the advantages of same-sex domestic partner benefits to Romeo–and the rest of us have been striking out just as prosaically ever since. So how come we still insist on romancing our straight best friends at least once between Winnie the Pooh and college? Because we thrive on irony? (Yes.) Because it's good practice for the real deal? (Yes.) Because a broken heart is so irresistibly theatrical? (Absolutely. "Oh, my man, I love him so. He'll never know....")

Falling in love with Philip was definitely not on my agenda in October of my senior year. He was a 17-year-old godling from France who'd become the envy of the entire senior class, and I was a 17-year-old dork from Maryland who'd become the poster boy for Queer Bashing 101. (I'm still not sure how they figured out I was gay before I knew it myself, though I suspect the Ethel Merman thing may have had something to do with it.) Neither one of us remembers how we met; one minute he was asking me if he could borrow a dollar, and an instant later we were Phil-and-Steve (I always gave him top billing because he was way too cute not to have it). This unexpected development threw the bashers for a loop: in order to score points with Philip, they suddenly had to go through me first. Which meant acquiring a hasty tolerance for Gypsy, Mameand Funny Girl. Revenge is always sweet, but it takes a gay kid to make it musical.

I had no idea that Cupid had just shot me in the ass until Friday evening, November 14. I was in the midst of plowing through a novel I'd recently discovered (Valley of the Dolls, in case it matters) when I realized I'd read the same paragraph nine times without registering a word–because all that kept spinning through my head were images of Philip's twinkly eyes whenever he'd glance at me across a classroom, and the thermonuclear one-dimple grin that could melt plutonium.

Welcome to Gay Adolescent Hell.

Rules and Regulations
(Note: since this is autobiographical, it's about boys. But the formulas work the same way for girls–all you have to do is switch the pronouns and add Lesbian hair.)

1. Practice typing his name in 46 different fonts (including Japanese).
We didn't have iPads yet, so we did the best we could with ballpoint pens and notebook paper. I was more prolific than most: every one of my essays was originally titled "Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip Philip."

2. If you run into each other in the gym, avoid the showers as though they were radioactive. You really don't need a pulmonary embolism at 17.
As soon as I found out that Philip was a swimmer who wore Speedos, I chose track–which was as geographically far from the pool as I could get. On one occasion I ran a ninety-minute mile in the pouring rain just to make absolutely certain he'd already left the locker room.

3. Don't help him audition for a part in the school play, because you're only going to wind up being cast with him.
This is especially painful when the play in question is A Midsummer Night's Dream and the two of you have to spend six weeks together in tights. "Lysander, yield thy crazed title to my certain right," snarled Philip, poking me with a foil. "If thou say so, withdraw and prove it too," I glowered back, poking him in return. One such rehearsal resulted in an impromptu tickling match–which I needed like a hole in the head.

4. Don't waste your time searching for tiny clues that he's really gay. He isn't. Just because he's heard of Barbra Streisand doesn't mean he secretly wants to kiss you. Fidel Castro's heard of her too.
When we listened to The Grateful Dead and discovered "Uncle John's Band" together, it became "our song." Swiss Miss and chocolate chip cookies in the snow comprised "our menu," and after stumbling across ‘ubiquitous' on the senior English vocabulary list, we adopted it on the spot as "our word." Philip didn't seem to understand that these little landmarks meant he was supposed to ask me to marry him.

5. When he meets a girl he really likes, don't say stinky things about her to change his mind–he'll only get suspicious. Instead, help him plan his romance step-by-step, and when he wins her over (they always do), make yourself absolutely indispensable to her.
Nancy knew inside of nineteen seconds that I was in love with her boyfriend–but since I played my cards right, she kept my secret. This sort of unexpected bonding was nothing new; straight women and gay men have been confiding in each other ever since Guenevere (Julie Andrews in the musical) and Lancelot (Robert Goulet) figured out that they both had the same kind of long-range plans for Richard Burton.

6. Be careful when you buy him birthday presents–you don't want to tip your hand.
The label-maker he's coveted, the new copy of Abbey Road, and the dozen boxes of chocolate chip cookies (half of which he's going to share with you anyway) are relatively benign; the slim volume of poems entitled You're My Friend So I Brought You This Book isn't. Can you spell "dead giveaway"?

7. When the nearby girls’ school asks for boy volunteers to help build the sets for a production of “Brigadoon,” stick cotton in your ears during rehearsals.
Brigadoon was written five years before you were born. Which means that the song “Almost Like Being in Love” was not inspired by you and Philip. Do the math, dude.

8. If you're wondering whether being in love with your best friend means you've finally come out to yourself, the answer is yes.
I had two choices: I could either pretend I was straight and forget about Philip, or keep Philip and admit the obvious. Talk about a no-brainer.

9. When you tell him the truth, don't be pissed off if he guesses it first.
Philip confessed that he'd begun to get the hint about an hour and a half after we'd met–but it didn't make any difference because nobody had ever loved him so unconditionally before. "And I love you too," he said. "It's just in a different category." Somehow I felt cheated out of my big scene.

10. Don't be surprised if you remain best friends for the rest of your lives.
Philip is married, has two kids, and lives in Philadelphia. We still listen to "Uncle John's Band" and we still say ‘ubiquitous' to each other. As a matter of fact, I e-mailed him the first draft of this column and received the following reply: "Lose the Ethel Merman bit. You're dating yourself. And by the way–that was half a lifetime ago. Get a grip already. Love, Phil."

Sure, it was hell–but the memories have always been worth it. And eventually we all outgrow the need to fall in love with our straight friends. Most of the time. I mean, sort of. Well, okay, there was this one occasion when my new dentist turned out to be a relentlessly breathtaking and irredeemably hetero-sexual Japanese American who left me no choice but to fake a pain in an upper left molar just so I could stare up into those big brown eyes during the four visits it took him to complete the root canal I didn't need.

But that's another story.

~~~

Now for the contest, Steve will give a copy of any one of his books (List below).

My Most Excellent Year
Almost Like Being In Love
Last Days Of Summer
Changing Pitches

To join, just fill out THIS form!!

Good luck!

Wdebo :)

BB: Guest Post + Contest: Beth Fantaskey

2011-08-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

First up is the awesome Beth Fantaskey, the author of JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE, JEKEL LOVES HYDE and JESSICA RULES THE DARK SIDE.

Enjoy!

~~~

Happy blogoversary, Electrical Book Café! And thanks for being part of a global network that is keeping the love of reading alive.

I’m a little ashamed to admit that when my first book, JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE, came out in 2009, I was completely ignorant of the book blogosphere. Probably because I am about one hundred years old – at least according to my kids – I had no idea that there was this huge, interconnected community of book lovers out there, reviewing and commenting and bringing authors and readers and stories together.

I look back now and think, “Wow... I was so missing out!” In fact, I feel like I missed out during my whole childhood and youth, simply because the blogosphere didn’t exist. What I wouldn’t have given, as a kid growing up in a tiny town in Pennsylvania, to have had the chance to discuss my obsession with The Lord of the Rings trilogy with an international community of people who felt the same way. As it was, I was lucky to have one like-minded “geeky” friend who could talk Hobbits for hours with me. Of course, we knew the Tolkien books were popular, but we had no idea that there were millions out there who were just as passionate about them as we were. And if we did suspect those people existed, we had no idea how to reach them.

We are so fortunate today to have the chance to connect with each other in cyberspace and share our love of whatever stories grab us and won’t let us go – and to learn about new works that we’ll embrace, too.

The book blogging community impresses me in another way, too. As a YA author who deals mainly with young bloggers, I have to say that every time I hear complaints from my generation about young people being “lazy,” I think about all the time and effort that blog managers put into designing, updating, organizing live chats, running contests... all that goes into having a successful site – work done without expectation of profit or gratitude, even – and I know for a fact that the skeptics are wrong.

So this is sort of my public “thank you” to not only Wdebo and the Electrical Book Café for another year of blogging, but to everybody who does the same. Keep up the great work, on behalf of all of us who didn’t even know we were missing, when we were growing up. Thanks for putting the time and effort into giving us a place to share our common love for reading a good story.

~~~

Now, for the CONTESSTTT!!! Beth will be giving away a paperback copy of JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE.

To join, all you have to do is fill out THIS form!

Good luck!

Wdebo :)

Blogoversery Contest Announcement!!

2011-08-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

[Added Info]

The posts...

Guest Post + Contest: Beth Fantaskey

Guest Post + Contest: Steve Kluger

Guest Post + Contest: Alex Cavanaugh

Guest Post + Contest: Jess C Scott

~~~

Hey everyone. So it's August 21st, which means it is my blogoversery :) This year for my blogoversery bash, I will be posting guest posts from authors with different giveaways on each post.

The minimum requirement is just to be a follower :)

Ready?

The posts will begin on Monday!

See you then =]

Wdebo :)

P.S. All Blogoversery Bash Posts will be marked with a BB.

Prelude 12/21-AFI

2011-08-20T06:09:00.000-07:00

Title: Prelude 12/21
Artist: AFI
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I love this way-too-short song. The end.

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

MY BIRTHDAYYYYYY!!

2011-08-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Yippee! It's that time of year again....My birthday!!! :D Haha. Which means my blogoversery is next week and I have a GIANT contest planned with guest posts/author interviews etc. =]

Well, yeah, I'm so happy! I'm FINALLY 18.

Off to do awesome just-turned-eighteen stuff.

Ta-ta

Wdebo :)

Stupid and/or Funny Songs

2011-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

So, today is the last day that I will be 17 and as a celebration of my last day of childishness, (but I will still probably be childish even after I turn 18) I have decided to post some stupid and/or funny songs from YouTube. [My haven]

Enjoy!

Nom Nom Nom Song

Do You Like Waffles? (I think of GIR evertime I listen to this song)

Happy Song

I Like Your Hair

There are a bunch more out there, but I am too lazy to post all of them up and I also want to daydream about what birthday presents I might get tomorrow ^^

Bye bye my awesome blog readers.

Wdebo :)

Aiya-Vanness Wu

2011-08-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

English Title: Aiya

Chinese Title: 哎呀

Artist: Vanness Wu (吳建豪)

TTS: HERE

Wdebo's Notes: This song is from Vanness' recently released album, C'est La V, which includes one song written/produced by Bruno Mars and one song written/produced by Ryan Tedder. I love both of those songs because, well, I love both Bruno Mars and Ryan Tedder (And I love Vanness Wu of course ^^) but I chose to spotlight this song because it has that Taiwanese love song feel, happy, carefree and cute beyond belief. This song and MV are both so cute. And it has Ady An with him...EEEKKK (That was my "Autumn's Concerto" fangirl scream).

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

Stay By: Allie Larkin

2011-08-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

Title: Stay
Author: Allie Larkin
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 308
Release Date: June 10, 2010
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Geared Towards: Adults
From: Sparks Agency (Review Copy)

"I tried to reach for the remote, but I couldn't get it wihtout taking my arm away from him, so I just lay there, listening to him breathe until I fell asleep, and for the first time since the wedding, I didn't dream of Peter, sunsets, or Greek gods for Janie" (P. 71).

Summary (From B.O.B): Savannah "Van" Leone has been in love with Peter Clarke since their first day of college. Six years later, Peter is marrying Van's best friend, Janie. Loyal to a fault, Van dons her pumpkin orange, maid of honor gown and stands up for the couple, struggling to hide her true feelings even when she couldn't be more conspicuous. After the wedding, nursing her broken heart with a Rin Tin Tin marathon plus a vodka chaser, Van accidently orders a German shepherd puppy over the Internet. When "Joe" turns out to be a hundred-pound beast who only respons to commands in Slovak. Van is at the end of her rope-until she realizes that sometimes life needs to get more complicaed before it can get better.

Wdebo's Review: As a giant dog lover, I was very excited to start STAY, in truth I only began reading it because the plot sounded somewhat interesting and the dog on the cover was pretty damn adorable. When I began the novel, I was pleasently surpirsed to see how easy it was for me to get into the storyline, to click with the characters, especially with Van. As I read it, I was hooked from the start till the end.

The writing was very wonderful, especially for a debut novel. Allie Larkin's writing was simple and natural which was one of the reasons why it was so enjoyable, it just seemed like something that could happen to anyone, but was still fictionalized in a way that made it into a great story, to be able to just sit down and indulge without having to overthink anything. The thing I most loved about the story; however, was that though it is about a dog coming into a girl's life and changing it, there was still another plot in there, about finding oneself when one gets lost.

Though Van is not the best character ever (She drinks way too much and whines quite a lot), I still enjoyed reading about her life and seeing how it slowly repaired itself from its broken state. All of the other characters were enjoyable too which made reading the book very nice.

Cafe Cover Chat: Seriously, a dog in a cardboard box? My kind of cover. :) (A)

All in all, a great novel for dog lovers and non-dog lovers alike. It's a doggone wonderful story that shows the true meaning of companionship. If I had a tail, it would have been wagging throughout the course of the novel.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Five Flavors of Dumb By: Antony John

2011-07-18T04:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Five Flavors of Dumb
Author: Antony John
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 352
Release Date: November 11, 2010
Release Date: Dial
Geared Towards: Teen/Music Lovers
From: Library

"'Here's the deal: You've got one month to get us a paying gig. We'll split the money with you-four ways. Do that and you can be our manager, even when we get big'" (23).

Summary (From Front Flap): Eighteen-year-old Piper has gotten herself into a mess. Because of her big mouth, she has one month to get a paying gig for her high school's hottest new rock band, called Dumb. In Piper's mind, the band couldn't have a more perfect name. Just look at the members: one egomaniacal pretty boy, one silent rocker, one talentless piece of eye candy, one angry girl, and one nerd-boy drummer-five discordant personalities who, when put together, seem ready to self-destruct at any moment. Getting them an actual gig seems impossible. Add to that the fact that Piper doesn't know if their music is good or not, because, well, she's deaf.

But Piper is determined to get the band a gig to show her classmates that being deaf doesn't mean she's invisble. And as she gets to know the five flavors of Dumb, some hidden talents, secret crushes, and crazy rock music emerge. She doesn't need to hear the music to sell it, but Piper wants the chance to feel the music too. Does she have what it takes to manage Dumb and discover her own inner rock star?

Wdebo's Review: When one listens to music, sometimes the song is very easy to get into, from the first minute one can get hooked just like that *snaps fingers to show the quickness* or it can take a few listens to actual appreciate and enjoy the song, but, thankfully The FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB was like the first example. This novel has a fun, addicting, fresh look on music and what music means to us not just hearing wise. It was wonderful from beginning to end.

The FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB is anything but dumb. The writing was professional yet fun and addicting even from the very beginning. The storyline was great, interesting, novel, I haven't read many stories with a deaf protagonist before so I was very intersted to read. The story had me feeling all kinds of feelings, I laughed, I cried, I shook my head at decisions that the characters made, but it was definitely good feelings all around.

Though I do enjoy music and respect the musicians that create them I cannot cry the way that the characters cried and felt the pains for the "classic" musicians like the characters did in the story. I feel bad for all they had to go through but I cannot not sleep and become depressed for them. Therefore, there was those parts of the book that I was emotionless, I knew the author wanted us to understand and feel those feelings, but I couldn't and just felt left out, so I was bored during those parts.

I loved the character of Piper, she was strong, sassy and sarcastic, she knew where she wanted to go and aimed for that destination. Though at times she was frustrating, but most of the time I enjoyed reading from her point of view and sympathized with her. All the characters had something about them that made them likeable and I enjoyed reading about all of them and see their growth.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like the cover, but it is kind of average, nothing special. (B-)

All in all, a great novel for music lovers all over.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Blog Tour: Crush Control By: Jennifer Jabaley

2011-07-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

Title: Crush Control
Author: Jennifer Jabley
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 318
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 9, 2011
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Blog Tour

"I had a sudden feeling that everything I wanted in moving back to Worthington was about to come true. Like all I had to do was dream-and all my wishes would be granted, just like that."

Summary (From B.O.B):

Willow hypnotized Max

to be her friend forever

...which is why she
never expected to fall for him.

When Willow Grey was nine, her mom dropped the bomb of ultimate betrayl: they would be moving from their small town in Georgia to glitzy Las Vegas. Willow was devastated to have to leave her best friend, Max, behind. So she decided to take control of the situation: she told Max to relax, to let his eyelids droop, and then she said: Max Montgomery, for as long as we live, you and I will be best friends...

Now, at seventeen, Willow and her mom move back to their hometown, and Willow is determined to pick up where she and Max left off. But even though he's still her best friend, his heart now belongs to someone else-and Willow realizes what she feels for him is so much more than just friendship. For the second time in her life, Willow finds herself using hypnosis to get what she wants. But what starts off as a harmless experiment soon spirals into chaos, and Willow is forced to wonder:

Is the heart really something you can control-with mind control?

Wdebo's Review: When I first began this book I had no idea what to expect, I have never read a book by Jennifer Jabely so I wasn't really sure about her writting style and the last YA novel I read that delt with hypnotism, Human.4, actually scared me and made me decide to never be hypnotized. However, Crush Control dealt wonderfully with the funny, over-the-top consequences of using hypnotism and added a lovely, healthy-sized dallop of romance into the mix.

I enjoyed reading this novel, it was a perfect summer read, romance filled, light (no thinking required. A high school graduate must!), funny and cute. Though it wasn't my favorite book ever or that I've read this year, it still ranks up there, I liked it from the beginning when it started it with one of those cheesy Once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-boy-and-girl starts and as it lead to some memorably funny hot-guy-leg-dog-humping action in the next chapter and ended with a cliche but adorablely statisfying ending for a die-hard romantic like me. I enjoyed the story itself, I mean seriously, it filled a desire of mine to mind controlling my crush to like me.

The writing was very enticing, simple and addicting, it added nicely to the storyline and I really enjoyed Willow's voice, it was quite...soothing.

The thing I wasn't too happy about was that Max and Willow did not have enough interaction when she and Quinton were together. I thought it would have made for nice I-like-you-but-I-can't-tell-you tension =]

Willow is a good character, though she infuriates me at times with her...ugh...stupidity, but overall she was a good main character, Georgia, her best friend fit that quirky, eccentric best friend mold, but I liked her. Well, looking back now all of the characters in the book were pretty stereotypical, but then again, what realistic YA book isn't? Anywho, I liked all of the characters, they all had their loveable points, especially Max, haha, then again, that is typically of me to like the hot main guy/best friend.

Though I wasn't the biggest fan of Quinton, the guy Willow hypnotizes to like her, he seemed like a blah character to me, I wasn't very attracted to him. And for some strange reason, I had pictured him as Garrett Ecstasy, even though they are nothing alike. And even though Garrett is quite attractive he just so happens to be gay and just so happens to posess a, I don't know how to say it, but a "stereotypical gay voice", really not sure how I can put that kind of idea into words, that's the best I can do, so the entire time Quinton was talking he seemed to have Garrett's voice and, yeah, it was weird.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like this cover, the swirly lines make me feel like I'm getting hypnotized...zzz.... (B+)

All in all, a great light, romantic book, a perfect candidate for a fun summer read.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

Beast Master By: Kyousuke Motomi

2011-07-10T00:38:00.000-07:00

Title: Beast Master
Author: Kyousuke Motomi
PAPERBACK
Publisher: Shojo Beat
Amount of Volumes in this Series: 2
Amount Read: 2
Geared Towards: Teens/Shojo lovers

"Kubozuka Yuiko, High School 2nd year. Animals really hate me, but I love them. The first one who got close to me...is a kind of weird, beast-like guy."

Summary (From myanimelist.net): Yuiko Kubozuka is a high school girl who loves animals. Unfortunately, animals hate her and flee from her whenever possible. So when a new classmate, Leo Aoi, turns out to be a scary guy who resembles a wild animal than anything human, she is intrigued. Not only because Reo has an affinity with animals which she envies, but also because he isn’t the wild animal that he seems to be. He seems to hide a very sweet disposition behind his scary features.

Or so she thought. The truth is revealed when they are attacked and Leo immediately behaves like a wild animal and gets violent like a blood-thirsty animal, just to save Yuiko.

Will Yuiko be able to tame this wildest of all animals or will he be just like the others and flee from her? Or the better question, will she flee from him?

Wdebo's Review: I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first began this manga. The cover art was pretty meh, the title is, to put it simply, pretty stupid, but when I began reading, I for some reason was drawn into the story. Most likely because Yuiko's actions reminded me instantly of my best friend, who like Yuiko, enjoys jumping/attacking animals because she is so in love with them, but animals usually don't return that affection because they are pretty damn freaked out by her.

Though this manga definitely has the cliche aspect to it, in the sense that it is obvious from the very beginning that Yuiko and Leo are going to be together and it also follows many overused elements in Shojo mangas, there is something simple and sweet to the story and artwork that just makes me so happy.

Though I am a sucker for romance and any form of cliche fluffyness makes me happy, there was something about this story that just made me happier then usual and made me unable to put it down until I finished the entire story (Which wasn't that hard seeing as how there were only two volumes, with four chapters each-So I totally finished the entire manga in two hours because I'm cool and have no life like that). I also enjoyed how it wasn't all just "romance" there was darker scenes that were great, hey a girl needs some violence in her life, right?

I really liked all of the characters, there is just something loveable about all of them. (Except for the meanie-faces). You have the heroine, Yuiko, who, though at times is a total spaz and is like a child when she sees animals, she is the strong, mature girl that apparently many manga girls aren't able to become. Leo, the hero, is just the cutest thing ever. Period. GAHHH I love him! But I really shouldn't make this some sort of Wdebo-is-in-love-with-a-cutely-hot-fictional-character essay, so let's just leave it at that. Then there are all of the supporting characters, they were great, especially Taiga, Leo's caretaker. The main reason I like them is because they get really awesome banter.

There were also two one-shots included in this manga series. One story was called FLY which was featured in the first volume and the second was called CACTUS SUMMER SURPRISE which was featured in the second volume. I definitely loved the cactus one more then the other story, but I enjoyed both of them.

All in all, a very enjoyable little manga story that is perfect for a nice summer read.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

When You Are Lonely Who Will You Think Of-Nicholas Teo

2011-07-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

English Title: When You Are Lonely Who Will You Think Of
Chinese Title: 當你孤單你會想起誰？
Artist: Nicholas Teo
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: GAH! I love this song. I first heard it when I went karaoking a few months ago (Seriously, how have I not listened to this song before?? >.<) Anywho, Nicholas' voice is so soft and sweet and his smile is to die for. Well, enjoy!

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (27)

2011-07-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

So, lately I've been rewatching Will & Grace which used to be one of my favorite shows when I was younger and now as I watch it I have to question why the hell was I even watching it in the first place, I was in elementary school when I started watching it and the stuff they talked about is pretty intense. I guess it is mostly because I didn't know what was happening. Anywho, I have decided to share some of my favorite clips with you guys. Enjoy!

Can you guys tell that Jack is my favorite character? :)

Wdebo :)

The ABC's of Kissing Boys By: Tina Ferraro

2011-07-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Title: The ABC's of Kissing Boys
Author: Tina Ferraro
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 215
Release Date: January 13, 2009
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Random Buzzers

"My breath caught in my throat as it really sank in for the first time. Was this the end? Like a ref giving me a red card that took me out of the game...forever?" (P. 58).

Summary (From B.O.B): Parker Stanhope has played soccer practically since she could walk. And now that she's a high school junior, everything she's worked for is finally coming together. She's paid her dues on the field, and as an upperclassman she's a shoo-in for the varsity team. Anyway, the coach moves everyone from JV up to varsity. It's just what happens.

But that's not what happens.

This year Coach Hartley moved up every JV player but two-and one of those two was Parker.

Parker has spent her life being a team player, but as soon as school stars, she's stuck with (horror of horrors) the freshmen, and her love of the game is seriously beginning to fail. Worse? Her friends her own age are cutting her loose, and now the freshman kid across the street is the only person who'll give her the time of day.

But Parker's determined to get her life back. She has to get on the varsity team, and she has the perfect plan. The only catch? She has to trick her way into a place in the kissing booth at the school's annual sports fair, then pull a stunt crazier than any she could ever dream up on her own. But the kiss has to look real. And Parker is less than experienced in playing that sort of field.

Parker knows that practice makes perfect. Now she just has to find the right coach...

Wdebo's Review: There is just one word to describe this book: Cute. Wait, I have another one to add, fun. Therefore making it, cutely fun. This was a super cliche yet happy-making book that I definitely enjoyed.

I liked the story and the obvious ending. Except what totally eluded me was why Parker would want to re-be friends with those girls in the first place, because they were just totally horrible from the beginning even when they were "friends." Ferraro's writing is also very good, it has a nice and relaxing tone that just made me happy and want to finish the book in one sitting, which I did. I also enjoyed the "kissing vocabulary" in the beginning of each chapter, they were just so adorable and fit with what the chapter was talking about.

I wasn't a giant fan of Parker but at least I liked her better than her varsity "friends". I did however enjoy her "new" friends, especially Tristan, the Freshman boy that "teaches" her how to kiss. And truthfully, I don't see why it was such a big deal that she was "dating" a freshman, one of my friends during Junior year dated a Freshman and it wasn't that big of a deal, or maybe that's just me. The only problem I had with her friends was that at times there just seemed to be too many people coming in and it was hard to keep track of them all and I do not like to be confused, especially when I'm reading a "summer read".

Cafe Cover Chat: It's a super cute (Gah, I need a new word) cover, I really like the lipstick and its color. (B+)

All in all, an adorable and fun novel that is sure to make the reader feel warm and fuzzy inside, a perfect summer read for YA lovers.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

PLEASE HELP IF POSSIBLE!

2011-07-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hello my awesome little blog readers. My blogoversery (Really not sure if I spelled that right) is going to be on August 21st, so it is a ways away but I still need to start getting everything ready for it because I'm planning to do what I did for my first blogoversery which is a giant contest (!!) and awesome guest posts/interviews with authors and bloggers (hopefully) alike.

So, here is what I need you guys to help with.

Authors-Hey there writers! If you guys would like to partcipate in my blogoversery by writting a guest post/interview and/or donating a copy of your blog and/or goodies to this awesome time, please email me (Email in sidebar) with the subject line of "The Electrical Book Cafe (Wdebo) Blogoversery".

Bloggers-I really want to make a list of quotes by bloggers about well blogging, the good, the bad, the OMFG amazingness of it and other thoughts and I also want some guest posts by bloggers, their thoughts, any tips that might have to share, etc. If you are interested in any of this please email me (Email in sidebar) with the subject line of "The Electrical Book Cafe (Wdebo) Blogoversery".

Anyone Else In Between-Remember to follow so you will be updated with the latest news and also people who follow before the contest have a better chance at winning the prizes.

Wdebo :)

Blog Tour: Love, Capri Style By: Lynn Reynolds

2011-06-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

I don't have my review yet, but I will post it as soon as I have finished. And will link to it :3

I have a guest post from author Lynn Reynolds in which she answers two questions/topics I have asked so it's like a guest post/interview hybrid ^^

Enjoy!

~~~

If you could make up one summer romance for yourself what would it be like?

I think I’d love the sort of summer romance my heroine Amanda experiences in Love Capri Style.

Amanda’s a slightly inept celebrity news reporter who gets sent to the swanky island of Capri to cover a music festival. Since the magazine she works for is paying for her trip she gets to travel in some pretty fancy circles. Then a dashing and handsome British playboy takes an interest in her, so she gets wined and dined at the best restaurants and parties. Amanda gets to travel first class, bask in the Mediterranean sun, have lots of delicious Italian food, and get romanced by a gorgeous rich guy with a British accent. Sounds like the perfect summer romance, which is why I wrote it ;-)

What are some things any aspiring author should know?

First - Don’t worry so much about perfection. Too many people write the perfect first chapter, but never go on from there. It’s more important to get the whole story down on paper – even if parts of the plot are a bit shaky. You can always go back and fix that stuff later; but you can’t do much of anything if you just keep revising the first chapter and don’t move forward.

Second – don’t be in such a hurry to get published. Really. I’d strongly advise taking some time to write several stories before worrying about getting published. Because once you’re published, you have to spend all kinds of time trying to publicize yourself, which means less time for writing. It helps to have a second or even third story all ready to go. That way you can get that into production quickly while you’re still learning all the ropes of how to publicize yourself.

Third – Relax and enjoy yourself. It’s the rare writer who actually becomes rich and famous. So try to focus on telling stories you enjoy. Entertain yourself, rather than trying to write what you think someone else will like!

Fourth – Read. It’s the best training out there for learning how to write!

~~~

For this blog tour Lynn will be giving away a $15 Amazon gift card along with a copy of Colbie Cailat's CD "Coco" [EEKK I love that CD :3 ], which has the song "Capri". How do you win this awesome bundle? Well, COMMENT!! Not just on this tour but on other ones too, dates can be found HERE.

Wdebo :)

Mile High Christmas-Breathe Carolina

2011-06-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Mile High Christmas
Artist: Breathe Carolina
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I know it is VERY far from Christmas. But I love this song so I'll post it up anyways. This song is just so addicting, I really wish that if I ever go caroling that I can sing this and I will just scream out Kyle's part. Wait, scratch that. Me going caroling is not something that might happen, how about this, next time I get presents I scream that part out loud? :)

PRESENTS!! LET'S OPEN THAT SHIT UP!!

Listen and love!

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (26)

2011-06-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

I love Barry and Stuart. They are some of my favorite magicians, sure they don't have the most skill compared to all of the other magicians in the world, but they are still one of the most entertaining magicians I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.

So in a fit of fangirling I have decided to post a few of my favorite videos by them.

Enjoy!

Most of my favorites are not allowed to be embedded so here are links to them...

Corpse Disposal Magic
The Magic Musical
Person in the Stomach Trick

Demon Possessed Tongue Trick

Automaton (A short from their TV series)

And a little Britain's Got Talent gag.

Wdebo :)

You and Me (But Mostly Me)-Book of Mormon

2011-06-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Title: You and Me (But Mostly Me)
Artist: Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad [Cast of Book of Mormon]
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: So my current life goal is to find a way to get to NY and watch Book of Mormon. GAHH I want to watch it so badly. I LOVE the humor in South Park and I have been listening to BOM songs non stop and just love them so much. And this is one of my favorites. AND it is a wonderful parody of Wicked. Yippee!!

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

VACATIONNNNN!!!

2011-06-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

So, I'll be away from home from home for basically from tomorrow till the end of June, because I'll be going on a cruise (eeek my first cruise!) and going up to Canada.

Just wanted to tell you because I have no scheduled any reviews and I wanted to give an explanation. But DO NOT WORRY I have brought a bunch of books that will be read and reviewed after my vacation. :)

Yippee! Excitement! Off to bed now to get ready for the big day tomorrow.

Nighty-night!

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (25)

2011-06-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Haha. They are both so cute together.
Aww Show has actually thought out his wedding. I think it sounds so cute, I would totally want to watch. :)
And Butterfly's wedding is totally how I want mine to be. Taiwanese delicies FTW!!!!

Hosts: Show and Butterfly
Guest: None (Live, I think)

Wdebo :)

The Daughters Break the Rules By: Joanna Philbin

2011-06-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Title: The Daughters Break The Rules

Author: Joanna Philbin

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 276

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: November 2, 2010

Geared Towards: Teens

Extra Info: This is the second book of The Daughters series.

From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"I'm back, she thought as she headed toward the subway. I am so very, very back."

Summary (From B.O.B): After leaking a story about the family business, impetuous high school freshman Carina Jurgensen is cut off by her billionaire father. Always resourceful, she fibs her way into a job as a party planner for New York's annual Silver Snowflake Ball. But when Carina finds out that the party committee expects favors and freebies from her dad's A-list connections, she must make a choice. Does she get real about her downgraded status or pretend she's still the ultimate heiress?

Wdebo's Review: When I first started I wasn't sure how easy it would be for me to get into the story since I had not read the first book in the series but once I started it was easy to understand exactly what was happening. Though when I first began, I really enjoyed it (Most likely because I was also reading Lord of the Flies on the side and The Daughters Break the Rules was a good escape from the depressing-making object that was LOTF); however, as the novel progressed I quickly found myself though liking the storyline which was fun to read, but I found myself hating it also because of the characters, mainly Carina Jurgensen, and hating a main character does not make reading enjoyable.

The writing was good, it was clean, it was crisp and fun (I realized I'm going to use that word a lot, just warning you all :) ) Though it did not wow me at all, it was enjoyable. And the story was interesting to read about, I know I personally a small *cough* part of me has always wanted to be rich and it was cool to see the "life" of a rich girl and the people around her. As entertaining as it was from the beginning onwards I found the storyline to be too rushed. Everything flashed by quickly, there was an element of fickleness especially prominent in the beginning that I wasn't too keen about.

As stated above, I disliked Carina very very much. She is not the first rich teenager I have read a story about so it was not her snobby-ness that bothered me, she actually wasn't that snobby she was just totally childish and she was also in denial about her childishness so she kept saying things about how she was grown up and mature and not like all of the other rich kids her age, but she obviously had no idea what she was talking about. And even when she matured in the story she still annoyed me. It was most likely because even though they were high schoolers they still acted like total children, when I was first reading the book I thought they were elementary schoolers because they seemed so childlike. And all of the other characters seemed unreasonable and were unlikeable to me.

Cafe Cover Chat: I think the cover is cute in the innocent/childlike way. (B-)

All in all, though I was not a big fan of this novel for stated reasons above, those who have read and enjoyed the last novel will probably enjoy it more than I had.

Grade: C+

Wdebo :)

~~~~

Currently Listening To: Smokahontas By: Attack Attack!

Currently Reading: Passing Strange By: Daniel Waters

Stay By: Deb Caletti

2011-06-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

Title: Stay
Author: Deb Caletti
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 320
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"But if fate is a shape-shifter, then love is too. It can be, anyway, in its most dangerous form. It's your best day, and then your worst. It's your most hope and then your most despair. Lightness, darkness, it can swing between extremes at lightning speed-a boat upon the water on the most gorgeous day, and then the clouds crawl in and the sky turns black and the sea rages and the boat is lost."

Summary (From B.O.B): Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she's ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is-and what he's willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city-and Christian-behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough...

Wdebo's Review: [Note: I read this book a couple of months ago so like my last review, this review may not be an accurate portrayal of exactly how I felt after reading the story. And I totally apologize in advance for my babblings, but I do have an excuse! I am writing this after my Summer bed time and am very very sleepy atm.] When I first started the book, I was skeptical as to whether or not I would enjoy it or not. Obsession in relationships is a very deep topic to write about especially in the case of YA novels, and to tell you the truth, depth in YA novels make me feel eeh, it's admirable but truthfully I would rather read a fun, cliche lol story about a clumsy/nerdy girl who falls for and in turn is being fallen for by (does that make sense?) some sexy basketball player. But enough of my randomness (Sorry, Summer makes me go on tangents.)

When it began I really was sure I was only going to like it somewhat, there was no doubt in my mind if Deb Caletti could write or not because, holy crap, her writing is wonderful, heart string tuggingly beautiful, but it was that quality that made me iffy towards my actual enjoyment of the novel (as can be seen from my giant blob of randomness above). I admit that in the first few chapters I loved yet disliked it at the same time, to me, it felt like the times when I read mind-probing, deep thinking inducing stories on fan fiction, it is amazing and lovely but there is something that feels off. Caletti's topic felt like something that could be discussed better in an older book, yet it had a teen aspect to it so it does make sense that it would be a part of YA, YET it still felt off, like it should have belonged in its own section between YA and adult.

However, as I continued to read, I fell deeper and deeper into the story, I craved it more and more until I reached that point in my book reading journey where I just could not put it down, like serious hard-core, sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat unable to tear my eyes away from the page kind of feeling. I remember reading the last part of the novel and feel like my heart was going to leap out of my chest because it was so wonderfully written, the emotions, the actions were all woven tightly together so it felt as if I was just running alongside Clara, feeding off her feelings.

I was not a big fan of Clara, not sure why, we just never really clicked. I didn't become BFFs with any of the other characters either, which was saddness-making.

Cafe Cover Chat: I love this cover, so pretty, except I'm not the biggest fan of the model's shirt. (A)

All in all, though me and Stay had a bumpy ride in the beginning it was quickly smoothed out and became a wonderfully addicting and beautiful story that I enjoyed. I can't wait to read more by Deb Caletti!

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

~~~

Currently Listening To: Bewitched By: BOTDF

Currently Reading: The Daughters Break The Rules By: Joanna Philbin

Currently Thinking: Summer, how I love thee.

The Nine Paths to Chloe King: Seventh Path

2011-06-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, my beautiful blog readers. I have forgotten to post about how I am currently playing the "Nine Paths to Chloe King" game for ABC Family's premiere of "The Nine Lives of Chloe King" on June 14th.

I still remember reading this series in Middle School so I really want to see how it plays out on TV.

Anywho, the first part of this path is to show y'all the "Foe" symbol. So, here it is...

There was a small clue which consisted of a business card, a pen and an envelope (I would show it but I'm lazy right now :/ ) and it led me to this video.

Yep! Chloe King's enemies right there. [See, that's why I posted the symbol of "Foe"] =]]

There are two more paths. Can't wait to see what's going to happen next!!

Wdebo :)

A&L Do Summer By: Jan Blazanin

2011-06-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

Title: A & L Do Summer
Author: Jan Blazanin
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 288
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"'This is my first summer in Cottonwood Creek and our last summer in high school. We're going to soar from the depths of anonymity to the peak of notoriety. By September, Aspen Parks and Laurel Piedmont will own this town.'"

Summary (From B.O.B): After a year in rural Cottonwood Creek, Iowa, city girl Laurel is still adjusting to a place where parties take place in barns, guys ride around in pickup tracks, and a killer senior prank involves getting pigs into the principal's office. Fortunately, she has her best friend Aspen on her side. The real problem is that neither the country girl nor the city slicker have boyfriends, nor any prospects for getting them. Clearly, they need to raise their profiles-and they have a summer to do it.

Wdebo's Review: [Note: I read this book a while back so my review might not be exactly what I thought when I first finished the story.] Looking at the summary, the first impression you get is that this is a story with Laurel as the main charcter, so when I first started the novel, that is exactly what I thought and I was very surprised when I realized that the story was from Aspen's point of view. In the beginning, I felt that Aspen was too childish for my taste, but the childish aspect of her personality gave me a comforting feeling and reminded me of the books I read in middle school. (A point I will touch on later). Later, Aspen seems to grow up some and she adopts a fun, calming tone of voice.

Aspen has a very sarcastic tone of voice that in the beginning which took a bit for me to get used to and enjoy but after the story progressed I enjoyed it more and more. Like I stated in the beginning, there was a middle-schoolish flair to the story. There was a childish fun to voice and the story itself; however, at times it felt strange because there was that feeling to the story and yet they were talking about more "older" subject matter like sex or stuff along that lines. So I would be reading and feel like I was a middle schooler reading my middle schooler books and all of a sudden I would hit one of those moments and I would be confused for a bit before I realized just what type of story I was reading.

The incidents in the story were very amusing and fun to read about even though I groaned everytime Aspen got herself into a situation where it was so obvious that nothing good was going to come out of it.

I liked Aspen's character but I was not a big fan of any of the other characters I felt them to be too annoying and hard to like.

Cafe Cover Chat: I'm not the biggest fan of the cover but it does add to the whole middle school flair that I was thinking about. But I do like the little heart in the corner, it's cute. (B-)

All in all, a great summer read that is light-hearted and enjoyable that gives a sort of middle grade feel to a YA novel.

Grade: B

Wdebo :)

GRADUATION + Boats and Birds-Gregory and the Hawk

2011-06-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovely blog readers. The time has come! I am going to graduation tonight. *EEKKKK* Well, after graduation I will have lots and lots of time to just laze around reading (Ubber excited for that). Anywho, hopefully I don't trip or fall tonight *Eep* Wish me luck!

Title: Boats and Birds
Artist: Gregory and the Hawk
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I love this song! So beautiful, this song just makes me happy everytime I hear it. :)

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

Believe-Blood on the Dance Floor + Update

2011-05-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

I know I promised to blog a couple of weeks ago, but I have seriously been scrambling around trying to get ready for graduation and last weeks of school. So once school ends next week. I promise. I will blog my ass off :)

Title: Believe
Artist: Blood on the Dance Floor
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I really love the lyrics to this song they are so touching and when I found out exactly why they wrote this song I fell in love with it even more. Oh and it's super addicting just like any other BOTDF song.

Listen and Love!

Wdebo :)

********

Liked this song? Listen to these songs by BOTDF!

Love Struck
Miss Bipolar

BLOGGING UPDATE!!

2011-05-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

YES!! I HAVE FINISHED MY AP TEST (I AM SORRY. THE CAPS IS ON DUE TO UNNATURAL TEENAGE HAPPINESS.) Ah, that's better. Um, yes, so AP Testing is done, all I have to worry about now is my senior project and I can graduate swiftly and easily. This means, I will actually have time to read!! I feel bad about not blogging for so long so I have a little update prepared. :)

Currently Reading:

Stay By: Deb Caletti

The Time Traveler's Wife By: Audrey Niffenegger

The Daughters Break The Rules By: Joanna Philbin

Family By: Micol Ostow

Huntress By: Malinda Lo

Currently Watching:

Frasier (Trying to watch all 11 seasons =] I LOVE THIS SHOW!! (Hehe Invader Zim reference))

Well, thanks for reading my random babbling :D

Wdebo :)

U + Me = Us (Calculus)-2Gether

2011-04-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Title: U + Me=Us (Calculus)
Artist: 2gether
Language: English
TTS: No

Wdebo's Notes: YES! I feel bad about not posting so here is a little boy band for you all :) Even if 2gether is not technically a "real" boy band I still love them all the same. RIP QT.

Wdebo :)

Blog Vacation

2011-04-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, as you can tell I have been "slacking off" in my reviewing/blogging but I have a good excuse (I hope.) As most of you know I am a senior in high school so right now is my college decision time and yeah, not going so well, still not sure where I am going. I also have to study for my AP Test. So, yep yep too busy to read =.= Hopefully you all understand I will be back blogging once I get everything sorted out!

Wdebo :)

Between Here and Forever By: Elizabeth Scott

2011-04-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Title: Between Here and Forever
Author: Elizabeth Scott
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 256
Release Date: May 24, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"I'm not the devoted sister, I'm not the noble, plain girl who sacrifices all for her sister to come back. I want Tess to wake up so she'll go away."

Summary (From B.O.B): Abby long ago accepted that she can't measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister, Tess, but at least she knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby's life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

Abby's got a plan to bring Tess back, though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli. But then she learns a shocking secret about Tess. Something that was always right there, but she'd never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could.

Wdebo's Review: I was first introduced to Elizabeth Scott through her debut novel, Bloom (Which also happened to be the book that got me into PulseIt and later in book blogging. But that's a story for another time....Apparently a lot of the main characters from Bloom appeared in this book, but since I read it so long ago I didn't notice =.=). After reading Bloom I found her to be a very decent author and was excited to see her other works. I later read Living Dead Girl and was basically left breathless by her writing. Anyways, this introduction does have a point, I was so excited when I got a chance to review Between Here and Forever.

The writing was wonderful and enthralling, but there were still a few unsatisfactory points to the story. I enjoyed the plot very much. I haven't had a chance to read many sibling novels especially one that delves into the whole "perfect older sister and plain younger sister" idea. The story line at first seemed very simple, it seemed to just be following one path, but towards the middle it began to split into many different and intricate branches. I'm not quite sure if I enjoyed it or disliked it. At times, I found it was very interesting, I really liked Eli and what he was going through (I seriously just wanted to give him a big hug throughout the whole novel), but at other times it seemed to be just added in because it seemed like there wasn't enough drama. I enjoyed all of the twists and turns, I just hoped some would had been spread out towards the beginning of the novel. I also guessed the ending of the story in the beginning so it kind of took away the OMG factor to it, but it still enjoyed how the novel unfolded to that moment.

As stated above, I loved the writing, Elizabeth Scott's way of writing is very captivating, enjoyable and heartfelt. It is a balance that many authors are unable to capture but Elizabeth Scott does so wonderfully.

I enjoyed many of the characters. Eli was my favorite, of course, because he is awesomeness in human form. I had a love-hate relationship with Abby, in the beginning she was whinny and very hard to like, well for me, maybe it's because I don't have any siblings so I don't understand the whole sibling relationship things, that is why I found her whining and inability to see what was happening in front of her, insufferable. However, after the middle, she did grow up somewhat and I began to like her more. From what I had read about Tess, I didn't feel she was all that amazing, she seemed like a total bitch at times, but I did feel bad for her and stuff....

Cafe Cover Chat: I like the cover, it's pretty. (B)

All in all, a fairly decent book by Elizabeth Scott, not my favorite work by her but it was still enjoyable.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

Mindless Self Indulgence

2011-04-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

So, my current obsession is MSI. Please don't ask me, I actually have no idea why, I question my sanity everytime I listen to them, but their music is just so damn addicting. I remember the first I listened to their song, I was just like What the hell is this crap? And for some reason even after I turned it off, it was just stuck in my head, and I had to listen to it again and before I knew what was happening I had been sucked into the black hole by the name of MSI.

It's hard to explain Mindless Self Indulgence, must be because there is no "true" label that we can box it nicely in. It just seems to have a little bit of everything thrown in even though at first listen it just seems like a bunch of noise, just screaming, profanity explosions and the random opera falsetto. Even though I personally cannot describe them, I found a wonderfully hillarious yet awesome explanation from Sing 365.

"Once upon a time in galaxy far away..in a place called new york-there were four beings-two girls(kitty & Lyn Z),a boy(Steve),and a ferret(Jimmy)...they got together and decided they wanted to start a band...and thus began the neverending road to pure stupidity. Mindless Self Indulgence is so fucked up it'll make your head spin and then do the hokey pokey!

Mindless Self Indulgence is what you will be called when the music that you make has no chance in hell of getting you laid,or of making you seem cool in the eyes of your p.c. restrained,cookie cutter catagory demanding,humorless peers. It is also a four piece band of co-ed punks from N.Y.C.,whose name manifests itself during their live shows. Their music is a hybrid of Atari driven(the computer not the group),Industrial,New Wave,Soul,Jungle,Hip Hop,and Punk with a venomous splash of Attention Deficit Disorder....aka... "industrialjunglepussypunk"

See & hear Mindless Self Indulgence live. Why? Because they rarely suck live, but when they do, they suck with conviction!"

I actually just got into their music so I can't say much about them. So, if you like or have any comments on MSI feel free to comment below telling me what you feel about them, how you found out about them, favorite band member (I personally love all of them, but I love Jimmy the most ^^ ), favorite song/album, etc etc.

Members:

James Euringer AKA (Little) Jimmy Urine [Vocalist and programmer] (The ferret...)

Steve, Righ? [Guitarist] LynZ [Bassist] (Replaced ex bassist Vannessa YT. She is currently married with a daughter to My Chemical Romance's Gerald Way)Kitty [Drummer]

Anywho, now that we have the introductions out of the way. Let's move on to the main attraction *rubs hands together* MUSIC!!

Shut Me Up (Stuck in my head =.= I really like the beginning of the vid :) )

Played (The first MSI song I listened to)

Faggot (The first time I heard this I got a migrane now I can't stop listening to it)

Mark David Chapman (Love Jimmy's voice throughout this entire song. He changes his singing so much, gaahhh. I love it!)

Molly (Addictive)

Wdebo :)

Go Ask Alice By: Anonymous

2011-04-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Go Ask Alice
Author: Anonymous
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 158
First Published: March 5, 1971
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Geared Towards: Teens/Anti-Drugs
From: Library

"I have two choices; I must either commit suicide or try to rectify my life by helping others. That is the path I must take, for I cannot bring futher disgrace and suffering upon my family" (89).

Summary: Written from the point of view of an unnamed diarist, Go Ask Alice examines the harrowing effects of drugs on a young person's life. How it can rip one away from a comfortable life into one filled with pain, fear, and hurt.

Wdebo's Review: Ok, truthfully, my feelings towards this book are mixed and I'm confused about what I'm truly feeling. lol. For one, I thought the whole plot line of the story was interesting, it really showed just how dangerous drugs can truly have been, but this story was most likely a work of fiction which brings me to one of my main reasons why I disliked the story, I felt like there was a trust between the author and reader that was broken when the story, which claimed to be "the truth" but instead just turned out to be fictionalized by Sparks, yes, I can understand how it could be based on truth but the story was so enlarged that it just felt so fake.

Let's start with the good, shall we? I felt the storyline was very hooking, it was very interesting, to understand just how addicting drugs can truly be and how freightening they really are. It really had some sobering ideas in there, and really made me appreciate my no-drug life. It is a good piece to scare children into not wanting to try drugs or be involved in drugs in any way. A diary form was a good form to bring out the story, for it shows a girl's progression is a way to show the diarist's deepest and darkest feelings.

However, the writing seemed so, fake. From the beginning I was skeptical as to whether this was fact or fiction, I know it shouldn't be that big of a deal, but when someone says it's the truth I want it to be the truth not have it be fictionalized and be pushed upon me stating that it is all nonfiction.

I also disliked the diatrist she was just very very childish, I'm pretty it was trying to make her sound naive but it was quite annoying. However, I sympathized for her when she just kept relapsing, she would get better and then she would fall into a deeper hole then the last until she was locked it, it was truly saddening.

Cafe Cover Chat: The cover I had was probably a 90's cover so it was really meh, the one pictured above is better but still meh. (B)

All in all, it a good book to frighten children and young adults away from drug use but should not be read for any kind of amazing writing skills or anything, it was a quick read, but disappointing for me because I had heard so many good things about it before.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

Hello Fascination-Breathe Carolina

2011-04-02T06:17:00.000-07:00

Title: Hello Fascination

Artist: Breathe Carolina

Language: English

TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I just got into Breathe Carolina and yes I am in love with this song sooo much. I love David's (I hope I'm getting their names right) voice gaahh so dreamy, and Kyle's whole "You've dug my grave, but I pushed you in it." My goodness, lyric classic right there!!

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoyed! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Leaving Paradise By: Simone Elkeles

2011-04-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Title: Leaving Paradise
Author: Simone Elkeles
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 303
Release Date: April 8, 2007
Publisher: Flux
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Bought

"What scares me to fucking death is that some part of my brain has decided this insignificant act of Maggie sitting next to me is the first step in fixing all that's gone wrong in my life" (159).

Summary (From B.O.B): The night Caleb Becker was arrested was the night he hit Maggie Armstrong and ran away from the scene. That night was the night that Maggie revealed something she never wanted to tell him. That night was the night that Caleb tried to escape from it. That was the night that changed everything.

Now, a year later, Caleb is finally out of juvenile detention and can start his life again in Paradise. Maggie is trying to overcome the disability that the accident had caused to her leg and is looking forward to the only thing that can make her happy, an exchange program to Spain. The last thing both of them wants to happen is to see the other, but when it does happen, they begin to realize how the only ones that will truly be there for them are each other.

Wdebo's Review: Yes! Another winner from Simone Elkeles! I loved the book from the beginning, it hooks you right in and doesn't let go until the end.

The story seemed like all of Simone Elkele's books cliche and was following a path that you can see the end to. And though yes there was that cliche element to the novel, I did not see the ending come. The ending was a total cliffhanger that left me breathlessly wanting to read Return to Paradise.

I enjoyed the writing immensely, there were very few slow spots which increased the good reads factor of the book. The characters were very well defined and they had their differences that really let them feel so different yet so compatible, a perfect romance.

I loved Caleb he has the badass yet sweet inside thing going for him, and I won't lie, when they started warming towards each other, I was totally swooning even though it was totally obvious and cliche but oh wow so sweet, that is what I love at Simone Elkeles books, they follow this predictable path yet they are just oh so sweet! I didn't like Maggie as much as Caleb like how I usually am, but she wasn't bad, a little whinny though which did get annoying at times.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like this cover, it looks cool and it shows the contrast between Caleb and Maggie. (B+)

All in all, a great read for romance lovers and non romance lovers that will leave you wanting more. Seriously can't wait to read Return to Paradise!!

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Carmen By: Walter Dean Myers

2011-03-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

Title: Carmen
Author: Walter Dean Myers
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 160
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Geared Towards: Older Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)
Extra Info: Based off the Bizet Opera, Carmen.

"I've got to be the old Carmen again. Too hard to hurt, too hard to fall in love."

Summary (From B.O.B): In the heat of Nueva York's el barrio, Spanish Harlem, Carmen, a gorgeous chica with a temper to match, is used to getting the guys she wants. Right now she wants Jose. He seems gentle-not like the gangsta types she's known before. And even though he already has something going with Michaela, a sweet girl who is opposite of Carmen in every way, he falls hard for the streetwise beauty.

But Jose has his own problems. He's a tipo duro-the type of tough guy who has to get his own way. And no one tells Carmen what to do.

When a charismatic rapper-turned-producer enters the scene and hooks up with Carmen, Jose is left with nothing. Things spin out of control, rivalries flare into violence, and the consequences will be deadly.

Wdebo's Review: I have personally never watched Bizet's Carmen or actually known the synopsis of the opera so I thought the story would be hard to understand or hard to get into or both, but it wasn't. It made the plot line of opera accessible, mainly to teens (Well, that was who it was aimed for). I read the synopsis of the opera and Myer's version followed it exactly, which was cool, it actually made me really want to watch the opera.

The book was in play form, so I should start calling this a "play" but I like saying "book" better. It had a very interesting story, but so so so dramatic, my goodness, well, it has a good reason why it's so dramatic (Seeing as how it is copying the opera) but I wasn't sure whether to laugh or pity the character's "pains". To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure what to comment on, since it was in play form so there was not that much actual writing-writing, but the dialogue was good, a little over the top, but good.

I wasn't fond of any of the characters, they were extremely all over the place, the two main characters, Carmen and Jose, bothered me, they both proclaimed their love the first moment they saw each other and yet they continually flirted with those around them, quite disturbing if you ask me. And the "rapper-turned-producer" was no better, he didn't feel very charismatic he just seemed like a pig.

Cafe Cover Chat: I think the cover is ok, I like the layout and the model's hat. (B-)

All in all, a quite well written take on the Bizet's opera, which I'm sure the younger generation of Carmen lovers will enjoy, and even if you've never watched or heard anything about the opera, like me, I'm sure you can find something enjoyable in it also ^^

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

Blog Tour + Cafe Chit Chat: Bitter Melon By: Cara Chow

2011-03-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Bitter Melon is a novel by Cara Chow that tells the story of Frances a girl of Chinese decent whose one goal in life is to get into UC Berkley (Well, actually it's her mother's goal for her.) Everything was going the way it should until a scheduling mixup that caused her to be put into speech instead of AP Calculus. At first, Frances thinks her life is going to end if she doesn't change her class, but she soon finds out that Speech gives her a chance to speak out in a way she never thought possible, in the classroom, in her home, in her life.

I have reviewed Bitter Melon HERE, and now, without further ado is an interview with the author Cara Chow.

Enjoy!

~~~

Wdebo: Please describe yourself in three adjectives.

Cara Chow:

Workaholic

Conscientious

Obsessive

(This wouldn't look very sexy on Match.com, would it?)

W: Please describe a typical day

CC: WARNING: it’s not glamorous.

7:20am: Roll out of bed.
7:45am: Warm up milk, feed son, change diaper.
8:10am: Wrestle son into stroller, walk around neighborhood.
8:50am: Make breakfast.
9:00-1:00pm: Nanny is here! Time to write/work.
1:00-3:00pm: Eat lunch. Pray that son stays asleep so I can work some more.
3:00pm: Warm up milk, feed son, change diaper. Then we go outside to play: playground, beach, parks, etc.
6:00pm: Feed son, make dinner.
7:00pm: Dinner, wash dishes.
8:00pm: Give son a bath. Then play with son, sing songs, teach new words. OR, if I have a deadline, pass son to husband like football, then lock self in office to work.
9:45pm: Read to son, sing songs, then put son to bed.
10:00pm: Prepare son’s food and diaper bag for the next day.
10:15: Shower, then some TV, then read 2 sentences in bed before falling asleep. OR, if I have a deadline, work until 11:30pm.

Not too exciting, huh? That’s why I write fiction, not autobiography!

W: What is your favorite color?

CC: Honestly, I don’t have one! What makes a color beautiful is how it looks next to another color. Think about this the next time you gaze at a sunset or the highlights in someone’s hair.

W: In Bitter Melon Frances was put into speech class through a scheduling mistake. I know that you competed in speech during high school, how were you introduced to speech class? What was speech like for you?

CC: I don’t remember how I got introduced to speech class. (I still talk to my speech coach, who is now retired, and we both marvel at how memory deteriorates with age.) As for how speech was for me, it was fun but very stressful, so stressful that is was necessary to wear an extra coat of deodorant as insurance. There are different categories of speech competition. I was good at original oratory because I could take my time writing, rehearsing, and memorizing my speech before reciting it to an audience. But I was horrible at impromptu, in which they gave you a topic, and then you had two minutes to prepare a speech before delivering it. I don’t think fast on my feet, and when I’m under pressure, I freeze up and start sounding like a clip from The King’s Speech. In fact, the one and only time I did impromptu, I stood in front of my competitors and the judge for several seconds, frozen in terror. One of my competitors was this tall blond kid who wore a nice suit and a long black coat. He could see that I was struggling, so he nodded at me and gave me this “you can do it” look. Because of his encouragement, I was able to relax and deliver my speech. Afterwards, he applauded warmly, which was rather charitable, considering my mediocre performance. When it was his turn to speak, my jaw dropped. He delivered his speech like he had been preparing it for weeks! Of course, he won that competition. I was eliminated before the semi-final round. Anyway, that blonde kid became the inspiration for the character of Derek Collins in Bitter Melon.

W: What inspired you to write Bitter Melon?

CC: Though I have a very positive relationship with my mother today, we struggled a lot when I was a teen. My mother wanted me to be the best, and her way of motivating me was by being very hard on me. Unfortunately, I was a very sensitive kid, so I took my mother’s words and actions personally. This not only strained our relationship for many years, but it also affected my confidence and self-image well into my twenties. As I got older, I felt compelled to understand how we became the people we became and how our relationship had gotten so bad in my teens. Bitter Melon, in part, reflects that journey of understanding.

W: What is one important message you want your readers to get from your book?

CC: For readers who identify with Frances, the message is: “You’re not alone.” For all my readers, I hope this book will show the psychological and cultural factors that influence Frances’s and Gracie’s attitudes and behaviors. I hope that readers can apply this understanding to themselves and others.

W: If you were stranded on an island and could only bring five items what would they be?

CC: First of all, I insist on choosing my island because I don’t want to be like Tom Hanks in Castaway. So I choose Maui, and here are my top 5:

1. Husband (my son would be with a sitter—now I get a second honeymoon!)
2. Reservation for a nice B&B.
3. A gift certificate to eat at Roy’s. Make that 5 gift certificates.
4. Tour reservation to swim with dolphins and turtles.
5. My camera, plus extra batteries and memory chips.

W: Are you working on any projects now? And if so, can you tell us a bit about them?

CC: The only project I’m working on now is Project Bitter Melon Blog Tour. After this is done, I will work on Project Rest and Recuperation. Then I’ll get to work on Project Book #2.

W: Who are some of your FAVORITE authors?

CC: Everyone asks me this, and it is a hard question to answer because there are so many authors I enjoy. It is also hard to answer because I usually think in terms of favorite books rather than favorite authors.

Here are some favorite authors I haven’t mentioned in previous blog posts. Non-fiction: Temple Grandin, who has written many books on animals and autism. Fiction: I really love and recommend Talking to the Moon, which was written by Noel Alumnit.

W: What are some books that you would recommended to readers who are of Chinese heritage or enjoy reading books like Bitter Melon?

CC: Bitter Melon has been compared most often to The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua because all three are Chinese-American, mother-daughter stories. Joy Luck is an awesome book—I’ve read it at least twice. Though I’ve read the excerpt from Battle Hymn in the WSJ, I haven’t read the entire book yet so I’ll have to get back to you on that one.

W: Do you have anything you would like to add?

CC: Thanks for inviting me to participate in your blog!

W: Thank you for letting me interview you!

~~~

Wdebo :)

Touch My Heart-Show Luo

2011-03-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Title: Touch My Heart

Artist: Show Luo

Language: Mandarin (Chinese)

TTS: HERE

Wdebo's Notes: Woohoo from Show's newest album (Which I am kind of disappointed about because of all of the autotuned songs, but that is a topic for another day), this song is so cute, I love it, I had it stuck in my head from the first time I listened to it. TOUCH MY HEARTTTT!! (That sounds kind of dirty......hmm....) But the girl's eyes scare me, I think I've said this before, but I'll repeat it, Asians with super big eyes = scary. Show in clumsy panda outfit = The Best Thing Ever!!

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoyed! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

********

Loved this? Listen to these other songs by Show!

Silence Phobia [English Subbed]

Head Over Heels [English Subbed]

Cause I Believe [English Subbed]

Sing You Home By: Jodi Picoult

2011-03-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Sing You Home
Author: Jodi Picoult
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 466
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Atria Books
Geared Towards: Adults
From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"That, really, she is the luckiest girl in the world" (P. 466).

Summary: Music therapist Zoe Baxter has always wanted a baby when she and her husband, Max got married. However, both of them have infertility issues so they decide to try IVF. After many failures they finally concieve a child but it ends in a stillborn, like many of their other tries. Unable to bear the heartbreak, Max leaves and begins to battle his own personal demons in alcoholism. Zoe, broken and hurt, begins picking up the pieces of her life when she begins to make friends with a guidence counselor named Vannessa. She soon finds out that her connection with Vannessa is much deeper than friendship, and begins to fall for her.

Meanwhile, Max begins to spiral out of control through his drinking. When he hits rock bottom he joins an evangelical church, who has vowed to fight homosexuality in America. The two divorced spouses soon meet with totally different view points.

Wdebo's Review: This is officially one of my favorite Jodi Picoult novels (Just below Nineteen Minutes of course!) Many of Jodi Picoult's books start out slow and take a while to get into, but with Sing You Home it had me hooked in from the very beginning. The writing was great and the characters were superb. I also loved how it had its own soundtrack, I can say I've never read a book that had music that went along with it and I loved the idea how each song fit in with each portion of the novel.

This novel ties in all of the best elements of Picoult's writing into a wonderfully created story. It brings not only the issue of gay rights to the readers eyes but also the controversial topic of IVFs and is just a expertly crafted human rights novel. I also enjoyed how Picoult was using a lighter voice in Zoe compared to her other books, even though the topics were still controversial and definitely classified as "Hot Topic" there were more joking moments in the novel as well as more scenes where the reader is actually able to laugh (And there were a lot of places where the reader can cry too or aw, depending on the moment). I also loved the ending it was a little cliche for my Jodi Picoult taste but it was so sweet and cute and just perfect little Autumn's Concerto ending.

I also was a fan of the development of all of the characters, each character had his or her own strengths and weaknesses and everyone of them are played on to truly understand what someone would do in a certain situation and it creates a very realistic enviorment for all of the characters. I felt mixed feelings for all of the characters except for two. I really liked Vannessa she was a strong character who knew what she want and didn't dillydally, well except for one moment but it was understandable and I hated hated hated the pastor who was rude and kept feeding the public false information, and in the turn the public just lapped it up. But in a way it was commentary on what is truly happening in our society today, so I guess that's what pissed me off. Oh yeah, and I hated that Wade person. Ugh.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like this cover, it has quite a calming effect on me for some reason, I think it's that country feel. (A-)

All in all, definitely another winner from Jodi Picoult, which all Picoult fans should read and even if you aren't the biggest Jodi Picoult lover, I think you will enjoy this novel for it has a lighter voice even in the midst of its topics.

Grade: A

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (24)

2011-03-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today I am stepping away from Yu Le Bai Fen Bai to bring to you one of my favorite YouTube stars now (The other being Destrey from Desandnate), Charlieissocoollike! Hehe. I can't believe I just found out about him, but he is so cute and funny and well he has a pretty kick ass accent.

Therefore, I bring you one of my favorite vids from him, as a teenage girl this video was way funny, yeah for sarcasm!! lol for surveys XD

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Runaway By: Meg Cabot

2011-03-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Runaway
Author: Meg Cabot
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 310
Release Date: April 20, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Bought
Extra Info: This is the third and last book in the Airhead trilogy.

"I was on my own, and there was no one at all who was going to be able to help me out of this one" (48).

Summary: Em is stuck as the prisoner of Brandon Stark, the son of billionaire Robert Stark. The same Robert Stark who planted the assasination attempt on supermodel, Nikki Howard, that left Em waking up in Nikki's body and vice versa. But she soon finds a way to escape and it seems to be freedom at last right? Wrong. She finally knows the secret behind Nikki's secret and the only person who can help her (Who also happens to be her one true love), Christopher is trying too hard to ignore her to be of any assistance. Will Em be able to figure out the truth of Robert Stark's evil plans, try to fix all the wrongs she has unknowingly created and get Christopher back on her side, all in time for the live Stark Angel fashion show?

Wdebo's Review: Another Meg Cabot series has come and gone. *Sniff* I always feel so melancholy after finishing a Meg Cabot series (or trilogy in this case). The Airhead series has been one of my favorite series by her (Not counting Princess Diaries of course) and Runaway was a well concocted ending to this exciting and fun trilogy.

Even though I finished the second book, Being Nikki, almost two years ago, I was still eased right into the plot line from the very beginning and it was so hard to put down until the last period (Actually, it was a quotation mark.) However, I did feel that there were moments where it seemed to stay on one scene for too long, like in the beginning where they just stayed at the dinning table talking and eating, talking and eating I really just want to go in there and tell them to hurry up, but apart from that, the writing was great and very very enjoyable.

One of the main features of Meg Cabot's writing that is very entertaining is her plethora of pop culture refrences, which gives it the signature Meg Cabot "teenage voice." Though at times I felt like I was reading from Mia (From Princess Diaries)'s point of view, because of the familiar complaining voice that Mia always seemed to possess. But at times, I found the pop culture references to be awakwardly placed, that it didn't seem to be necessary to have that in there, but at others times it was a nice and refreshing fit. But one thing that really bothered me about the pop culture refrence is that Bill Gates is not the richest man in the world, the richest man in the world is Carlos Slim Helú.

I generally liked Em, even though at times, like I stated above, she did adopt a very Mia Thermopolis complainy and whiny voice but apart from that she was an enjoyable narrator. Nikki herself also changes for the better, making her much more enjoyable even though she was still a bitch at times, but I loved her relationship that she develops at the end, so I'll overlook her bitchyness. Christopher is awesome and so is Felix. Ok, I just loved all of the characters, even that idiot Brandon. And I loved how Meg Cabot gave all of the characters a realationship, soo cute, unrealistic, but definitely made the cliche, sweet aspect of the novel come to life.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like this cover the most out of all of the Airhead covers. It fits well with the whole title and it looks cool. Oh yeah, and I think it's great how they used the same model for all the covers (I believe...) (A-)

All in all, a wonderful conclusion to the Airhead trilogy that most Airhead lovers should be very satisfied with. And if you haven't read any of the books yet, go NOW!! (List of the books below)

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

*******

List of books in the Airhead series:

1) Airhead [No review :( ]
2) Being Nikki [Click HERE for review]
3) Runaway [This one!]

Contest: Dreamwalk

2011-03-22T14:49:00.001-07:00

-CLOSED!-

So today I have a giveaway for everyone, the YA/A Paranormal Romance Dreamwalk by: Sarah MacManus. DREAMWALK is a romantic mixed beat of time travel and mythology for both teens and adults. After the death of her mother, Chloe Hawthorn is haunted by terrifying nighttime hallucinations. Determined to take control of her dreams, she uses them to find Shane Anderson, a charming and troubled musician whose online videos have been holding her in thrall. She finds him in the Dreamtime, sweating out heroin detox in a run-down rehab center. Chloe sets out to find Shane in the waking world and discovers her dreams have been taking her into the past. Horrified, Chloe realizes Shane doesn't survive his addictions. In order to save him, Chloe must master her Australian mother's legacy — the secret of walking the Dreaming through time. But what price will Chloe pay for this Dreamwalk and will she save Shane only to lose him forever? Doesn't that sound great? Now all you have to do is fill out the form HERE to enter! Giveaway ends: April 5th

Author Info: Sarah would like to reccomend this contest for 16+ readers

Wdebo :)

Cows Can't Jump By: Dave Reisman

2011-03-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

Title: Cows Can't Jump

Author: Dave Reisman

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: ?

Release Date: October 19, 2008

Publisher: Jumping Cow Press

Geared Towards: Children

From: Publisher

Summary (From B.O.B): Is it really true that cows can't jump, gorillas can't swim and sloths can't leap? Yes, but discover what these and other animals can do, as they swing scamper and glide through Cows Can't Jump! In this humerous and inspirational adventure, animals focus on what they do best, comfortably aware they can't do everything, but proud of their own special skills. Vibrantly illustrated, Cows Can't Jump will help young readers learn diverse and dynamic words, while absorbing a subtle yet powerful message that builds self-esteem and teaches respect and humility.

Wdebo's Review: I haven't read a picture book in YEARS, I know hard to believe huh? :) Anyways, this was a cute little story for children. The message was simple yet very good for little kids to understand, that we all have differences, we might not be like others but we all have our own strengths.

I enjoyed the drawings, the animals were all cute. However, I find big-eyed animals to be disturbing at times. I enjoyed the canvas like feel of the drawings and the simplicity of the artwork, the drawing kept to and did not distract from the story. Though there was not a lot of a story, it was mainly just ideas.

There was also a plethora of very good vocabulary words to help ease the children into high level vocabulary.

The only complaint of have is that I agree with Laina's post about the board books, because the reprint is in board book form and I just don't feel that this book needs to be in "board book form." Mainly because board books are mainly for children who chew on books, and with the vocabulary and story level I would not see children who chomp on books to be reading this story any time soon, or maybe they might, if their parents would want to give them a more head start into higher level beginner picture books.

Cafe Cover Chat: It's cute, a confused cow always makes for a good cover. (B)

All in all, a good picture book for children around the ages of two or three that introduces children to important lessons through the usage of cute artwork, interesting ideas and high ended vocabulary.

Grade: (Ungraded, don't really have a "scale" for picture books.)

Wdebo :)

Red Riding Hood By: Sarah Blakley-Cartwright

2011-03-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Red Riding Hood
Author: Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
Based on the Screenplay By: David Leslie Johnson
Release Date: March 16, 2011
Publisher: Hachette Book Group (Poppy)
Geared Towards: Teens/Fairy Tale Rewrite Lovers
Extra Info: This book is now a movie.
From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"Now, evil had descended upon Daggorhorn" (274).

Summary (From B.O.B):

The blacksmith would marry her.

The woodcutter would run away with her.

The werewolf would turn her into

one of its own.

Valerie's sister was beautiful, kind, and sweet. Now she is dead. Henry, the handsome son of the blacksmith, tries to console Valerie, but her wild heart beats fast for another: the outcast woodcutter, Peter, who offers Valerie another life far from home.

After her sister's violent death, Valerie's world begins to spiral out of control. For generations, the Wolf has been kept at bay with a monthly sacrifice. But now no one is safe. When an expert Wolf hunter arrives, the villagers learn that the creature lives among them-it could be anyone in town.

It soon becomes clear that Valerie is the only one who can hear the voice of the creature. The Wolf says she must surrender herself before the blood moon wanes...or everyone she loves will die.

Wdebo's Review: Red Riding Hood was an interestingly crafted twist on the classic fairy tale. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, there were so many twists and turns, many interesting characters that were sprinkled in there; however, I was not all that excited by the writing.

The story hooks the reader in, but while I was reading it, I felt, I am not really sure how to explain it, empty? No that sounds bad. Bored? Not really the right word either. Dry, meh? Hm, this adjective hunt is getting me no where. Well, I'll try to describe my feelings, I felt that I wanted to keep on reading, to continue delving into the setting, the story, the action of the whole novel; however, it felt numbing. Like I was reading through it out of obligation. But that didn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, I still loved reading through the story seeing how it progressed but I felt the writing was average and at times quite messy.

I was very disappointed in the ending, mainly because THERE WAS NO ENDING. They posting it on the website, but when I read a book, I like to finish it through the same media, so if I'm reading I would like to read the ending in book form also, thank you very much. It was just a very annoying marketing ploy, really wished they would have just added the ending on the end.

While reading I was iffy towards Valerie. She is a strong figure during at a few times, but others she becomes weak and relys on those around her and is unable to fend for herself. I actually didn't have any strong feelings or attractions towards any of the guy characters which is strange for me lol. But if I had to choose a favorite I would pick Peter, because he has that whole dark, strange thing going for him, and well, in books that is just pretty intensely awesome.

Cafe Cover Chat: I think the cover is pretty good. (B-)

All in all, an interesting take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. Though the plot was very inticing and exciting the writing was not at that level.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

(Hey) Juliet-LMNT

2011-03-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, wow, I haven't blogged in so long =.= So sorry, life has been ubber hectic lately. GAHH three more months till graduation can't wait!!!! Anywho, since it's finally Spring Break for us I'll be able to blog more. I just finished "Runaway" and I have some other books that are waiting to be reviewed and read so YES!! Well, enjoy~

Title: Juliet (Also known as "Hey Juliet"
Artist: LMNT
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: GAHH! I love this song so much! Haha. I remember being obsessed with this song for the longest time during elementary school. (Or was it middle school...hmmm....Can't remember). Anywho, this was the best lyric video I could find of this song even though it's not very good D: But we'll live :)

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoyed and please comment!

Wdebo :)

Rules of Attraction By: Simone Elkeles

2011-02-27T14:16:00.000-08:00

Title: Rules of Attraction
Author: Simone Elkeles
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 324
Release Date: April 13, 2010
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Geared Towards: Older Teens
From: Library
Extra Information: Rules of Attraction is the sequal to Perfect Chemistry [Click HERE for review].

"'You're dangerous,' he says.

'Why?'

'Because you make me believe in the impossible" (P. 318).

Summary: Carlos Fuentes is very bitter after having to be forced from Mexico back to the States by his brother Alex. He can't even go back to their old home in Chicago, instead he has to go to Colorado. Carlos is disappointed in his brother for jumping out of being a member of the Latino Blood and is instead dating the very non-Mexican, very blonde Brittany.

The only thing that can be good about this situation are the girls that he can hook up with. These dreams are instensified after Carlos meets Madison, the girl who can satisfy his every desire, but then the dreams are quickly crushed when he meets Kiara. Kiara is the daughter of Alex's professor with whom Carlos is forced to stay with after a little run in with the law. Where as Madison is busty, blonde and brain-cell-lacking, Kiara is anything but. She covers herself up with oversized t-shirts, is intelligent, sporty and everything Carlos isn't interested in. He believes they will just have an uncomplicated relationship, one in which he lives in the house and they don't acknowledge each other much. He soon learns how wrong he is as he slowly begins to fall for the girl he never thought he would.

Wdebo's Review: I am not ashamed to admit that I am a Perfect Chemistry lover. So when I saw Rules of Attraction on my library shelf I nearly passed out in excitement. I began reading the novel as soon as I could and finished it in a single sitting.

Though at first, it took a bit to get into, it quickly became very addicting. As much as I enjoyed reading it, I found the chemistry between Carlos and Kiara to be lacking. It's not that there wasn't any, it's just that compared to Alex and Brittany's relationship in Pefect Chemistry it wasn't as heartpoundingly exciting. However, Rules of Attraction was much more passionate and physical than Perfect Chemistry. Which I was totally fine with. As the story progressed so did my love for Carlos and Kiara's bond, in the end, I was basically smitten, especially because Carlos is hot!

Another weakness that I can spot in the book is that the development of the relationship between Carlos and Kiara wasn't as defined as I would have liked. There was a wisp of a ladder between each stage of their relationship but nothing too defining, so I would be reading and then suddenly stop and think "Wait, when were they comfortable enough to say/think/do that?"

I loved how Brittany and Alex played a big role in the story and plot. Usually in books like these previous couples are just ghosts of characters in the whole plot, but in this novel, they didn't have a big role in the story, which was nice, because I love their relationship; however, they seemed so mature and old in the story, it seemed sort of weird. I love Carlos (As stated above See: "Hot") not only because of how he is so caliente, I just love his personality, it was very amusing to read. He's so cocky but has a sweet spot too, it's great. Kiara was a good character, at lest she wasn't Brittany "perfect." Finally, while reading I had mixed feelings for Tuck, Kiara's gay best friend, he was cute at some times and horribly annoying at others. At the end, I FINALLY realized it was because he cared about Kiara so much that he acted like that, but still, annoying at times.

Also, I wonder, why does it seem that all of the girls the Fuentes brothers are falling in love with all seem to be white? Aren't there any attractive girls of other races that they could be interested in? lol. But that isn't a big concern for me...as long as the story is cute, I am happy.

Cafe Cover Chat: I quite like this cover. It's cute, seriously, kissing in the rain = amazing. (A-)

All in all, Rules of Attraction is definitely a book any Perfect Chemistry lover should read. And if you haven't had the chance to read Perfect Chemistry or any Simone Elkeles book for that matter, go check some out now!

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

********

Other books by Simone Elkeles:

Perfect Chemistry [Click HERE for review]

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation [Click HERE for review]

How to Ruin My Teenage Life [Click HERE for review]

How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation [Click HERE for review]

"'I don't buy it for a second, 'cause if you were my girlfriend and a stud like me was livin' in your house, I'd kiss you in front of the guy every chance I got as a reminder.'

'A reminder of w-w-what?'

'That you were mine'"

(P. 165)

I'm back Twitter!

2011-02-26T12:06:00.001-08:00

Yes!! I finally got my Twitter back!

So, follow HERE please :)

Wdebo :)

The Last Embrace-Anthony Neely

2011-02-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Chinese Title: 散場的擁抱

English Title: The Last Embrace

Artist: Anthony Neely (倪安東)

TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I love this song, this was one of the songs by Anthony that really made me fall in love with him ^^ His voice just sounds so awesome in it, and in the official version, it is one of the few Chinese songs I have seen get over 2 million views in just a few months, so that just tells how amazing this song is :3

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

****

Loved it? Listen to these songs by Anthony Neely!

Sorry That I Loved You (English Song!)

Nightmare (English Subbed)

Human.4 By: Mike A. Lancaster

2011-02-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

Title: Human. 4
Author: Mike A. Lancaster
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 240
Release Date: March 8, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"The peculiar format that you are holding-a book-was still the dominant form of information storage at the time the tapes were made. There is a reason that I insisted on this archaic format that will, I hope, become apparent as the narrative progresses.

If the story you are to read is true, then this work is respectfully to the 0.4"

Summary (From B.O.B):

ALERT:

HUMANITY HAS BEEN UPGRADED.

YOU ARE NOW OBSOLETE.

Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone's behaving oddly. It's as if Kyle doesn't exist.

Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister?

Wdebo's Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the story from the very first page, which was quite surprsing to me. Though the writing in the beginning felt sort of childish it worked because Kyle's voice matured through the story, it was through this incident that he was able to grow.

I really enjoyed the plot of the novel, it was a very new, novel idea. The writing is very clear and simple it helps to convey the ideas of the story better as opposed to if it was long and all drawn out. It gives Kyle a strong voice, which is especially important because he is speaking into tapes. I also liked the little notes in each section of the book, it was amusing to see what future earth inhabitants would say about what is important to us now. The mystery of everything builds up nicely in the whole work, and the interval in which information is given to the reader is very well coordinated so that you don't feel bored anytime you are reading it, you don't feel as if the story is getting old.

The middle part of the story frightened me a lot, but maybe that was just because A) it was 1 AM and 2) I had watched all of the Alice of Human Sacrifices and I was freaked out already. The book has also made me vow to never become hypnotized just in case, you know, the same thing happens to me and I am screwed, I mean you can never be too careful.

Cafe Cover Chat: I am indifferent towards the cover, though those root things on the person's hand get kind of freaky after a while. (B)

All in all, a wonderfuly written look into the future, for both Sci-fi lovers and non Sci-fi lovers alike.

Grade: B+/A-

Wdebo :)

Show Me Love-t.A.T.u

2011-02-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

Title: Show Me Love
Artist: t.A.T.u
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: t.A.T.u is one of my favorite bands now (I guess they would be called a duo...) but this is one of my favorite songs by them. I love how their lyrics are so simple but the whole song still sounds amazing. They are just so talented >:D

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

*****

Liked it? Check out these songs by t.A.T.U!

Malchik Gay
All About Us
30 Minutes

Happily Ever After-He Is We

2011-02-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Title: Happily Ever After
Artist: He Is We
Language: English
TTS: No

Wdebo's Notes: One of my best friends is OBSESSED with He Is We, and this is one of my favorite songs that she showed me by them. The lyrics are simple but so sweet and I love Rachel's voice so much. It deviates from the over done pop-y voice and is so raw and good. :) I also like "All About Us" by them.

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

CassaStar By: Alex J. Cavanaugh

2011-02-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Title: CassaStar
Author: Alex J. Cavanaugh
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 246
Release Date: October 19, 2010
Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press
Geared Towards: Teens/Sci-Fi Readers
Extra Info: This is Alex's debut novel, you can also check out his blog HERE!

"Risking it all sounded better than living alone and without purpose" (P. 221).

Summary (From B.O.B): To pilot the fleet's finest ship...

Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitutde, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard.

Much to Byron's chagrin the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential.

As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

Wdebo's Review: When I first started CassaStar, I wasn't sure how I would react to the story. I have never been a great Sci-Fi lover, but from the first chapter I was pleasently surprised as to how solid the writing was, especially for a debut novel.

Alex Cavanaugh uses very wonderful imagry. Everything can be seen clearly in the mind's eye, from a simple fight to a flight in space. The story is also quite addicting, which was another thing that was surprising to me, seeing as how I usually find Sci-Fi boring. I enjoyed the moments of action, other Sci-Fi action scenes for some reason confuse me, but in CassaStar they were actually very exciting. However, I did not like the usage of certain words or phrases that seemed childish, such as "unique ability," but that was very minor.

I enjoyed how Byron is represented in the novel. At the training he is strong and cocky, thinking highly of himself and making it so no one is able to get into his mind, but when he gets to be a Cosbolt pilot he starts out quite weak from nerves but he slowly becomes stronger, his growth was very realistic and believable. I also appreciated the, I guess it would be called "lesson", that Byron learned about how success and stuff is nothing without friends, that we all need comfort from those around us. Finally, I liked the friendship between Trindel and Byron.

Cafe Cover Chat: Not a big fan of the cover. (C+)

All in all, a very well-written book that both Sci-Fi lovers and non Sci-Fi lovers alike can read and enjoy.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Once Was Lost By: Sara Zarr

2011-02-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

Title: Once Was Lost

Author: Sara Zarr

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 217

Release Date: October 1, 2009

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Geared Towards: Teens

From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"And I know what she means, what she's trying to get across. That a thing like this changes the way you think about everything and everyone, and you can never go back." (P. 102)

Summary (From B.O.B): When your father's a pastor, it's hard not to buy into the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reasons to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than in his family. When a young girl in her small town goes missing, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

Wdebo's Review: When I first started the novel I was skeptical, though the writing wasn't horrible, it was still not the best I have ever read. At first, it felt average and forgettable, but after a while the writing soon began to pick up speed and soon became very addicting.

The writing was simple which worked for the novel. I also enjoyed how Sara Zarr was able to thread all of these different stories into one full novel. Everyone has their own pains and they are all wonderfully written together. However, I think Daniel's part of the story was too much, I think it was just added in there and just kind of thrown away towards the end, there did not seem to be much of a statisfying end to that part of the story. I enjoyed how though it did talk about God and the messages that God is trying to send us, that there is not a heavyly written about, that it is there but not shoved into your face.

Sam complains about not wanting to leave her "home" and move away, I can understand that feeling but she is very adament against it, I wished that Sara Zarr could have exapndded on that idea so that I could have sympathized more with her wish.

I felt that the characters were also very well defined, each had their own personality that was distinct to themselves.

Cafe Cover Chat: I love this cover, so simple and gorgeous. (A-)

All in all, a great story for those who are trying to understand kind of what life is trying to tell us.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

New Soul-Yael Naim

2011-02-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Title: New Soul
Artist: Yael Naim
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: Even though this isn't a new song, I absolutely love it. The whole song is soothing, calming and just over-the-toply addicting. I seriously love Yael Naim's voice.

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Get "Dreaming Anastasia" For FREE

2011-02-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

So, you can now download the Kindle version of Dreaming Anastasia today for FREE, because of the almost release of Haunted. So, click HERE and download ^^
Wdebo :)

Wicked Woods By: Kailin Gow

2011-01-31T06:48:00.000-08:00

Title: Wicked Woods
Author: Kailin Gow
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 250
Release Date: November 29, 2010
Publisher: The Edge
Geared Towards: Teens/Paranormal Romance Lovers
From: Author (Review Copy)
Extra Info: First book in the Wicked Woods series (List on bottom)

"She was in a town full of vampires, about to be trained up into a vampire slayer by her great aunt, and have already convinced the rest of her school that she was a freak. Normal, Briony suspected, was no longer an option" (P. 45).

Summary (From B.O.B): Briony had to move to Wicked Woods, Massachusetts to live with her Great Aunt Sophie after her family disappears on vacation. The woods at the edge of Aunt Sophie's inn is filled with secrets and inhabitants both seductive and deadly. Among them is a beautfiul boy named Fallon who saves her one night in the woods. As Briony gets closer to Fallon, she learns he has a secret, as do most of the residents of Wicked Woods.

Wdebo's Review: I started this book because I read Bitter Frost [Click HERE for my review] and quite enjoyed it. When I first started, the beginning was slow and as the novel continued the writing became stronger and the storyline was interesting and flowed well. I like the idea of the whole vampire hunting group, I would totally want to join, even though I'm pretty sure I would get my ass kicked, or get bitten, or die before I even fight for like five minutes.

I liked the twists that Kailin would put into the story, the writing would continue and continue then there would be something that changes the course of the story. It kept the novel fresh and left no room for it to be dull.

However, there were a few things that bothered me about the novel. There were incorrect usages of certain phrases and the writing also bluntly states really obvious things, which I guess can be seen as a good and bad thing. Bad because, it just makes the reader want to go, "Yeah, obviously" but also a good thing because sometimes even the most obvious matters are hard to get, for me too sometimes, I'll be reading and suddenly think, wait, is this what the author was trying to say? And with this pointing-out, I am able to know that yes, indeed this is what I am suppose to think. Finally, I also don't like how many of the main characters are described as "perfect" on the outside. I guess that was one of main reasons I wasn't too fond of Briony, she sees people for their looks first, that is how she judges them, and is quite superficial, though it does seem like she matures over the course of the novel.

On the other hand, I do like the male characters. The hostility between the two brothers yet how they want to protect each other is a nice touch to the story ^^ I also enjoyed the whole writing about the relationships between the various groups, humans, werewolves and vampires, it was very well defined.

Cafe Cover Chat: I think the cover is ok...interesting, kind of spooky. (B-)

All in all, a great paranormal romance story for vampire and werewolf lovers.

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

*****

Books in the Wicked Woods series:

1) Wicked Woods [This one!]
2) Shimmer [Review soon]
3) Silver
4) Silence
5) Sight

Sorry That I Loved You-Anthony Neely

2011-01-29T06:22:00.000-08:00

Title: Sorry That I Loved You

Artist: Anthony Neely

Language: English

TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: So I just started getting into Anthony Neely songs and this is one of my favs by him. So, he is American and Taiwanese mixed so he's quite good looking and I really do like his voice ^^ This song is so addicting and is stuck in my head, can't wait to go back to Taiwan so I can KTV this lol XD

Hope you enjoy! And Please comment!

Wdebo :)

The False Princess By: Eilis O'Neal

2011-01-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, I haven't posted a review in forever, so sorry!! Anywho, enjoy!!

Title: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O'Neal
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 336
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"'So what should I call you now?' he said when we had our breath back. 'Savior of Thorvaldor? Soon-to-Be Master Wizard? Chief Councillor of Wise Words? My own love?'"

Summary (From B.O.B):

STRIPPED OF HER CROWN AND HER NAME,

SINDA MUST RACE TO PLACE THE

RIGHTFUL PRINCESS ON THE THRONE.

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia knows her role in life. But everything changes when she learns, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess-a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

While struggling with her new peasant life, Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins-long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control. Returning to the city to seek answers, she isntead uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history forever.

Wdebo's Review: Ever since I was young, I have always liked princess stories, such as those by Gail Carson Levine. So I was very excited to start The False Princess. Though in the beginning, I found the writing to be average and ok, but after a bit, the story line started to pick up and soon adopted a Gail Carson Levine like vibe and the writing was magical and exciting.

The story combined magic, royalty and romance wonderfully. Sinda's story was crafted expertly, I liked her character, except at certain moments I was annoyed by her, she was weak and indecisive and just made stupid mistakes; however, at other times she was strong and a great heronie. Though I thought that her magic would be a central focus of the story but through the writing I would forgete that she had magic, well until sparks started flying out of her, but I really wished she could have added more details to her magic usage. Now, on the topic of characters, I love Keirnan, he was super sweet and just got so gahh lovee!! :DD

Finally, there were many twists and turns in the story which kept the plot fresh and exciting. It was a great read.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like this cover, because it is pretty and I like it a lot more then the cover that was on my ARC. (B+)

All in all, a great story for readers that like Princess stories and fantasy plots, filled with adventure and romance.

Grade: B+/A-

Wdebo :)

For Myself-Alien Huang

2011-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

-English Subbed-

Chinese Name: 為自己 (Wei Zi Ji)

English Name: For Myself

Artist: Alien Huang (黃鴻升/Huang Hong Sheng)

Language: Chinese (Mandarin)

TTS: HERE

Wdebo's Notes: I love this song so much!! Xiao Gui's voice is so addicting. And yeah, the song is very him ^^ And his tongue length is also very hypnotic. :) lol. But just a really great song and he is super cute here!!

Listen and Love!!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Bitter Melon By: Cara Chow

2010-12-23T21:40:00.000-08:00

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 :)