Telling Christina Goodbye

Telling Christina Goodbye by Lurlene McDaniel


My rating: 4 of 5 stockings


Double date... car crash... only two walk away nearly unharmed. That's basically the best way I can describe what's going without really going too much into detail.



This novel is sadistically cruel, subtlety easing me into a lull. Then BAM the dam holding my tears back breaks. But just as that happens Lurlene McDaniel leans over and whispers into my ear, 'You think I'll give you that satisfaction?' smiling like a crazed woman. Holding my tears back in fear of the repercussions, my eyes blue balled... you read right my eyes blue balled.



Maybe I'm a masochist? I loved this book. I loved the way it made me feel. I hated being toyed with. I will always come for more, and everything will be forgiven after all Lurlene McDaniel never meant to hurt me right?




Then I'll finish her next novel only to realize she hates us all.




The cycle must begin anew.

Flee, Fly, Flown

Flee, Fly, Flown by Janet Hepburn

My rating: 4 of 5 stockings



Lillian and Audrey escape their quiet nursing home in Ottawa, to search for an adventurous vacation. Between grand theft auto, picking up a young man, and adopting a dog, this is the vacation that they were hoping for ... if only they could remember it.

Flee, Fly, Flown is an excellent written novel. Janet Hepburn, instills in the reader an understanding of what Alzheimer's is by giving us a first person perspective through Lillian. Lillian and Audrey face hardships that come hand in hand with aging, whether it's Alzheimer's disease, brittle bones, loss of sight, loss of hearing, organ failure.

A quote that really got to me was "Why do we do that? Why do we let the people we love just fade into the background like that?" (page 190).

There's two reasons why this novel falls short of 5 starts, but only one actually counts, the ending. The other reason will stay with me, in my little hometown of Cochrane.

Review: Maid Sama!, Vol. 4

Maid Sama!, Vol. 4 by Hiro Fujiwara

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Last installment we left with Kanon trying to hypnotizing Usui. At the beginning of the fourth volume Kanon fails at hypnotizing Usui into hating Misaki. With his plans of getting rid of the female body in Seika High, he tries plan-b and hypnotized Misaki. When she wakes up at 7 o'clock in the morning she will hate Usui, but with Usui's help she's able to stay awake and avoid being hypnotized.

With a girl hating hypnotist on a rampage in the school, Misaki trying to increase enrollment into Seika High and the maids at the cafe try to help the manager's sister succeed in her beach side shop. With so much happening how can Misaki ever rest.

I enjoyed the fact that Aoi made another appearance in this volume. Misaki and Usui's romance is finally starting to grow, to a more then obvious state to all who see them together. The story's slowly progressing, as real life would make it seem. If you compare it to novels the romance and story is sluggishly advancing. But you can see that characters both major and minor are slowly evolving and breaking through their obstacles. Which is a nice aspect to this series.

I'm giving volume 4, 4 out of 5 stars isn't that neat. The reason for this is because Aoi makes an appearance, just kidding. The actual reason is because the Misui relationship is progressing at an enjoyable rate (you see what I did Misaki + Usui = Misui. Also Usui's love towards Misaki is all too obvious ... who is he? We haven't yet been able to find out ... it's starting to bug me. Maybe it will be revealed in the next installment of Maid Sama!



View all my reviews

Review: Maid Sama!, Vol. 1

Maid Sama!, Vol. 1 by Hiro Fujiwara

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The first installment of Maid Sama! Bad tempered, boy hating Misaki Ayuzawa, is president to a school of an 80% boy population school. Her more then prejudice attitude towards any male, has caused her more then enough problems when it comes to the student council and overall student body respect. Although she has her own reasons, when she was younger her father fell in dept and left the family with the dept to payoff while he ran away from responsibility.To re-pay the dept and support her fragile mother and little sister she works as a maid at a cafe. One day Usui-san discovered her secret! What will happen to Misaki, will Usui-san spill the beans?

I enjoyed this manga very much, I usually don't write reviews from manga because they either lack to much information to write about, they didn't peek my interest, too predictable, characters aren't interesting, or it's just plain boring\bad. This manga is none of those, it has just enough happening in every chapter to keep my interest while sticking to the main plot.

I like the fact that you actually get to follow Misaki Ayuzawa story and see why she acts the way she does, her background story, a growing romance, and also a change in character. Most manga miss the fact that the first volume of a series is to introduce your main characters and not keep everyone in the dark. I think that most authors think that the readers should already know what's happening without even telling them anything, which really just leaves plot holes everywhere.

Maid Sama! volume 1 gets a total of 4 stars for an introduction volume to a series. It gives enough information to the story while still withholding just enough to make readers want more. I definitely recommend it to my readers who want a romance, comedy, shoujo, school life manga.



View all my reviews

Review: Death's Shadow

Death's Shadow by Darren Shan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The heroin Bec stars yet again in another one of Darren Shan's Demonata novel. The second time we peer through her eyes, she has taken over Bill-E's body and made it her own. With the tunnel yet again sealed, Grubbs, Kernel and her beloved Bran (Beranabus) set off into the Demonata realm in search of the mysterious demon they call "Shadow", leaving Bec with Devrish. Bec is forced to recite Bill-E's life day and night to please Devrish, while feeling lonelier then the 1000 years spent in the tunnel. She discovers that she possess the ability to read thoughts when she touches someone or something.

Many events happen to poor little Bec, just as she starts her new "normal?" life.

I personally did not like Bec that much, it was okay that's it and that Darren should stick to male leads in the future. Although Death's Shadow was in my eyes a great success, I was able to connect with Bec. This installment to the series maintains a good balance between action, plot line, character stories. I loved the way he interpreted Beranabus' story at the beginning of ever part (i.e. part 1,2,3) of the novel. If a series on Beranabus was created with him being the main character, you bet your sweet butt, I'd read it.

Because Death's Shadow was the 7th novel of a 10 novel series you can clearly see that the last few books including this one will/are tying up loose ends, concluding certain mini stories, and characters both minor and major. The conclusion to this novel is one that reveals so much but still leaves so many questions unanswered. I've already got my grubby little hands on the next installment Wolf Island, and I hope to have a howl of a time.




View all my reviews

Review: Orange Crows

Orange Crows by James Perry Ii

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I originally bought this manga for a friend, but got entranced by the front cover. Orange Crows volume one is a story about Cierra a young witch exiled, for Illegally accessing a research area for higher class witches, conducted her own magical experiment without a licence, and destroyed an important research room.

I must admit the story's slow and the characters are a little bland; with the exception of Cierra and Natty. The reason I rated it so highly was because it captured my attention, I got entranced in their world. The concept of Witches, Wizards, and Fairies. Also the fact that Fairies aren't these girly little winged people but more of magic absorbing monsters, makes it quiet intriguing. I also love the artwork, I know it's not amazing, nor is it detailed to every strand of hair. But that's what I love about it, It's draw detailed enough to the fact that it looks good without being overbearing.

This is definitely a manga I would follow up on in the near future.



View all my reviews

Review: Blood Hound

Blood Hound by Kaori Yuki

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Rion the destructive Domperignon crucher, is a highschool girl searching for her missing best friend. Her only clues are the fact that her best friend's seeing a "vampire" and there are numerous girls disappearing and reappearing later on with their blood sucked dry. There's also a business card from a Gothic Host Club.

I'm going to keep it to that, I find it funny that I can't give this manga a proper introduction for this review without me spoiling anything. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, although I wish there were more volumes and expanded on the main characters. This manga has a little bit of everything, romance, comedy, mystery, school life (not much thought, but school uniforms yes!), etc.

My honest opinion is read the manga! I don't want to say more, because odds are I'm going to ruin it for you or spoil it. Great read.



View all my reviews

Review: Honey Bear Book of Rhymes

Honey Bear Book of Rhymes by Dorothy Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I've got to say there's nothing very special about this book. Although the fact that I've had this book my whole childhood and I've read each nursery rhyme a hundred times over to the point that it's embedded into my mind, has caused me to give it 4 out of 5 stars. If I can read a book for 19 years and going and not burn it ... it's met it's quota to entertain a hundred fold.



View all my reviews