Sorry about the absence

I'm really sorry that I've been away a lot recently and haven't even posted the winners of the last two giveaways.  I will have that done by the end of this week, for sure.  What ever virus I have has been hitting me hard and I haven't had a lot of energy to do much, but I'm optimistic that I can get back on track soon, so I hope that you'll stick with me a bit longer.  I have a few books that I really enjoyed that I'll be reviewing very soon, as well as some manga.  And of course there will be a giveaway coming up in a few weeks. 

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Book Giveaway

Ooops this was supposed to be posted last night.  Not sure if I'll get back on the list for the hop or not, but I'll post this at least for my blog followers anyway. :)

ts Time for another Awesome Giveaway Hop.  I'm so glad that you stopped by!!!

For this giveaway I decided to giveaway one of the books that I am looking forward to buying in May, as well as two that I just purchased that are out this month.  This will be ordered from the Book Depository if you are international.  If you are in the US, I reserve the right to order the book from a store of my choice.


So what Book have I decided to giveaway?  How about one of these:

  To enter all you have to do is fill out this FORM!
Since this is a quick hop, I'll make it easy.  Just be a follower and tell me what book you want if you win.  You'll get 5 extra entries if you were a follower before March 1.  Good luck, and don't forget to check out all the other blogs!

 

Favorite Manga #1: Sailor Moon

Synopsis: 
Usagi is a normal, ditzy high school girl, until she finds out she's the reincarnated Princess of the Moon, with the power to transform into the magical girl, Sailor Moon.  With the help of the other senshi (warriors) who are all named after the planets, and are the reincarnation of her soldiers on the moon, she fights to save Earth, and later the galaxy.  All while dealing with school and falling in love!

Review:

Characters:
Usagi (Sailor Moon): In the beginning, Usagi is a ditzy, crybaby.  She's not the brightest girl.  But she's kind and understanding.  While she might not enjoy fighting at first, she loves her new friends, and eventually embraces her role. 







Ami (Sailor Mercury): A classmate of Usagi, she's a shy, extremely smart bookworm.  She's also the most level headed of the group, and wants to take care of people.  She's also the technophile of the group.





 


Rei (Sailor Mars): She's serious, and often gets annoyed by the fact that Usagi is such an air head.    She works as a shinto priestess which gives her special powers to dispel evil spirits even before she became a senshi.







 
Makoto (Sailor Jupiter):  The athletic member of the group, she's very tall and strong.  She lives by herself since her parents died years before, and enjoys domestic duties as well.

Minako (Sailor Venus):  She was the leader of the four guardians and dreams of becoming a pop idol, and actively pursues this dream.








Plot:
***Sailor Moon has been out of print in the US for a few years, but starting in September of this year it's being re-released by a new company, which will hopefully mean better translations, and of course it won't be flipped.***
Sailor Moon was the first anime that I watched, the first manga I read, and even one of the first J-dramas I ever saw.  I'll admit the stories all meld a bit in my head, since its been a couple of years, and I sadly borrowed the manga instead of buying it, so I can't reread it, yet.  But one thing will always hold true.  I love this story and I love these characters.  Yes, the magical girl defending the Earth has been done before and since, but there's something about Sailor Moon that draws you in and makes you remember it.  There's a reason that you go to an anime convention today, 14 years after Sailor Moon ended in Japan, and still find Sailor Moon goods at most booths.  I am a serious fan, probably obsessive at one point, since half my walls were covered with Sailor Moon posters (I still have a few hanging up).  I highly recommend if you like manga, especially manga for girls, that you read this one. 

Art:

I started with the anime and I'll admit that the manga art was a bit jarring at first, since it is a slightly older series.  There are manga out now that are prettier than this one, but I still enjoy the art style here.  It really grows on you.  I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

Favorite Manga Recap 16-2

We are almost to number one, so I thought I'd quickly recap what got us here.

#16: Tramps Like us

            Don't be fooled by the concept of Sumire keeping Takeshi as her pet.  For 

            her he's simply the  replacement for a dog, There is a enough romance and 

            comedy in this story to keep it interesting through all 14 volumes.

 #15: Rave Masters

            Like many shonen manga (boy comics) Rave goes from one arc to the next, 

            each with its own major villain all leading up to one final boss.  Unlike many 

            series though, this one does not  seem to drag, and each arc does further 

             the main plot.

#14: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 

           Since the only goal at the beginning is to find Sakura's feathers, the story is 

           at first broken into mini-arcs that have little connectivity.  For this series, 

           this method works well as darker, heavier arcs are often followed by lighter, 

           funnier ones to keep you on your toes and prevent the story from being too 

           much.

#13: Kare Kano

            It's a great story of a high school life and love, following them through their 

            relationships, not just with each other but their friends as well.  You really 

           get to know and like the whole group and the ending (which takes place ~16 

           years later) gives you an insight into all of them.

#12: Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne 

            This falls into the category of a magical girl series (ie. it's about a girl who 

             transforms to fight evil) and like all good magical girl series, it still manages 

             to be unique and entertaining. Also, as with many of Arina Tanemura's 

             series, there is a full resolution to the story (something frequently lacking in 

            many Japanese stories).

#11: Fruits Basket

           This is a cute story that touches on (but never dwells to long) in the darker 

           aspects of the family's drama.  You become invests in the characters and 

           hope that not only does the curse break, but they they are able to be happy.

#10: Hikaru no Go

          You would think that a manga where one of the main characters is a ghost 

          would be more supernatural, but this is one of the most realistic stories I've 

          ever read.  I knew nothing about Go before I started (and little more now) but  

          ate the story up.

#9: D. Gray-man

          Its another quest story, as they are searching for the greatest innocence, but 

         the story is darker and often more series than a lot of other shonen manga.  

         There is sadness and drama as well as action.

#8: Skip Beat

           There are dark moments in the story as we are dealing with up and coming 

           stars who will sometimes stop at nothing to get what they want, but we also 

           have Kyoko's insecurities and vengeful nature that make from some great 

          comedy and heartwarming moments as well.

#7: Fullmetal Alchemist

           This is such a great story, with a large cast of characters, so often you get 

           to know more of whats going on because you are not just stuck with the 

           main character the whole time, but even though you see what the villains are 

           doing, the deeper meaning is still a mystery.

#6: Angel Sanctuary 

           This is a complex story that, at times might be confusing, its also rather
           slow to start, taking the first three volumes to build up the basis for the
          whole rest of the story.  If you stick with it thought, you'll find a story with
          lots of depth, with a cast of characters you really get to know and care
          about, learning about their past as well as their present.

#5: Hot Gimmick

         Don't be fooled by the initial premise, while Hatsumi may agree to be Ryoki's 

         sex slave, there is no actual sex slaving going on. have a soft spot in my
         heart for characters like Ryoki, who aren't sure how to express positive
         emotions, and struggle to show the girl they love how they feel.

#4: Boys Over Flowers (Hana Yori Dango)

         So much of this series is the dramas of their relationship.  But all that drama 

        just makes you hope more and more that these two can make it work and
        figure out how to be together, because through all their differences they really
        love each other.

#3: Full Moon: O Sagashite 

       The story in the manga is perhaps darker and sadder in a lot of ways than the 

      anime, and there is also more connection and character back stories.If you are 

       interested in Japanese pop idols, this story might be interesting to you.  If you 

      are like a cute romance, this one might also be for you.

#2: Cardcaptor Sakura

       I absolutly adore this story.  Sakura is a very likeable character and Li-kun is 

      my favorite character in all of manga.  Clamp does a wonderful job of weaving a 

      story of adventure and growth and young love around Sakura and her 

      adventures to get the cards.

So, what will number 1 be?  Well I will let you know on Saturday.  but I'll give you two hints until then.  It's a shojo title and it was my very first.  If you know manga, that might just be a giveaway there.

Favorite Cover of the Week

It's been a couple of weeks since I did this, but I'm back at it.  Today my favorite cover of the week is Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner.  I love the detail on this cover.  It makes the Museum look like such an interesting place to visit, so many things to see.  I haven't read the book yet, but the cover alone makes me want to see what is inside.

Favorite Manga #2: Cardcaptor Sakura

Synopsis:
After ten year old Sakura accidentally unleashes a set of magical cards from their book, the Clow, it falls upon her to find them and seal them.  To help her, she has the guardian of the Clow, Cerberus (Kero) who usually takes the form of a stuffed bear, and her best friend, Tomoyo, films everything (while also providing Sakura with a costume for each adventure). Syaoran Li (Li-kun), a descendant of Clow Reed, the man who created the cards, shows up to fight her claim on them.  In the end, who will seal the cards and will simply sealing them be enough?

Review:

Character:

Sakura:  Sakura is a spunky girl.  She's a friendly, cheerful and well liked girl.  When she releases the cards, she doesn't back down at all from her responsibility to collect them.  She's an absolutely adorable, likeable character, and its great to watch her grow and learn as the story progresses.



Kero-chan (Cerberus): While he was put in charge of guarding the book of the Clow and selecting a new master for the cards, he fell asleep on the job, thus allowing Sakura to open it.  So he decides that she shall be the new master.  Kero is a bossy, demanding character who's a bit of an ego maniac.  He spends a lot of his time playing video games and eating sweets.  Still, he knows his stuff when it comes to magic and is a big help to Sakura.


Tomoyo: Tomoyo is Sakura's best friend and cousin.  Her mother owns a very popular toy company, so she has a lot of money that she willingly uses to help Sakura out (though mostly just by making her outfits).  She often talks very formally and acts more mature than her classmates.  She's a very kindhearted girl, who just wants to be Sakura's friend and help her find love.






Li-kun: Li can come across as harsh at first, and thinks that he and not Sakura should become the master of the Clow since he's descendant of Clow Reed.  Eventually he becomes friends with Sakura and cares deeply for him.  He can be awkward and uncertain of how to deal with and show his feelings. 






Plot:
I originally watched the fansubs of all 70 episodes of this anime and loved it.  I then borrowed the manga from some friends and I found that it was equally as enjoyable as the anime.  There were differences (more cards in the anime and an extra character) but both were good.  I absolutly adore this story.  Sakura is a very likeable character and Li-kun is my favorite character in all of manga.  Clamp does a wonderful job of weaving a story of adventure and growth and young love around Sakura and her adventures to get the cards.  If you enjoy a magical girl story or think you might, then Cardcaptor Sakura is a must read. 

Art:

Cardcaptor Sakura is an older Clamp manga (when compared to ones like Tsubasa) and its a different style, but its equally beautiful.  An easy 5 out of 5.

Sorry about more delays

It must seem like I'm making excuses, but seriously, this has not been my month.  Just about got through things with everyone else, and then I go and develop an upper respiratory infection that's had me out of commission for a few days.  Hopefully I'm on the way to recovery now, or at least can stop panicking about whats wrong since I had a doctor look at me.  At any rate I'm going to try and post 4 reviews this week, a recap of my manga top 15, and the winner of my last giveaway.  I may have to double up a couple of days, but it'll all happen.  Starting tomorrow.