"Waiting On" Wednesday: Sakura Hime Volume 1

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura

By Arina Tanemura

Publish Date: April 5, 2011 by VIZ Media LLC

From Publishers Weekly and Amazon.com~
Sakura is the granddaughter of a mysterious moon princess who slew demons with her Blood Cherry Blossom sword.  All her life, Sakura has been forbidden to look at the full moon without knowing why.  Then one night, unhappy over her impending marriage, Sakura gazes up at the moon, only to see a demon attacking her...

It's been awhile since I've had a manga series to anticipate the release, and I'm happy to be returning more to the Japanese graphic novels.  I adore most of Arina Tanemura's works, and this new title looks like a promising series.  Her art is one of the biggest draws for me along with the fantasy and legend elements, and I really hope this one delivers a great story. If you're unfamiliar with Tanemura's previous series, here are some of her titles. 

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Dynamic Duos

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, a state that you don't have to worry about being deprived of more books as long as you're near a library. ;) This week's Top Ten is:

 Top Ten Dynamic Duos 

(those bff's, partners in crimes, or powerful couples that you just can't forget about)

1. Holmes and Watson from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - You just cannot beat this remarkable duo when it comes to solving the mysteries of London and telling the tale a la Watson. 

2. Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker from the Mrs. Murphy Mysteries by Rita Mae Brown - I know I've only read the first in the Mrs. Murphy mysteries, but even in the first novel, readers can see just how great this cat and dog duo work together to help their owner, Harry.

3. Beezus and Ramona from the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary - It's amazing at how sisters can bring out the worst and the best in each other. I think these two really do that, and you have to enjoy the story they show readers.


4. Yelena and Valek from the Study Trilogy by Maria V. Snyder - Although their relationship got off to a rough start, Yelena and Valek proved to be a formidable team when it came to helping the realms of Ixia and Sitia.


5. Alec and the Black from The Black Stallion by Walter Farley - From the moment these two met, they were inseparable. I know they say that dog is man's best friend, but in this instance, a horse proves to be boy's best friend. 


6. Ehwa and her mother from The Color of Earth by Dong Hwa Kim - Watching Ehwa and her mother in their day-to-day lives just proves that you don't need a complex plot in order to create a memorable story.


7. Timothy and Phillip of The Cay by Theodore Taylor - These two were from entirely different sides of the tracks, yet both Timothy and Phillip had to work together in order to survive after being shipwrecked. An amazing adventure story for young and older readers.


8. Hades and Persephone - When it comes to Greek mythology, it's hard to top this memorable couple even if Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and forced into the Underworld. 


9. Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - I know this is a trio, but you can't choose just two of them since all three of them are the complete focus. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all bring something to their adventures that would not be the same without even one of them. 


10. Angela, Maddie, and Zoe from the Internet Girls trilogy by Lauren Myracle - Another trio, and as with Rowling's three intrepid heroes, it is when you have all three girls together that they are able to do great things as high school students.

Monday Message: Operation Beautiful

Operation Beautiful

The goal of the Operation Beautiful website is to end
negative self-talk or “Fat Talk.” 

The mission of Operation Beautiful is to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL. You are enough... just the way you are!

Operation Beautiful is simple: all you need is a pen and a piece of paper. If you want to join the mission, send the founder, Caitlin, an e-mail at OperationBeautiful@gmail.com with a photograph of your Operation Beautiful note or a description of your experience, and she will post it on the Operation Beautiful site for thousands of others to read and enjoy!


I saw this on Books Beside my Bed and found a message that really needs to get out there.  Spread the word my friends and feel free to use this post on your own blog.  


Remember, you are beautiful! ^_^

In My Mailbox (1)

After seeing this meme on several blogs I follow, I had to join in this week since I finally have something to talk about! ^_^ In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we post about all the books we have received whether in the mail, if we purchased it,or got it from our local library. 


From Amazon.com:

From the Library:

From Half-Price Books:

Joining the eReader Revolution

Yes, that's right, I decided to join up with the masses of ereader owners in the world. I had been debating on whether I should get one because I am very fond of books, the feel of the pages under my fingers, the smell of a freshly-opened new book, and just the quiet comfort readers get when they have that favorite book in hand. However, with so many authors debuting new titles in ebook format, I thought it best to have access to these new titles along with physical books.

As I see it, the ereader is just a supplement of my personal library, not a replacement. Whatever I cannot store on my shelves either due to lack of room or lack of physical format shall be stored in the digital library. The next question was which ereader should I purchase. That was a bit difficult simply because there were two formats that I was quite fond of: the Kobo of Borders and the Nook of Barnes & Noble.

I had some up-close and personal experience with the Nook thanks to two coworkers who each owned one. Mind you, this is the basic Wireless Nook, but it seemed to suit their purposes, and I thought it would be nice to have the Share feature of loaning out an ebook from my library to a friend for 2 weeks. The software is a lot like our library's ebook software, Overdrive, where it automatically deletes the files after 2 weeks. The biggest downside was the cost, which wasn't too bad when it comes down to it. However, when it comes to bookstores, Barnes & Noble isn't my first choice.

The Kobo seemed like a good choice for me mostly because I am a fairly consistent patron of the stores, despite recent developments for the corporation. Although it lacked the colored menu bar at the bottom of the screen that the Nook had, the Kobo was fairly easy to navigate, and I loved the feel of the 'quilted' backing. It's supposed to give the ereader the feel of holding an actual book, and I have to admit that does keep the Kobo from slipping out of possibly slick or damp hands. I think my decision really came down to shop loyalty (and a little bit of cost) which is why I decided to get a Kobo. Plus, you really can't beat a reader that is an anagram for 'Book'. ^_^

Do you have an ereader and if so, what made you decide on the one you chose?

Book Blogger Hop Day: March 4-6

It's Book Blogger Hop Day courtesy of the meme available at Crazy-for-Books.com.  If you're crazy for books and like hearing about upcoming and new titles, let others know by hopping by their blogs for a visit.  This week's question is:

"Who's your all-time favorite book villain?"

Oh goodness, I had to think about that one for a moment before I realized the name that was on the tip of my tongue...General Woundwort from Richard Adams' Watership Down. Now, Woundwort doesn't appear until the latter half of the book, but when you first meet him, readers just know he's a villain.

Woundwort is the Adolf Hitler of rabbits, and he runs Efrafa, his warren, with an iron fist, dividing the entire warren into groups and telling each of them when they can go above ground, eat, relieve themselves, etc. What really makes him stand out in my mind as a favorite villain is when Hazel, the Chief Rabbit of the Watership Down warren, goes to meet with Woundwort after a secret raid upon Efrafa. Hazel speaks to Woundwort about their two warrens cooperating for the good of the whole, and Woundwort can actually see this plan working. However, he refuses to give up control and basically tells Hazel he has no time for stuff and nonsense like this. Given the chance to become something better, Woundwort doesn't take that opportunity, making him a diabolical villain to the core.

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Wolfsangel by M.D. Lachlan

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

Wolfsangel

By: M.D. Lachlan

Publish Date: March 22, 2011 by Pyr

From Publishers Weekly~

Sorcery and savagery fuel this rousing historical fantasy, the first volume in a planned multivolume epic. Acting on the witch Gullvieg's prophecy, Viking raiders kidnap two infant brothers from a village. Wily and clever Vali is groomed to be Viking king Arthur's heir, while Feileg is raised ferally as as Gullveig's werewolf protector as she schemes against the god Odin. The boys enjoy adventures peculiar to their different upbringings until their mutual affection for farmer's daughter Adisla draws them together as comrades in arms as well as rivals in love. Lachlan (a pseudonym for Mark Barrowcliffe) keeps supernatural inflections to a minimum, opting instead for a colorful and credible evocation of the Norse world as one where the paths of gods and men frequently cross. Vivid in its rendering of the primitive historical past, this entertaining adventure will have readers eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

Ironically, I was just talking with my beau last week about the rather sparse amount of books involving Norse mythology. It seems as though most authors want to explore more exotic or traditional mythologies such as Egyptian or even Greek myths. Not that I am not fascinated by either of these cultures myths as well, but Norse mythology is one I haven't seen enough of, and it's refreshing to find a title like Wolfsangel. I'm also curious about the rivalry between Vali and Feileg and to see who shall win Adisla's love. I'll also admit I was drawn to the mentions of a werewolf, but apparently as the author has kept that to a minimum, it will be interesting to see his take with Norse mythology. 

Has anyone read or heard about novels centered around Norse mythology?