The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

From Goodreads:    In a small village in Hyrule, there lives a boy called Link who has the mark of the Triforce on his left hand. It is a mark of destiny that leads Link on a fantastic adventure! Transported to the land of Holodrum, Link meets Din, the Oracle of Seasons. When a plot to steal the seasons from Holodrum unfolds, Link must battle the evil General Onox to save Holodrum and his friends from a terrible fate!











My Thoughts:

-    I have never heard of this game. I didn't know it existed, and after reading the manga, I have no desire to play it.

-    The story felt like it came from a bad cartoon adaptation instead of a video game, especially with the weird cast of characters. The artwork looked like a bad american anime.

-    I liked the snarky witch and Ricky the Kangaroo, but it was really different for Link to have these characters as companions, and it was kinda weird.

-    Piyoko was so cute! He was a like a tiny little chocobo.

-    Where was Ganondorf? Isn't he always the bad guy?

-    I liked Zelda a lot. This is probably the cutest Zelda design.

Previous Books in the Series:

  

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Part 2

From Goodreads:    After completing his training, Link begins his journey to find the remaining Sages. Meanwhile, Ganondorf continues looking for Princess Zelda and plotting to capture Link with the aid of the witches known as Twinrova. At the urging of the mysterious Sheik, Link enters the Haunted Wasteland to find Zelda. The journey will be dangerous, but Link is determined to overcome Twinrova's traps and survive to face Ganondorf in an epic final battle!










My Thoughts:

-    I didn't enjoy this volume as much as the first one, but I still liked it.

-    I know the manga needs to be different from the video game, but Zelda is all about the dungeons, and I would have liked to see Link battle his way through a couple.

-    The Zora Domain went by quickly and with no explanation. It was just thrown in. 

-    I'm not sure I completely understand how Zelda became Sheik. I thought it was a disguise. I didn't know Impa had that kind of power.

-    The fight with Ganondorf was great!

-    The ending is a little anti-climactic. Link totally gets the shaft.

-    I didn't care for the bonus stories at the end. I don't think they were needed.

Previous Book in the Series:

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Part 1

From Goodreads:    In the mystical land of Hyrule, three spiritual stones hold the key to the Triforce, and whoever holds them will control the world! A boy named Link sets out on a quest to deliver the Emerald, the spiritual stone of the Forest, to Zelda, Princess of the land of Hyrule. The journey will be long and perilous, and Link will need all his skill and courage to defeat evil. The battle for Hyrule and the Sacred Realm has begun!











My Thoughts:

-    I've never played Ocarina of Time, but I really want to play it now. I'm going to pick it up soon.

-    I loved this manga! The illustrations were SO good. The action and panel layout were so much fun.

-    I loved what they did with Link. They gave him a voice and a personality, and I really enjoyed his character growth.

-    I loved all the side characters. Little Zelda was so cute, and I really liked Impa.

-    Navi's annoyance is legendary, but she wasn't so bad.

-    I'm excited to read more! 

The Princess Diaries

Goodreads Says:    She's just a New York City girl living with her artist mom...

News Flash: Dad is prince of Genovia. (So that's why a limo meets her at the airport!)

Downer: Dad can't have any more kids. (So no heir to the throne.)

Shock of the Century: Like it or not, Mia Thermopolis is prime princess material.

Mia must take princess lessons from her dreaded grandmére, the dowager princess of Genovia, who thinks Mia has a thing or two to learn before she steps up to the throne.

Well, her father can lecture her until he's royal-blue in the face about her princessly duty--no way is she moving to Genovia and leaving Manhattan behind. But what's a girl to do when her name is Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo?

My Thoughts:

-    I read this series before I started blogging, and apparently I wrote a review on Goodreads after finishing this book. Here is what I wrote:

I have to admit that the Princess Diaries series is my guilty pleasure. I usually despise stuff like this, but something about the books makes me want to keep reading.

The characters MAKE this book. Mia is a comical teenager with a lot of teenager worries and problems, plus the added stress of being a princess. I think Mia is a very lovable character, and I think a lot of girls can relate her in some way. I liked seeing her develop some backbone in the book, and how she became more assertive. I also like all the sub-characters. Lily can sometimes get on my nerves, but she is a good friend. 

Even though this is written in a diary form, I don't think it takes away from the story at all. I actually really enjoy Meg Cabot's style. It's fun and easy to read. 

There are a few things that I don't think are appropriate for the target age group, but overall it's a fun book. 

-    I've wanted to re-read the series cause I remember liking them a lot, but now I wonder why I liked it so much. It isn't that great.

-    Mia is a spaz! She freaks out over everything, and it's like it is the end of the world. I just want to yell "CHILL OUT!" at her.

-    Lilly is also a spaz, but in a different way. I don't really like her. 

-    Tina is probably my favorite out of Mia's friends. She seems a lot nicer.

-    I still think there is inappropriate material for the target audience. I don't see teens really reading this. I think twelve year old girls are more the target cause Mia is only 14. I wish Mia was at least 16 and a little more mature.

-    There are a lot of deity swears, but nothing else major as far as language.

-    This is first time I've felt this way about a YA book, but I think this is just too young for me. I found it pretty immature and silly.

-    Despite all the complaints, there were still some fun moments in the book and I'm going to continue the series. 

Chocolat

My Thoughts:

-    Suey wouldn't stop talking about this movie for several weeks. Jenni and I decided we had better watch it, so we got together and had a movie night! 

-    It was good. It wasn't amazing, but it was good. 

-    The story is basically like Footloose but with Chocolate.

-    There needed to be more Johnny Depp. His face is all over the cover and everything, and he wasn't in it very much. It took forever for him to be introduced!

-    The cast was perfect. Everyone was wonderful in their roles, especially Judi Dench. She is always amazing.

-    The story was very interesting. I liked the dynamic of the towns people and Vianne. 

-    There was a lot to take away from this movie. There were a  lot of messages, and I think this movie will speak to a lot of different people. 

-    Things to be aware of: there is a sex scene with a side boob, a lot of skin, and some humping. I don't recall any swearing or physical violence.

The Rumpelstiltskin Problem

Goodreads Synopsis:    Have you ever wondered just what was going on when that odd little man with the long name stepped up and volunteered to spin straw into gold for the miller’s daughter? If you stop and think about it, there are some very peculiar and rather hard-to-explain components to the story.
Vivian Vande Velde has wondered too, and she’s come up with these six alternative versions of the old legend. A bevy of miller’s daughters confront their perilous situation in very different ways — sometimes comic, sometimes scary. Most of the time, it’s the daughter who gets off safely, but sometimes, amazingly, Rumpelstiltskin himself wins the day. And in one tale, it is the king who cleverly escapes a quite unexpected fate.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a fun little book with a variety of Rumpelstiltskin tales.

-    The summary of the original Rumpelstiltskin story and how absurd it is was hilarious!

-    I like how some of the stories took place in different countries.

-    Each story was very unique and different, but it still followed the Rumpelstiltskin story. 

-    I liked the ones where Rumpelstiltskin was the good guy.

Fruits Basket: Volume 6

Goodreads Bit:    Delving into the recesses of Kyo's past, we find the Sohma trio returning home on a rainy day. There, a mysterious man who has known Kyo for a long time meets them. Trust, loyalty and the bonds of family and friendship are tested, as Tohru must help Kyo deal with the "monsters" that he's been trying to avoid.












My Thoughts:

-    I'm glad we got to learn more about Kyo in this one. He seems like such a complicated person.

-    Is the cat the only one with another form? Why is that? How does that work? Do the beads prevent him from changing? I'm so confused!

-    After reading this issue, I feel like I just have more questions about everyone!

-    This whole love triangle is really irking me! I think Tohru has so much to offer both Yuki and Kyo.

-    The boys in this manga are pretty dramatic. They are even more dramatic than the girls. It is bit sad. 

-    I can't believe the character on the cover is a boy! Yeesh!

Previous Fruits Basket Volumes

(click on them to see my thoughts)

  

 

Fruits Basket: Volume 5

From Goodreads:    The Sohma household takes to the lake for a vacation at their summerhouse. However, the peaceful silence is deafening, as Yuki and Kyo are once again not on speaking terms. Will Tohru's klutzy kindness get the dueling duo back to their old cat-and-mouse antics once again?












My Thoughts:

-    Poor little Kisa! I hope she opens up more! She is so cute!

-    I wonder what happened in Yuki's past. It is driving me nuts! It sounds so mysterious and dark.

-    The girls in Yuki's fan club are CRAZY! Normal people don't act that way. 

-    Tohru gets sick a lot! She needs to take it easy.

-    I love the part where the fan girls go to Hanajima's house. That was funny!

Previous Books in the Series

(Click on the covers to see my thoughts)

  

Fruits Basket: Volume 4

From Goodreads:    When the infamous Akito makes an in-class appearance at the start of the school year, the Sohma family worries that his arrival will be an uncensored exercise of show-and-tell about Yuki's past. Meanwhile, when Ayame vows to rekindle his brothers' lost friendship, he begins to realize that you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family -- especially when they're acting like animals!










My Thoughts:

-    Ayame is more of a girl than Yuki! It must run in the family.

-    Momiji has a sad life. How could his mother feel like that? How could any mother shun her child?

-    Okay! The author's notes are starting to get annoying. I don't know what she is saying half the time.

-    Akito gives me the creeps.

-    Not a ton happened in the this volume. I'm hoping the story picks up soon.


Series Info:

Click on the cover below to see my thoughts on the previous 3 Volumes.

  

Goose Chase

Goodreads Synopsis:  Her name is Alexandria Aurora Fortunato, and she is as lovely as the dawn. But that is only one of her problems. Theres beguiling heroine. Her flight will take her to strange lands and lead her into perilous situations, all of which the plucky Alexandria views with a wry and witty spirit. Here is a sprightly tale of magic and romance, in which those geese play a most surprising role. 

My Thoughts:  

-    The characters' dialogue is in Old English, but the rest of the book isn't.  The author did a really good job mixing the two while writing.  

-    The proverbs and verses at the beginning of each chapter are fun.

-    The Ogress bit was a funny part of book.  I really enjoyed it.

-    I can't decided if I like the Prince or not.  He is really sweet and kind, but he is also a fool.

-    The book is a re-telling of The Goose Girl with a bit of Rapunzel in there.  I really enjoyed the twists and plot of the book.  Even though it is a fairy tale re-telling, it is unique enough that it could be it's own story.

-    I really liked the Goose Girl.  She was a really spunky character.

-    Great characters and a fun story = great book!