The True Colors of Caitlynne Jackson

From the Dust Jacket:    Twelve-year-old Caity Jackson and her eleven-year-old sister, Cara, have always been close.  They have to be.  By sticking together and staying out of their mother's way, they manage to make it to the school on time most days, get meals prepared, and protect each other from their mother's terrifying verbal and physical attacks.  A few sympathetic friends, like Brandon from next door, also make a big difference in their lives.  But when their mother does something truly unexpected, they have a new crisis to face, one the seems insurmountable to Caity.  Yet, as Caity begins to realize, there are ways they can take control of their future, if only they can find the inner strength to defy their mother.

This sensitively written novel takes a hard look at a family torn apart by a mental illness and celebrates the resourcefulness of two courageous young women.


My Thoughts:

-    This was another lovely book by Carol Lynch Williams.  It was heart breaking, but full of tender moments.

-    This story made me feel like I need to ration my food.  

-    It also made me want to hug my daughter and tell her I love her!

-    There were moments in this book that made me think of my little sister.  There were times where we had to comfort and protect each other.  

-    That Nana is a SAINT!  

-    I feel humbled, and I feel very blessed.  I have a good family, and I have the opportunity to create a good environment for my children.  

-    I felt scared for Caity and Cara every time they went skinny dipping.  I thought something bad was going to happen.

-    I can't even begin to understand how a mother could abuse her children.  When my daughter was born, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of love and will to protect her.

-    Carol Lynch Williams knows how to bring out strong emotions in her books, and this one is filled with them!

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow, Volume 6

From Goodreads:    Sakura was an average 4th-grader until the day she found the Clow, an enchanted book of magical Clow Cards. But the cards were missing Kerberos, the Creature of the Seal, emerged from the cover to warn that if the cards were not returned, they would come to life and do evil. Kerberos made Sakura a Cardcaptor, and their magical hunt for the cards began. The Cardcaptor manage spawned the hit anime and TV series shown on the Kids' WB network and Cartoon Network.









My Thoughts:

-    Sakura hasn't said HOE for a while!  I even forgot she used to say that.  

-    This last book is just a giant chick flick ending.  I'm glad it was short.

-    A little part of me was like "I like how Sakura and Li ended up together.  That is cute!"  The rest of me was like "oh please!"

-    Overall, this was a cute series.  It is definitely a girl manga.


Series Info:

This is the 6th and final volume of Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow.  Click on the covers to see my thoughts on the previous volumes.

  

 

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow, Volume 5

Goodreads Bit:    Sakura was an average 4th-grader until the day she found the Clow, an enchanted book of magical Clow Cards. But the cards were missing Kerberos, the Creature of the Seal, emerged from the cover to warn that if the cards were not returned, they would come to life and do evil. Kerberos made Sakura a Cardcaptor, and their magical hunt for the cards began. The Cardcaptor manage spawned the hit anime and TV series shown on the Kids' WB network and Cartoon Network








My Thoughts:

-    We finally get to see the whole Clow Reed thing come together.  I finally got some answers to questions.

-    I knew Clow Reed wasn't a bad guy!

-    I love Kero and Yue!

-    I wish the action scenes had been done a little better.  I really couldn't tell what was going on in the fights between the guardians.  It would be a great show down!

-    Things were wrapped up so nicely in this volume, I wonder what is left for Volume 6. 

-    Does Sakura and Syaoran have the same face?


Series Info:

This was Volume 5 in the series.  To see my thoughts on the previous books, click on the covers below.

  

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow, Volume 4

From Goodreads:    Capturing Clow Cards was only the beginning...Once upon a magic night, an English sorcerer mixed Western wizardry with Eastern enchantments to create a magical deck of cards called the Clow Cards. These cards were hidden inside a dusty old book for decades, their powers virtually wasted. Then one fateful day, a young girl named Sakura Kinomoto discovered the book in her father's library. When she opened it, however, the Clow Cards were gone - and so was life as she knew it. The book's magical guardian, Cerberus, declared Sakura the Cardcaptor, and after many exciting adventures, she finally retrieved all of the cards. Now Sakura has earned the title Master of the Clow. After defeating Clow Reed's latest batch of magical tests, Sakura must tackle her greatest challenge yet. No, not another enchantment, but the feelings in her heart. Young Sakura has long fostered deep feelings for the older boy, Yukito, and even though it's unlikely that he feels the same way about her, she cannot continue to keep her feelings secret. But even as Sakura prepares to pour out her heart, Eriol, the mysterious transfer student with an unknown link to Clow Reed, plots another dangerous trap for the new Master of the Clow. Attention all Cardcaptors! This book contains a bonus Sakura Card. Collect all 6!

My Thoughts:

-    This volume spent most of the time on relationships.

-    I am so confused with all the love triangles!

-    Is Yukito gay then?  I feel like everyone in this series is Bi.


Series Info:

This is Volume 4 of the Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow series.  Click on the covers below to see my thoughts on the previous 3 volumes.

  

The Producers

My Thoughts:

-    The talking is quiet, but the music is loud.  We had to constantly adjust the volume.

-    Gene Wilder looks young and sounds like a little boy. 

-    It was slow to start, but it is hilarious later on.

-    I don't understand why L.S.D. was wearing hooker boots and had a Campbell's soup can around his neck.  I was so confused!

-    I have had the Springtime for Hitler song in my head forever!!

-    It definitely had that Mel Brooks feel. 

-    I was shocked that Mel Brooks didn't play a character in this one!  He is always in his own movies!

-    I love how Gene Wilder can turn on and off the hysteria at will.

-    The German guy cracked me up!!  I love how he randomly sang patriotic songs.

-    It wasn't my favorite Mel Brooks movie, but I laughed a lot and enjoyed it. 

Tyson's Thoughts:

-    Man this movie was boring!

-    Not one attractive lady in this whole movie, I'm disappointed.  

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow, Volume 3

Goodreads Bit:    Capturing Clow Cards was only the beginning...Once upon a magic night, an English sorcerer mixed Western wizardry with Eastern enchantments to create a magical deck of cards called the Clow Cards. These cards were hidden inside a dusty old book for decades, their powers virtually wasted. Then one fateful day, a young girl named Sakura Kinomoto discovered the book in her father's library. When she opened it, however, the Clow Cards were gone - and so was life as she knew it. The book's magical guardian, Cerberus, declared Sakura the Cardcaptor, and after many exciting adventures, she finally retrieved all of the cards. Now Sakura has earned the title Master of the Clow. The mysterious presence of Clow Reed continues to test Sakura with new dangers that require all of her energy to defeat. And this means that she no longer has the energy to support Yue, the Guardian of the Moon, and now he could disappear forever! Most of the time, Yue stays in his human form as Yukito, the boy Sakura has a crush on, but now that Yue is weakening, Yukito is deathly ill. If Sakura can't find a way to help him, boy and guardian will disappear forever! Attention all Cardcaptors! This book contains a bonus Sakura Card. Collect all 6!

My Thoughts:

-    Sakura has big feet!

-    I'm glad we don't celebrate White Day, unless it was a dayoff, then I'd want to celebrate it.  We don't get Valentine's off, so I doubt we would get White Day off.

-    The sheep costume was weird.  I was confused for a minute.

-    Tomoyo is more of a stalker than a friend.  It is weird.

-    The end was a little confusing.  I'm not sure what happened.

-    I want a break down of Toya's power.  What exactly can he do?


Series Info:

This is Volume 3 in the Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow series.  Click on the covers to see my thoughts on the previous volumes.

 

Introducing Neau

My good friend, Andrea, is a very talented artist!  She will launching her new webcomic in January, she sells fun stuff on her Etsy shop and online store, and I wanted to give a little shout out for her! I'm super excited to read her webcomic!!

Guest Post with Andrea Hatch

I'm super excited to have this opportunity to have my very own guest post on Kami's blog. Kami's a good friend of mine and I've really enjoyed reading amazing books with her. (And her reading recommendations have never let me down.)

My name is Andrea Hatch and I'm a cartoonist/illustrator. 

My big project that I'd like to tell you about today is my high fantasy webcomic called Neau. (That's pronounced like "NO".) Neau is about a demon girl named Tesla who has decided to be true to herself and must stand against her own kind to do what is right. The story is magical, exciting, sad, and funny. I'm really proud of how far it has come and the official pages launch on January 1, 2013. 

Even if you're not a big comic/manga reader, I encourage you to read my webcomic and the other great stories out there! Graphic novels and webcomics are becoming a much more popular form of storytelling and artists like me would love to show more people just how awesome they can be! 

Neau is a fantastic adventure tale with fun art!

Read Neau Here: www.neaucomic.com

My website: www.andreahatch.com

Store URL: http://neaucomic.storenvy.com/

Giveaway Time!

One lucky winner will receive a necklace made by Andrea!

Isn't it awesome!?!?  She makes these herself!  I want one!
Enter the Rafflcopter forum below.
Giveaway ends Friday, January 4 @ midnight!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't win, you can always head over to Andrea's shop and purchase one.
Good luck friends!

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow, Volume 2

From Goodreads:    Sakura was an average 4th-grader until the day she found the Clow, an enchanted book of magical Clow Cards. But the cards were missing Kerberos, the Creature of the Seal, emerged from the cover to warn that if the cards were not returned, they would come to life and do evil. Kerberos made Sakura a Cardcaptor, and their magical hunt for the cards began. The Cardcaptor manage spawned the hit anime and TV series shown on the Kids' WB network and Cartoon Network.








My Thoughts:

-    Yukito and Sakura's dad look the same.  Sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. 

-    This makes me want to get a bear for my hubby, but he probably wouldn't appreciate it.

-    Sometimes they spell Cerebos with a C and sometimes with a K.  Which is correct?

-    I love that Toya calls his little sister the Monster.

-    I enjoyed this volume a lot more than the first one.  There was more content. 

-    I can't decide if Clow Reed is a bad guy or a good guy.


Series Info:

This is Volume 2 of the series, or Volume 8 of the overall series.  Click on the cover to see my thoughts on the previous volume.

Christmas Loot

I had a wonderful Christmas!  I hope you did too

I just wanted to share what I got!

What Santa brought in my stocking!

What my family and Santa gave me!

What did you get for Christmas?

Merry Christmas!

I activated my World of Warcraft account, and I've been gaming it up!  I thought I'd send you some Christmas cheer from Sqeeker (aka me)! 

Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow, Volume 1

From Goodreads:    A whole new adventure begins! The sequel to the original Cardcaptor Sakura manga - 10-year-old Sakura must face a new set of challenges, using the cards she captured to face a new foe - the reincarnation of Clow Though Sakura has completed her quest and collected all of the Clow Cards, she must now face an even greater challenge. A new boy appears at her school claiming to be the reincarnation of Clow Reed, the powerful magician who made the Clow Cards. What does he want? Is Sakura strong enough face the cards' creator?






My Thoughts:

-    This picks up right after the first series ends.

-    Does Tomoya have a crush on Sakura?  I'm confused.

-    I can't believe what is going on with the new kids in town!  Craziness!

-    I liked the bit about a Teddy Bear's birthday!  So cute!  I'm going to start giving birthdays to teddy bears.  

-    I liked Sakura's last costume. 

The Gift

Goodreads Synopsis:    There is no hurt so great that love cannot heal it

Nathan Hurst hated Christmas. For the rest of the world it was a day of joy and celebration; for Nathan it was simply a reminder of the event that destroyed his childhood until a snowstorm, a cancelled flight, and an unexpected meeting with a young mother and her very special son would show him that Christmas is indeed the season of miracles.

From the beloved author of the international bestseller The Christmas Box comes another timeless story of faith, hope, and healing.

My Thoughts:

-    This is a story of love and healing.  It wasn't amazing, but it was good.

-    The mini story/letter on the inside fold of the dust jacket is wonderful!  Don't skip it! 

-    The only thing I know about Tourettes is what I've learned from What About Bob.  Obviously, I was pretty ignorant on the subject.  I learned a bit more about the syndrome from this book, and I didn't know the author had Tourettes. 

-    The story started out a bit slow, but it picks up about .25 of the way through.  The rest is good.

-    Miche is SO awesome!!  We need more people like her in this world!  She was my favorite character.

-    While I didn't really connect with the characters, I felt for them.  I especially felt sorry for them.  

-    I liked that this was a Utah book, but you don't have to live in Utah or be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to understand it.  There isn't a ton of cultural things in the story.  

-    I was expecting the story to be a bit sappy, but it wasn't.  It was well done.  I don't believe anything like this could really happen, but I liked the delivery and the message.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

My Thoughts:

-    The movie was good and very well done, but I have mixed feelings.

-    I feel like they took a lot more liberties with this one than they did with Lord of the Rings.

-    I haven't read The Silmarillion, and I know they added some things from that, so I can't fairly judge a lot of the liberties they took.

-    I didn't like the giant rock dudes.  They didn't add anything.

-    I didn't like how Bilbo was going to leave the company.  That was never the case.  He complained about the comforts of home, but he never attempted to leave.

-    I LOVED the dwarves' songs.  They were awesome!

-    I loved the dwarves a lot.  They were wonderful!  Thorin was cast perfectly!  He was exactly as I imagined him, very regal and proud.

-    I laughed a lot.

-    I was entertained the whole way through.  Some parts were slower, but I was still entertained.  

-    It was so much fun to revisit Middle Earth and it's beloved characters.

-    I love that they made Gloin look a bit like Gimli!

-    Kili and Fili were very fun.  I always imagined them looking more similar, but they were awesome!

-    My favorite chapter in The Hobbit has always been Riddles in the Dark, and that was a very well done part in the movie.  They left out a few riddles though.

-    The music was fantastic!!  I love Howard Shore!

Hubby's Thoughts:

-    I hated the rock giants.

-    I hated how Thorin was a jerk to Bilbo.

-    I didn't like how Bilbo found the ring.

-    I loved that the story was still told.

-    It was good overall, but it wasn't epic.

It's the End of the World as We Know It

Since the world was supposed to end today, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on a song that I'm sure many of us will be singing today.  

My Thoughts:

-    It's that one song we've all heard a hundred times, but we still only know the chorus.  

-    I tried learning all the lyrics once.  It was my life goal, but I gave up.  My tongue doesn't move that fast.  You'd think it would considering I'm a clarinet player, but no.  I couldn't spit the words out fast enough!

-    I love that everyone loves to sing along with this song even though we don't know the lyrics.  

-    This song is so old, but somehow it never gets old to me.

-    How true is this song?  If the world were really ending, would you be fine?  I'd like to hope I would be. 

-    This came out the same year I was born!

-    My hubby likes to sing the back singer part on the chorus.  I didn't really pay much attention to it until I met him.  Now I like to sing that part too.  

-    Good ole REM.

-    This is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day now.  

The Secret World of Arrietty

My Thoughts:

-    Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki have done it again!!  This was such a great movie! 

-    I love that Miyazaki took this story and made it his own, but he still kept the heart of the story.  It was fantastic!

-    That part with the crow and the screen was hilarious!

-    Shawn looks like a young Howl.

-    I think Miyazaki loves fat onry cats.  They make appearances in several of his movies.

-    I love that the liquid properties are so realistic!

-    Like all of Studio Ghibli films, the world created was beautiful!  

-    I loved Pod and Shawn's voices.  They were so calm and soothing.

-    The music was really different from other Miyazaki movies.  I liked it though.  It was more celtic. 

-    I highly recommend this for Studio Ghibli fans (and even for those of you who aren't!)!!

Tyson's Thoughts:

-    I wanted to see Shawn and Arrietty hook up.  I'm disappointed.

-    I liked her hair.  I'm going to get me one of those chip clip or whatever for my hair.

Hubby's Thought:

-    It had nice music, but I could tell it wasn't done by Joe Hisaishi.

Guest Post

I'm doing a guest post for Maetra Amanda's Bookshelf today.  Dash on over to her blog to see my thoughts on a super cute Christmas book.

My Hubby's Stocking

Fun Fact about me:  I cross stitch.

I have been working on cross stitching my family some stockings.  I finished gnome's stocking a couple years ago, and she loves it, as do I!  I finally finished my hubby's stocking last week!!

 Ta Da!  Well, it isn't done in this picture, but the cross stitch part is!

Ta Da!  The finished product!  My sister helped cut it out and sew it.  It turned out awesome!  My hubby really loves it!!

The stockings look so great hanging up in our home!  I feel really proud of them.  Sadly, I still need to make a stocking for me.  Mine looks really out of place.  I am going to take a break though.  These things take months, sometimes years, to finish!!

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

I couldn't find a trailer

My Thoughts:

-    The animation was so old school!

-    Why is there a book on Marley's chain?  Books should not be used as punishment.  

-    A few parts were funny.

-    Bob Crachet looks like George Jetson.

-    The songs were LONG!!

-    Magoo's happy dance at the end was hilarious!

-    There wasn't much of the classic Mr. Magoo humor, and I wanted more of that.

-    Overall, don't waste your time.  Watch something else.

Tyson's Thoughts:

-    Jelly cakes don't look appetizing at all.

-    Worst music I've ever heard.

Hubby's Thoughts:

-    Tiny Tim's hair looked like a chicken comb.

-    The music was horrible.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Volume 6

From Goodreads:    The Final JudgementSakura has collected all of the Clow Cards, but her quest is not over yet. Unless she can pass the final trial, the cards will unleash a terrible curse. Yue, the Judge, doesn't think she has what it takes to become master of the cards. With everything she's ever held dear on the line, Sakura needs to give the performance of her lifetime.











My Thoughts:

-    A whole lot of info is jammed into this last volume, and I'm not sure I understand it all.

-    I like Kero Chan's true form.  It is cool.

-    There were some surprises in the end, and I had no idea!

-    This book was full of great illustrations!  I love the action scenes.  I liked the layout of a lot of the pages.

-    Overall, I thought the series was fun.  I'm excited to read the next set. 


Series Info:

This is the final book in the Cardcaptor Sakura series.  However, Master of the Clow continues the story.  You can see my thoughts on the previous volumes by clicking on the covers.

  

 

Cardcaptor Sakura: Volume 5

Goodreads Bit:    The Show Must Go On! It's time for the school talent show and Sakura's class is putting on Sleeping Beauty. Sakura is cast as the prince and you won't believe who the princess is! All seems to be going well with the performance until a Clow Card makes an unexpected entrance between acts! Can our prince break the spell, capture the card and save the day?










My Thoughts:

-    This volume was really short.

-    I loved the play.  It cracked me up!  Those costumes were awesome!

-    I really loved how Light and Dark were captured.

-    Finally, we got some info on the mystery woman!!

-    I don't know how they are going to wrap this up in one more volume!  There is a lot that still needs to happen. 

-    I really wish this series was in color.


Series Info:

Title is self explanatory.  Click on the covers to see my thoughts on the previous books.