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!
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!
Goodreads Synopsis: With the Dragon Wars over, Creel finds herself bored with life as a seamstress. Then word comes that a bordering country has been breeding dragons in preparation for an invasion. Never one to sit around, Creel throws herself headlong into an adventure that will reunite her with her dragon friend Shardas, pit her against a vicious new enemy and perhaps rekindle a friendship with Prince Luka that seems to have gone cold. Funny, heart-felt, and action packed, this is a sequel that will satisfy on every level. My Thoughts: - SHARDAS IS ALIVE!!!! - I am such a sucker for fun dragon books, and this one does not disappoint! I love this book just as much as its predecessor. - Marta and Creel make such a great team! Together they are unstoppable, and I love how their personalities compliment one another. - Luka and Creel make me gush! I admit it! Their banter and flirting really bring out the girl in me. - Shardas is my hero! Feniul has my heart though. - I love the ending in this! I love the idea that the dragons don't have to hide anymore, and they can be independent and free! - The story was awesome! I loved that this book had more action! It was sad, but awesome! I also love the humor and fun as well! - What did Velika whisper to Krashath? That is going to drive me nuts! - I want a dragon friend! Series Info: Dragon Flght is the 2nd book in the Dragon Slippers trilogy. To see my thoughts on the first book, click on the cover below.
- My picks for Best Dressed: I loved Jaime Foxx's daughter's dress! I also really liked Zoe Saldana's dress, especially the bottom. Robert Downey Jr. looked hot!
- My picks for Worst Dressed: Halle Berry and Nicole Kidman! I did not like their dresses. Kristen Stewart looked terrible!! She looked like she just got done working the corner. Her hair was messy and she looked stoned.
- I loved the old school photos of fashion sketches on the red carpet! They had a picture of Audrey Hepburn in her gown from Roman Holiday!
- Anne Hathaway's hair is growing back nicely. I loved how it was styled.
- Chris Evans brought his mom to the Oscars! Awww! Such a Captain America thing to do!
- PAPERMAN WON!!!! I was really happy about that!
- I'm glad Brave won, but I wish it had been Wreck-It-Ralph.
- Samuel L. Jackson just needed a pipe and a newspaper to go with his outfit!
- The Hobbit should have won for hair and makeup just for those dwarves!
- For the Les Mis cast (the ladies) I liked their performance dresses more than their other dresses. That performance was really cool by the way. It still blows my mind that Anne Hathaway can sing like that.
- Anne Hathaway totally deserved her oscar!!
- Seth McFarlane kept cracking up at his own jokes. I thought he did good, and it was a very Seth McFarlane night.
- The little Sound of Music bit was awesome!
- Go KATNISS!!
- I feel like the people who made Life of Pi were taking ALL the credit for creating a wonderful story, and I just wanted to yell at them "IT WAS A BOOK FIRST!"
- I wanted to see so many of those movies, and I want to see them even more now, but I wish a lot of them weren't rated R. Grrrr!!
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.
From Goodreads: It's Valentines Day and you know what that means -- lots of chocolates for the cutest boys at school! In this case, it's a pretty close tie between hot-headed Kyo Sohma and Yuki 'prince charming' Sohma. Of course the kind-hearted Tohru, guest of the Sohma family, has chocolates for everyone! But when White Day comes around, what will the Sohma family give back? How about a trip to the family hot springs?! Also, a new member of the Zodiac shows up at school to lay the 'MOO'ves on Kyo. My Thoughts: - Hatori and Shigure are hard to tell apart at times. - Is Okami a zombie!?!? - Tohru has such a positive outlook on life. I want to be like that. - What is up with Shigure's editor? She is a spaz! - Yuki is still a fem. - I like Haru. He is cool! - There are a lot of people in this manga, but it's handled very well. I don't get confused or anything. It's just that some of them look the same. Series Info: This was the 3rd Volume in the Fruits Basket series. To see my thoughts on the previous volumes, click on the covers below.
Goodreads Bit: The enigmatic Sohma family shares a great secret -- they are possessed by spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, and when they are hugged by members of the opposite sex, they transform into their Zodiac animal! Tohru Honda, an orphaned high school freshman, is given lodging in the Sohma household in exchange for taking care of household chores. The humble Tohru is quite grateful for the Sohma family's generosity, but the longer she stays with them, the more they realize what a blessing she is in their lives as well.
My Thoughts: - I want to meet this author. She seems awesome! I love her little notes randomly placed throughout the book. - Not my favorite style of anime I've seen, but it's good. - I want to learn how to make onigiri! - I would make a better rabbit that Momiji. I can't believe my zodiac is the weird German kid. - Yuki is such a girl! - What is with the sea horse!?!?! There is no sea horse zodiac! - This love triangle is really buggin' me. - Tohru has some amazing friends!
Series Info: This is Volume 2 in the Fruits Basket series. Click on the cover below to see my thoughts on the first volume.
Goodreads Bit: Tohru Honda was an orphan, living with her grandfather, when one day fate kicked her out of the house and she was forced to take up residence in a tent in the forest. Little did she know that the land she was staying on belonged to the Sohma family, a mysterious clan. After stumbling upon the teenage squatter, the Sohmas invite Tohru to stay in their house in exchange for housework. Everything's going well until she discovers the Sohma family's greatest secret: when hugged by members of the opposite sex, they each turn into their Chinese Zodiac animal! My Thoughts: - I'm so confused, but I'm still interested. - Yuki looks like a girl! Some of the characters even think it's a girl. - Hugs? That is what turns them into their Zodiac? Kinda weird! - There is always a crazy girl in every Anima/Manga isn't there? Kagura is going to be annoying! - Tohru has a good deal! She gets to live with those guys in exchange for keeping house. It's kinda like a Snow White situation but better. - I feel like every girl in Anima/Manga is an amazing cook! I'm so jealous!
- I admit it! I enjoy this show, and I like the songs.
- I really like Curly's voice. I don't find him handsome, but I could listen to him sing for a long time.
- Who names their boy Curly anyway? That is a terrible name for a guy.
- Jud is a CREEP!! He is probably the creepiest dude I've ever seen in a musical.
- Laurey has a nice voice too.
- I'm SO glad we don't have to wear corsets anymore! I like the way they make you look, but it is not worth the pain.
- I love how Curly tries to get Jud to commit suicide! I giggle throughout the song. It's funny.
- WORST DREAM SEQUENCE EVER!! It is SO long, and we don't really need it. If they cut that out, no one would miss it.
- During the dream sequence the cowboys do gangam style dance. LOL!
- I like Will and Curly. They know how to make a girl feel special!
- Ado Annie is such a floozy!
- Curly must have bought his horse and saddle back at the end. He sold them during the auction, but then we see him riding Blue right before the wedding.
- Aunt Eller really steals the show. She has all the best lines!
Tyson's Thoughts:
- I wish Jud was a black guy. He'd be so much more awesome if he was black.
- (referring to Mr. Skidmore) What is Willy Wonka doing at the party?
- The dresses were okay. I liked the bottom colors more than the tops.
From Goodreads:Other people may see thirteen-year-old Marcus Kanenas as an outcast and a nobody, but he sees himself as a survivor and a dreamer. In fact, his favorite dream is of a world far away, a world where magic is as common as air, where animals tell jokes, and where trees beg people to pick their fruit. He even has a name for this place-Farworld. When Marcus magically travels to Farworld, he meets Kyja, a girl without magic in a world where spells, charms, and potions are everywhere, and Master Therapass, a master wizard who has kept a secret hidden for thirteen years, a secret that could change the fate of two worlds. But the Dark Circle has learned of Master Therapass's secret and their evil influence and power are growing. Farworld's only hope is for Marcus and Kyja to find the mythical Elements-water, land, air, and fire-and convince them to open a drift between the worlds. As Kyja and Marcus travel to Water Keep, they must face the worst the evil Dark Circle can throw at them-Summoners, who can command the living and the dead; Unmakers, invisible creatures that can destroy both body and soul; and dark mages known as Thrathkin S'Bae. Along the way, Marcus and Kyja will discover the truth about their own heritage, strength of their friendship, and the depths of their unique powers.
My Thoughts:
- This was a fun adventure!
- I want to live in a world of talking animals, especially ones that tell jokes.
- I really enjoyed this. The characters were fun and very believable. I think Marcus was such a realistic teenage boy. His doubts and uncertainties were something every kid could relate to.
- Kyja was a lot of fun. I loved her confidence and determination. She was such a great asset to the story. She also brought Riph Raph into the picture, and he was a lot of fun. I loved the parts where she was so fascinated by every day things.
- There definitely needs to be more books to the story, so I'm glad there is more. I'm excited to read the others. The ending isn't killer, but the story isn't over.
- I wish there had been more with the water people. The cover is a little deceiving. We only get to meet the water elementals towards the very end. Water is my favorite element, so I really wanted more!
- I love that this is set in a fantasy world, but it is also set in the modern day world. They way that this is handled is so creative and fun!
- I loved the whole misfit theme in the book. The 2 main characters don't really belong in their worlds, but they are trying their best. I really think everyone can relate to that on some level. I really love how the characters grow and discover their strengths.
- The covers on these books are awesome! My Re-Read Thoughts: - I listened to the audiobook this time, and I definitely prefer reading the book myself. - The narrator wasn't very good. His voice for all the females is horrible. There was no expression, no emotion, or anything. The guys were fine, but he needs to work on his girl voices. - I forgot how fun this book is. Despite the narrator, I really enjoyed the characters and the story.
From Goodreads: What is the nature of fate? Is young Merlin destined to be a powerful wizard, or does he have a choice? These are the questions Merlin must answer as he travels with the deer woman Hallia to the Haunted Marsh where the marsh ghouls have begun a campaign of destruction. Or are the ghouls being manipulated by an even greater source of evil? An evil that seeks to destroy not the marsh, but Merlin himself? Here, in the fourth installment of the Lost Years of Merlin, epic master storyteller T. A. Barron weaves a tale of humor, adventure, and surprise as Merlin unravels the mystery of the Haunted Marsh, meets a boy named Arthur, and travels through a mirror of mist that brings him face to face with his destiny.
My Thoughts: - The story wasn't very good in this one. Merlin kinda just traveled around. It got better about half way through. - The Ballymag's dialogue is annoying. I had to slow down to read what he said. - Merlin hasn't said chants to do magic before. Why does he need to now? - Merlin is still very arrogant and ornery. Will he ever learn? - I loved that they added Ector into the story! - I think I'm getting burnt out on these books. I will probably take a break and read something else before tackling the last book. Series Info: This is the 4th book in the Lost Years of Merlin series. To see my thoughts on the previous books, click on the covers below.
My daughter turned 3 on Saturday, and we had a party. She loves Mo Willems' Pigeon books, so we had a pigeon party.
The cake gave me some grief.
This is the first cake. I made it from scratch, and it fell. It hadn't baked very well. It tasted good though. I trashed it and started again.
I used 8 egg yolks in the last cake, and I didn't want to do that again, so I just used a boxed cake the second time around. It came out ok. It didn't fill in fully, but it came out of the pan. I chopped off the head (cause it was a duck cake pan) and filled in the neck with cereal treats. I also stuck a dowel in there to help support it.
I reattached the head and started frosting. It was going alright, but then the pigeon started to crack, and it fell over. I was so upset! I almost trashed this one as well.
I let the pigeon lie down, and finished frosting him. I think he turned out alright, even though he wasn't sitting up.
This week I read Volumes 5, 6, & 7 of Fruits Basket and drank a bunch of apple juice.
I also read Unlocking the Spell by E.D. Baker and drank lots of tea. I'm so addicted!
This morning I'm reading Land Keep by J. Scott Savage and drinking hot chocolate (big surprise).
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