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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.