Cool Japan Guide

From Goodreads:    Traveling to Japan has never been so much fun! Visit the land of anime, manga, cosplay, hot springs and sushi!

This full-color graphic novel Japan guidebook is the first of its kind exploring Japanese culture from a cartoonist's perspective. Cool Japan Guide takes you on a fun tour from the high-energy urban streets of Tokyo to the peaceful Zen gardens and Shinto shrines of Kyoto and introduces you to:
-the exciting world of Japanese food--from bento to sushi and everything in between.
-the otaku (geek) culture of Japan, including a manga market in Tokyo where artists display and sell their original artwork.
-the complete Japanese shopping experience, from combini (not your run-of-the-mill convenience stores!) to depato(department stores with everything).
-the world's biggest manga, anime and cosplay festivals.
-lots of other exciting places to go and things to do--like zen gardens, traditional Japanese arts, and a ride on a Japanese bullet train.

Whether you're ready to hop a plane and travel to Japan tomorrow, or interested in Japanese pop culture, this fun and colorful travelogue by noted comic book artist and food blogger Abby Denson, husband Matt, friend Yuuko, and sidekick, Kitty Sweet Tooth, will present Japan in a unique and fascinating way.

My Thoughts:

-    This was a fun and informative book. 

-    I love how the author took the reader with her on a trip to Japan. I enjoyed all her advice and knowledge of the country. She explained everything you need to visit Japan, from travel, to hotels, to food. It was great! I'm sure I'll use this some day, at least I hope I do.

-    I liked the illustrations. They were very cartoony and fun. It was helpful to have pictures of everything the author was talking about.

-    This book made me want to visit Japan even more than I already did. I want to see the manga conventions, shrines, arcades, food vendors, etc. I want to see it all!

Top Ten Tuesday: First Year of Blogging

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Books I Loved During My First Year of Blogging

I've been blogging for 6 years! Wow! Let's look at some of my favorite reads from 2012.

 
 
 
 
 

9-11

I was in Jr. High, and before classes began, my friend was telling me that some planes crashed into some buildings. I thought he was joking. Then I got to my first period, and the principal got on the intercom and said our nation had been attacked. I'll never forget the feeling I had at that moment.

Fan Art Friday: Snow White and Prince Charming

Yes, I'm a Oncer. There are so many characters, and I wanted to break it up by only focusing on a couple characters a time. Today I'm highlighting the characters that started it all, Snow White and Prince Charming.

There are several pictures that I really love, and I can't choose a favorite.

How about you? Which is your favorite?

All pictures are linked to the source, please click on them to check out more from the artist.

Fairy Godmothers, Inc.

From Goodreads:    In a world where fairy tale situations are as much a fact of life as death and taxes, everyone knows hiring Fairy Godmothers, Inc. is the best way to assure that your beautiful daughter or enchanted frog of a grandson will get the happily-ever-after he or she deserves. Sure, sometimes a little love potion is required to make sure those quotas stay up, but what Prince Charming doesn’t know won’t hurt him. 


Kate, an experienced Fairy Godmother, who’s enough of a romantic to frustrate her rigidly rule-bound boss, has just received a specialty assignment from one of the company’s board of directors. Cinderella—Rellie for short—was placed with an appropriately wicked stepfamily years before, and now needs the dress, ball, and handsome prince to complete her happily-ever-after. The fact that Rellie isn’t sure this is her dream come true—balls are fun, but princes tend to be less interesting than fluffy bunnies—isn’t something management considers a problem.

Complicating things a bit is Jon, the youngest son of the royal family, who meets Kate, and is smitten, but isn’t quite ready yet to reveal his true identity. After all, it’s his older brother Rupert who’s supposed to marry Rellie, which means pretending to be a lowly civil servant will give him the chance to spend more time with Kate. (As long as he can get the ball arranged, and stop Rupert from getting himself into trouble over his “self-actualization” business, he should have the perfect opportunity to explain everything and get started on making a little magic with the Fairy Godmother of his dreams.) 

But, of course, things never ever happen as planned.

My Thoughts:

-    The writing style killed this book for me. My mind kept wandering, and I had a hard time focusing on the story. There was A LOT of telling not showing. 

-    I really struggled to get through this. I wasn't connecting with the story or the characters. The book is shorter, so I finished, but I wanted to quit several times.

-    There were a few things about the story that didn't make sense to me, like I don't understand why Rellie and Jon know what happened to them. Why would you make a love potion that people could fight against? 

-    I wouldn't recommend picking this up.

The Simplicity of Cider

Goodreads Synopsis:    Fall in love with The Simplicity of Cider, the charming new novel about a prickly but gifted cider-maker whose quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of a handsome man and his young son at her family’s careworn orchard by the author of The Coincidence of Coconut Cake and Luck, Love & Lemon Pie.

Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.

Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.

Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.

From the warm and funny Amy E. Reichert, The Simplicity of Cideris a charming love story with a touch of magic, perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen and Gayle Forman.

My Thoughts:

-    I love this new to me author. I have devoured her books, and I wish there was more!

-    This is my favorite book from Amy. The story, the characters, the apples, the cider, everything was perfect!

-    I loved Sanna's independence and her hard working nature. I loved seeing her soften because of a little boy and his dad. 

-    I LOVE that the characters from the coconut cake book made an appearance. *sigh*

-    I can't put my finger on exactly why I love these books so much. The author is just amazing with people and stories and relationships. Everything just jives together in a way that speaks to me.

-    If you need a happy, sappy, fluff book with heart, pick this up!

Top Ten Tuesdays: Books I Struggled Through

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Books That Were a Chore to Get Through

Interesting topic today!