WITCHES DON’T REFORM
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Reading
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Recent Tracks
- PONPONPON by きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ
- 今夜はから騒ぎ by 東京事変
- 新しい文明開化 by 東京事変
- Wolf & I by Oh Land
- Lolita by Lana Del Rey
- Diet Mtn Dew by Lana Del Rey
- Off to the Races by Lana Del Rey
- No Church In The Wild (feat. Frank Ocean) by Jay-Z & Kanye West
- Without You by Lana Del Rey
- This Is What Makes Us Girls by Lana Del Rey
Lana Del ReyMetric東京事変Jay-Z & Kanye WestTrent Reznor and Atticus RossEminemThe Muppets & Joanna NewsomPaul SimonStarshipAndrew BirdThe MuppetsCamilla And The ChickensMahna Mahna/The Two SnowthsOh LandきゃりーぱみゅぱみゅMickey Rooney, Feist, Amy Adams, Jason Segel & WalterThe Muppets Barbershop QuartetGonzo, Fozzie, Swedish Chef, Kermit & Dr. Teeth And The Electric MayhemNathan Pacheco & Chris CooperThe Muppets, Amy Adams, Andrew Walter, Jason Segel & Chris Cooper- 4 plays
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- Yayo by Lana Del Rey1 plays
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Posts
ヤプーズ - ロリータ１０８号
Lolita No. 108
Lyrics: Togawa JunI don’t need red shoes Buy 8cm heels
I’m sorry I’m in love with you
I can be with you in my dreams but don’t come any closer
It’s dangerous to operate me
I’ve been installed with an IC missile
My system is built to self-destructMy daddy made me a stoic lady
But I wanted to tell you I love you
Iron virgin Stoic lolita
My daddy made me a tragic lady
My cruel daddy the doctor
Tragic lolita Alone until I dieI have irremovable white knee-high socks My energy source is milk candy
Bad taste Reconstruction baby
If you love me hold me and run as fast as you can toward despair
I’m sorry I’m in love with you
On sleepless nights I dream
I dream of blowing upMy daddy made me a stoic lady
But I wanted to tell you I love you
Iron virgin Stoic lolita
My daddy made me a tragic lady
My cruel daddy the doctor
Tragic lolita Alone until I dieHer daddy made her a stoic lady
Cyborg 108 Mechanic baby
Such a lonely lonely girl Stoic lolitathe fucking picture
SHE OPENED A TEXT DOCUMENT AND WROTE HERSELF MEAN COMMENTS DFPOSDKXFdofjds
05
have you ever been touched by a sloth
raven has
on another note, before i posted 04 i had 86 followers. two days later i had over 500. so thank you. a celebratory comic is in the making, where i actually spend more time than usual on it.
same
- 3142 plays
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Mixes
- 8 plays / Created Jan 19, 12Five tracks including music by Broken Social Scene, Massive Attack, and Meisa KUROKI.
- 42 plays / Created Nov 14, 11Eight tracks including music by Drake, Florence + The Machine, and M.I.A..
- 3 plays / Created Nov 05, 11a fan soundtrack for maggie stiefvater's "the scorpio races".
- 4 plays / Created Oct 16, 11Ten tracks including music by Björk, Fiona Apple, and José González.
- 3 plays / Created Oct 16, 11Eight tracks including music by BENNIE K, Cruel Black Dove, and LISA.
- 7 plays / Created Oct 15, 11Fan soundtrack for "Across the Universe" by Beth Revis. Five tracks including music by Fiona Apple, José González, and Lights.
- 14 plays / Created Aug 20, 11Eight tracks including music by Adele, Amuro Namie, and Fiona Apple; a fan soundtrack for "mahou shoujo madoka magica".
- 12 plays / Created Aug 06, 11a fan soundtrack for carrie ryan's "the dark & hollow places".
- 18 plays / Created Jul 23, 11Nine tracks including music by Hole, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions, and Johan Soderqvist. A fan soundtrack for "let the right one in".
- 9 plays / Created Jul 16, 11Eight tracks including music by Boa, Bon Iver, and Caroline.
- 4 plays / Created Jul 09, 11a fan soundtrack for "starcrossed" by josephine angelini.
- 12 plays / Created May 22, 11Nine tracks including music by Erio wo Kamatte-chan, Gregory And The Hawk, and Kalafina.
- 12 plays / Created Apr 12, 11Ten tracks including music by Band of Horses, Britney Spears and Caroline made as a soundtrack for Fringe Season 3.
- 11 plays / Created Apr 11, 11Eleven tracks including music by Amuro Namie, Heavenstamp and Jed Whedon.
- 19 plays / Created Jul 23, 10Stuff I'm listening to while I'm working on my novel~
- 217 plays / Created May 07, 10After Peter finds out who he really is...this is a mix for what might be inside of his headspace.
- 10 plays / Created Apr 04, 10fuck destiny, don't use lube.
- 19 plays / Created Mar 29, 10
- 35 plays / Created Mar 17, 10after finishing "beautiful creatures", I decided it was time for a playlist for the book...
- 9 plays / Created Mar 06, 10every ending has a start. post-season four.
- 39 plays / Created Feb 22, 10a general fan soundtrack for "terminator: the sarah connor chronicles"
- 15 plays / Created Feb 15, 10A Peter/Olivia-specific Fan Soundtrack for "Fringe". Tracklisting here: http://i45.tinypic.com/x37192.png
- 23 plays / Created Feb 07, 10A General Fan Soundtrack for "Fringe". Tracklisting here: http://i49.tinypic.com/1eax4g.png
- 167 plays / Created Dec 11, 09Don't know what/who the Vocaloids are? Give this a listen.
- 109 plays / Created Dec 11, 09crap i can't stop listening to.
- 46 plays / Created Oct 22, 11Laura Marling, M∆DD3N, etc. You make me happier than I think I've ever been in my life. You're a dream come true, at the risk of sounding cliche. I hope I can be the same for you. We're both damaged, we're both broken; we can fight our demons together.
- 98 plays / Created Sep 25, 11"Sympathize, I sympathize," her only friend wails, but she won't look him in the eye. She can only turn around and say, "Run; go. It's a warning, I'll destroy you." A Human, Entertainment For The Braindead, CocoRosie, etc.
- 65 plays / Created Sep 25, 11It's a good sadness. 82-75, Cake Bake Betty, Entertainment For The Braindead, etc.
- 81 plays / Created Sep 04, 11They thought she lost her mind when she told them carelessly, "I cast a spell on him; I cursed him. That's why they found him dead in the swamp with all the blood." Andrew Weatherall, Chris Vrenna, Crystal Castles, etc.
- 34 plays / Created Sep 04, 11I will whisper curses under my breath instead of screaming them; it's much more unnerving to you in that manner. You were always frightened of the silence and adored the noise. Alexz Johnson, An Explorer, BlackSky feat. Wanessie, etc.
- 40 plays / Created Sep 04, 11WAKEMEUP- Chameleon Circuit, Chris Vrenna, Donato Wharton, etc.
- 29 plays / Created Aug 08, 11I feel wrong. I'm on the verge of a breakdown. And if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me. Amanda Seyfried, Cake Bake Betty, Fever Ray, etc.
- 195 plays / Created Aug 08, 11They don't love you. An Explorer, Beetroot Music, Boards of Canada, etc.
- 38 plays / Created Aug 08, 11You're useless, you idiot, you've killed yet another good thing in your life. How many times are you going to do this? Will you ever be satisfied with what you've got? Clint Mansell, Damien Jurado, Deadmau5, etc.
- 151 plays / Created Aug 08, 11I cry like a femme fatale. City & Colour, Death Cab For Cutie, James Newton Howard, etc.
- 23 plays / Created Aug 08, 11Restless music for restless teenagers who are restlessly panicking. Especially if in London - will the riots take my life? Surely not me. Not me. Awolnation, Blue Foundation, Fc Kahuna, etc.
- 85 plays / Created Aug 06, 11I'll make you cry and my words are going to echo in your head, just like yours echoed in mine. And these songs will get under your skin, just like your songs got under mine. I'm always with you and you are always with me. Dustin O'Halloran, Emily Browning, Faunts, etc.
- 106 plays / Created Aug 06, 11Don't cry. In time, you'll forget all about me. But he's going to be in your memory forever because you chose him. It's for the best. My memory isn't a pleasant one anyway, is it? Anne Dudley, Arborea, Ryan Star, etc.
- 57 plays / Created Jul 27, 11No one cares how hard you cry in the real world. Face it, babe. No one cares about you. Or me. Or anyone. AWOLNATION, Anne Dudley, Arborea, etc.
- 69 plays / Created Jul 27, 11Even my loyal cult following seems to hate me. Automatic Loveletter, The Small Hours, Emmy the Great, etc.
- 63 plays / Created Jul 27, 11{ YOU'RE PANICKING! YOU NEED OUT! } Aloe Blacc, Brand New, Cake Bake Betty, etc.
- 42 plays / Created Jul 27, 11A fond and bittersweet farewell to those I love. See you next year. Chase & Status, M83, Maybeshewill, etc.
- 50 plays / Created Jul 27, 11A soundtrack to driving through habited and inhabited places with the windows down whether it be night, day, or morning - who cares, at least you got far away from home. Arborea, Bob Dylan, City & Colour, etc.
- 59 plays / Created Jul 24, 11Summer's a fantasy land. After a while, your fantasy changes into something else. Something much different than the fantasy you started with. Peter Broderick, Freelance Whales, Iwan Rheon, etc.
- 71 plays / Created Jul 06, 11There is no amount of angsty poetry to describe the pain I feel that he will never love me back. 65daysofstatic, Alexz Johnson, Cake Bake Betty, etc.
- 39 plays / Created Jul 04, 11And sometimes we party. And sometimes we scream and laugh and make a general mess of things. Enjoy our joy while it lasts. Manic Street Preachers, My Chemical Romance, Panic! At the Disco, etc.
- 76 plays / Created Jul 01, 11Nothing's wrong, nothing at all - at least not right now; we're too busy losing ourselves to care about real life. 3OH!3, Natalia Kills, Bassnectar, etc.
- 17 plays / Created Jun 28, 11Is it something we do or is it something that just exists? Teach me with your hands, eyes, and lips: I want to understand. Allison Krauss, My Chemical Romance, Ingrid Michaelson, etc.
- 146 plays / Created Jun 28, 11Steamy and well-kept, dirty yet clean, naughty and perfect. Sexy meets classy. Bitter:Sweet, Chris Isaak, Lykke Li, etc.
- 57 plays / Created Jun 28, 11Almost July and it's pouring. My theory is that the sky sees me and begins crying, not out of pity, but out of complete sorrow. Antony And The Johnsons, Christopher Lennertz, Clint Mansell & Peter Broderick, etc.
- 34 plays / Created Jun 25, 11Still in love with my best friend's boyfriend and keeping my heart glued and stapled together messily as I watch them kiss. Tracks by Starscream, Brand New, Natalia Kills, etc.
- 47 plays / Created Jun 15, 11And it's hard when you want to be a good friend and can't do anything about it. Oh, it also sucks when he hates you too. A Common Year, Best Coast, and The Church, etc.
- 93 plays / Created May 28, 11(and it isn't helping stop my tears from falling continuously.) Bob Dylan, CocoRosie, Gravenhurst, etc.
- 58 plays / Created May 24, 11It's summertime; time for smiles, laughter and joy. What a lie. Songs for sitting inside in the summer, with the lights off, wondering why you're still sad. Includes Beautiful Confusion, CocoRosie, Emancipator, etc.
- 31 plays / Created May 23, 11This is the story of a boy named Cody. A best friend to a girl; maybe even more. But then he left the girl. Ten tracks including music by Pretty Balanced, Flight 409, and My Chemical Romance to take you from the sad stage, the angry stage, and back to the sad stage..
- 25 plays / Created May 08, 11We run down the street and feel the beat of music beneath our feet, watching the flashing lights and laughing at how horrible our lives are. It's okay. It'll be okay. Seventeen tracks including music by Boy Crisis, My Chemical Romance, and FM Belfast.
- 15 plays / Created Apr 29, 11Sometimes, a mess is just a mess. And us, our friendship, everything about you and me is just a mess. Thirteen songs including music by 65daysofstatic, Blackfield, and Brand New.
- 25 plays / Created Apr 20, 11I guess that's just the way it is with my generation. Burial, Hammock, Maybeshewill, etc.
- 65 plays / Created Apr 13, 11Fifteen tracks including music by Belle and Sebastian, Blur and She & Him.
- 34 plays / Created Apr 12, 11Ten tracks including music by The Shirelles, The Chantels and The Crystals.
- 9 plays / Created Dec 10, 10Found A MixTape sleeve my mother made with my father's favorite songs. Since they both rest in peace, I needed to duplicate the playlist. Fourteen* tracks including music by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elton John and Olomana.
- 91 plays / Created Oct 29, 10This is for the lonely kids. You feel alone, you feel tired, you need to think. Bruce Springsteen, Mark Salling, Meghan Tonjes, etc.
- 43 plays / Created Oct 13, 10Twenty tracks including music by 3LW, Ace Of Base and Beyonce. You've pissed me off for the last time and you've got to go!
- 16 plays / Created Jan 15, 10Eight tracks including music by 3LW, Dashboard Confessional and Fuel. Songs I'm likely to sing in the car with all my heart. Pain in the lungs, pain in the soul but it's a good pain. and always downright fun!
- 18 plays / Created Jan 14, 10Eleven tracks I'm hooked on right now, including music by Adam Lambert, Cazwell and DJ Mellow D.
- 46 plays / Created Jan 14, 10Eight tracks including music by Adam Lambert, Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown and Laissez Faire.
- 57 plays / Created Dec 11, 09I could try to be poetic but all I can say is that I'm just as cold as the rain hitting my windowpane. Athlete, Automatic Loveletter, Evanescence, etc.
- 17 plays / Created Dec 11, 09Can you see the fairy in the Eagle Nebula?
- 34 plays / Created Dec 01, 09odaxelagnia - (noun) the paraphilia involving the sexual attraction to biting or being bitten. "Because I love you like a cannibal loves human flesh."
- 9 plays / Created Nov 26, 09Do you need to know what they're saying? It sounds nice either way.
- 13 plays / Created Nov 25, 09It's possible to dance to anything! (I've seen dances performed to almost all of these songs while I was at high school, so you know it's true!)
- 86 plays / Created Jun 15, 09Eight tracks including music by Coeur De Pirate, Bright Eyes and GO!GO!7188.
- 57 plays / Created Jul 27, 11No one cares how hard you cry in the real world. Face it, babe. No one cares about you. Or me. Or anyone. AWOLNATION, Anne Dudley, Arborea, etc.
- 71 plays / Created Aug 06, 11Eleven tracks including music by Skeletons, CSS, and Konono Nº1. This is my memory of FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '11.
- 111 plays / Created Nov 19, 09Tracks from Japan that are sure to send a chill down any music enthusiast's spine. Includes music from Cornelius, Nujabes, and World's End Girlfriend.
- 168 plays / Created Oct 26, 09Thirty-six tracks including music by 9mm Parabellum Bullet, ACIDMAN and ART-SCHOOL.
- 86 plays / Created Jun 15, 09Eight tracks including music by Coeur De Pirate, Bright Eyes and GO!GO!7188.
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Answered
- What childhood toy did you desperately want that your parents refused to give you? Do you still think about getting one?Hm, a pony. And when that didn't work, I asked for a Pegasus. I still want a Pegasus. :(Asked by Candy Oct 22, 11
- What's the best revenge? :DAlways served cold.Asked by Circe Ff. Gazette Enchiridion-Treatise Oct 22, 11
- who is your favourite music artist of all time?So difficult. Top three: Shiina Ringo, Hole, Utada.Asked by dani Jun 29, 11
- What is your dream job?Stay-at-home writer/translator/up-to-no-goodnik. <3Asked by Candy Jun 20, 11
- When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?A washing machine. No joke. My mom loved them, and I didn't understand why but I wanted to be something that brought her so much obvious pleasure.Asked by Formspring Jun 20, 11
- What would your dream job look like?Writing full-time and/or translating.Asked by Formspring Jun 20, 11
- Best song of the 90s?A tie between Hole's "Violet" and Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box". Oh, and Bjork's "Army of Me". Can you tell I'm a Millennial? :3Asked by Candy Jun 20, 11
- If you could only eat at one fast food restaurant the rest of your life, which one would you choose?None. I don't eat fast food.Asked by Formspring Jun 20, 11
- Do you enjoy tea? If so, what is your favourite?I LOVE ME SOME TEA. It's a toss-up between Lupicia's "Champagne Rose" and "Tsugaru Green" teas. They're such an awesome company. * w *Asked by Candy Jun 20, 11
- What's your honest opinion of me? (if you're brave you'll press ask followers)I think you're lovely. You're very sweet, and you seem to really love your friends. :)Asked by Candy Jun 20, 11
- What movie can you watch again and again and never get sick of?So many of them. One is "Star Trek: First Contact". Another is "Terminator 2". Noticing a theme here?Asked by Formspring May 11, 11
- List down 3 imaginary lives you want to live in if it were possible. (ex: champion swimmer, president, singer)movie director, artist, fashion designer. :DAsked by Candy May 11, 11
- What do you think of the anti-fart underwear? Yay or nay? :)idek what that is. o_o;Asked by Formspring May 11, 11
- Favorite convention you've been to so far?Oh jeez. Um. It's a tie between PMX 2009 and comic con 2007. Both were so awesome, I can't even.Asked by Candy May 11, 11
- OMG, I'm so sorry for fitting the ask the followers button >___<I still loev you anyway, mai kyandi-tan!Asked by Candy May 03, 11
- My stomach is growling, but im not even hungry. What do I do?Take into account when it was when you last ate. It could be that you need to eat anyway, but eat something small and light like bread. Or you could go without. :3c It's your choice.Asked by Formspring Apr 08, 11
- What's your favorite clothing brand?I have too many of them. Some of them are Baby, Putumayo, Meta, Alexander McQueen, and Juicy.Asked by Formspring Apr 08, 11
- What do you think the world will be like in 50 years?The idea of a second civil war and/or WWIII has crossed my mind.Asked by Formspring Apr 05, 11
- what would you do if you had a big win on the lottery ?I'd pay off my student loans and my mom's student loans and I'd buy her a house. Donate some to charity. :3 Start a college fund for my great-niece, god knows she's going to need it.Asked by balletpete Apr 05, 11
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Posts
- Feb 22, 12
Author: Margie Gelbwesser
Genre: YA, contemporary, romance
Release Date: March 2012 (expected)
Summary: Two families. Four teens.
A summer full of secrets.Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.
Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.
Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.
☆: 3/5 – a solid YA contemporary story sure to have good talking points between teens and parents.
Review: Man, after a string of awesome books, I seem to be in a slump. Unfortunately, “Pieces of Us” is apart of that slump, and I really wish it weren’t. It’s one of the reasons why I rarely pick up contemporary YA – mostly, because, I just couldn’t relate to it. Don’t get me wrong – this is a very well-written, well-constructed book with all of the technical details well in place, but it didn’t feel new, or bold, or daring.
However, Gelbwasser really does know how to put together good, stable characters and execute arcs well, so I will give her that. She also knows how to construct her characters’ backstories really well, too – and all of this expertise of the technical details is what saved the book and makes it worth the read at all. Otherwise, it felt like a lot of rehashing of so many of the contemporary YA books we’ve already read before.I am pretty shocked to learn that other reviewers want this book banned from book social networking places like goodreads – because of heavy sexual content. Uh. I read it all the way through, and whatever sexual content there was (consensual or otherwise) was done very quietly and not explicitly at all. The guys shot their mouths off using expletives, but I don’t consider that sexual content. I call that being a teenager (or older). It baffles me that parents want to keep their children innocent, and then wonder what happens if the kid gets pregnant or worse. This book, if anything, is really educational in terms of parent-child communication and shows real world situations that teenagers do face. The cliche of the drunken party made me cringe, but it happens so often that it is indeed a real life problem and is a good way to talk to your kid about self-protection. What happens to Katie in this story is horrible and it is most definitely not her fault, but to censor that will only endanger other teens if their parents deem this book “too offensive”.
Okay, end of rant there. But my point is that these things do happen in real life – all of them. Abusive parents, date rape, parental neglect, depression, and so forth – and it all needs to be talked about. “Pieces of Us” is a really good way to start that conversation. So if you’re a parent feeling awkward and wondering how to bring up any of the aforesaid topics with your kid? Hey, read this book together, and make sure your kid is armed with knowledge on how to protect themselves. If you’re a kid and something’s happened to you that you don’t have the words for, or if you’re still coping, this book will help you by telling you you’re not alone, it’s not your fault, and will hopefully make you able to get the help you need.
Otherwise, I just wasn’t feeling this book much. However, I urge everyone to read it anyway and come to their own conclusions – it could be just an attack of book slumpage on my part, I’m not sure. “Pieces of Us” hits shelves on March 8th, 2012 in North America (elsewhere, check with your local bookseller), so read it for yourself so we can keep the conversation going.
- Feb 22, 12
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
Here’s what I’m waiting on this Wednesday:
♡ Author: Maggie Stiefvater
♡ Release Date: September 18, 2012 (North America)
♡ Publisher: Scholastic
♡ Synopsis:
♡ Why?: After months and months of Stiefvater teasing mercilessly about what this series might be about on her blog I’ve been kind of wanting to know about it more and more. And now that I have the blurb and cover art info, I just want to read it NOW, please. This looks awesome. Blue Sargent? AWESOME NAME. I really can’t wait until this gets released because I’ll definitely be reading it.
What are you waiting on this Wednesday?
- Feb 21, 12
WWW Wednesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
My answers for this week:
What are you currently reading?:
Currently reading “Sweet Evil” (not sure if I’m going to finish this one as it’s just not keeping my interest), “Shadow & Bone” (pretty good so far!), “Firelight” (a definite guilty pleasure), “The Thorn & The Blossom” and just starting “Starters”.
What did you recently finish reading?:
I recently finished reading “Melusine” (VERY slow to start but kind of worth it in the end), “Another (manga version): Volume 4″ (AWESOME), “Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2)” (pretty great!), “Until I Die (Revenants #2)” (Also awesome!), and “Katana” (why is this even being published?!).
What do you think you’ll read next?:
Next up is “Pieces of Us”, “Two Truths and a Lie”, “The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind”, “Pretty Crooked”, and “Struck”. Can’t wait to start them all!
- Feb 21, 12
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists! Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join.
This week’s theme: Top Ten Books Usagi Would Save During a Disaster
1. Mr. Nook, my e-reader – He’s my entire library backup, more or less, in case I can’t rescue all of the books I want or need!
2. “Dangerous Angels” by Francesca Lia Block
3. “The Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater
4. “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley
5. “The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde” by Oscar Wilde
6. “Let the Right One In” by John Ajvide Lindqvist
7. “Mardock Scramble” by Ubakata Tow
8. “The Millennium Trilogy” by Steig Larsson
9. “Harry Potter” by JK Rowling
10. “Kamikaze Girls” by Takemoto Novala
What are your top ten that you’d rescue?
- Feb 20, 12
COVER REVEALED!: “Ironskin” by Tina Connolly
SLATED RELEASE DATE: October 2012 (Tor – North America)
OFFICIAL BLURB: Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.
It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain — the ironskin.
Now Jane returns to the war-torn country to help a fey-cursed child. Helping the unruly Dorie suppress her curse is hard enough — she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Mr. Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio — and come out as beautiful as the fey.
Jane knows he cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things are true? Step by step Jane must unlock the secrets of her new life — and discover just how far she will go to become whole again.
COMMENTS: THIS BEAUTIFUL COVER. And honestly, anything that has to do with masked people and/or faeries? Count me in! I’m pretty excited for this release, so I hope a finalized publication date pops up soon to put on my calendar. October can’t come soon enough, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this title!
What do you think? Are you going to read “Ironskin”?
- Feb 20, 12
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week’s teaser comes from “The Wavering of Suzumiya Haruhi” by Tanigawa Nagaru:
As we crested the stairs and entered the hallway, I imagined the scene. Speaking of waitresses, my brain had already been tainted by the image of her waiting the sexual harassment-inspiring waitress costume in the movie so what could be better for cleansing both eyes and mind than the sight of her elegantly bringing us our yakisoba wearing a proper waitress outfit? I’d always felt Haruhi’s tastes were too gaudy. She had the ironclad nerve to stand at the school entrance dressed as a (playboy) bunny girl, which might have suited her perfectly, but if she thought everyone possessed such nerve, she was sadly mistaken.
Asahina wearing a waitress uniform handmade for her by her class…
On this matter, I had no choice but to agree with Taniguchi. I was very much looking forward to seeing it. Oh, yes.
What are you reading this Tuesday?
- Feb 20, 12
Author: Cole Gibsen
Genre: YA, paranormal, LGBTQIA
Release Date: March 2012 (expected)
Summary: Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline had given her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn’t explain her dreams of 15th-century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings.
☆: 1/5 – If you’d like an accurate portrayal of Japanese history thrown in with your paranormal romance, this is not the book for you.
Review: DNF as of page 66. I cannot in good conscience as someone with a BA in the history, language, and culture of Japan recommend this as even a bit of light reading. There were so many bits of this that infuriated me (poor character development, a shoddy main arc that needed at least two more drafts to smooth out, flimsy banter, and a gay stereotypical male best friend who felt as if he were thrown in there for the sake of diversity), that it just made me want to throw Mr. Nook across the room in a fit of rage.
Guys, you know I love retellings, and I love risky retellings of historical figures even more. But this was nowhere even close to either of those but instead poorly researched and relying way too much on Tarentino’s work (I loved “Kill Bill”, but at least Tarentino knew what he was doing as he did have some education of the subject matter when making the film) to help prop up her own work.So in return, I offer you this quick history lesson to correct where Gibsen has failed the readers in terms of history research:
There were no female samurai during the Sengoku Period (or any other period), but there were onna bugeisha, which were female family members of noble houses trained to defend during times of war. They fought alongside samurai during these times of war (the one of 1493, ending Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s reign is where part of this book takes place), but by no means were they accorded the same rights or other social benefits as samurai. They were sisters, mothers, housewives given swords to help defend their lord and that’s all they were – their roles only diverged from typical women’s roles under the duress of wartime conditions.
This isn’t to say that there weren’t some exceptions to the role, beginning with the pioneer, Empress Jingu of the Yayoi Period, who only rose to power after her husband Emperor Chuuhai was killed in battle in 200AD. She was not a warrior but an empress, and is known for leading the more or less bloodless Japanese conquest of Korea within that period. Another example of the exception is Tomoe Gozen, wife of Minamoto Yoshinaka (of the Minamoto clan, you may know them from “Heike Monogatari” as they’re kind of a big deal), who accompanied him into battle during the Genpei war. She is believed to have both fought and survived that war with her husband. We’re not really sure if she actually existed, she still heavily affected history as a legendary figure to look up to for women who were able to become onna bugeisha. During the same period, Hojo Masako did exist and was the first onna bugeisha known for putting her hand in politics, becoming one of the first shogunate nun-wives (she became a Buddhist nun after her husband died) and became Shikken (regent) while waiting for her son to come of age and take control of the Kamakura shogunate. The most recent and final is Nakano Takeko of Aizu (daughter of a high-up Aizu official) who fought and died in the Boshin war in the 19th century (the Edo period). She helped lead the unofficial Joshitai (women’s corp) of female volunteer soldiers of the Imperial Army during this time.
What do all of these women have in common? They’re nobility or close to it. Someone who was not married into the noble class or directly part of their family would most likely not been able to qualify as one of the rare onna bugeishi. As far as I could tell by the information given to the audience, Senshi (I chuckled at her name, I’ll admit – senshi meaning “warrior”) was not of the noble class, and thus not quite socially qualified for her role as onna bugeisha.
And for what we know of history, in most cases they did not use katana, but naginata (Japanese polearms) in battle instead.
End of history lesson (and many thanks to wikipedia for helping to refresh my memory on Japanese history).
However, Gibsen completely disregards this piece of actual and very important piece of Japanese history and makes it into a farce – where the female samurai gets reincarnated into a white girl’s body, and the samurai gets reincarnated into a Korean man’s body. Korea and Japan have never really been friends until very recently (within the past 20-30 years recently), and Korea is still pretty mad at Japan for annexing them and using their women as “comfort women” during WWII. So, while I appreciate the effort to break down cultural barriers with this romance and reincarnation and try a retelling of actual history by the author in this story, this book really needed more research and a few more drafts to smooth the rough edges off. It felt unfinished and very unstable in so many technical areas. I think I might have liked it better had it had more of the aforesaid fixes.
Needless to say, anyone who knows their Japanese history? Don’t read this. You’ll just get angry. For those who want an actual, accurate, and respectful portrayal of an actual horrible battle, don’t read this. I see all of the raving reviews and just shake my head, because all this book is doing is reinforcing stereotypes. For those who do want to read this book…well, might I suggest you go and do Tarentino a solid and watch “Kill Bill” instead? At least he knew his subject matter in order to play with it as he desired.
- Feb 20, 12
Author: Dan Wells
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Sci-fi
Release Date: February 2012 (expected)
Summary: The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials–engineered organic beings identical to humans–has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.
Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what’s left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she’s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them–connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.
☆: 5/5 – one of the best of 2012 so far, hands down!
Review: Wow. That’s all that needs to be said about “Partials” as a novel – just…wow. I pretty much devoured this one in one or two sittings, and the world that Wells managed to build in 300+ pages was not only tightly and neatly packaged, but tautly wrought with a future that seems all too plausible complete with wars, epidemics, more wars, and a dystopia that seems necessary for everyone to survive. I wasn’t expected to be knocked on my ass at how awesome this book was, but in the end, I was. “Partials” is very easily one of the best of 2012 so far because not only is it so well-written, but very accessible for those not used to or those not really into apocalyptic/dystopian genre books.
Though we never do get a definition for what RM stands for, that’s the virus that devours 99.9% of the human population fifty years from now. It seems that Wells did his virological homework, because all of the public health/infection disease aspects made sense. It wasn’t some mystery infection, or one that seemed too far out of the realm of possibility. We all know that our extinction event is coming (I seem to recall Scully in “X-Files” calling it “The Sixth Extinction”), and a virus presenting itself as the human extinction event makes total sense. Even if Wells didn’t do too much research, he did enough to start the basis of this world that he creates after a war with China and a war with our own supersoldiers. He ups the ante so much that there’s only 40,000+ people left in the US, possibly in the entire world, which lays the foundation for the dystopia that’s there to “save the human race”.Tension on top of tension, Wells does all of this with surprising grace and with few words wasted. I did not lose interest, nor did any part of this novel drag at any given time. The characters he creates are also very well-rounded – the Partials, he gives a history that’s short but just enough to get us through what seems to be this first book in what’s at least a duology of books, and for the rest of our human characters, he gives them equally short but adequate backstory to get all of the arcs and sub-arcs up and running at the beginning of the book. Kira, because she’s the heroine, gets the most backstory, but as there aren’t too many people left in the US and as most of them are in this city/town of East Meadow, everyone knows everyone else, so they have a very large shared history together. Creating shared histories in one cast of characters is very difficult when they’re all on one side (either a cast of protagonists or a cast of antagonists), but Wells pulls this off very well. Everyone feels like a real person, this future feels like a very real future, and the antagonists (Partials and various other characters) feel like very real antagonists.
What’s the best part? Wells leaves us on a cliffhanger, and a masterful one, at that. But Usagi, you say, I thought you hated/were tired of cliffhangers and series! Oh, to you, dear reader, I say that I usually am quite tired of both – but Wells does this so very well that I have no problem with Partials expanding into two (or possibly three) books. The world he built is definitely big enough for them, and there’s so much more story to be told in it that it just couldn’t fit into one book unless you want a George R. R. Martin-sized tome as a book.
And one more thing I have to applaud – Wells bringing up the sticky issue of women’s productive rights. Much like Julia Karr’s “XVI” series and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaiden’s Tale”, there’s the question with the Hope Act in this book if one makes pregnancy at least once a year from the age of 16 onward is a disruption of privacy or of the government putting its hands on the citizens’ female bodies. I won’t go much further into detail as it gets spoilery, but Wells asks the reader to think on it throughout the entire sub-plot of the Hope Act. For a female author to bring it up, well, as it’s the female body in question, it makes sense. But when a male author brings it up, I just have to stand up and give him a sincere round of applause because it’s just so ballsy to do that, considering where the usual comfort zones are in the western world about sex and the female body. Just look at that last Congress hearing we had last week, guys – no females on the panel about the question of employers having to give female employers help with contraception. The fact that Wells brings up this issue makes me love “Partials” even more.
Final verdict? If you’re going to read a dystopian book this year with very current politics involved, pick “Partials”. It’s sparse but elegant and will definitely get you thinking. “Partials” hits stores here in North America on February 28th, elsewhere, check with your local store. Definitely check this one out, guys.
- Feb 20, 12
So, I’ve seen this feature on a few book blogs out there, and decided to make this feature my own. After suggestions from friends, Manga Mondays comes to Birth of a New Witch! I’ll try to give equal billing to manga being released both in the US and in Japan, since US licensing takes awhile and I read manga in both languages. I want to cater to other fans out there who do the same.
Confused by some of the terms I use in this feature? See Week 1 for clarification on my most commonly used terms.
And now, to this week’s US and Japanese choices!
Week 6 (US Release): “Mardock Scramble: Volume 4″
Title: “Mardock Scramble: Volume 4″
Author: Ubakata Tow
Artist: Yoshitoki Oma
Release Date: December 21, 2011 (US/North America)
Translation Company/US Publisher: Kodansha USA
Summary: Make a fresh start in Eden.
Wounded in a tragic and bloody fight with Boiled, Rune is rescued and brought to Eden, a former research institution. In Eden, she finds peace – but all of that could come crashing down around her when an assassin invades the tranquil garden of her new home.
Usagi’s Take: Though the adaptation for this wonderful trilogy could be better, the art is pretty sweet, and they really do a nice job with Oeufcoque (yay golden mice!). However, I think that if you like your sci-fi hard and fast, you’ll love the “Mardock” story. I know I do. And I love the way they managed to recreate Eden/the Humpty Dumpty for Rune, Oeufcoque, Easter, and the rest. I will warn you – the violence is VERY graphic in this adaptation, though the sex part is played down a great deal. It will be sealed if you purchase it in a brick and mortar store. So I’d recommend this to the older YA audience and adults just because of all of the blood. Still, even if that turns you off, I urge you to read it – consider this your introduction to the original novels, which are even better.
Week 6 (Japanese Release): “Dokuhime (Poison Princess): Volume 1″ by Mitsukazu Mihara
Title: “Dokuhime (Poison Princess): Volume 1″
Author: Mitsukazu Mihara
Artist: Mitsukazu Mihara
Release Date: 2004
Publisher: Asahi Shinbunsha
Summary: It starts with poisonous herbs under the cradle. Then under the sheets. And inside the clothes. Even mixed in the milk that they feed the newborn. This way the child gradually gets used to poisons and becomes the perfect assassination tool – the “Poison Princess” whose every kiss, tear, and even touch bring death. Her only chance of survival is to fulfill her duty as an assassin and find a way to live on in the enemy land she is sent to… if her heart is strong enough.
Usagi’s Take: Mitsukazu Mihara is one of my favorite artists, and I actually discovered this title while I was doing my year abroad in Japan. “Dokuhime” is such a feast for the eyes, and the story (much like “Grave Mercy”, which is due to be released by R.L. La Fevers here soon) is full of fairy tales, ass-kicking, and girl assassins. Oh, and very scenic as well – huge two-page spreads full of sweeping landscapes with our heroine, saying nothing but with the art really talking instead. Mitsukazu’s art has made Stateside, but not this title. I hope it’ll be licensed soon. You can still buy the “Doll” series as well as “RIP”, “Beautiful People”, and “Haunted House” (even though Tokyopop has stopped publishing it, copies can be found for relatively cheap) in English, so I highly recommend this title if you’re into more feminine tales though Mitsukazu does specialize in making her tales crossover to appeal to both genders.
What about you? Do you read manga? If so, feel free to participate with your own manga monday segment and link up in the comments section!
- Feb 20, 12
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It’s where I list all the books I desperately want but haven’t actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.
Week 46: Desperately looking for the following ARCs: “Black Heart”, “For the Darkness Come the Stars”, “Bitterblue”, and more! Let me know if you’re willing to send me a copy! If you want to send me a copy of your book for review, email me at usagiko at gmail dot com to let me know.
Here’s what’s on my wishlist this week:
“Tiger Lily” by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Synopsis: 15 year old Tiger Lily, proud and fierce, wild and misunderstood, doesn’t believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland, and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she’s ever known. Impetuous and brave, big-hearted but hard to reach, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland’s inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything – her family, her future – to be with the haunted, hunted, courageous boy who loves her. When – as a punishment for her rebellious ways – she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she’s always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter. With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it’s the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who’s everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.
Why?: I LOVE “Peter Pan”, and I love retellings even more, so this is definitely the book for me. I’m really looking forward to this one, and July seems so far away! Hopefully I’ll be able to get a galley for it, and if not, I’ll ask my library to order it in. Either way, I’m definitely reading this one this summer!
What’s on your wishlist this week?
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