About:
With a father who's a singer, a mother who's a movie star, and an older brother Shougo who's the lead vocalist for the super-popular band "The Crusherz," Sena Izumi--an otaku college student--is the only dull one born into this super-famous and talented family. He loves "Magical Girl LalaLulu" and is working hard to become a mangaka, but one day he winds up appearing in a TV commercial he just can't turn down. There, he's reunited with Ichijou Ryouma, the super-popular young actor he costarred with on a project ten years prior.
Links to read:
Mangafox: http://mangafox.me/manga/love_stage/
Mangahere: http://www.mangahere.co/manga/love_stage/c001/3.html
Goodmanga: http://www.goodmanga.net/love_stage/chapter/1
I love Love Stage!! I saw the anime fistr and couldn't get enough of it. The manga is just as good and I love the fact that it also continues after the anime so we get more story time with the characters. This is a really good pick if you love yoai/boys love or always wanted to check it out but didn't know where to start. This was my first boy's love anime and my gateway drug for it so I highly recommend it.
**If there is a book, manga, movie, anime, etc. that you love and want to share with everyone then comment about it below and it will appear in the next spotlight monday**
Hey guys,
So today is the first day of the Liberty City Anime Convention and I'm so excited to go! Like last time, I will be taking pictures and will post them on Tuesday. So have a great weekend and I can't wait to tell you all about it!
-Samantha
About:
It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just...disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?
Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.
Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?
Kiss a stranger? Um...
Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she'll find?
Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?
My Review:
I loved this book so much. I've only read one other book by Morgan Matson and I didn't like it very much so I was so happy to find something of hers that I really enjoyed. I read this book in one sitting. I didn't want to stop reading. I loved that I could easily connect with the characters. This was a fun book to read. It's fabulous for the summer since it also takes place during the summer as well.
This book is about Emily, who is very shy and socially awkward. She got around that through her friend Sloane. When Sloane disappears, Emily panics. When she finds the list Sloane gave her she sets out to complete the list hoping that in doing so she will find her. Along the way of this incredible journey Emily makes new friends and gains many experiences.
I loved Emily simply because she's a lot like me. I'm really shy and it takes a while to get me out of my shell. If I'm not comfortable then I'm not the greatest social person. Though I can get myself through if I have to. Emily is really shy and stumbles through conversation. She would rather hang out alone with Sloane than with other people. She attached herself to Sloane. Sloane was her rock and life saver. So losing her was a big shock to Emily. I loved seeing her grow throughout the book. It was great seeing that each task made her stronger inside. It was really refreshing and I have to say she was amazing. Frank was an interesting character. He was a prime example on not to judge a book from its cover. Everyone called him a boy scout. He went to Princeton seminars and protested a lot of things. He was always helping others out. But he wasn't just that. He loves weird bands and comedy shows. There was a lot more to him than what the others just saw. I liked that he helped out Emily with he list. He was great support but he didn't take over like Sloane did. He was different which was great for Emily. Collins is Frank's best friend and soon becomes friends with Emily too. He wasn't a major character but he said some things that really struck with me. He wasn't the most important character but he wasn't useless. He was pretty funny at times and I enjoyed all the scenes he was in. Dawn was cute too. She was great in building up Emily's confidence and helping her out check stuff off the list. I would have liked to have seen more of her spending time with Emily though. All the characters were great and interesting.
The plot was great. It was never boring and kept me interested from beginning to end. It wasn't cliche at all either which was great. I also liked how it had some real life lessons in there that the readers can learn from. I'm a little bit in a reading slump again and this was a great book to pull me out of it. I hope to read more books like this in the future.
Overall, I really loved this book. I couldn't get enough of it. The characters and plot were great. There were a few things that I felt were unresolved. It would have been better if they were but oh well. I was really satisfied with the book otherwise. I also love how there was a little bit of romance int he book but it wasn't part of the main story line. I was really satisfied with this book. I highly recommend this book to those who love coming of age stories or are shy like Emily.
Stars:
About:
In the Sasazuka neighborhood of the Shibuya district of Tokyo, newly minted part-time burger-flipper and former Devil King Satan (now known as Sadao Maou) clashes with Lucifer, a fallen angel who used to serve him! But how will the onetime king deal with his rival now that his magic power's run dry? Now that the devil is one of us, he's going to have to get creative!
My Review:
This volume was a lot like the anime. So, there wasn't much different and very little surprises. If you haven't seen the anime though I think you would find this volume interesting. I didn't dislike this volume at all. I loved seeing the character's thoughts and actions. I couldn't really see their thoughts in the anime. I hope the next couple volumes just keep getting better.
In this volume, both Sadao and Emi are betrayed by their allies and they have to join forces to defeat them. Sadao also finds a way to regain some of his former powers and gains a chance to return back to his home world. Also this chance to fight together might end up ceasing their distrust of each other.
Sadao is still such a dumb-a$$ in this volume. I mean he's so cheeky and confident. He could also be such an idiot at times. But there are times where he seem's really caring and he doesn't even realize that about himself. I really like that about himself. I love his character a lot and hope he doesn't change too much throughout the series. I might want him to mature a bit though. Emi is still her prideful self not letting her get close to the devil king and forever vowing to stay near him until he gives up on going back to their world. She's also very stubborn and loves to yell at Sadao a lot. I like her a lot. She's funny but is a good addition to the group. She's smart, sharp, and is nice. Despite her faults she's an awesome character. I especially love how she interacts with Sadao. Ashiya is the awesome sidekick to Sadao. He's not the strongest or sharpest character but he's really good support in and out of battle. Ashiya was really comical in this volume. I love how he scolded Sadao in the middle of a battle. It was cute. Ashiya is no where near my favorite character but this series wouldn't be the same without him. I was so excited to see Lucifer in this volume. He was one of my favorites in the anime and he was as awesome in the manga as well as he was in the anime. I can't wait to see more of him in the next set of volumes. Chiho wasn't in this volume as much but she was still as cute as ever. I love her character so much and her crush on Sadao makes her so adorable. I just want to give her a hug.
The plot is as good as the anime. There wasn't much different. I hope the manga brings on some new stuff to the plate otherwise it could get a little underwhelming. I bet it will though. The art is still great. I think I liked seeing it animated better but otherwise this was great. I loved Sadao's devil form. I thought he looked so cool. Not very scary but I'd take cool over scary any day.
Overall, I enjoyed this volume a lot. I mean it was still so funny and my favorite character finally showed up to play. The characters were great and I love the little gags thrown in there. I mean Emi will never learn with those stairs. I highly recommend this manga if you love magic, comedy, and action. If you're a little iffy on that stuff then you should pass. If you don;r like reading manga at all then you should definitely watch the anime. It's really good. I reviewed it here on my blog if you haven't seen it.
Stars:
About:
Farrah "Digit" Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping--all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in...
Links to buy:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/054766852X/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=054766852X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-girl-named-digit-annabel-monaghan/1105867488?ean=9780547668529
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Girl-Named-Digit-Annabel-Monaghan/9780547668529?&a_aid=goodreads
Half: http://product.half.ebay.com/A-Girl-Named-Digit-Undercover-under-Pressure-and-Underestimated-by-Annabel-Monaghan-2012-Hardcover/154392103&cpid=5000042229961
I liked this book a lot when reading it. It ended up being a lot better than I thought it would be. I even re-read it a couple times. I haven't read the second book yet so I hope it's just as good as the first. This book is for lovers of action, slight mystery, suspense and romance. This is a good end of summer read.
**If there is a book, manga, movie, anime, etc and want to share it with everyone then comment about it below and it will appear in the next Spotlight Monday**
About:
Princess Nakaba of Senan is forced to marry Prince Caesar of the enemy country Belquat, tantamount to becoming a hostage. While Caesar is pleasing to the eye, he is also selfish and possessive, telling Nakaba outright: "You are my property." With only her attendant Loki at her side, Nakaba must find a way to cope with her hostile surroundings, her fake marriage...and a mysterious power!
My Review:
I wasn't sure I wanted to read this manga. I mean it is right up my alley in plot but I was just afraid of wasting my money. Luckily a friend of mine owned a copy so I just borrowed it from her. I ended up loving this volume. It was very interesting. It was half what I was expecting and the other was full of surprises to what I thought was going on. I'm really glad I was able to read this volume.
In this volume, Princess Nakaba is married to Prince Caesar as part of a shaky treaty that no one expects to lasts. She is expecting to be killed sometimes soon because she's from the enemy country and her red hair. Only those with black hair are noble. Along with her attendant, Loki, she's trying to find her place in her new home, trying to deal with Caesar, and slowly discovering her new ability.
I kind of liked Princess Nakaba. I mean she seemed like a strong person. Despite going through the things she has and being in a place where everyone hates her, she still acts confident and doesn't shrink back. I still don't know too much about her since I only read one volume but I like what I have seen so far. Prince Caesar was interesting. At first he seemed like such a jerk. I mean I hated him so much for how he treated Nakaba but then I saw a bit of his childhood which made me understand why he acts the way he does. It doesn't excuse his actions at all but it helps to know why. I'm curious on how he will change throughout the series, if he ever does. Loki is probably the most mysterious of the three. I mean I find him so intriguing. He obviously cares for Nakaba but I wonder if he has other motives which involve her. Nothing creepy, but he may know a thing or two about her that she doesn't even know herself. So far, I like all the characters and can't wait to see more of them in the future.
The plot is very interesting. You have a princess given to an enemy country to force a peace treaty that in the past has never ended well and not only is she struggling with everything she has a new power to deal with. It makes me wonder if she will end up trying to bring the two countries together or destroy them both. Or maybe she will just leave. I'm really curious on what the overall plot is. There was some good build up here. The art was good. I liked the cover a lot and I love Princess Nakaba's hair. I also loved how Loki's kind looked. I thought it was cute and interesting.
Overall, I throughly enjoyed this manga. I already downloaded the next volume on my phone and am excited to get a jump on it. I hope the next volume is better than this one. I highly recommend this manga to lovers of fantasy, action, drama, and romance. If you're still unsure then I say give it a chance anyway because it could surprise you like it did me.
Stars:
