Mini Review: Grimms Manga by Kei Ishiyama

Title: Grimms Manga
Author: Keiko Ishiyama
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 9 2018
Source: Tokyo POP


Book Description:

In this classic manga version of the Brothers Grimm fairytales, Kei Ishiyama puts her own creative spin on these beloved stories.

Featuring Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, The Two Brothers, The Twelve Hunters, Snow White, The Frog King, Puss in Boots, and The Singing, Springing Lark, this fantasy manga retells these timeless tales... but with a twist of originality!

Review:

★★★★

This is a very cute collection of Grimm-inspired fairy tales done in a manga art style.

I really enjoyed these retellings. It's worth emphasizing that again: these are retellings. If you are looking for exact stories the way the brothers Grimm told them, you're going to be disappointed. These stories all have new twists and changes that succeed in representing what the original story was about, while making it new and unique. For example, some genders are swapped and some morals of the stories are changed.

I adored the artwork. It went well with the text, and showed the flow of the plot so that you could easily see the stories unfold in front of you. Personally, my favorite artwork was for Little Red Riding Hood- I think that the wolf character looks darling.

If you like both fairy tale retellings and manga, you're in luck. This is something you'll want to read. It's a pretty quick read and one I'd definitely look through again.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mini Review: The Petite Fairy's Diary by Jun Asuka

Title: Fairies: The Petite Fairy's Diary
Series: Disney Fairies
Author: Jun Asuka
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: December 2017
Source: Tokyo POP


Book Description:

Petite is the smallest fairy in all of Neverland. She’s even smaller than a bug! Petite’s small size makes her clumsier than all of the other fairies in Pixie Hollow. With the Moon Banquet coming soon, all of the fairies must present their talents to Queen Clarion, but Petite hasn’t found her talent yet! Can Petite find her talent before the Moon Banquet in just a few days?

Join the fairies of Pixie Hollow in another whimsical adventure!

Review:

★★★★

I love Disney, manga, and fairies, so the new Disney Fairies Manga series is definitely right up my alley. Though I wasn't crazy about Vidia and the Fairy Crown, I saw that this upcoming edition to the series had a different author/artist so I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did, as I liked this one better!

The characters are really cute, and so is the story. It's a feel-good type plot that goes to show that even if you're different, you're fine just the way you are, and in some ways, even better! I think that's a lesson that we all need to hear every once in a while.

I liked the artwork better as well. I found it more detailed, and it went very well with the words on the page.

I think this is a good book for pre-teens/kids who are just starting to get into graphic novels or manga, though if you're older than that you can still certainly enjoy this book.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mini Review: Vidia and the Fairy Crown by Haruhi Kato!

Title: Fairies: Vidia and the Fairy Crown
Author: Haruhi Kato
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: July 25th 2017
Source: Tokyo POP


Book Description:

When Queen Clarion's crown goes missing on the night of Pixie Hollow's biggest bas, all fingers point to one thief - the rude and standoff-ish fairy Vidia! To keep from being banished from Pixie Hollow forever, Vidia goes on an outrageous hunt for the crown that takes her from one end of Neverland to the other. Can she find the crown in time to save Vida's reputation.

Review:

★★★

I love Disney. Love love love love it. I'm a big fan of their novelizations and manga adaptations as well, so I was really happy to pick this one up. It's a pretty cute book.

The artwork isn't my favorite, but it's pretty cute.

The story is really simple and a bit lacking in my humble opinion, but I really liked the attention that was paid to the characters. You really got to know them and got a lot of information about them, and got to watch them change over the course of the story.

I think it'd be a good book for the pre-teen age, though it's certainly enjoyable beyond that. If you like Disney or Tinkerbell, or even just fairies, it may be worth checking out. Personally, I enjoyed it well enough but it's not something I'll likely re-read in the future.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Meet Your Matcha by Joanna Farrow

Title: Meet Your Matcha
Author: Joanna Farrow
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 19th 2017
Source: Nourish


Book Description:

Matcha teas and lattes have become a staple of every coffee shop and health food store. A beloved ingredient in Japan for generations, it is a powdered green tea that is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, and gives a slow-release caffeine boost through the day. Praised by everyone from Ella Woodward to the Hemsleys, one glass of matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content. But there is so much more you can do with this miracle ingredient.

Packed with over 50 recipes for smoothies, soups, main meals and more, Meet Your Matcha will allow you to unlock the potential of this brilliant green ingredient. From a Matcha Sushi Salad and Matcha Chicken and Ginger Dumplings to Breakfast Smoothie Bowls or a Dark Chocolate and Matcha Layer Cake, these delicious dishes will let you make the most of your matcha.

Review:

★★★

Matcha is one of my favorite ingredients, though it is not something that is in my usual repertoire of handy dandy everyday ingredients. But, I was excited to give this cookbook ago because it has so many recipes. Overall, it delivered.

The book is divided into course types, including: smoothies and breakfast, main meals, sides and salads, desserts and cakes, sweet treats, and teas, juices, and cocktails. This makes it pretty easy to navigate.

I was happy that there were so many types of recipes. So many matcha books are either strictly tea, or they only include desserts. I appreciate that this one has main courses and salads and cocktails included in it. I wouldn't think to add matcha to a main dish, but here we are, and I'm definitely wanting to try it.

The steps are easy to follow. They're short, blunt, and to the point. They're also numbered. In my opinion, this makes it a great book for a beginner to get started in cooking with tea. The author gives a lot of suggestions for dairy free and meat free options, so if you have allergies, or are vegan/vegetarian, there's still items in this book that you can enjoy too.

Some of the ingredients could be a little vague, like "soft cheese", with no suggestions. I appreciate the rope you're giving me to explore, but even a personal recommendation tip would have been appreciated. It's also a bit hard to read all the ingredients because it's very busy. Listed it has cups, ounces, and grams all listed in one row. Also, there were times ingredients were listed twice with different verbiage, like caster/granulated sugar or groundnut/peanut. Counting on a conversion chart or a glossary list would have cleaned it up better.

With that out of the way, some of these recipes sound absolutely delicious. Some of the ones I'm most excited to try include Thai Prawn Cakes with Matchilli Sauce, Halloumi and Wild Rice Matcha-Spiked Pilaf, and Blueberry Matcheesecake.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Kawaii Doodle Class by Zainab Khan

Title: Kawaii Doodle Class: Sketching Super-Cute Tacos, Sushi, Clouds, Flowers, Monsters, Cosmetics, and More
Author: Zainab Khan
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: September 1st 2017
Source: Publisher


Book Description:

The Japanese word kawaii translates to "cute," and this how-to book is chock-full of super-adorable images of tacos, sushi, smoothies, clouds, rainbows, cacti, doodle monsters, Christmas trees, lipsticks, teacups, and more for your adoration.

Popular kawaii artist Zainab Khan shows you how to draw 75 super-cute characters with simple step-by-step illustrations and instructions. She has also included fun search-and-find images and inspiration boards that show you how to give your characters different facial expressions and zany accessories.

Thanks to this crash course in Kawaii Doodle Class, soon you will be enhancing your notebooks, stationery, artwork, and more with your own unique kawaii world!

Review:

★★★

This is such a cute book idea. I mean look at the cover. It's pastel and adorable! I'm not really artistic, but I do consider myself a "Doodler"- that is, I sketch or draw here and there but I don't really put a lot of effort into learning how to make good art. So, this book was the perfect fit for me.

The book is divided into chapters: Adorable Food & Drinks, Lovable Nature, Cheerful Doodle Monsters, Everyday Cute, Charming Holiday Decorations, and Fun Time!

Adorable Food & Drinks includes a Popsicle, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Sushi. Lovable Nature has a planet and a succulent. Cheerful Doodle Monsters contains a cute little cast of different styled monsters. Everyday Cute has household items such as a cooking pot and a bottle of foundation, and Holiday Decorations has a Christmas stocking and an Easter Egg. Fun time has coloring pages and puzzles.

The good thing about this book is that it's simple. None of the doodles are extra complicated, and many only need a few strokes. The steps are numbered, and are written in very understandable terms. Each step is also illustrated, so you can see step by step how the illustrator made each design. I appreciate that level of detail in the writing.

Each chapter has a few blank pages so that you can practice what you've learned. This is a great idea if you have a physical copy, but loses something in a digital format (also true of the coloring pages, but I love that those were included!). There's also "get inspired" pages that show other, similar doodles from the author. I liked this, because the purpose is that hey, anything can be cute! But I was also a little bummed because I liked quite a few of these "bonus" doodles better than the ones that are in the chapter, and I'd rather they be featured. I also think it's a little weird that the author suggests that you study their facial expressions for inspiration, but they almost all have virtually identical features. It got a bit boring after awhile.

Some designs are a little too simple- like a heart or a star. Some don't really look much like the intended item (like the fried egg).

All in all, I think this is a cute book. I think it'd be a good children's gift, perhaps for a child who's just starting to get into drawing. It's also a good book if, like me, you're not really good at drawing. It'll ensure that you can at least draw a few new cute things. I enjoyed this book, but I probably won't go back to it in the future.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: American MaleWhore in Tokyo by Rowen Boozewell

Title: American MaleWhore in Tokyo
Author: Rowen Boozewell
Format: Paperback, Fun Fact Edition, 372 pages
Pub. Date: February 14th 2014
Source: Author


Book Description:

American MaleWhore in Tokyo tells the tale of a loveable (alright, likeable (alright, tolerable)) douchebag who moves to Tokyo to become a host and live out the modern day male American dream. It’s an explicit and groin-grabbingly entertaining story that sheds light on a little known world where fun-loving, good-hearted people can often inflict heart-wrenching, irreparable damage. A ribald study in relationships, relations, and laughter.

This is the Fun Fact edition, and as such it contains a mind-blowing and/or crassy fun fact by the main character, John Box, at the end of each chapter. The addition of fun facts is the only difference between the versions.

WARNING: This book is intended for mature audiences. Well, maybe not “mature” audiences, it’s more for immature audiences. People who laugh at the word poop, but who have somehow managed to learn to read, and are admitted into R-rated movies. But I guess it’s also for mature audiences looking for a break from books that deal mainly in descriptions of the smell of colors, the sound of light, and the feel of words, and other such poppycock.

For Fake Praise and other info, please visit: https://www.createspace.com/4644781

Review:

★★★★

This book is well outside my normal wheelhouse of books. I do love Japan, and I like to laugh, so I decided to give this one a go. That said, I am so glad that I got a chance to read this, because it's fucking funny.

It follows the saga of Piston Honda, a douchebag who works at a Japanese host club. It's full of clubs and sex and debauchery and Japan and it's one beautiful disaster of hilarity.

I don't understand why "Piston Honda" aka John Box is so likable, but he is. Picture that one rock star that you're a little bit in love with. Even though he bangs everything, and has a coke problem, and is always in the tabloids. The one who you'd still chill with and who cracks that smile and you overlook all the manwhoring tomfoolery (how old AM I that I use that word?). That's similar to how I feel about this guy. He's a douchebag, but in the lovable kind of way. The guy who tells you the best stories at the bar that you wonder how he's still alive.

It's also pretty educational about Japan, from a perspective that you don't normally hear about, which was pretty cool. Life over there isn't all Hello Kitty and hentai like the internet suggests, yanno? Still want to visit, but with all sorts of new information in mind.

This book is definitely a "guy" book. Not that women can't enjoy it, blah blah blah. But if you don't find dick jokes, poop, or sex entertaining or funny.... This is gonna be your personal hell, buddy. If that's right up your alley, or if you like Japan, or if you love a good asshole rogue as a main character, or if you are just looking to laugh, this is a great book to fill the void.

The author was awesome enough to send me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review with no shenanigans.

Review: The Snowbirds by Jim Fitzsimmons

Title: The Snowbirds
Author: Jim Fitzsimmons
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: March 28 2015
Source: Troubador Publishing


Book Description via Goodreads:

In a small Japanese mountain village, young Shoji enters an ice carving competition. He soon finds he has a rival in Orochi, another boy in the village, who tries to sabotage Shoji’s entry, but with the help of his family Shoji creates a most beautiful Snowbird.

When the other ice carvings are revealed they discover that Orochi has stolen Shoji’s idea and has also carved an equally beautiful Snowbird. The judges cannot decide the winner of the competition so they announce that the result will be declared the next morning.

During the night Jack Frost discovers the two Snowbirds and thinks one of them will make an ideal companion for his Grandfather Frost, the Snow King. At the same time Shoji, anxious for the safety of his Snowbird, sneaks out of his house and meets Jack Frost who explains his plan. Shoji agrees to let him have his Snowbird, but they are both interrupted by the arrival of Orochi who demands payment in return for his.

Jack Frost brings the Snowbirds to life and tells them they must travel to the North Pole where his Grandfather will choose one of them to be his companion. On their journey they meet different characters and encounter many difficulties until they both finally arrive, but which one will be chosen? Jack Frost has a cunning idea to help his Grandfather decide…

The Snowbirds is a magical tale that will be enjoyed by children from the age of seven. In the style of a full length novel, it will help the younger reader progress to more challenging literature, while providing a thrilling read for those who are older.

Review:

★★★

I was really excited to read this book. I really like books that involve Japanese themes and culture. I also really enjoy fantasy. Plus on top of that, my father was (in his prime) a competitive ice carver. So I thought that this would be one that I loved. I enjoyed it well enough, but overall it was a really average read for me.

I really liked the fantasy elements and how they were blended into the story. I also rather liked the writing style. It was very pretty and it flowed well to me, but it seemed a bit displaced. This book is for children, and the main character is a child as well. It came off as very adult- I don't know any children who would think or speak like this.

This book was clearly written as a moral story, which is fine. But for me, this whole moral of being selfless was waaaay too prominent. It was blunt and forced in the reading, as opposed to letting the story unwrap the lesson to be learned from the story. It was hammering, to see the point of the story get across.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous as well, and I think it is a fairly good representation of the story within its pages.

This wasn't a bad book by any means, but it's not one that I'd read again. I don't have children, so I can't be a proper judge of how this story is received, but I think it may lend itself well to being read aloud and not for them to read on their own.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway- The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

Title: The Girl from the Well
Author: Rin Chupeco
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: August 5th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Sourcebooks Fire



Summary:

The Ring meets The Exorcist in this haunting and lyrical reimagining of the Japanese fable.

Okiku has wandered the world for hundreds of years, setting free the spirits of murdered children. Wherever there’s a monster hurting a child, her spirit is there to deliver punishment. Such is her existence, until the day she discovers a troubled American teenager named Tark and the dangerous demon that writhes beneath his skin, trapped by a series of intricate tattoos. Tark needs to be freed, but there is one problem—if the demon dies, so does its host.

With the vigilante spirit Okiku as his guide, Tark is drawn deep into a dark world of sinister doll rituals and Shinto exorcisms that will take him far from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Japan. Can Okiku protect him from the demon within or will her presence bring more harm? The answer lies in the depths of a long-forgotten well.

★★★★ ★

Four and a half stars.

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I don't read nearly enough scary stories, and to be perfectly honest, I have no idea why. I enjoy them, but maybe I wore myself out a bit with them in my younger days. Regardless, when I saw that The Girl from the Well was influenced by Japanese folklore, I knew I needed to read it. I'm very glad I took a chance on this one, it's one that will stay on my mind for awhile to come.

The narration is beautiful. It's very poetic and soothing, and yet has a haunting, ominous tone starting from the very first page and continuing onward throughout the book. It's a very strange but equally pleasant sense of calm that you know won't last for very long, and yet you let yourself get lost in the dream-like prose. And then of course, you are yanked to attention by something creepy and crawly and freaky.

While I won't say this book scared me, I would definitely say that it creeped me out. There's a lot of vivid imagery that conjures up images of rot and decay and death. It, of course, goes hand in hand with the plot of the story, and let's just say that having read this book, I definitely would not want to run into Okiku in a dark alleyway.

Another thing that truly sets this apart is the Japanese themes and settings. I don't read a lot of young adult books featuring Asian characters or settings, so this was an aspect that I found especially engaging and enthralling. (I admit that a large part of this fascination is because I'm taking both a Japanese language course and an Asian religions course this semester of college, but I digress.)

The characters were unique and interesting and altogether captivating. It was addictive reading about Okiku and Tark and how their lives tangle together. I am not just blowing smoke when I say that I personally have never read a book quite like this one before, and I mean that in the absolute best way possible. This is my first reading experience with Rin Chupeco, but after completing this book I can say with certainty that it won't be the last (provided that she gives me more books to devour, of course).

I also really liked the cover of The Girl from the Well. It's eerie and simple and creepy all at once, and it would look absolutely lovely on my Gothic/horror shelf.

I'd recommend this to fans of horror/paranormal YA, those with an interest in Japan, or younger fans of movies such as "The Grudge" or "The Ring." Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author:
Despite uncanny resemblances to Japanese revenants, Rin Chupeco has always maintained her sense of humor. Raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds, and a husband. She’s been a technical writer and travel blogger, but now makes things up for a living. The Girl from the Well is her debut novel. Connect with Rin at www.rinchupeco.com.

Giveaway:

Now, here's your chance to win a copy of The Girl from the Well!

The Rules:
-This giveaway will run from September 22nd to September 30th, 2014.
-This giveaway is open to those 13+ and is USA & CANADA ONLY.
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a copy.
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the publisher.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using Rafflecopter.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mini Review: 47 Ronin

Title: 47 Ronin
Author: Stan Sakai, Mike Richardson
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: February 19th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Dark Horse Comics

★★★

Three stars.

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47 Ronin is a true national story from Japan of a group of samurai that avenge the death of their leader, using extreme examples of bravery, courage, and loyalty.

I'm not going to lie to you, I was unfamiliar with this story until I saw the movie version in theaters. When I found out, during the course of the film, that it is in fact a well known legend, I did a bit of research to learn a bit more information. And then I logged onto Netgalley, saw this graphic novel interpretation, and knew that I had to give it a read.

The artwork is very simplistic, but in a good sense. It looks very traditional to me (someone who has absolutely no knowledge of Japanese art history). The writing was also simple and easy to understand, but I felt that it was lacking. I think it was the character depth/connection. It's very hard to get that across in the confines of a comic, and unfortunately I feel that's the case for this story as well. However, I did really enjoy the additional information provided at the end of the book, as well as the footnotes throughout.

This is a solid read for those with an interest in revenge, samurai, or Japanese culture. Thank you to Netgalley & Dark Horse Comics for the chance to read this.