[fiction] The Boy Next Door

By: Meggin Cabot (Author of Princess' Diaries)

This was a really good read especially after all that after-drama sadness and sighing after watching 5cm per Second. That was a really, really depressing anime. But now with this hilarious book we've got smiles. It was a little lighthearted and a way to well planned. I loved it all the way. Not only that to my surprise I thought the first page was like one of those dumb things on the beginning that I don't really care about personally XD. Like some publisher advertising lol.

As the semi title says (barely read on the cover) "there's nothing average about: The Boy Next Door". True to it's word, it's not about teenagers doing stupid dramatic things, but it's more on the line of e-mails in co-workers and such. In fact the whole story is about e-mails. Comes to show how many people you can meet in a month just by exchanging mail at work (a.k.a slacking off but George for some reason doesn't say much until they all gather up in the ladies' room all at the same time XD. Funny how no one gets fired).

Mel doesn't appear at work one day because her 80 year old neighbour is knocked out and into a coma. The old woman's only relative is her son Max Friedlander -- a famous fashion photographer. As soon as taking care of the dog's and cats in Mrs. Friedlander's while she's in a coma starts deeply affecting her work-life and such she decides to call up Max and ask him to come take care of them. Max at the moment is having an extended vacation with the supermodel named Vivica. So Max decides to ask his friend John (who owes him for saving him back then and when from a girl) to take care of the dogs and pretend that he himself is "Max". But soon the fake Max (John) and Mel fall madly in love. How will he tell her he's not the Max she thought he was?

As you can see I got my hands on the FIRST EDITION. Not that great seeing how the cover looks kinda bad. But it's interesting. And... well now that I think about (in the library I was thinking the same thing) that I hadn't actually read a book about "a boy being nextdoor" . So I took it.

It was really interesting. Dramatic nice, well done, crude at points but hey I can live with crude humour any day. (I'm a little like that myself haha). I love how the characters never ever know what anyone else is saying. Heh, loving that cheap laziness with the Zabar's prepared-food section. XD. It's hilarious really. The e-mails are the funniest things ever XD. And the way it all wraps up beautiful and turns around in the matter of two simple pages?

If the message of the story was to show how much e-mails can do to someone and run your life? I guess Meggin got that across XD. This was lots of fun to read. Thanks Meg♥. I guess I'm a sucker for humor XD.

Mark: 10/10

[news] New Books (and a lot)

*edit oops forgot two books and I got an old book from our shelf XD.

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Joy oh joy♥ Note: a few of the stories have gotten quite cruder actually.

Here we aree♪:

The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville

A great novel about two people who've given up love.

A Sin of Color by Sunetra Gupta

(haha almost spelled color the british way again lmao.)

"A novel of obsession". Debendranath a man presumed dead leaves behind his wife that is victim to unrequited love due to his hidden love for his sister-in-law. The house in Calcutta where he met his brother's wife and fell in love he soon leaves to replace his home from England. But he cannnot espace his passion for that married woman. His curious neice who happens to be a writer can't either.

BongWater by Michael Hornburg

Modern culture, streetlife, sad, terrifying, forbidden, strange with a sense of humour we have bongwater a sweet-natured love tale in the streets of squats, paranoid rockers, drunk nights and all the others labeled imperfections to make a good story.

Patient 002 by Floyd Skloot

Sam Kiehl is leading a pretty good life and is the single father of a grown son. But then he is afflicted with something that leaves him completely disabled. He's desperate. So with no treatments but a new untested drug, he decides to take up as "Patient 002" and meets Tracy Marsh who is his partner. Turns out it is a tale of choices and consequences when desperately ill. A love story obviously too. Said to be a novel of "hope and healing".

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

A story about not wanting a baby and finding someone who shares the same intentions. But then, when one has a change of heart? What will happen. A tale of what or what your wouldn't do for love.

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot (Meggin)

A story of a girl who can't keep her own mouth shut and how much trouble it breaks her into. (Author of Princess' Diaries).

(There is nothing average about) The Boy NextDoor by Meggin Cabot

Interesting in the sense that it's something so typical wrote in the way of e-mails.

*edit

What Was She Thinking? by Zoë Heller

A book about friendship and envy -- and maybe strange forbidden love. All I can say for now. (Second book of author)

White Ghost Girls by Alice Greenway

A debut novel (yay). In the summer of 1967, Mao's Cultural Revolution and the war over at Vietnam making Katie and Frankie (two american girls) stuck with their mom in Hong Kong. The sisters are quiet opposites towards eachother. One day in the market the girls wander off and apart. Not very smart.

Funny Boy - Shyam Selvadurai

National bestseller, debut novel, "the girl" read it and she said it was great. A story about a boy in Sri lanka and his transition to adulthood. Telling us we're all welcome we all understand. Sounds promising. I read the first pages already.

(It is) haha.

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Well that's it. I've got tons of reading to do XD. Also the blog got some touch ups. If you've noticed lol.

[music] Give it Away - DEEPEST BLUE

Give it away - Deepest Blue

Currently on my me like list. Also try tubing an AMV on Tess's song for 5cm pe second XD. It was so pretty so it motivated me to watch the movie actually. haha. I think the song is The second you sleep I stay to watch u fade a way. Cool song. The chorus anyways.

(Heart still uneasy ^.^;;... )

5 Centimeters Per Second || 秒速５センチメートル, Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru

"Hey... They say it's five centimeters per second."

"What do you mean?"

"The speed at which the sakura blossom petals fall... Five centimeters per second."

This is a movie released last year in Japanese. I prefer the subs because the english voices scare me (haha). I just watched this. It was so sad and amazing. Now really -- sad movies make me so sad. But this had an unexpected/bittersweet ending. That's not all though -- it was portrayed beautifully. Good watch. Man just saying but there were times where I knew something would be sad and I wanted to skip but I had to force myself not to.

The movie is seperated into three episodes which works in sense of realization and metaphor development and change in time; which happens to be the whole meaning of the story. Needless to say he got the point across and it was beautiful how he did it how quickly. It makes you want to watch Makoto's other stuff. (Probably will). All the epsiodes add up to be 1hour long .

Episode 1 focused on Akira and Takaki and how they have to move around a lot. It's evident they fall in love and make a promise of some sort to meet up and see the cherryblossoms. A sad journey but Takaki decides to bullet train all the way up there to see her. Again -- it was sad. In the end, they do see eachother. They share a kiss. But even so, he leaves in the morning with a lump in his heart because he knows overtime they'll drift apart.

Episode 2 is about a girl who has a crush on Takaki known as Kanae. She also can't ride waves at the beach but doesn't give up. Without the courage to tell him her feelings she strives on. Then one day, she made the wave when surfing and decided she'd confess to Takaki today. But as she spots him looking off into the distance she sees he's already in love with someone much greater who can give him more happiness - . With that, she cries herself to sleep -- never being able to confess before he left for university in Tokyo. The must touching episode. Because well to me XD. haha .

Episode 3 is focused on when Takaki grows up. Akari sees a letter that she wrote but never sent to him. He also.. lost a letter on his first visit that he wrote for her. But Akari seems to have moved on. Another day passes and Takaki crosses paths with Akari (and it's kinda obviously hinted it's Akari). After much realization and reflecting we finally come to know that when she turned around as well to see who it was two trains blocked their sight. Takaki stayed to see what it was. Soon seeing the woman was nowhere to be seen.

He realizes -- it was for the best smiling as he walks away from the railroad crossing. And stops wanting and living in the past. So he finds a way to somehow be happy.

I think this was beautiful. It was sad -- and I generally don't like sad. *Kinda weird too watch after reading Peeled lmao I guess*. Sad/Beautiful is nice though. It was deep. Episode 2 made me cry.

I start to wonder. Will it be like this too? Haha it was nice, well done, beautiful, bittersweet, unexpected. Amazing. No words to describe. In fact maybe I shouldn't review it right after getting shot with ":O ah!". (lol).

A good watch.♥

(Takaki's japanese voice is cute I dunno why)

Mark: 10/10

Trailer

Characters/VoiceActors

Takaki Tōno (遠野貴樹, Tōno Takaki)

Voiced by: Kenji Mizuhashi (Japanese), David Matranga (English)

Akari Shinohara (篠原明里, Shinohara Akari)

Voiced by: Yoshimi Kondō (Part 1) and Ayaka Onoue (Part 3), (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)

Kanae Sumida (澄田花苗, Sumida Kanae)

Voiced by: Satomi Hanamura (Japanese), Serena Varghese (English)

Credits

Director, Writer and Original Creator: Makoto Shinkai
Character Design and Art Director: Tayako Nishimura
Background Art: Takumi Tanji, Ryoko Majima

Music: Tenmon

Production and Distribution: CoMix Wave, Inc.

Released: Japan 03.03.07, NorthAmerica 03.04.08 (A year ahead? How cute XD)

[icons] Final Fantasy X & .hack,

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Haha I got bored let's just stick with that. I got really into icon making. Take 'em if you like. XD. haha. Icons are upper fun to make.

Photshop elements <3.>

[music] NAOMI YOSHIMURA - Yumemi Gockochi Yurari

NAOMI YOSHIMURA - Yumemi Gokochi Yurari
by azn-lovely

I'm lovin' this song sooo much. Yet again. So catchy can't get it out of my head XD. haha. Naomi Yoshimura for you. ♥

[fiction] Peeled

By: Joan Bauer [Newberry Honor of Hope Was Here]

Wow a book from this very year? I never thought I'd see it seriously. This is a really amazing work of art. Rich, warm, and humorous. It's current, it's unexpected actually. For one moment I actually thought this was a horror book. But it seems like.. and entertaining philosophy guide if you ask me. Personally I believe if you understand more about yourself you're one step closer to becoming a genius. Bauer's got a real talent to tell a story with hilarious scenes that you can never get out of your head. It seemed more about the truth and it seemed to also be saying truth isn't always magic and ghosts even in a fiction story.

Peeled has actually gotten me thinking and realizing many things. It even made my day at one point. The characters where actually carved in the back of your head. It comes to a point where you hear their name and you somehow know exactly how they talk how they say it and even... if they could be smiling. I think it was beautiful. A well balanced and fun story. Fast pace which is great and amazing how it can just make you laugh. Books don't usually get that out of me you know? Some scenes were so funny that I even ended up tabbing the pages with my yellow sticky strips. Read 'em over and over. The whole concept of journalism. It helped very much with the story. Joan sure is talented.

I do have to mention something though. The ending -- I didn't see it coming. It wasnt' a twist or anything. It was actually a beautiful line of simple words. And it wasn't I love you lol I'll tell you that. But the thing is -- it was at the end of the page XD. And that actually killed me. Because I didn't know that was the ending. And I couldn't savour it and say wow. In fact after I was done and saw the thankyou page and thought "ehh? what thats the end? Oh.." I read the ending again. It's like "reading the ending with great passion and excitement : Take 2". Haha. Well the ending was a little nice actually. But that's not Bauer's fault for the page thing. I'm just dumb lol.

The main theme being truth and study of fear -- I thought this book was exceptionally written in that sense. No plot twists just peeling away to search for truth. Learning more. The only the thing that goes wrong is basically, the lies. Proven in the end, the good guys always do win if you keep your mind to it.

Persistence is remarkable when you want it to be. That is a good lesson taught in this book. Of course with a spark of laughter.

Seriously as soon as Hildy started saying WHAZZAT I cracked up for half an hour.

Mark: 10/10

* Thank you Jean you made my day. haha. ♥

[fiction] Fingerprints Vol.2: Haunted

I can't explain enough my love for the teen drama in this book. I knew I needed a good book like this. It's so nice. It's a real pleasure to read; no joke. The story is well described well worded and well planned out.

It's goes and makes you say straight out and shameless without the thought that you're a nerd reading so much.

"Tom is a ------ WOW. Damn DIE TOM DIE AND ROT AND RAWR!"

Yeah lol. My sense of anger.

Books haven't done that to me since "Shattering Glass" [link here] and it's probably why I absolutely love this book. All that foreshadowing and unexpectedness actually makes my mind explode when I try to write it. (I'm better with awkward senseless comedy haha) Seriously I couldn't put it down. At first, it seemed kinda boring and strange. But the first sentences were nice. My friends this is a good book. The fear the jolt the emotion and fact makes you pretty much want to go around touch fingerprints and you beleive it. If you do believe it, if you seriously think you have a fandom for this book there you have it.

I've been afflicted. With obsession over this book. I think the people exist. And the freaking fingerprint thing? I stroke everything now with the thought that. What if my friend could do it? Haha I'm paranoid. Melinda is my hero. haha.

Anyways, back to the story basically what happens is Jesse gets kidnapped. Or is labeled as running away. The slight mindplay kind of makes you think of the world as one whole for a moment actually. It's strange but reading this actually makes me compare myself to the books. The personalities. And the urging love tension between Rae and Anthony is quite amazing. Those two will fall in love. (And if they don't melinda's getting crazed up fanfictions sent to her >:3) haha joking joking. Whether I'm reading it right or not, i sense love tension and I'm just waiting. For atleast a hug. I can compare to everything socially in this book in a sense actually. I try to put myself in situations and this book is actually somehow in a strange way helping me figure things out.

lol this could be a good call for FAN SERVICEEE~~~♥. Ah can never get enough. :).

The whole story of this second book main focuses on Jesse's kidnapping and saving him but there's also the character development that I'm loving. Also the true sides and character studies by the characters combined with the love tension. It's rich text. It's got a swift movie like outfit. I want this to be a TV show lol. Goddamnit I even thought of making a manga out of it haha. but fingerprints would be hard to draw all the time. (That's why we have photoshop brushes lol)

The next book maybe about finding Anthony's true father or whipping that bitch Tom in his unexistent balls -- or (lmao) egging him. But out of that viewpoint we also have Vol. 3 TrustMe. I read the back of that at the library haha. Turns out it's about Anthony losing trust in her? I'm not sure. I'll have to read it again. Wonder what happens. I sure do.....

Gonna have to just wait... (and see)♪ lol hehe.

Mark: 10/10

[fiction-horror] Who Killed the Homecoming Queen?

By: R.L. Stine.

Apparently from some Fear Street series. This book was made back in 1997. Haha back then I didn't even know how to read. Seeing how quickly I managed to finish the book, I actually thought it wouldn't have that much horror material in it. Turns out this stuff is great. (Better than Goosebumps I'll tell ya haha.) Having a horror plot it was pretty quick paced and well described. I probably would never be able to match up to this stuff in my writing so basically it was a really fun and non-stop read.

I learned more about fashion back then and when lol. Whenever I see 20th century stuff I ussually think 80s or 70s hairdos which btw are really scary to my taste haa. But these days books like that kinda warp that image. I'm guessing it's a good thing to study how style evolves I suppose.

Now more and back to the plot of this story, our character is describing Tania who has a perfect life. She's got the hottest boy friend, she's in a student film and even as a star role, also -- she's just been voted homecoming queen. Also she's got a complete family with the best stepbrother she could ever ask for. And of course in a horror book, everyone's gotta die.. well atleast someone I guess. So basically someone is out trying to ruin that so perfect year. Just saying but this story is in the point of view of her friend Eva.

Let's get a little profiling and comparing done here. The plot setup is very much alike to the one of "The Harrowing" [link here]. It's actually got the group and main character romance stuff going on. There's also the group meetings and slight unexpectedness. I saw the pages just fly by because it was quite the quick and easy read. Horror comes in little bits. It's hard to scare the things by words because it takes a while to describe something scary in such a time that it really pops and freaks out the person. Most horror movies have sudden frame changes to show a ghost or what-not. Element of surprise.

I liked the plot twists. But I love books that can really play with your mind. This book does just that really well. Nearing the end you start getting ideas of your own. Who what where? Who killed who? All that. From seeing the words flow by you understand more things. And out of NOWHERE. We can see... someone is lying? Or we can see someone admitting. It's amazing. Horror is really psychological to some degree I guess haha.

This was a fun read. I'll get more. You should do. Especially the end. (I accidentally read it before reading the whole story so it kinda ruined it for me.) But it still saved some of the impact of hilariousness. I love when we bring back thigns from the past :). Probably why I keep everything I do in record? haha. Stalking myself.

Goodbook. But It's not like worth buying. But it's worth reading. Just if you need a book to read waiting for the doctors lol. It's nice and quick. But I personally prefer long horrors. Haha What can I say? R.L. Stine probably made some of those. I'm surprised this book made me close it and stare at the cover being like "wow". Only a select books did that to me really.

I'd feel the same if I read the WHOLE series of something I bet. Wasn't too scary at times but interesting.

Mark: 9/10

[fiction] Fingerprints Vol.1: Gifted Touch

By: Melinda Metz [author of ROSWELL HIGH]

"Sometimes, when I touch things, words fill my head. Words that feel like thoughts—thoughts that are inside of me...but not mine.

I used to think I was crazy. Used to.

I'm starting to wonder if there's a reason for all the voices that tangle together in my mind. And if I'm right, then it's not my sanity I'm worried about—it's my life."

Super natural girl labeled mental and meets trouble making anger management boy who together unravel the mystery of whether she will get killed and by who. It's a little like "chasing yesterday" The new set of books released somewhere last year I think? About J.D. and them? Yeah it's a little like that. That's about it right there. But the drama and suspense in this book? You have no idea. The copy I got from the library looked pretty run-down but when I saw it was made in the 21st century it was like wow just a good 7 years ago maybe. Pretty up to date if you ask me haha. Don't judge a book by it's cover. Especially from an old library. (lol)

Now this book had me reading non-stop. I finished it in one day. But shame on me I only borrowed the first two books not expecting much from teen supernaturality. I was wrong obviously. I was also hoping it would be kind of like Shattering Glass (which I must say was an extremely good read for some reason). Finger prints has the stuff you don't want to happen. However some may take it as a bad thing for the people who like stories where everything goes as planned. It makes the plot so much more dramatic. To admit actually it MAKES the plot.

This plot is really interesting.

The supernatural part about this is how our main character with the name of Rae (fav. name haha) touches fingerprints and can read the history of whatever someone thought. In other words that makes a little more sense, if she touches where someone else's fingerprint was she can read that person's thought as he touched the object. But if that object where to be dropped? The finger print would go with it and Rae wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Our Vol. 1 starts off with a little bit of ordinary life and struggling with "not-me" thoughts. Rae gets confused when touching the doors and her friends lipgloss, getting quite nasty thoughts. Rae at this point doesn't beleive the thoughts are someone else's just her thinking and going crazy. But when the stuff in the cafeteria she touches somehow speaks of her late mother and goes crazy about it and before she knew it, she was sent off to mental grouping. A boy named Anthony decides to tell her something. Her "going-back-to-school" happiness was full bullshit in his eyes. He knew she was wrong. And she was. The two talk pretty normally to eachother slightly warming up. But then a pipe bomb goes off in the girl's washroom, Anthony just went in there because all the guys were flooded (or more he was getting weed) and Rae is extremely hurt. Who's trying to kill her? Was it Anthony?

No, Anthony was the one that carried her to the nurse and even sounded so worried about her when he gave her the blue cup of water. Leaving his fingerprints behind and his thoughts as well. Either way Anthony was framed. But Anthony also helps Rae figure out what her power is, reading people's mind through finger prints. Rae isn't crazy. After finding the one who really set off the bomb. Rae and Anthony find out that someone paid the pipe bomber to do it. Someone's trying to kill Rae. When all has turned her back on her at school she realizes she can only count on Anthony, Jesse and her friend Yana to watch her back. But omg POW Jesse runs away? And the drama goes onn....

The characters are very well described and a little fun. To me, they're easy to relate to really because for some reason all this in a way seems real. It's so believable. (But remember this is from a fantasy mind). I'm sure these character's will end up growing on me.

All that in one action packed First Volume. Lots of sidenotes and foreshadowing so don't worry. I really enjoyed this. I'm guessing the whole series will be amazing as well. Looks like we'll just have to wait and see.

Oh baby wait and see.♪ (lol)

Mark: 10/10