“Naruto” #50 by Masashi Kishimoto
(Grade 7 and up) The Gokage Summit is under attack as Sasuke attempts to defeat the Raikage and finally confront Danzo. However, his opponents are formidable foes, and only a timely appearance by Gaara, and later Uchiha Madara, allows Sasuke and Karin to excape. Meanwhile, Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato must decide what to do with Madara’s information—can his explanation for Sasuke’s recent actions really be trusted?
Once the remaining attendees of the Gokage Summit learn of Madara’s plans, they hurry to prepare for war, and though forming an army is one part of their strategy, an equally important tactic involves locating Killer Bee and Naruto, the only remaining jinchuriki hosts. While Naruto is confused by an unexpected confession from Sakura, Killer Bee and his friend the Enka master are challenged by Hoshigaki Kisame, a man who can join with his sword to become half human, half fish. And though he posesses no jinchuriki, his chakra is such that he may be a match even for the powerful Killer Bee!
I mentioned this during book talks a couple of times this week, but “Naruto” is a bit of a weird series for me, in part because I’ve been reading it for fifty volumes, but mostly because I’ve done so for over ten years now. This volume, full of action, intrigue, and the kind of ninja trickery I’ve come to expect after a decade, reminded me why I still love “Naruto,” though I’ve been a bit slow to read the most recent volumes, and though it’s a little unnerving to think about, I can imagine myself still being a fan of this series in another ten years. (4 out of 5 stars)
- Paperback: 200 pages
- Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (February 1, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1421534975
- ISBN-13: 978-1421534978
“City of Lost Souls” by Cassandra Clare
(Grade 9 and up) Clary Fray’s world is abruptly plunged into chaos when Jace, along with the corpse of her brother, Jonathan (better known as Sebastian) disappear following the summoning of Lilith. The two boys, their lives bound together in a seemingly unbreakable connection, are clearly up to something that has Shadowhunters everywhere looking for them, but it isn’t until Clary seeks out the brother she hates and the boy she loves that she learns what Sebastian is planning. Meanwhile, Simon, Isabelle, Magnus, and Alec do everything they can to find a way to separate Jace and Sebastian, but will they uncover a solution in time? To get Jace back, what will his friends and family have to sacrifice?
Okay, since this book has only been out for a couple of weeks now, I’m going to try and keep this review spoiler-free. The first thing I need to stress is that though “City of Lost Souls” is more than a hundred pages longer than “City of Fallen Angels,” I read this book a lot faster, and I enjoyed it a lot more than its predecessor, I think because there were more storylines and more action overall. It was a lot more emotionally draining though. (Seriously, I wrote this review last week, and I thought I had posted it, but clearly, I was so traumatized by this book that I promptly forgot about it.)
There was a lot of fanservice here, and though SPOILER ALERT (sorry, I can’t resist), as a big Malec fan, the end of the novel made me sad (as in, I wept uncontrollably), just think back to “City of Ashes” and remember that we have precedence for this kind of thing. (I just feel like these two aren’t really as over as they think they are right now…ugh, but now we’ve got to wait until 2014 for “City of Heavenly Fire.” Yikes.) Anyway, an excellent penultimate entry in a series I’ve really come to love, and WHY MUST YOU DO THESE THINGS TO ME, CASSANDRA CLARE?!?!? SO MANY FEELS!!! (4.5 out of 5 stars)
- Hardcover: 544 pages
- Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (May 8, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1442416866
- ISBN-13: 978-1442416864 (Source of Publication Data: Amazon.com)
(Grade 7 and up) In Hong Kong, the Paper Sisters Detective Company will solve any mystery (though they specialize in matters involving books). Michelle, Maggie, and Anita all possess the power to manipulate paper at will, a skill that they use to recover lost books, locate missing pets, and…
(Grade 8 and up) In its long history, Great Britain has produced some of the world’s greatest minds and heroes…as well as some of the world’s most famous iconoclasts. In “Curing Hiccups with Small Fires,” you’ll learn about MP Richard Heber, who owned 146,827 books, in part because of his…
I just finished reading “City of Lost Souls.” This time last week, I had only just started it…and now it’s over, and “City of Heavenly Fire” doesn’t come out until March of 2014. There are no words, only this. :(
(Source: dankjelly)
“How To Survive A Horror Movie” by Seth Grahame-Smith
(Grade 8 and up) If the title of this book intrigues you, then be warned: it’s possible, just possible, that you yourself are trapped in a horror movie right now. Do you hear creepy, atmospheric music playing? Is the power out? Are you alone in the woods? Have you just received an ominous phone call or a mysterious video tape? Are there gruesome ghouls stumbling around, feasting on human flesh? Have you been trapped in a makeshift dungeon by an evil puppet? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you need to start reading this book, now. The advice it contains can’t guarantee your long-term survival, but it vastly improves your chances of at least living long enough to die in the sequel.
Seth Grahame-Smith cements his position as one of my favorite authors with this, an indispensible guide for any fan of horror films. If you’ve ever found yourself irritated with the hapless victims in scary movies who wander obliviously into death, then look no further than this hilarious tome if you want to learn how to avoid their foolish mistakes. Accompanied by great illustrations by Nathan Fox and an appendix listing some must-see horror movies, this was one of my favorite books in recent memory. Let’s face it: I’d definitely want it with me on a desert island, because if for some reason I’m ever stranded on a desert island, I’m probably in a horror movie. (5 out of 5 stars)
- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Quirk Books (May 1, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1594741794
- ISBN-13: 978-1594741791 (Source of Publication Data: Amazon.com)
“Bossypants” by Tina Fey
If you own a TV, then hopefully, you know who Tina Fey is. If not, I apologize. She’s really very funny, though of course, some people are skeptical of this. After all, Tina Fey is a girl, and we girls have ovaries and other things that make it very difficult for us to be as funny as men. We do our best though. “Bossypants” is the story of Tina Fey, and how she worked to make a sucessful career out of being very, very funny. (She really is! And I’m not just saying that because I myself spent twenty years of my life with brown hair and glasses! Really!)
All (irresistible opportunies for) kidding aside, “Bossypants” is an excellent book about the author’s life, thoughts on women and comedy, and a delightful look back on her consistently excellent TV career. I really enjoy the occasional autobiography, especially when it’s written by someone I like and/or admire, and since I both like and admire Tina Fey, this was great. (Another thought about why I really enjoyed this book: my Dad is a bit like Don Fey. :)) The only reason I took so long to read this is because I was waffling on whether or not to listen to it instead, and even though I haven’t listened to it, since Tina Fey reads it herself, I’m just going to go ahead and recommend that too. This is a heartfelt, hilarious, fantastic book. (4.5 out of 5 stars)
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Reagan Arthur / Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (January 3, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0316056871
- ISBN-13: 978-0316056878 (Source of Publication Data: Amazon.com)
(Grade 6 and up) When Coraline (not “Caroline”) and her parents move into a strange old house, Coraline soon discovers that only thirteen of its fourteen doors open. After several interesting meetings with strange new neighbors, Coraline finally finds the key to the fourteenth door, and…
Avengers Giveaway!
In honor of the ridiculous amount of followers I have, I will be giving away some Avengers-themed swag to one lucky winner!
SWAG:
- You Were Made to Be Ruled moleskin notebook. It’s 3 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches, and ironically unlined. The front says “You Were Made To Be Ruled” and the back has a mini-Loki wielding a pencil staff.
- Tony Stark sticker. It’s about 2 x 2 1/2 inches in size and water resistant.
- Thor laminated keychain. It’s 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches in size, with the chain about 3 inches long.
- Loki mini print. About 4 x 5 inches in size. Can be signed, if you want.
- Loki pin-back button. 1 1/4 inch.
- I Do What I Want, Thor! necklace. The resin pendant is 1 x 1 inch, with glitter and a two layer paper effect. The cord necklace is 23 inches long.
RULES:
- You don’t have to be following me.
- I will pay for shipping.
- No more than one reblog per day!
- Likes don’t count; it has to be a reblog.
- At the end, I’ll count up the notes and use a random number generator to decide the winner.
- The giveaway lasts until May 20th. I’ll announce the winner that evening (pacific standard time).
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Good luck! :)
Via I have wasted my hours
(Grade 7 and up) Chikahito Takamoto has always loved the city of Kyoto—everything about it fascinates him, from its amazing culture to its beautiful historical sites—but he lives in Tokyo, and it isn’t until his sophomore year of high school that he finally visits the city of his dreams. On…
About me
"What do these children do without storybooks?" Naftali asked.And Reb Zebulun replied: "They have to make do. Storybooks aren't bread. You can live without them."
"I couldn't live without them." Naftali said.
— Isaac Bashevis Singer
![...And smile. Always =]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/avatar_5515bc34a76a_30.png){kind=avatar}
