Two-Sided Tuesday (1)

Two-Sided Tuesday is the brain child of Lydia, one of my favorite bloggers, at The Lost Entwife. The idea is to give a book, or in my case today, an author that you've read, then offer another book or author that is similar and perhaps, better.

I've been reading Lydia's Two-Sided Tuesdays for a few weeks now racking my brains for something I could write about and I think I've finally got one.

I normally read YA fiction. It's a genre that I can pretty much guarantee will be clean (no smut and generally no foul language) however, there are days that I require a change of pace. When this happens I turn to my next favorite genre. Suspense.

My first foray into the world of suspense was with the novel Velocity. I purchased it in an airport one year as I was headed home from college for the summer, I believe. The author of Velocity is Dean Koontz. Mr. Koontz books are all borderline horror mixed with a VERY healthy dose of suspense. I cannot read his books at night. Ever. I tried to with Velocity and had the worst night's sleep ever because I tend to dream about the book I read just before bed. But, oh! it was such a good book!

I wish I could give you a short summary of Velocity, but unfortunately it has been several years since I've read it. Instead, since I am talking authors, let me explain Dean Koontz' books a little. Each of Dean's books tend to have three main characters. The good guy, the bad guy, and the girl. Classic set up, right? Sure, but what you may not be ready for is the situations that the good guy and the girl get themselves into. Murder, terror, evil, good finally triumphing in the end. Even though, as the reader, I know that Koontz's books will end with the good guy winning, the journey to the end is nail biting and intense. I feel like I've been through the wringer every time I read one of Dean Koontz's books, but I keep going back for more because, really? what's better than the good guy winning in the end?

Now, on the other side of the suspense coin is Ted Dekker. My first read by him was Obsessed.

Ted Dekker writes with the same general combination as Dean Koontz. Good guy. Bad guy. Girl. BUT, Ted's books have something Dean's don't. A reason. For Ted, suspense books show how far a human being can fall and yet still be brought to the Truth. Mr. Dekker writes Christian fiction.

Where Koontz's bad guys are just plain evil for the sake of being evil, Dekker's are depraved. They have no need of God nor do they wish to hear His name. Koontz's good guys are good guys. Dekker's are men with real problems that only resolve their problems after they learn to rely on God. This was a surprise to me when I first read Obsessed. I was not expecting to find a suspense book that had the main character learning to depend on God's guidance. It was a pleasant surprise.

It comes down to this. Dean Koontz writes some really scary, intense, nail-biting fiction that will keep you up at night, while Ted Dekker does the same thing in a more clean manner. Dean Koontz's books are harsh and ugly in their descriptions. He makes you believe the bad guy is real by making him the worst character ever. He uses foul language to aid this picture. Ted Dekker's books are also scary, intense and prone to inducing nail-biting, but his language stays clean. His bad guys are psychologically scary. They get into your head and stay there. So, if you're looking for a good suspense that doesn't involve foul language and other horror-movie-like situations, skip Dean Koontz and grab a Ted Dekker. However, if you prefer the horror movie feel, Dean Koontz is definitely the way to go.

It's Monday, What are You Reading? (12)

What are you reading on Mondays? is a meme hosted by Sheila. This is our opportunity as bloggers to share what we've read in the past week and what we plan on reading this week. If you'd like to join in (it's really fun), go to One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books and add your name to the list.

Read Last Week:

Magic Under Glass ~ Jaclyn Dolamore 3/22

Tantalize ~ Cynthia Leitich Smith 3/23

Eternal ~ Cynthia Leitich Smith 3/24

Meridian ~ Amber Kizer 3/24

Another Faust ~ Daniel & Dina Nayeri 3/27

Rapunzel's Revenge ~ Shannon & Dean Hale 3/28

Calamity Jack ~ Shannon & Dean Hale 3/28

Getting to Third Date ~ Kelly McClymer 3/28

Currently Reading:

The Sherwood Ring ~ Elizabeth Marie Pope

Planning to Read This Week:

Song Quest ~ Katherine Roberts

Crystal Mask ~ Katherine Roberts

Dark Quetzal ~ Katherine Roberts

The Echorium Sequence (the three books I plan to read this week) came to my attention via Becky at The Bookette. She wrote a post two weeks ago reviewing Song Quest and stating her wish to help get Song Quest back into publication. After learning about the book, I search my local library's database and was thrilled to discover that the county library system had one copy of each book in the sequence so of course I put them on hold and eventually brought them home. I'm definitely looking forward to reading these.

So, what are YOU reading this week?

Quote

You know I don't like people sneaking up on me, Hetty. ~ Sam

I tread lightly. I don't SNEAK. ~ Hetty

-NCIS Los Angeles episode "Blood Brothers"

Long past due Awards

First up, is The Happy Award from Teddyree @ The Eclectic Reader. Teddyree has been my greatest encourager when it comes to book reviews. She took the time to email me and to help me work up the confidence to write and to share my thoughts with ya'll. Thanks Teddyree!

And The rules for this award are:

•List 10 things that make you happy.

•Try and do at least one of them today.

•Tag ten bloggers that brighten your day.

•Link back to the person that tagged you.

1. Reading

2. My puppy Rocky

3. Kisses from Joseph

4. Daisies (they are, after all, the friendliest flower)

5. Friendship

6. Girl talks

7. My family

8. Going home to PA

9. Sunday Drives (even if its a weekday...just driving around makes me happy cause northern VA is just GORGEOUS!)

10. Spring (I'm sooo glad it's finally here!)

Doing at least one today is pretty easy for me today. LOL. I've already gotten quite a few kisses from Joseph, Rocky has already loved up on me, and I'll be starting my latest book once I finish up my posts here.

As for passing this award on - I know it says ten, but I'm just going with three cause I've got two other awards to pass on as well today.

Alica @ Daughter of Hope (Alicia's my older sister so being able to see pics of my nieces and nephew on her blog makes me happy.)

Lori @ ten miles south of common sense ( She CRACKS me up!)

Lydia @ The Lost Entwife (Lydia always takes the time to hold mini conversations with me in the comments on her blog and I really appreciate getting to know her like that.)

Second up, from Jan @ Eating Y.A. Books, is the Honest Scrap Award. Jan's blog is one that I love to read because it's so personable. I never feel out of place reading it. Thanks Jan, for the award!

This award requires me to list ten honest things about myself then to pass it on to ten more bloggers.

1. I started college at the age of 16.

2. I have four brothers and two sisters.

3. I have pretty much always gotten along well with all of my siblings except my younger sister. She just happens/happened to always know which buttons to push to make me mad very quickly. However, lately, we have been becoming very good friends.

4. Of all my siblings, I am most like my mother. And I don't really mind that at all.

5. I used to keep a journal. In college I went through about 9 different books of various sizes, but once college finished I stopped writing as much. Now, I blog.

6. My husband, Joseph, gave me my very first kiss.

7. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate.

8. I prefer to receive flowers and pens to jewelry from Joseph.

9. I have always wanted to make a daisy chain, but have never had the chance to do so.

10. I started my blog on my 25th birthday and, boy, am I ever glad that I did!

Passing it on:

Meg (Choco) @ In Which a Girl Reads (I always know that when I read Meg's blog I'm going to leave it laughing. Meg's opinions are always honest which is why I have to include her here.)

Rachel @ Home Girl's Book Blog (Rachel is so much fun and has no problem drawing in readers with her honesty. She's welcoming to everyone and is, to me, the perfect person to pass this award to.)

Darlyn @ Darlyn & Books (Darlyn always takes the time to comment on my posts and leave her honest viewpoint about books I've read or am reading. She also gives me honest suggestions about other books I might like and so far, I've enjoyed all that I've followed her advice on.)

And Last, but certainly not least, is my third award for the day, from Darlyn herself. Thank you, Darlyn. I very much appreciate the time you take to visit my blog!

1.Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2.Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic 3.Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won
4.State 7 Things about yourself!

Seven more things about myself:

1. I adore the Pride and Predjudice movies, but my favorite is the one with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.

2. I love to be around people, but I find it very hard to carry on conversations with people (in person) until I've known them for some time.

3. I LOVE to laugh!

4. I cannot drink water unless it is in a clear plastic bottle or a clear glass cup. (I know, weird)

5. I didn't get my drivers' license until after I was married.

6. I love all of the Seasons equally and all for different reasons

7. I like regular Oreos better than Double Stuf Oreos.

Passing it on:

Teddyree @ The Eclectic Reader (because I love her blog and I love her. :-)

Gwen @ Chew and Digest Books (Gwen is another blogger that I love. Between her blog and her comments, I never lack for conversation.)

And, just because Joseph just yelled that dinner is ready, I've got to stop here.

Thanks again, everyone for the awards and I love ya'll!

It's Monday, What are You Reading? (11)

What are you reading on Mondays? is a meme hosted by Sheila. This is our opportunity as bloggers to share what we've read in the past week and what we plan on reading this week. If you'd like to join in (it's really fun), go to One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books and add your name to the list.

What I Finished Last Week:

Skip-Beat! Volumes 1 - 24 ~ Yoshiki Nakamura 3/15-3/17

A Match Made in High School ~ Kristin Walker 3/19

Midnight Secretary Volumes 1-7 ~ Ohmi Tomu 3/19

Beastly ~ Alex Flinn 3/21

The League of Extraordinary Gentleman ~ Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill 3/21

Currently Reading:

Magic Under Glass ~ Jaclyn Dolamore

Planning on Reading:

Nothing in particular. Just want to get through the rest of the library books I've got left from last week.

I read so many manga this week that I feel like I became one with the stories. LOL. Now that I had myself a good reading rest, I'm going to work on getting through all the "words only" books still left over.

What did you read this week?

Home

I'm visiting home tonight. Titus, Stephen, and I are sitting in the girls' room waiting on Mom and Rachel so we can watch The Last of the Mohicans. Of course, Titus and I are having fun teasing Stephen. We're quoting movies and it's awesome. Everything I say Titus is finishing.

Alright, so our movie has started. I'll chat with ya'll later.

**Edited to Add**

The Last of the Mohicans is finished and can I just say that I have never laughed so hard while watching such a "serious" drama. Ever. Titus, Mom, and I were making fun of everything. Magua became "Fat Man". Did you know that Magua means Fat Man? Well, it does now. Oh, and Alice...she wasn't a sickly, quiet girl...she was a "special" person. Uncas never learned how to fight, and Chingachgook was the Old Man that No One wants to Mess With. Oh, yeah, and Hawkeye - he's the only good shot with a rifle on the American frontier in the state of New York. And last but not least, Cora and Nathaniel had children whose hair was forever tangled, and HUGE! Yes, watching movies with the family is soooo much fun!

Friday Fill Ins! (2)

Just for fun. Here's Friday Fill-Ins!

1. Today I will be heading home to Pennsylvania as soon as I get off work. (Yay!)
2. You say we should go watch Alice in Wonderland again this weekend and I say, Why not?
3. At my house it's free Pastry Day until 10:30am Friday.
4. People say that what we're all seeking is the approval of someone else.
5. The image I cherish most is my memory of my brother and I sitting on my Pappy's lap when we were very young.
6. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing my Mama-san, tomorrow my plans include test driving vehicles and watching Alice with my seester, and Sunday, I want to cook the duck in my refrigerator as soon as I get home from PA.

Sorry

For the super long posts. Someday I'll be able to be more concise. *shrug* or maybe not. But, I'll work on it anyway. :-)

Addictions are supposed to be Bad, Right?

I started a new manga series this week entitled Skip-Beat! The series is about a 16yr. old girl named Kyoko Mogami who is diving headfirst into show business. Her motive for becoming a star is her desire to crush her former friend Sho Fuwa (a boy). Crush, as in, destroy. The two of them ran away from home together so that Sho could become a famous musician. Kyoko was the one that worked and paid for everything for Sho while he worked on his music. Unfortunately for Kyoko, Sho saw her as nothing more than a glorified housekeeper. (There was nothing romantic about them running away together. They were merely best childhood friends.) When Kyoko found out about Sho's true feelings she swore to him that she would become a bigger star than he would ever be. After a great deal of persistence, Kyoko earned a place in the Love Me section of a management company that worked with Ren Tsuruga who just happened to be the most famous young actor in Japan at the time. (Ren is the guy that Sho is trying to beat out in popularity.) In the Love Me section, Kyoko is given jobs to do that no one else wants to do. Her objective is to do her jobs so well that people around her begin to love her. See, because her heart was broken by Sho and, as you learn through the series, her mother, Kyoko doesn't know how to love anymore. As Kyoko works throughout the books, she begins to grow as a person from the unsure, quiet, bullied girl of her childhood into an up and coming film star.

Skip-Beat! follows Kyoko through her work in the Love Me section (that's her hot pink uniform that she has to wear while working in the Love Me jobs) and into her life surrounding her work as an actress. Ren Tsuruga who starts off as an antagonist before he gets to know Kyoko, ends up becoming Kyoko's teacher when she needs help creating a role.

Sho, Ren, and Kyoko

Of course, you may have guessed by now, at least from the picture above, that the two boys begin to play different parts in Kyoko's life. When Sho realizes how much Kyoko has grown up without him, he starts to want to own her. He doesn't love her, but he can't stand the idea of Kyoko loving anyone but him so he does his best to keep himself in her thoughts constantly. As he figures, even if she hates him, at least that means she's thinking of him instead of anyone else. Ren, on the other hand, falls completely head over heels in love with Kyoko. There are old (childhood) reasons for this that Kyoko knows nothing of, though.

This is the first series that I've read that I just HAD to continue with no matter what. So much so, that even though my library only has up to Volume 18 of the US releases, I went the extra step and visited One Manga where I read the rest of the series that has been released so far. Released in Japan, that is. And now, I'm dying for more. I want Kyoko to realize that Ren is the perfect guy for her, that Sho isn't worth wasting any thoughts on, and that love really is an emotion that she needs to have in her life. Unfortunately, Skip-Beat! is only released every two weeks in Japan. And after it's release there, I have to wait for someone to translate and post the new chapter on One Manga before I can read it. Thankfully, the last chapter was posted on March 5th so sometime tomorrow or maybe early next week the latest chapter will be available for me to read.

Yes, I am addicted to a manga. I knew I very much enjoyed the other two series that I've read so far (Naruto and Tsubasa) but I hadn't gone out of my way to read either of those two online. *Sigh* Oh well, I suppose there's nothing more to do than wait for that next wonderful chapter of Skip-Beat!. In the meantime, I suppose I should go back to unillustrated books since I do have a number of them out of the library. Wish me luck. I'm going to miss Ren and Kyoko so much. *tear*

It's Monday, What are You Reading? (10)

What are you reading on Mondays? is a meme hosted by Sheila. This is our opportunity as bloggers to share what we've read in the past week and what we plan on reading this week. If you'd like to join in (it's really fun), go to One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books and add your name to the list.

What I Read Last Week:

Austenland ~ Shannon Hale 3/8

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ~ Sherman Alexie 3/9

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening ~ L.J. Smith 3/10

The Struggle ~ L.J. Smith 3/11

When Heaven Weeps ~ Ted Dekker 3/13

BoneMan's Daughters ~ Ted Dekker 3/14

The Fury ~ L.J. Smith 3/14

Dark Reunion ~ L.J. Smith 3/14

Currently Reading:

Nothing. But, I'm going to start either The Sherwood Ring by Pope or Skip-Beat! a new manga series once I'm finished here.

Planning to Read This Week:

The Sherwood Ring ~ Elizabeth Marie Pope

Skip-Beat! Vol. 1-18 ~ Yoshiki Nakamura

Tantalize ~ Cynthia Lettich Smith

Thunder of Heaven ~ Ted Dekker

I had to make a library outing today. I just finished reading my last library book just after noon so I needed new ones to read. Worked out pretty well too, cause I had read the first two books in the Vampire Diaries series early last week and had put the last two books on hold at the Fairfax library on Friday. I'm sure you noticed that I just read the last two books today. I was ever so glad that hold was so readily available. The other series I'm working my way through is The Martyr's Song series by Ted Dekker. I had purchased The Martyr's Song a few months ago without realizing that it was part of a series that can be read like the Circle series. In any order. I was fortunate enough to have purchased the book that the series revolves around. When Heaven Weeps seems to fit perfectly as a second book in the series and Thunder of Heaven fits the bill of a third book. I am sooo looking forward to reading that one this week!

Enough about me. What did YOU read this week?

Tired

Do you ever feel so tired that you literally want to go to sleep and never wake up? I mean NEVER. No, I'm not suicidal. lol. Just weary. Weary of life in general. Weary from work. From people.

Joseph keeps asking me if I'm okay tonight. "I'm fine." I reply. Everytime. There's nothing wrong with me. I just don't want to talk. Don't want to sleep. Don't want to think. Don't want to read. Don't. Want. Anything.

I feel like the bear in the picture looks. Dazed. Lonely. Tired. And I don't want to go to sleep.

Does this mean something IS wrong with me?

Friday Fill Ins! (1)

This is my first time participating in Friday Fill Ins! but it looks like so much fun that I couldn't pass it up this week.

1. I am so looking forward to going home to Pennsylvania next weekend!

2. I need to finish reading BoneMan's Daughters later.

3. When you get a free moment, call your parents and tell them you love them. (I love you Mom and Dad!)

4. Music is a big part of my life.

5. If you need anything for dinner tonight, choose steak and potatoes. They're the BEST!

6. Next Friday evening, I'm taking a trip.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing my Ted Dekker book, tomorrow my plans include going over government applications with my mother-in-law and dinner in Woodbridge, and Sunday, I want to go to the library!

If you're interested in participating, be sure to head over to Friday Fill-Ins and join in the fun.

Eclectic Tastes

When I first started working at my current job, all of the offices but one were always quiet. The top Vice President at the time used to listen to classical and jazz music on his radio every morning. Since music is a huge part of my life I asked my direct boss if I could listen to music while I was working too. After receiving permission to do so, I invested in a pair of ear buds. As long as I only used one I was allowed to wear them. One ear always had to be free to hear what everyone around me was saying. It was at that point that I discovered Pandora.com. It's kinda funny thinking about how new it was when I found it. Anyway, I always knew my music tastes were rather eclectic, but never really thought about that fact until last month. See, my Pandora radio has 6 different stations. For about a week last month I listened to my music without my ear buds so that my office mates could enjoy my music too. After two days of classical, one day of 1950's, and one day of OLD (like Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby old), I switched to my country radio. Jen, my newest office mate turned to me and said, "Wow. You're rather eclectic, aren't you?" Not really thinking about it I asked what she meant and she pointed out what we had all listened to that week that I had turned on. Ah, gotcha.

You may think me odd, liking the music that I do, but it's the variety in life that makes living worth while. The only part about eclectic tastes that could be a little annoying is when I tell someone that I really like the song playing over the sound system in a store and the person looks at me like I'm crazy. For example, I was picking up dry cleaning last week and Nat King Cole was singing on the radio or CD they had playing. I told the little old Asian lady that runs the store that I really love his music and she looked at me funny while saying, "This is OLD music." Did she think I was kidding? I could name half a dozen songs that Nat King Cole sang just off the top of my head. I suppose that older people expect young adults and kids to know who AC/DC is anymore, but not Rosemary Clooney.

Do you listen to any music that isn't necessarily in your age group? What/Who is your favorite music group/artist?

It's Monday, What are You Reading? (9)

What are you reading on Mondays? is a meme hosted by Sheila. This is our opportunity as bloggers to share what we've read in the past week and what we plan on reading this week. If you'd like to join in (it's really fun), go to One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books and add your name to the list.

What I Read Last Week:

Tsubasa Vol. 9 ~ Clamp 3/1
Tsubasa Vol. 10 ~ Clamp 3/1
Tsubasa Vol. 11 ~ Clamp 3/2
Tsubasa Vol. 12 ~ Clamp 3/2
Tsubasa Vol. 13 ~ Clamp 3/2
Tsubasa Vol. 14 ~ Clamp 3/2
Tsubasa Vol. 15 ~ Clamp 3/2
Tsubasa Vol. 16 ~ Clamp 3/2
Tsubasa Vol. 17 ~ Clamp 3/2
Tsubasa Vol. 18 ~ Clamp 3/2
Fake Boyfriend ~ Kate Brian 3/3
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment ~ James Patterson 3/5
Prophecy of the Sisters ~ Michelle Zink 3/6
Broken ~ Shiloh Walker 3/7

Currently Reading:

BoneMan's Daughters ~ Ted Dekker
Austenland ~ Shannon Hale

Planning to Read This Week:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian ~ Sherman Alexie
When Heaven Weeps ~ Ted Dekker
The Awakening ~ L. J. Smith
The Struggle ~ L. J. Smith

I really want to say something witty about what I read last week or what I'd like to read this week, but I'm just too tired right now. So, it's off to bed for me now. I'll post this in the morning.

What did you read this week?

Alice

I begged my husband to take me to see Alice in Wonderland today. He refused. So I asked Titus. He also refused. Not cool. But I really wanted to see it! So I did what I never do. What I've never done. I went to the theater by myself. And I didn't regret it even once. The movie was fantastic!

The crazy thing about me wanting to watch Alice in Wonderland is the fact that I HATE the book. With a passion. I read both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass when I was in grade school and I hated them then. I don't like the animated Disney version of Alice either. But, I LOVED the Looking Glass Wars books, the Sci Fi miniseries Alice, and the idea of Alice. I love the idea of falling into a different world.

Tim Burton took the story of Alice to a whole new level and I loved every second of it. I left the movie wishing that it had lasted longer. Wishing that I was Alice. All of the actors did amazing jobs in this movie, but I have to admit that Alice was my favorite character with the Mad Hatter following in a close second.

I don't want this to be a long post, but had to share my enthusiasm by letting ya'll know that I got to watch Alice in Wonderland today, so this it the end. Well, almost. I'm going back to watch it again tomorrow. Wanna come?

To Manga or Not To Manga

What is Manga?

From Wikipedia: "The Japanese word manga, literally translated, means 'whimsical pictures'."
"'Manga' as a term used outside Japan refers specifically to comics originally published in Japan."

Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto

From Dictionary.com: man-ga [mahn-guh]: noun: a Japanese graphic novel, typically intended for adults, characterized by highly stylized art

Tsubasa by Clamp

I first started reading manga about a year after Joseph introduced me to Naruto as an anime airing on the Cartoon Network. It didn't take long for me, a lover of action movies, to fall in love with the 13 year old boy known as Naruto who was fighting with all of his heart to save his friendship with his teammate, Sasuke (said Sahs-kay). Once I learned that Naruto, the anime was based on the manga, I went to my library and borrowed as many as I could find that were in numerical order. Soon, however, I had surpassed my library's content and had become disatisfied with waiting for Cartoon Network to air the next episode instead of replaying what they had already shown. This is when Joseph told me that I could watch Naruto online. The only catch to watching it online - the episodes were in Japanese with English subtitles. Bring it on! I've been watching the subtitled episodes ever since and haven't looked back once. Now when I see Naruto on TV it honestly annoys me to hear an American voice because all of the characters are Japanese to me.

Through the years Naruto has grown up and now he's the lead character in Naruto Shippuuden the next "series" in Naruto's life. Once Shippuuden started being released in the manga volumes that are published in the U.S., Joseph and I made the decision to purchase the volumes. I know those of you who visit my blog on Mondays have seen my dedication to the manga this year. What you may not know is that Volume 47 is the last volume published in the U.S. so far. Volume 48 isn't due out until June 2010. Thankfully, there are fansites for crazies like me where other fans post the Japanese editions of the manga online and translate them for non-japanese speaking people. yay!

Anyway, since the next volume of Naruto won't be available until June, I needed to find a different manga for my "fix". That's where Tsubasa came in.

Tsubasa is the story of princess who has lost her memory. Her best friend and two others take her on a journey through time and space searching for her lost memories. Each world they stop in brings a new adventure.

Now, you may be saying, "That's all well and good, Hannah, but why should I read manga? Isn't it just a comic book?"

Yes...kinda. I don't read typical comic books. They aren't interesting to me. But manga has managed what comics never could. Manga SHOWS me the action. It illustrates the movement, the sound, and the descriptions that authors take pages to convey in general fiction. When you read manga you have to observe. The actual words in the manga are usually only dialogue. If you don't observe all of the pictures you might miss a very integral part of the story. I suppose it's the same way with regular comic books, but manga tells a continuing story where all the comics that I've read tend to be short, separate, stories. Anyway, back to observation. When you read manga you have to be prepared to experience a story in a way that a normal printed book could never express. In manga you SEE what the author sees when they write the book. You become immersed in the culture of the book more easily because you don't have to imagine the intricacies of the clothes, the buildings, the landscapes, or the characters themselves.

Granted, imagination is something every person should never give up forever, but manga is a wonderful way to stretch your imagination in ways it may not be used to while also giving it (your imagination) a little bit of a vacation.

It is my goal to expand my manga horizons this year. Before this week I had never read any manga other than Naruto and now that I've found Tsubasa I'm beginning to realize how much I've missed out on the past few years.

One last point before you go. Manga is written for almost every genre. Just because I read action/fantasy doesn't mean that's all there is. There are manga romance, action/adventure, fantasy, paranormal, sports and games, historical drama, horror, mystery, science-fiction...you name it. Now, for titles of manga that you can try out...go here then follow the title links to short summaries of the manga. When you've chosen the manga you want to begin your adventure with, would you mind taking the time to come back here to let me know what it is? I'm gonna need a new series to read soon. I've only got 5 more books left of Tsubasa from the library before I have to track down the next volume in the bookstore or online.

It's Monday, What are You Reading? (8)

What are you reading on Mondays? is a meme hosted by Sheila. This is our opportunity as bloggers to share what we've read in the past week and what we plan on reading this week. If you'd like to join in (it's really fun), go to One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books and add your name to the list.

What I Read Last Week:

Trixie Belden: The Red Trailer Mystery ~ Julie Campbell 2/22
Trixie Belden: The Gatehouse Mystery ~ Julie Campbell 2/25
Trixie Belden: The Mysterious Visitor ~ Julie Campbell 2/26
Naruto Vol. 44 ~ Masashi Kishimoto 2/27
Naruto Vol. 45 ~ Masashi Kishimoto 2/27
Naruto Vol. 46 ~ Masashi Kishimoto 2/27
Naruto Vol. 47 ~ Masashi Kishimoto 2/27
Trixie Belden and the Mystery Off Glen Road ~ Julie Campbell 2/28
Tsubasa Vol. 1 ~ Clamp 2/28
Tsubasa Vol. 2 ~ Clamp 2/28
Tsubasa Vol. 3 ~ Clamp 2/28
Tsubasa Vol. 4 ~ Clamp 2/28
Tsubasa Vol. 5 ~ Clamp 2/28
Tsubasa Vol. 6 ~ Clamp 2/28

Currently Reading:

Tsubasa Vol. 7 ~ Clamp
Broken ~ Shiloh Walker
Trixie Belden: The Mystery in Arizona ~ Julie Campbell

What I Plan to Read This Week:

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment ~ James Patterson
Tsubasa Vol. 7-9
When Heaven Weeps ~ Ted Dekker
BoneMan's Daughters ~ Ted Dekker
Prophecy of the Sisters ~ Michelle Zink

I actually visited the library on Sunday (2/28) for new books for this week. I figured there was no better time to start saving money on books than the present. Especially since I purchased four books on Saturday. Joseph and I finally found Naruto Vol. 44 at the Borders in the mall. I also bought Broken and two Gundam 00 manga for Joseph while we were there.

So, wish me luck this week cause it's been quite some time since I read actual "adult" books and I'm determined to read two and two good-sized YA books this week. BTW, what did YOU read this past week?