My pick from my library (^.^)

Hello everyone...how is your weekend started off? For me...i just woken up ha ha ha (yes - I'm not a morning person but I’m not that lazy as well). It was all due to my very late night...or should I say a very early dawn since I slept at 3.30am this morning. As you have all probably guessed, I blamed it on a manga series that I picked up few hours ago. Well I was a bit high-strung and desperately wanted a short escape…somewhere for the weekend. But my oldest daughter had (and just completed) her weekend classes, then Yamaha exam came along with school exam in tow…phewww. We haven’t been anywhere these last 3 whole months. So I find my escape on books and mangas and the one that I picked last night was a work of Miyagi Riko, titled Love Monster

I just browsed along the manga collection on one of the online manga web, looking for something light with good artistic…and Love Monster gave me that. I love the story plot, it was light with interesting twist and surprises here and there, enough to spice up the story. It was cheeky too in a sweet and cute way, not overtly…really perfect to lighten up my mood. The drawing was cute and clean, with cute pretty girl named Hiyo who was engaged to a very handsome and strong tengu monster of Kurou (on another perspective, the main storyline was a bit similar to Black Bird of Sakurakouji Kanoko). These 82 chapters (completed - including 2 extras) were able to put my sleepiness at bay. So if you are looking for something to read to fill your weekend…something that falls right with the Halloween season, then I would highly recommend this  (>.<)

However, if you are looking for something different (but still fit with the coming Halloween), then how about the final book of Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan? The Blood of Olympus just been released for few weeks and although the storyline was predictable (if you are a keen reader of Rick Riodan) but this book still offers excitement and surprises. Or you could try The Staff of Serapis, a very short book by the same author which Annabeth met Sadie of Kane Chronicles for the first time.
Anyway, whichever books or mangas that you choose for this weekend (yes – I realized that maybe the lot of you choose other thing), I wish you a great time. Happy weekend!    

My pick for this month

Me with Adam Khoo

Hi everyone, how have you been doing so far? It was pretty hectic these few months and I barely had time for myself. But within this long weekend, I manage to scrap some time in between of my ‘meeting’ to write this. Now, I have an urge to share my fav things for this month, things that keep me going thru my days.

First is my new hobby (ok…it is becoming anyway). Lately I’ve been into Adam Khoo. It started when I joined the Wealth Academy in the beginning of the month in which led me to register for another program (Pattern of Excellence) in the coming May. I like the way Adam Khoo is delivering his training, fair – straight forward but fun. Many of my friends were asking why I was willing to spend big sum of money (WA indeed costly) but again, what I get from the program were much more than the money that I paid. As Adam said on the first day of the training, the best investment that you have ever made is on yourself. 

Next is my playlist. Pharrell’s Happy song really helped me a lot whenever I was cranky due to lack of sleep (yes, I am not a morning person) while Marry Me from Jason Derulo always push up my romantic side. Geez…I wished my hubby proposed to me using this song *gyaaaa…can’t help to play this song to death*. But sometimes, when time was bad…I just listen to Cee Lo’  Forget You again…and again…and again. 

The manga cover

Another thing that I wanna share is my fav manga, Suna No Shiro (aka Sandcastle). It is an old manga, with a very similar art to Popcorn (known as Seito Shokun). It tells about a heart-wrenching love story of the daughter of a very rich family with an orphan, however their love meet plenty obstacles. I finished the 34 chapters in a night (no regret even though I was having sort of hangover on the next morning with 3 hours sleep only).  And to close the month, I just finished Temptation of Nora Roberts, another romance fiction that was just perfect for long weekend   J

My top-5-fav mangas (all time fav)

Ehm…this is hard, to shortlist my fav manga into top 5. I thought and thought…changed and rechanged…addded then removed the titles. But at the end, (after a very serious consideration)…here what I have for my top-5-all-time-fav manga (manga that I always re-read and never get bored). All manga titles are based on alphabetical order.

7 Seeds by Tamura Yumi

The story is about the end of the world. However, few years prior the predicted end, the Japanese gov has established a program called 7 Seeds, which is supposed to be the survival and continuation of human being after the end of the world. It sounds so futuristic, but no worry…the environment on the manga is the world that we know (not something in the far future which is quite hard to imagine). So the gov selected 4groups of teenagers (around 6persons with 1 adult as the team leader) and put these persons to a long sleep in which will be woken up at specific time after the predicted disaster has passed. So the story tells us about the new world, how human and animal have to adapt to the new world, about the conflict between groups as well as between the group members, and many more which is very interesting to read.

Basara by Tamura Yumi

An award winning manga with epic story line. It’s about the future Japan after a catastrophe (which in a way, make it just like a place from hundred years ago). It’s about struggle, forbidden love and a long painful hardwork journey of Sarasa. Born as the boyish girl, Sarasa has to take after her dead/killed twin brother Tatara as the leader of her tribe. Pretended to be Tatara, she leads her tribe in fighting the oppressing kingdom lead by Red King. Sarasa promised her tribe and other people who later join her rebellion cause, to kill the Red King. But, who knows about the future fate? Sarasa accidentally meet Red King (who at that time, uses Shuri as the name). Fateful meeting leads to friendship, and then after helping each other escapes death few times, they find love. However, just when they realized that they are in love with each other, they find out about the true identity of each other. What would Sarasa choose, the forbidden love or a sacred promise to kill the Red King?

Glass Mask by Miuchi Suzue

Another old time fav…I first read it when I was in junior high (can u imagine…how long these series go on?) It’s not completed yet (even there were few years vacuum period since the author was occupied by other thing). But yet, I (and I believe…along with the other fans) am willing to wait month after month, year after year, for the new release. It is about an orphan, poor and simple girl, Maya who isn’t good at anything unless acting. Eventhough she has natural talent in acting, it doesn’t mean that the road to success and for her to play her-dreamt-drama is easy. There are lots of obstacle, from jealousy to envy, love triangle, and fierce competition with the beautiful, rich, and talented Ayumi. So, can Maya be the leading actress in the famous-drama of Plum Goddess? You just have to be very…very…very patient   J

Komatta Toki Ni Wa Hoshi Ni Kike! By Abe Miyuki

Another cute and lovable manga from Abe Miyuki. The story takes place in an all-boy-high-school dormitory when a new residence came in. Fujishima, with his baby face and petite body (in term of boy) is assigned into a room with Kiyomine, a rough handsome loner. Fujishima who grows up in a family full of love, found it is hard to deal with Kiyomine. Several fights occur, before both of them become the best buddy. It’s interesting to see how boy students in an all boy school treat the pretty Fujishima and how Kiyomine, with his possessiveness, will protect Fujishima. It is truly adorable and laugh trigger story. Caution: some of the scene might have tendency toward BL in a very light category (please google the meaning of BL he he he).

Skip Beat by Nakamura Yoshiki

Ah…I love this one (they have the anime as well as the drama). I love Ren…the picture/drawing is so good (I’m definitely head over heel with this). It’s about a country-pumpkin girl (meaning: a girl which is sooo ordinary) named Kyoko. There is not much story about her family except that her mom is quite strict and demands the best from her. Kyoko felt in love with her-childhood-friend, a rising singer, Sho Fuwa. However, it turned out that Sho had been using her and pretended to be in love with her (well, actually he is head over heel with this girl as well, but too shy to admit his feeling). So to revenge him, Kyoko enters the show-biz and unintentionally works closely with Ren, the famous actor cum model which is the no 1 enemy of Sho. As thing progresses, Ren fall in love with Kyoko and vice versa, however Ren’s dark past and Kyoko’s determination not to fall in love again, allow them to conceal their feeling toward each other. So, how’s the love triangle between Ren, Kyoko and Sho? Definitely not one to be missed   J

Please be kindly informed that the manga covers are taken from online manga reader site (sorry...i was too lazy to find it on my book shelves).

Yotsuba To! by Azuma Kiyohiko

I found this manga when I idlely browsed my new manga collection. I have completed my serial manga in my collection and was looking for something different this time. At first, I didn't expect much. Seeing the so-so art, nothing special, no hunks and definitely not a shoujo manga (romance genre). Well, since I had the time, I started to read and now am unable to put it down. I was totally hooked. It is a simple story with simple (not fancy) drawing but hillarious and entertaining. Totally unexpected...awesome!

It is a story about ordinary 6yo girl' daily life in the new town. Despite being abondoned by her parent and picked up by a man (which become her daddy now), she is very optimistic, positive thinking girl with infection enthusiasm. With her daddy, his friends and the neighbours, Yotsuba is living her life to the fullest. She explores the world at her pace and within her common senses.

Thumbs up for the mangaka/comic author (Azuma Kiyohiko). The mangaka delivered ordinary story in no-ordinary way (well, she has green hair...that's no-ordinary 【ツ】ƗƗє²² ƗƗє²² ƗƗє²²【ツ】). No wonder this manga achieved many awards, one of them is an Excellence Award for Manga in 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival.

Bravo!
*time to get back to my manga*

Bersatunya 2 Jiwa - Glass Mask by Suzue Miuchi

Yuuhuuu...finally, after a long wait, the new series of Glass Mask (Garasu No Kamen) is out now! Yes, this was the one that I grabbed this morning, while tossing my blanket aside. I skipped my breakfast, I forgot to make my hot choc (my morning ritual), I put everything else on the side of my brain while I was slowly reading page by page (yes, I took my time pleasurely...absorbing and blending myself into the story).


For Japanese manga lovers, Glass Mask holds a very dear part either in the heart or on the bookshelf. It was a story about a little orphan girl who doesn't have anything beside her Ŀ♡√Ɛ and passion toward drama, who competes in a drama/stage performance with a girl who has it all. It has intense romance (yeah, I bet just a mention of Masumi will make your heart beat faster), fierce competition, ups and downs.


On this new series, both Masumi and Maya, came clean with everything (oohhh...it was so sweet). However, problems seemed to hang around like dark cloud before heavy rain. I wonder...again and again...when this series will end. Will it end happily with Masumi and Maya as an item, or perhaps Suzue Miuchi has some surprise in store for us. Let's hope the author keeps continuing this series (geez...it's been decades).


Now, I wanna re-read it, especially the part on the ship's deck *winking*

New Legenda Naga # 9

Finally…after a long wait and wondering, the New Legenda Naga # 9 (Ryuutouden Chuugen Ryouran Hen, Japanese manga by Yoshito Yamahara) is available. This book made me fully awake this morning (even though few mins before I was so asleep) and made me skip my breakfast (geez...for me, meals always come first he he he). This series, along with Topeng Kaca (Glass Mask by Shuzue Miuchi) are the only mangas that I always wait patiently. I used to wait for 2 years just for a single manga update…phew.

For those who are not familiar with Legenda Naga, I highly recommend you to go to the nearest bookstore and get yourself a copy (from the 1^st book of course)…or you could find it on www.mangafox.de (for online reading). It is an epic manga about three kingdoms of China (yes, I know that are so many manga bout three kingdoms). However, instead of the well-known history of three kingdoms, the author added 2persons – boy and girl, named Shiro Amachi and Masumi as time-travellers (who incidentally transported to the era of three kingdoms, riding a dragon). That’s why the story is called Legenda Naga (dragon legend).

While trying their best not to change the history of China, these time travellers, who along with the story development, found their purpose and mission, and unexpectedly be drawn into the twisting politic and war of China. Don’t expect much about the history of three kingdoms, since this manga focuses on the time travelers. Believed as dragon reincarnation, the time travelers were known to possess certain god-like ability (either in fighting for Shiro or predicting the future for Masumi).

And on this newly-released #9 comic, it is about the fighting between the China emperor with wild tiger (continuation from the previous number) which was won by the emperor. This fight successfully inspired the war generals to support the emperor to go on war with Tsao Tsao. Shiro on other hand, was busy train his generals for the upcoming war with Wu. Not much action on this seri, but I better not to tell more than this…you better read it by yourself   *grinning*