Tachibana Higuchi: ALICE ACADEMY Vol. 4-7

Alice Academy 05 (couldn't find the cover or a link on Amazon.com)



Alice Academy 07 (couldn't find the cover or a link on Amazon.com)

Even though I couldn't find two of the covers on Amazon.com, the links for the other two volumes lead to the respective Amazon websites.

Tachibana Higuchi
ALICE ACADEMY VOL. 4-7
Daisuki
727 pages

The Alice Academy is a bording school for students with "special abilities". These abilities range from being able to control pheromones to attract animals to creating any possible tool just by thinking it up.

The cast in this series is extensive, mostly because it's an entire grade plus their teachers and mentors , but somehow, Tachibana Higuchi managed to keep it easy enough for me to know whom I'm looking at even if I take a small break between the volumes.

After the appearance of a mysterious group that tried to kidnap Natsume, the students are under heavy surveillance, but something is still out there and the students are not safe, so a group around Mikan takes off to find out more.

I really recommend this series, as it is fun and with a bit of fantasy/sci-fi mixed in. Of course, if you have read mangas before, you know why I'm only giving so little information. There is so much happening that you just can't sum it up - and if you would it would spoil the series for those that haven't read the previous volumes.

Rating: 4/5

Japanese Literature Challenge III

I'm finally getting around to posting about this challenge. Of course I'm taking part in Dolce Bellezza's Japanese Literature Challenge III! I haven't been able to join this one for the first two challenges, but I have some books on Mt. TBR that would fit right in with this challenge.



The challenge starts July 30, 2009 and ends January 30, 2010.

My possible reads are:

1) Haruki Murakami: A Wild Sheep Chase
2) Yasushi Inoue: Der Tod des Teemeisters (couldn't find the English title)
3) Natsuo Kirino: Real World
4) Hitori Nakano: Train Man

Since I have already read tons of mangas this year I won't add any of those to my official list, but if I do read one I'll add it in an additional list.

new books :-D

I'm finally at my parents' for the rest of the week, with feet that hurt like hell, but I'm happy LOL

But it was all worth it, because I spent this afternoon book shopping, having a late lunch and a cup of coffee with a friend. We both love books and have been planning this book shopping spree for a few months now.

So, here's what I got at the indie:
DD Barant: Dying Bites
Rachel Caine: Glass Houses
MaryJanice Davidson: Undead and Unpopular
MaryJanice Davidson: Undead and Uneasy
Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
Nick Sagan: Idlewild

Anyway, I also got three more books this week from Amazon:
Patricia Davids: A Military Match (finally!!!)
Kristan Higgins: Fools Rush In
Jill Shalvis: Double Play

On top of that, I just ordered:
MaryJanice Davidson: Undead and Unreturnable (cause they didn't have it at the book shop)
Haruki Murakami: A Wild Sheep Chase (going to read it with two friends from university)

Now, I'm going back to my sofa where my book is waiting for me (the Rachel Caine one). So far, it's great, but I'm still on the first couple pages..

back to blogging

I'm back! I can't believe it, but it is really true :-)

I had to extend my vacation a bit because I was really exhausted and and managed to plan my vacation for the time that turned out to be the hottest time of the year so far. A few times I was very close to melting LOL (For those living in tropic areas: I don't do well with heat all day - and night - long! For you, the temps would have been ridiculous.)

I'm still not done with my papers and essays (they're due at the end of September), so I can't guarantee you that I'll get and stay up to date with my reviews until then, but I'll do my best and will keep posting.

For now, I will try to update all my challenge posts (and add one or two challenges) and write reviews of all the books I read.

So you see what is coming up for you, I have a list of books I read during my vacation for you. The numbers are taken from my regular reading summary.

60) Kristan Higgins: Just One Of The Guys
61) Tachibana Higuchi: Alice Academy Vol. 6
62) Tachibana Higuchi: Alice Academy Vol. 7
63) Karen Tei Yamashita: Tropic Of Orange
64) Allison Leigh: A Weaver Wedding
65) Janice Kay Johnson: Snowbound
66) Cormac McCarthy: The Road
67) Jill Shalvis: Flashback
68) Merline Lovelace: A Question Of Intent
69) M. Reufsteck/J. Stoeckle: Die kleine House-Apotheke
70) Charlotte Douglas: Mystique
71) Elizabeth Young: Asking For Trouble
72) Jill Shalvis: Instant Attraction
73) Carly Phillips: Hot Property
74) Dani Sinclair: Secret Cinderella
75) Julie James: Just The Sexiest Man Alive
76) Donna Kauffman: The Cinderella Rules
77) Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Heaven, Texas
78) Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Lady Be Good
79) Nalini Singh: Visions Of Heat

Back soon! Sorry!

I can't believe I haven't been around for so long, but I hadn't realized I was just so exhausted! I haven't had a vacation for 2 years and even this vacation I spent at home.

In fact, I haven't had a real vacation anyway, as I spent the past weeks working more hours than usually. My computer doesn't work well anymore and since I need one for university, I am right now trying to earn the money for a new one, which didn't and still doesn't help me relax enough *sigh*

At least, I managed to read whenever I was at home from work and I sure did read some books!

I will get back online tomorrow to write a bit on my reviews.

I'm going on a vacation...

Well, not really, but Friday is the last day for the semester, so I decided to take next week off. No blogging, no classes, just reading (and maybe I'll pre-write a few reviews - after all, I still have a bunch waiting to be read). I've been so exhausted these past couple weeks, the break will do me good and I'll finally get to read without feeling guilty because I should have used the time for some other things.

Now, I already have a huge stack of books I've been looking forward to, but I'm not going to tell you which. I'm a mood reader and even if I have a tentative list right now, you never know whether I'll really read those books or something completely different... And then, I have mysteries, romance, non-fiction, novels etc at home, so I have a wide variety of genres to choose from.

Please come back during the last week of July, I'll then have some more information for you and I will reveal the actual books I read. In fact, let me tell you this: I have Chinese, Japanese, American, Dominican, German, British and French authors on Mt. TBR, plus a number of countries I'm not yet aware of...

Oh, and I'll also reply to comments once I'm back. I know I have a backlog, but I saved them all and will answer, I promise!

Happy reading everyone! I'll be back soon with a bunch of reviews :-)

Naomi Alderman: DISOBEDIENCE

Naomi Alderman
DISOBEDIENCE
239 pages
Berliner Taschenbuch Verlag
ISBN: 978-3-8333-0552-8

Note: This is the ISBN for my German copy. But if you want to buy it, you can click on the cover. It – as usually – leads you right to Amazon.com where you can order it.

In her first novel, Naomi Alderman introduces us to Ronit, the daughter of a Rabbi in Hendon near London. Ronit grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community and lived the life until she did the unspeakable. She fell in love with a girl.

As soon as she could, she left the community and moved to New York to lead a life free of worries about other people’s thoughts. She attended university and became a successful career woman, but when she receives the news that her father died, she has to go back to Hendon, to her past. There, she sees Esti again, her first love, and soon realizes that the past is not yet completely the past...

Deservingly winning the Orange Award for New Authors, Alderman created characters that come to life on the pages. She shows what life in an Orthodox Jewish community is like. As a counterpart to Ronit, who left the community to lead the life she wishes to live, Alderman created Ronit’s first love, Esti. Esti stayed in the community and now leads a life that conforms to the rules of the community.

At the latest while reading this novel, it becomes clear that Naomi Alderman knows what she is writing about. She grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household and it shows in her use of terms. With this German copy, the publisher unfortunately didn’t think of adding a glossary for those who would like to check back about these terms, but with the internet, it is easy to find a definition for a term that might not be as easy to understand, for example at Judaism 101.

For an article on Naomi Alderman and her father, Geoffrey Alderman, check out this page.

Rating: 4.5/5