.hack// Legend of the Twilight Vol. 2

Rena and Shugo have logged back into The World to continue their quest to uncover the mystery surrounding the original dot hackers.

They meet back up with Mireille, Ouka, Hotaru and find themselves in-front of a haunted old mansion. Inside the mansion they encounter invisibles - which Shugo vanquishes. They finish their battle in time to return to the City of Watr Mac Anu for the fireworks to start. The programing for the fireworks though begins to act up. It begins to rain and an odd tune begins to be carried in the air.

Shugo, Rena, Mireille, Ouka, and Hotaru begin to look for the odd music. The music has also caught the attention of an CC Administrator - who isn't friendly.

They find the source of the singing, it's a little girl, who Shugo thinks is Aura. In the 1st volume, Aura saves Shugo's life and gives him a very rare and powerful bracelet. Aura is also a mystery that the admins want to delete. Every time she shows up something bad happens. However the little girl is not Aura but Zefie who is an NPC (Non-personal character) who believes that Aura is her mother. The gang take it upon themselves to help find Aura (they also believe it is a mission inside the game.)

The kids have attracted the attention of both Balmug and Kamui but for very different reasons. Balmug and Kamui are both administrators for the CC Corp. but work in different departments. Balmug is interested in Shugo because of his (Shugo's) interaction with Aura. Balmug believes that watching and waiting will help uncover the final mystery. Kamui is the head knight of CC Corps.' own "Colbat Knight Brigade" which looks for cheaters and hackers and punishes them. She is interested in Shugo because she was "tipped" that he was cheating, also because of Zefie - whom Kamui wants to delete permanently.

In volume 2 we learn a little more about The World and the catastrophic event that happened 4 years ago. The event was that some player became unconscious while playing the game and that a whole city lost power and internet connection. They still don't know what caused the event but believe it had to deal with Aura. The unconscious were the original dot hackers who got a glimpse into the core of the world - and since then no one has been able to see it.

In this volume they also introduced some Japanese slang words. The words are:

ganguro - trendy Japanese teen look of tanned skin and white makeup (p39)

kogal - a trendy teen girl into fashion and makeup (p 44)

When I googled ganguro to find images, it was very interesting. Some of the "tanned" skin looked like oompa-loompa skin - I mean it was that very dark orange skin. They had white lips and white around their eyes and blonde hair. It is a very interesting look and I wonder what inspired that look.

Volumes in this Manga

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

I don't know if this .hack has a volume 4, but after doing some research I've found that there are other .hack story lines out there including but not limited:

1) .hack/AI Buster

2) .hack/Another Birth

For more information on the whole .hack story (there are many spinoffs) please visit the Wiki page on it. I'm just sad that my library doesn't have the other .hack books. I find this Sci-Fi manga very interesting and I would love to read the other stories surrounding The World.

Oh! And apparently this .hack is actually called .hack//Legends of the Twilight Bracelet - the one that Aura gave Shugo. I found that interesting because our English books don't have the title and I wonder why they took off bracelet. Perhaps because boys wouldn't want to read a book that dealt with a piece of jewelry? ;)

.hack//Legend of the Twilight Volume 2 by Tatsuya Hamazaki. Japan (c) 2003 - English (c) 2004

Babymouse: Rock Star

"Babymouse"

"Babymouse"

They're chanting her name - and the crowd is going wild.

She gets on stage and ROCKS! After she's done with her performance the crowd begins to scream her name, then she slowly opens her eyes, and it's her little brother Squeak. When she gets to the school bus stop she is greeted by her friend Wilson the Weasel.

Though today was Wednesday and boring, it was also the day of BAND TRYOUTS!!! Sadly she did not chose the clarinet which is my all time favorite instrument (I am biased - since it's what I've been playing since the 5th grade :P) Babymouse chose the flute, along with everyone else in the class.

As she goes to sign up for the tryouts Felicia Furrypaws sneers that she'll need all the luck she can get. Last year Babymouse was the VERY last chair, and was stuck behind a huge elephant who was in the drum pit. However, Babymouse is far from ready. Every-time she plays her flute a loud SCRREEEEEEEECH emits from it. Penny Poodle offers to help Babymouse, but can she in time for the band tryouts?!

Books in this series:

1. Babymouse: Queen of the World
2. Babymouse: Our Hero
3. Babymouse: Beach Babe
4. Babymouse: Rock Star
5. Babymouse: Heart Breaker
6. Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
7. Babymouse: Skater Girl
8. Babymouse: Puppy Love
9. Babymouse: Monster Mash
10. Babymouse: The Musical
11. Babymouse: Dragonslayer
12. Babymouse: Burns Rubber (January 12, 2010)

Babymouse: Rock Star by Jennifer and Matt Holm. New York (c) 2006

Babymouse: Beach Babe

School is almost out and Babymouse can't wait!!! While taking her last class of the day, science, she begins to day dream during a slide show of marine animals.

Suddenly Babymouse turns into MERMOUSE! Mermouse swims through the ocean looking t her treasure chest of jewels until she comes across a GIANT SQUID! The giant squid attacks her squirting ink all over her! But when she awakes from her day dream, it's actually her pen that's spilled all over her!

That night at dinner her parents tell her that they are going to the beach for a vacation! She's so excited (last years vacation was a disaster in - she had to camp in the woods!)

When she arrives at the beach she can't wait to surf, sun tan, and snorkel - all with out her little brother Squeak. When Babymouse's mother tells her to spend time with Squeak she gurglingly agrees. She builds a sand castle and he destroys it - and then later that night they spend all the time on the rides on the board walk. That night though Babymouse tells her mother that she doesn't have any cool people to hang out with, hurting Squeak's heart. He leaves her a note saying that he's running away since no one wants to be with him.

The lesson that Babymouse learned in this book was that her brother is very important person to have.

Books in this series:

1. Babymouse: Queen of the World
2. Babymouse: Our Hero
3. Babymouse: Beach Babe
4. Babymouse: Rock Star
5. Babymouse: Heart Breaker
6. Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
7. Babymouse: Skater Girl
8. Babymouse: Puppy Love
9. Babymouse: Monster Mash
10. Babymouse: The Musical
11. Babymouse: Dragonslayer
12. Babymouse: Burns Rubber (January 12, 2010)

Babymouse: Beach Babe by Jennifer and Matt Holm. New York (c) 2006

The Luxe

Many of you have seen this book circulating the blogosphere so I will keep my review short, as I'm sure many of you have already read it.

Elizabeth Holland is at the top of the social scene in an 1899 New York. We all know that "all that glistens is not gold" and is certainly Elizabeth's case. With the recent passing of her father, her mother tells Elizabeth and Diana that they can no longer afford the lavish life they once knew - for their father left them in considerable debt. The family's only hope is that Elizabeth can marry into money. The only problem is her heart lies else where.

Penelope Hayes is the most beautiful exotic person in her time. Her 'best friend' Elizabeth Holland has just arrived back from France, and is dying to tell Elizabeth of her crush on Henry Schoonmaker, New York's hottest bachelor. She plans to marry him and won't take no for an answer, and when all the papers are hinting about her and Henry and how surely those two are to be engaged she can't help but feel like her plan will work. But she is a rose with thorns, and is one to be watched.

Diana Holland is a wild child. Unlike her boring family she has a fiery personality. She hates that she has to be dressed in expensive cloths, talk quietly, and be boring. She wants to travel the world and experience life - not live it so dully. When she catches the eye of Henry Schoonmaker her life begins to parallel the romance novels she often reads.

Henry Schoonmaker is New York's hottest bachelor. His family is very wealthy and his father will run for mayor. The only problem for this strapping young man, is that he is known as a heart breaker, and a wild uncontrollable man. When his father comes to him and tells him to marry a respectable woman, so his run for mayor will be better, or else be cut off from the money supply, Henry Schoonmaker find himself in a tight spot. Freedom or marriage?

Lina Broud is Elizabeth Holland's personal maid. The two grew up together and became good friends. But when Elizabeth went to France for the summer, their friendship wilted away. The two have grown even more apart, and Lina has become more and more jealous of her mistress' life style. When an event leads to her dismissal she finds a way to get back at the woman she hates so much with the help of an unlikely source.

Ah, the gossip and drama of 1899!! The book revolves around the point of view of Elizabeth, Diana, Penelope, and Lina. I love how the author details the clothes they wore and the rooms they lived in. You can clearly get a wonderful picture in your head. The book dealt with the age old question of: do you follow your heart or do you do act to help your family forsaking your heart? I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth. On the outside she portrayed her self to society as a perfect woman with impeccable manners. As you continue to read you learn though that she is everything but perfect and is actually not as shallow as she appears. I look forward to the second book!

Books in this series:

1. The Luxe

2. Rumors

3. Envy

4. Splendor

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. New York (c) 2007

The 39 Clues Book 2: One False Note

Amy and Dan are on the race to find clue number 2, with the only hint being "MOZART". Amy, Dan, and Nellie are all on a train to Austria in hopes of beating the rest of the Cahill relatives to clue number 2.

The troubles that they face never seems to be at a distance. Saladin, Grace's Egyptian Mau, is refusing to eat regular cat food and so has begun to look rather sick. Saladin was used to eating fresh red snapper - a delicacy they can no longer afford. They continue to try and feed him in hopes that he will eat, they can't bare the thought that they'd lose the only remaining connection to Grace.

The gang hops on a train that takes them from France to Austria. They hope that the rest of the Cahill family hasn't caught up with them yet, but when they see the Holts on the next train car they being to panic. They shove their clue and Saladin in an over head compartment and start running to the next car - with the Holts hot on their heels. When the Holts catch them and drag them back to their au pair, they demand that the clue be handed over. Luckily for them Saladin ripped the whole clue to shreds, and when the free-loading Holts are discovered by the train personal they jump off.

When the train finally lands in Austria Amy, Dan and Nellie find a hotel and then begin searching for their clue. They clue they have is one of Mozart's last master pieces " KV 617". When you listen to it - it has an eerie beauty to it (well at least for me.) The kids look throughout his house hopping for any clues. When they spot their cousin Jonah they know they are on the right track but upset that the lead is now up for grabs. Amy and Dan go to the little library under Mozart's house requesting the diary of Mozart's sister. When the attendant finds that the diary is missing, the kids know that their cousin is involved!

They follow Mozart's clues all the way to Venice. While in Venice Amy and Dan doge all the Cahills to find clue number 3. They have to race to Japan in hopes of being the ones to solve the mystery Grace left behind.

I am so in love with the 39 Clues series! It's like The Da Vinci Code - but for kids. Scholastic is even hosting a real game in which you read the books and you get the cards (each book comes with 6 - but you can also buy packs) and try to solve the mystery too! On the back of the book it says "you can win over $100,000 in prizes" - I'd love to play along, but sadly I've never been good with solving word problems!

With each book Amy and Dan over come hard obstacles - both personal and 'professional'. The family members that the kids are going up against are rich beyond means, smart, and ruthless - while the Cahill kids are poor, parent-less, smart, and not ruthless. Amy is slowly becoming a stronger person, while Dan is slowly finding his place. These kids are the underdogs and you can't help but root for them as they continue the wild and dangerous quest to solve the mystery.

Books in the series:

1) The 39 Clues: Book 1 The Maze of Bones

2) The 39 Clues: Book 2 One False Note

3) The 39 Clues: Book 3 The Sword Thief

4) The 39 Clues: Book 4 Beyond the Grave

5) The 39 Clues: Book 5 The Black Circle (Aug 11, 2009)

6) The 39 Clues: Book 6 In Too Deep (Nov 3, 2009)

7) The 39 Clues: Book 7 Untitled ( Feb 2, 2010)

8) The 39 Clues: Book 8 Untitled (Apr 6, 2010)

9) The 39 Clues: Book 9 TBA (Jun 2010)

10) The 39 Clues: Book 10 TBA (Sept 2010)

The 39 Clues Book 2: One False Note by Gordon Korman. New York (c) 2008

TWITTER CONTEST!!

Hey guys! Amy from Park Avenue Princess, along with E. Van Lowe (author of Never Slow Dance with a Zombie) are having a twitter contest!! All you have to do is tweet Amy (@APrkAvePrincess) and/or author @EVanLowe "Never Slow Dance with a Zombie" So you can 'tweet'

@APrkAvePrincess and @EVanLowe: I will never slow dance with a zombie unless they buy me dinner first! (I just might use it - I just came up with the idea now!!) The contest is being held until Oct. 8th! AND 1 winner will be picked daily with the grand prize ($54.60 Amazon gift card) to be given away on the 8th!!

I won yesterday (and I never thought I would win!!) It's easy! All you do is tweet! So what are you waiting for??!?!?!?

Read-a-thon!!

So I just came across this tweet about a read-a-thon. I think it will be so much fun!! I am guessing that you read as many books as you can in 24 hrs :) So if I'm right I'm going to read A TON of manga/comic books!! Maybe some ya chapter books.

To sign up please go here :)

Books I read: