23 MINUTES -- POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE #18

image from Goodreads

And so we come to the next of the Popsugar Reading Challenge books. The challenge parameter is: A book that takes place in a single day.

The proper name for these types of novels is called Circadian novels.

This one is by Vivian Vande Velde. She writes YA novels. My two favorites by her are Dragon's Bait and Companions of the Night. The first is a fantasy about a girl, a dragon, and revenge. The second has a girl, a vampire, and people trying to kill them.

The one I got from the library to read is 23 Minutes. This one is about a girl who can turn back time. She can only go back 23 minutes and only 10 times. Each "playback" (as the main character calls it) had unique elements each time.

I think the author did an amazing job. She told the same 23 minutes completely different each time. I must admit there were small repetitions, but event those were dissimilar.

I enjoyed the book immensely.

What would you change or fix if you could go back 23 minutes?

THE MARTIAN -- POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE #14

image from Goodreads

This was on my reading list for the longest time. And I mean the loooongest time.

I saw it at the library and put it on my reading list (in hardback). I watched the movie; it was still on my reading list.  I got the paperback last year --- and it was still on my reading list.

So I finally broke down and picked it up for the Popsugar Reading Challenge #14: A book set in space.

Let me tell you, I loved it!!! I highly recommend the book.

The book was intelligent and funny and just plain cool.  The book had a bit more depth (naturally) and had some great new bits not seen in the movie.

One of my favorite scenes is still the moment where he calls himself a space pirate.  My other is when he razzes Carl Sagan about colonizing Mars.

So what were your favorite scenes or lines from the the book or movie?

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Zechs Merquise, Killua Zoldyck #atozchallenge

Zechs Merquise is the mysterious and gentlemanly OZ Gundam pilot. His past is hidden like his face behind a mask. He is one of the leaders of Oz in Gundam Wing.

He faces one of the five young Gundam pilots from the spaces colonies in combat, dueling him in the Arctic because their battle was interrupted.

He was once the crown prince of the Sanc Kingdom (say-nkt) whose family and kingdom was destroyed by the United Earth Sphere Alliance. Millardo Peacecraft died and Zechs was born.

He turns back on OZ when his sister Relana becomes a player in politics to end OZ's tyranny.

☇☇☇☇☇☇

Killua Zoldyck is Gon's best friend in the Anime Hunter X Hunter.  He is also the shining star of the Zoldyck family of assassins. Seeing him for the first time, one wouldn't think so since he acts just like a normal teen. He calmly rides his skateboard as he initiates a conversation with Gon during the first test of the Hunter's Exam. Although there are a few subtle hints that he is more than he appears before the exam.

His parents have high hopes for him to become the next leader despite having older siblings.

This is a family that is beyond dysfunctional.  Torture as punishment (I mean whips and chains and other various devices) is like grounding for them. His father finally lets him return to his friends, knowing that letting him go would return him to the fold eventually.

Killua has no qualms about ripping hearts out of people when he's in a bad mood.

He changes when he meets Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. He becomes stronger and softens at the same time. His loyalty to them puts him in harms way more than once.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Yusuke Urameshi #atozchallenge

To die to save a life can be noble especially if the person doing the saving is an unrepentant street fighter and slacker with a cruddy home life.  This is what happens to Yusuke Urameshi in Yu Yu Hakusho.

He found out that the boy he tried to save would have survived without his interference so his death was basically in vain as Botan tells him. She then goes to explain that he could come back to life since his death was unexpected although the conditions to return were strict.

After his return, he becomes a Spirit Detective for Koemna.

Yusuke's smart-mouth, delinquency, intimidation, fighting, and huge chip on his shoulder all conceal that he is a kind individual that loves his friends deeply.

🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆🎆

And because this is the one of the final A to Z posts, here's a bit of trivia: the writer Togashi Yoshihiro is also the writer of Hunter X Hunter. He is also married to the writer of Sailor Moon Takeuchi Naoko.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Migi, Maes Hughes #atozchallenge

Migi is the alien spore parasite that infects Shinichi  Izumi (shee-nee-chee ee-zoo-mee) right hand instead of his brain in the Science Fiction Horror Anime Parasyte. Migi (mee-gee) is ruthless when it comes to his survival and will even threaten his host and Shinichi's friends.

He and Shinichi become allies against other parasites who are human eaters as well as the government agencies trying to find and destroy infected human bodies.

Migi is not a flesh eater since he failed to attach to the head. He gets nourishment directly from the bloodstream.

Migi has the ability to morph and will turn into blades to kill others.  He is intelligent and reads extensively while Shinichi sleeps.

⽍⺞😭😭⽍⺞

Maes Hughes. One of the nicest characters I have ever watched. He loved his wife and adored his daughter to the point of obsession.  And he has one of the saddest moments to ever have been shown in an anime, in my opinion.

Maes is one of those characters you invest your heart and soul in and then said parts are torn from your body, shredded, burned, stomped on, and cast into the pits of hell.  The tiny bits of ash that are left are given back to you to only lose them to the next scenes of misery and despair.

In Full Metal Alchemist and in FMA Brotherhood, he is friends to Roy Mustang and to the Elric Brothers.  He works at Central and keeps Mustang apprised with the going on there.  He gets too close to the truth and is murdered.

His death is a driving force for Mustang to become stronger and to get to the truth behind the things not right within there government.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Kirito, Kurama, Koro-sensei #atozchallenge

The Black Swordsman. Beater. Kirigaya Kazuto. These are all the names of the Sword Art Online's main character, Kirito. He is a loner and computer nerd who isolated himself from his family.

He enters the game on that fateful day with only playing the game again on his mind.
He was one of the lucky beta testers before the release of the game.

When they find the first boss, he is accused of being a beta tester and a cheater. He takes on the accusation with a snide comment of he was better than a beta tester. Thus, the epithet beater was established. He took on the role with a mind to protect the other beta testers stuck in the game.

He becomes one of the only solo players to be on the Assault Team, which are the elite players that take on the dungeons and boss rooms.

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

Yoko Kurama, a fox thief who hid in the human world by merging with a human baby became the character of Kurama in the Anime series Yu Yu Hakusho.

We first meet Kurama (kuh-rah-mah) as an antagonist in the show who steals artifacts from Spirit World with two other demons, Goki and Hiei (he-ay) (He's another freaking amazing character that didn't make my awesome character list cut but he was close!). Yusuke is sent after them. to get the objects back and to send them back to Spirit World.

Later, Kurama and Hiei become friends with Yusuke and Kuwabara after fighting in the Dark Tournament as teammates. He is the tactician of the group with the quick wit and cunning of his demon spirit.

🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙

Koro-sensei is the quintessential over-the-top character. He can go Mach 20, he loves junk food, he has a weakness for naughty magazines, and, oh of course, how could I almost forget to mention that he wants his classroom students to kill him before he destroys the world at the end of the school year.

This is the basis of the story for Assassination Classroom.  It is a highly comedic and dramatic story that will rip your heart to shreds at the end (trust me, I was ugly crying at the end of second season. And I do mean UGLY CRYING).

This non-alien creature (Yep, you read that right. He is not from outer space.) wants to teach the class of misfits. The government agrees because that way they know where he is at most times.  He is a brilliant and caring character. 

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Izumi Curtis, Itami Yoji #atozchallenge

Izumi Curtis is the 'simple housewife' of Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.  She is anything but. Izumi is one of the toughest characters on FMA and FMA:B. She is the one who teaches Edward and Alphonse Elric alchemy and martial arts.

They are terrified of angering her. They are respectful to her and her abilities as an alchemist. She taught them the true meaning of Equivalent Exchange when she left them on an island to fend for themselves.

Just like the Elric brothers, she too performed the taboo alchemy of Human Transformation. This is trying to bring back a human from the dead.

Her price was similar to the the brothers. Alphonse lost his body, Edward his leg and gave up his arm to keep his brother's soul, and Izumi lost her ability to bear children and will spew blood if she overexerts herself.

The gain is that she can use alchemy without a Transmutation Circle.

🎖🎖🎖🎖🎖🎖

Itami Yoji is the slacker of the JSDF who just wanted to go to the doujinshi convention but was thwarted by the appearance of a ginormous gate in the middle of Tokyo. From this gate a force of soldiers appears with dragons and horses and medieval weapons. Itami (ee-tah-mee) saves lives and instructs the police as the threat is taken care other military personnel in the Anime Gate.

He becomes one of the soldiers in the newly formed Recon Division that entered the gate and one of the driving forces behind the JSDF's (Japanese Self Defense Force) positive reception from the citizens of the Special Region.  Of course, he just wants to slack off and procrastinate.

In this haremish dramedy, he rescues an Elf from the wreckage of her village, becomes friends with demigod (who flirts with him) and a wizard, and has a dark elf given to him by the the elf's tribe.  There is even a warrior princess that comes to respect him.

They all face the rage of an idiot prince as the empire crumbles around them.

And Itami still only wants to get to go to the doujinshi convention at the end. 

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Grell Sutcliff, Giroro, Gowther #atozchallenge

Grell Sutcliff is an all and all freaky character.  He is a Grim Reaper and part of the Retrieval Division.  His Death Scythe is in the form of a chain saw.  Yes, I said chainsaw.  He is from the from the demon  filled, Victorian horror Anime Black Butler.

We first meet this character as a bumbling butler of Ciel (see-ell) Phantomhive's aunt, Angelina Dalles.

When Ciel and Sebastian investigate the Ripper murders, they find out that Grell isn't a human at all and in league with the aunt, who is behind the murders

He is completely off his rocker when it comes to blood and Sebastian. He makes sexually veiled comments about wanting to be with Sebastian.  He is somewhat effeminate and very flamboyant.

He is the gif playing in my theme reveal.

🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

Giroro is the gun-toting, action-wanting, but in love with a Pekoponian girl, Corporal of Sgt. Frog.  He has a short temper when it comes to Keroro's inanity and stupidity. When he realizes he is stuck on Earth, he plants a tent in the Hinata's backyard.

When he first appears, he is very aggressive when it came to taking over the planet and of everything, but he calms as the show progresses.

The belt across his chest contains a picture of Natsumi (naht-sue-mee), which is revealed during one of the episodes.  He was defeated in combat by her during their first meeting and loves her soon after. Without the belt, he becomes a useless wreck.

😐😐😐😐😐😐

Gowther is the one of the strangest of the Seven Deadly Sins.  He is the Goat Sin of Lust, which is strange because he has no idea about emotions nor does he comprehend them. He is fun to watch as he interacts with the others.  He asks the strangest questions and is very contemplative.  He has a cruel streak at times.

We first see him disguised and wondering around with a suit of armor. Later we learn that it was his armor and he was protecting the creature inside from turning into a demon completely.

In one battle, his head was severed from his body but he still lived.  This even surprised his comrades. Only one of the Sins knows Gowther's true origins.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Dororo, D #atozchallenge

Dororo (doe-roe-roe), the blue ninja pascifist alien frog, is from the comedic, insane, crazy, and wild Anime Sgt. Frog.  As a Lance Corporal in the A.R.M.P.I.T. Platoon (Advance Recon Mission Preparatory Invasion Terror), his mission was to help his commander Sgt. Keroro to invade Earth, which fails miserably.

 He was once an assassin in the Keron Army with the name of Zeroro.

He was rescued by  Koyuki Azumaya a Pekoponian (pee-ko-po-nee-an) (a.k.a. an Earthling) and accepts the ninja way of life and becomes one with nature.  His change of lifestyle has him balking at following the many of the plans that Keroro comes up to continue the highly comedic escapades of global domination.

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

D is the enigmatic traveler of the movie Anime of Vampire Hunter D. One of the classic animes of the 80s, it has been a fan favorite for a long time.  Coming from the novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, it is an amalgamation of dystopianish horror and science fiction. It takes place in the year 12,090 A.D.

D has a symbiotic companion on his left hand, who can operate

separately from D.  A loner by nature, D comes off as aloof and cold, but he helps people that are plagued by Nobles (vampires).

He is a dhampir, half vampire half human.  His origins are a mystery, but there are hints that he may be the son of the Sacred Ancestor or one of His experiments to halt the decline of the Nobility.

A to Z Challenge 2017 -- Ban, Merill "Benten" Yanagara #atozchallenge

Locked in the prison at Baste Dungeon,Ban  is my first character in the B category.  Ban (bahn), the Fox Sin of Greed, comes from the Anime Seven Deadly Sins. It is a fantasy genre anime that pulls in Arthurian characters, which has over-the-top action and is just a riot especially when the main male character, Melodias, is a perv.

Ban is an enigmatic character.  He fell in love with a fairy princess, Elaine, but lost her in a battle with a demon.  He can heal unscathed from most wounds, which makes him wreckless in battle nevermind who is the enemy. The scar is the only wound that never healed and was given to him by Meliodias.

He is emotional and appears laid back most of the time, but his motivations are deeper than at face value.

🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜


Merill "Benten" Yanagara is from the early 90s anime Cyber City Oedo 808.  The foul-mouthed anime has a multitude of crude jokes and cursing, but the three stories are interesting despite that.

Benten, as he is called, is a multi-life sentence criminal who works for Police Chief Hasegawa as a cyber policeman to reduce his sentence. The chief controls the mini-bomb collar around Benten's neck as well as the other criminals working for him.

Effeminate looking with his albino appearce and painted nails, he is anything but a pansy. He prefers silent weapons and has great acrobatic skills. He wields a monowire in his ring that can cut through steel or flesh.

READING CHALLENGE 2015 #15 -- A BOOK WITH MORE THAN 500 PAGES

The five Hitchhiker books and short story

I find every once in a while I love to read something off-the-wall strange and something totally rack-your-brain weird. This set of books-in-one takes the cake on all accounts.

This is the chronicles of the misadventures of Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered and boring Englishman, and a motley crew of misfits including Marvin the Robot, Trillian, Zaphod, Ford Prefect, and a host of other strange, strange beings.

As the series goes on it gets stranger and stranger, but it all works in a strange sort of way.

By far my favorite book is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy followed by Restaurant and the End of the Universe. My next favorite is So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish where Arthur meets Fenchurch.

I recommend these for those who like going on an acid trip through words.

TOR SUBMISSIONS OPEN!

For the month of May, Tor is having open submissions for sci-fi novellas as well as fantasy.

I'm linking the page here Open Submissions!

There is link to the guidelines in the article!

It's only for one month so take your Pep Pills and channel Speedy Gonzalez to get your story in on time!