Over on Nayu's Reading Corner #32 Review Rita Wants a Dragon by Maire Zepf and Mr Ando (Children's, Picture book, 10/10E)

 

Check out my latest book review which is about a frustrated girl and her emotions being a dragon in Rita Wants A Dragon

Over on Nayu's Reading Corner #28 Time to catch up!

 

A windmill (no idea where or who took the photo) because I like them!

Well life has ticked along for me, I know I haven't been regular in updating but hopefully I'll be more frequent in posting. I know it's been a while because Blogger has changed how some elements of my blog are posted, which is a bit weird and will take time getting used to but doesn't affect anything I post. 

Time to catch up with links to recent reviews and posts on my other blog Nayu's Reading Corner! These are in order that they appeared, not sure if it will be forward or backwards yet. 

Mizuki from Aikatsu!

Some major news that explains a big stress I've had over the past 18 months is looked at here.  

 

 

A guest blog post from an author about their book: Guest Blog Post: Children of the Periapt: Escape from Elmsmere by Cimone O'Byrne (Children's, 9 years +)

 

 

A blog tour stop where I review a fun and interesting new novel Blog Tour: Listen, Layla by Yasmin Abdel-Magied (Children's, 9 years +, 10/10E)

 

 A very cute picture book gets reviewed Blow, Wind Blow! by Dom Conlon and Anastasia Izlesou (Children's, Picture book, 10/10E)

 

 

A review for a sweet and uplifting tiny book that everyone needs in their life Little Bunny's Book of Thoughts by Steve Smallman (Poetry, non-fiction, 10E/10E)

 

 

Finally a book about a sibling's viewpoint of gaining a sibling with health issues Perfect by Nicola Davies and Cathy Fisher (Children's, Picture book, 10/10E)

 

That's for now, hopefully I will have more catch up posts for you next week :) 

Akari from the anime Aria

 

 

 

Nayu's Feature Post #3 Ramadan 2017 R

Ramadan is almost over - it finishes this weekend. As seems to be the case last year I had planned to try and do some special Ramadan posts but life turned out differently. I think for next Ramadan, God willing I'm alive then, I'll put aside posts throughout the year so matter what happens in Ramadan 2018 I'll have more than a catch up post for you! 

Ramadan is the best time of year for Muslims, for people who are health it involves fasting during daylight hours. Here are some posts which I've written in previous years about this most blessed month. 

Ramadan 2013 #1 What Ramadan is all about

Ramadan 2013 #2 Being flexible, some info on the Prophets

Ramadan 2013 #3 Why the last 10 days of Ramadan are so special, what I mean when I say tie your camel & be like a bird.

Ramadan 2013 #4 I chat about good deeds

Ramadan 2014 #1 My focus for Ramadan 2014

Ramadan 2014 #2 Nature, nurture & some rambling

 Ramadan 2015: Generic info

I don't fast because of my health issues - fasting is seriously not a good idea for me, but I still enjoy the spiritual side of it. I listen to the Quran more, stick with romance free books & audiobooks. This year I ran out of time to post all books with romance before Ramadan, which is why there are a fair few in the first week. I choose to barely watch any Youtube videos - got a nice lot to catch up on at the weekend! I also limit what I tweet - almost no gaming tweets too, which my family have been quite happy with. I make sure anime that I watch is suitable too

A fair few of the books I read/review & what I watch have some romance in, so I save some suitable especially for Ramadan, the most popular one being

Princess Sara: 1980s anime based on the book A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnet, about a rich girl who becomes poor then eventually rich again.

Sarah in the first episode with her father before he leaves for India and then dies.

I love Sara (or Sarah) so much. I relistened to the audiobook this Ramadan, and prefer her in the anime where she is more humble, and always kind. She can seem a bit snobby in the book version, which barely mentions her pony (called Jump in the anime, it's a French version which makes me laugh because why they choose Peter instead of Pierre for the boy who befriends Sarah in a totally non romantic way is a mystery).

Becky comforts Sara as best she can, as does Emily, Sara's treasured doll.

Becky is a rather funny, she makes Sara smile, she tries to make life easier for Sara when  Sara is a servant.

When she is rich she befriends the servant girl Becky  (again not the most French sounding name!), which she does in the book but not to the same extent. No matter the circumstances Sara is always kind and mostly smiling - even when hungry and finds some money she gives most away to someone in more need than her.

Here Sara returns to the bakery to say she will make sure there's money to give any child who needs food at all times. It turns out the baker (pictured) took care of the girl who Sara gave food to, who now helps in the bakery. A little kindness goes a long way.

There is a sequel which I reviewed on Nayu's Reading Corner, the ending doesn't fit the way the anime characters are - Lottie would never go with Lavinia who is shown to be so spiteful! I'm currently at the part where Sara gets ill as a servant go, but knowing she gets better & it's from this moment where magical things happen in the attic keep me going through the hard to watch episodes. 

Great fanart for Muslim style Miku!

Gaming wise I do play less of certain games (slash not at all). None of Hatsune Miku's songs are appropriate for Ramdan, I only watch Aikatsu! because there's no romance and it's the one anime that consisently cheers me up when I'm not well. I play Aikatsu My Number 1 Stage on my Japanese 3DS, but prior to Ramadan I went through all the song lyrics and figure out which ones I can keep playing during Ramadan. I even set up 4 special outfits, one for each type of card, to make a more modest outfit & not spend time choosing an outfit. That worked rather nicely! 

Ramadan is my favourite month of the year because it has a certain feel that only it an have. I hope those of you participating in it have a blessed time, and those of you not equally have had a good few weeks. I look forward to sharing more about this holy month in 2018!

Over on Nayu's Reading Corner #2 part #2

Today's post is a continuation of yesterday's post listing. Since it's been so long since I provided links to posts on Nayu's Reading Corner there were too many for one post. Enjoy! 

Thicker Than Water by Anne Cassidy (Young Adult, Dyslexia friendly, 10E/10E)

Badger and the Great Rescue by Suzanne Chiew and Caroline Pedler (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

What are YOU reading? #316 Find out what I read, watched, listened to and more the previous week

 

Blog Tour The Aftermath by R. J. Prescott (Romance, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton and Dougal MacPherson (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Miraculous by Walter Rouzer (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

 

Springtime At Cherry Tree Cottage by Cathy Woodman (Romance, Contemporary fiction, 9/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Best Served Cold: The Five Doors by Andrew Crossland (Thriller, Crime, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Love Song by Sophia Bennet, (Young Adult, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Meternity by Meghann Foye (Contemporary fiction, 9/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

If Only You Knew by Kristan Higgins (Contemporary fiction, Romance, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

 Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait (Cozy mystery, 9/10E, short 'n' sweet review

 

Saving Laurel Springs by Lin Stepp (Romance, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

 

Partial review for Flawed by Cecelia Ahern (Young Adult, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Through Infinity by Libby Austin (Romance, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review) 

 

 

Knock On Wood by Linda O. Johnston (Cozy Mystery, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

The Summer We Danced by Fiona Harper (Romance, Contemporary fiction, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Mothers and Daughters by Kylie Ladd (Contemporary, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Reading the Sweet Oak by Jan Stites (Romance, Contemporary fiction, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Competition: Win all 5 books in The Ceruleans series by Megan Tayte! International! 

 

Nothing Tastes As Good by Claire Hennessy (Young Adult, 9/10E, short and sweet review) 

 

Imagine That by Kristin Wallace (Romance, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

The Lost Garden by Katherine Swartz (Contemporary fiction, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

What are YOU reading? #317 Another look back of what I've read, watched, listened to and more in the previous week

Room 42 by Melody J Bremen (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

 

Nayu's News #217 New blog posts on their way! 

 That's it for this latest update - there will be much less on the next one in about a week or so ^o^

 

 

Over on Nayu's Reading Corner #2 part #1

This is a post which is super long because I haven't done this since 11th May, so I'm splitting it into two parts, one today and one tomorrow. They are two long posts instead of a majorly long one! Here's what I've reviewed and written about over on Nayu's Reading Corner recently. 

Blog Tour review + extract: Danger Sweetheart by MaryJanice Davidson, Romance, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Nibbles The Book Monster by Emma Yarlett (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review) 

 

I Love You More and More by Nicky Benson and Jenny Lambert (Children's, Picture book, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

What are YOU reading? #314 where I discuss what I read, watch, listen to and do during the previous week

Dead Silent by Mark Roberts (Thriller, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepulveda, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

Interview with Teens cycling 10,000km Silk Road for the charity A Child Unheard (they are on day 22 of the journey now)

Little Grey Rabbit Goes to the Sea by Alison Uttley and Margaret Tempest (Children's, 5 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Blog Tour: How the Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell (Historical Romance, Romance, 9/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

What are YOU reading? #315 another post about what I've read, watched, listened to and more! 

Spies in Disguise #3 Boy in Heels by Kate Scott (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

Guest Blog Post: + Book Extract The Conjurers by David Waid (Fantasy, Historical, Historical Fantasy) 

 

Guest review by Laura: Trace Evidence: A Virals Short Story Collection by Kathy Reichs (Young Adult, 7/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

 

How Not To Be Weird by Dawn McNiff (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review) 

Caramel Hearts by E R Murray (Young Adult, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Shadows in My Room and What's That Noise Bedtime Stories by Linda Weaver Clark (Children's, Audiobook, 5 years +, 10E/10E)

Katy's Exmoor Ponies #5 Katy's Pony Summer by Victoria Eveleigh (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Delbert The Reluctant Spy by Marko Kitti (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Confessions series including Confessions: The Murder of An Angel by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Young Adult, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review) 

 

That's it for today - be sure to check out the 2nd part of this post tomorrow!