The Reading Book Post, August 15th

Hello, everyone! How is your summer reading going? I finally got some time to get to the things I was meant to for so long! Anyway, let's see what happened in the literary world the previous week.

• The winners for the 2016 Aurora Awards have been announced at Canvention. Among the winning novels is A Daughter of No Nation, by A. M. Dellamonica, and An Inheritance of Ashes, by Leah Bobet.

• Book trailers always get me hyped for the upcoming novels! Watch the book trailer of the children's book The Littlest Bigfoot, which will be published on September 13. Also, watch the book trailer, and read a little excerpt, from the soon-to-be published on August 9.

• 20 years ago Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published. So, London's British Library will exhibit J. K. Rowlings personal Harry Potter collection.

• Language is constantly evolving. New words are added to our everyday lives every year! But there are some words that we all use that their etymology remains a mystery to us. Interesting, right?

• Just a few months away from Gilmore Girls: A Year In Life, Lauren Graham has revealed the cover of her new memoir From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (And Everything in Between): Talking As Fast As I Can. The memoir will hit the shelves on November 29, just a few days after the series' premiere.

• Mr. Men and Little Misses were a huge part of my childhood. The series is turning 45 years old, and in order to celebrate the occasion new characters will be joining the gang. So, get ready for Mr. Marvellous, Little Miss Fabulous, Mr. Adventure, and Little Miss Sparkle!

• Did These Things Happen In the Harry Potter Books or Movies? Potterheads, it's time to test yourselves! How did you do? 

Review: Manga Classics: Emma, by Jane Austen, Po Tse, Crystle S. Chan, and Stacy King

Title: Manga Classics: Emma

Author: Jane Austen

Illustrator: Po Tse

Adaptation: Crystle S. Chan

Publisher: UDON Entertainment

Date of Publication: June 17th, 2015

Number of Pages: 308

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Just in time for the 200th anniversary, Manga Classics brings Jane Austen’s classic tale of youthful folly and romantic exuberance to a modern audience with this beautiful new manga adaptation of Emma.

When her former governess finds happiness as the bride of a local widower, the brilliant and beautiful Emma Woodhouse — one of Jane Austen's immortal creations — flatters herself that she alone has secured the marriage and that she possesses a special talent for bringing lovers together. The young heiress next busies herself with finding a suitable husband for her friend and protégé, Harriet Smith, setting off an entertaining sequence of comic mishaps and misunderstanding in this sparkling comedy of English-village romance. Beneath its wit, the novel is also the story of a young woman's progress toward self-understanding. The impulsive match-making of Emma Woodhouse delivers both humor and heartache through the gorgeous artwork of master artist Po Tse.

Review

If there are two things that I love reading, they would probably be manga, and Jane Austen. So, when I first learnt that there was a combination of these two I was thrilled. Having already read another three instalments of the Manga Classics (Pride & Prejudice, The Scarlet Letter, and Les Miserables), I was more than eager to find out if Emma would also work well in this format.

Do you guys even need an introduction to the story? Emma is a delightful novel, with great characters! Mr. Knightley is one of those dreamy gentlemen, and Emma, although a little spoilt, is compassionate and tries to make up for the errors that she makes. Certainly, Mr. Knightley is the one that makes sure that she understands where she is wrong. This is one of the reasons why I believe that they are one of the most well-matched couples is literature, despite their age difference.

The adaptation of this Manga Classic was once again great! It made sure that the volume contained all of the main plot points, so even if you haven't read the novel you wouldn't miss anything from the story. Also, the dialogue maintained the witty spark of the Jane Austen's original dialogues, which was a big plus for me.

What I really love in this series, is that I can finally see all of my favourite characters with the exagerrated emotions that are so usual in manga. Once again, you can see the constant blushing on their faces, starry eyes, and flowers around the charming gentlemen, like Mr. Knightley, and Frank Churchill. All these images add up to the general enjoyment of Emma. 

The art style wasn't so very different from the other Manga Classics. It was beautiful, in a manga kind of way. I particularly liked the design of Emma, as well as all of those dresses! They are seriously impressive with their laces and their flowers. The one thing that I didn't really like was the Mr. Knightley. His image didn't suit the mental I had created for him, as he seamed a lot younger, almost the same age as Emma. I have to admit that this fact was a serious turn off, and I believe that I would have enjoyed this manga much more if Mr. Knightley's design was different.

Emma was delightful, like the original novel. Although I was acquainted with the plot, it managed to keep my interest. This Manga Classic is ideal for both Jane Austen fans, and for readers that aren't yet familiar with her work. I could go as far to say that this might be more enjoyable to some than the original novel, because in the manga version Emma isn't that annoying, and I know that this is one of the usual reasons that people hate it. Apart from the trouble I had with Mr. Knightley's design, this manga was easy to read and quiet enjoyable. If you're in the mood for a romance, don't hesitate to pick it up!
  

The Reading Book Post, August 2nd

Happy August, everyone! I can't believe that we are already in the last month of summer! At the moment, I'm back in my hometown and I'm taking it easy. Anyway, let's see what happened in the literary world the previous week.

• The longlist for the Man Booker Prize 2016 has been announced. Among the nominees is J.M. Coetzee, twice winner of the Booker Prize, for his novel The Schooldays of Jesus.

• Our favourite vampire is coming back! The upcoming novel of Anne Rice, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis will be published on November 29, but you can already read an excerpt.  

• Have you finished reading Harry Potter and The Cursed Child yet? Well, J.K. Rowling has declared that after this story, Harry is done.

• Any fans of The Savage Song by Victoria Schwab? Well, you might be lucky to watch it on the big screen, as Sony has bought the rights to the YA novel!

• The first trailer of the long awaited American Gods is finally here! This only hyped me up!

• While it's still summer, you might be searching for cities that are ideal for all of us book lovers. So, here is a list with all the cities around the world ideal for bookworms!

• Every night, Dr. Seuss was creating artworks just for pleasure. He called these areworks Midnight Paintings and they are on view for the very first time. 

• Looking for some book recommendations? Actress Tilda Swinton gives us her list with her 10 favourite books.

• Which Rainbow Rowell Character Are You? Take the quiz to find out! I got Cath from Fangirl, how about you?