tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20945623840388687342024-03-18T09:38:19.231-05:00A Library Girl's Familiar DiversionsRead-alikes, watch-alikes, and reviews/commentary for the things that entertain meUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-50369999376758264972024-03-18T09:37:00.001-05:002024-03-18T09:37:37.063-05:00REVIEW: My Androgynous Boyfriend (manga, vol. 3) by Tamekou, translated by Jocelyne Allen<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaovC8DluM6EegnF6YFLWWXgEWkN2mXDQjVoBZwKkWGFbtRpr7qCcyCKJVsnIMFnWvtKDhClTrqmK6bvueZ6mfzjv2PTyFZ637DYOOYhHEHJfNmf330KSxJBo9PWMDuEpkujPLxsAdnU7X2-P640eKOdlsOoxlc_rHy5VrT68yZXxO6vnhRy8BHWGIdWw/s351/myandrogynousboyfriend-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaovC8DluM6EegnF6YFLWWXgEWkN2mXDQjVoBZwKkWGFbtRpr7qCcyCKJVsnIMFnWvtKDhClTrqmK6bvueZ6mfzjv2PTyFZ637DYOOYhHEHJfNmf330KSxJBo9PWMDuEpkujPLxsAdnU7X2-P640eKOdlsOoxlc_rHy5VrT68yZXxO6vnhRy8BHWGIdWw/s320/myandrogynousboyfriend-3.jpg" width="228" /></a></i></div><i>My Androgynous Boyfriend</i> is a slice-of-life manga with romantic and humorous elements. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Kira (Meguru's model friend from volume 1) invites Meguru and Sasame to his house and gets kind of jealous when Meguru spends a lot of time talking to Sasame. After that, Meguru has to learn to sing and gets paired with a voice coach who wants to be an otokoyaku (actresses who play male roles). One of Wako's mangakas gets hooked on Unicorn Boys (the name of Meguru and Sasame's duo) and wants to draw them, which of course pleases Wako. There are also some couple-y chapters featuring Meguru and Wako - the two of them decluttering their home, working from home together, buying a fridge together, as well as a flashback to Meguru and Wako's earliest days as a couple.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>This may be the best volume so far, if only because of the quality of the couple moments involving Meguru and Wako. I particularly enjoyed the cuteness of them trying to work from home together, and the end of the fridge-buying scene. There were no scenes in which Wako tried to nudge Meguru into things he wasn't entirely comfortable with in order to advance his career, so that was a breath of fresh air.</p><p>This part with Wako's mangaka felt very nearly like the author was breaking the fourth wall and explaining, via that character, why this series has no real plot or angst. As Wako said, "Would it be okay if there <i>isn't</i> a story? Isn't it enough for the manga to have beautiful boys doing things? You don't need reasons. Everyone will be looking at their faces." (137-138) Okay, Tamekou, I mean Wako.</p><p>The series has spent a lot of time on androgynous/beautiful guys so far (which, considering the title, isn't surprising), but I appreciated the introduction of a few androgynous/handsome female characters. Wako even spends a chapter obsessed with otokoyaku, which, rather than making Meguru jealous, just prompts him to try out some new makeup styles. I still think that if he ever decided to stop being a model, he might have a chance as a professional makeup artist.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-35305502028368598882024-03-17T14:52:00.001-05:002024-03-17T14:52:18.744-05:00REVIEW: Mister Hockey (book) by Lia Riley<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8teK8XwX1qrR2gpmrWttDHdVeU5cm-sVsEQMd63YLECeOCvMJAY6WB_dLAnpgbo2kJFS3V-mpwr7tpfb70zSWta32HJI6pZUKp-l4RjZwW1HA_xTEVcKMrzt3orYQjHy6Mgru79lp4uVuXUndB-MlyoKacDsEPFHcmz_zYS7z8LCCigeW1uNsiFtmZU/s378/misterhockey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8teK8XwX1qrR2gpmrWttDHdVeU5cm-sVsEQMd63YLECeOCvMJAY6WB_dLAnpgbo2kJFS3V-mpwr7tpfb70zSWta32HJI6pZUKp-l4RjZwW1HA_xTEVcKMrzt3orYQjHy6Mgru79lp4uVuXUndB-MlyoKacDsEPFHcmz_zYS7z8LCCigeW1uNsiFtmZU/s320/misterhockey.jpg" width="212" /></a></i></div><i>Mister Hockey</i> is a contemporary sports romance. I bought my copy new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Breezy Angel is a children's librarian and huge fan of hockey in general and Jed West, captain of the Hellions, in particular. Jed ends up agreeing to fill in at a library event in his coach's place and saves Breezy from being publicly humiliated by a wardrobe malfunction. The two of them start seeing more of each other and soon become a couple, but they're both hiding things. In an effort not to be creepy, Breezy hides all of her Jed West memorabilia and allows him to think she's the only one in her family not wildly into hockey. He, meanwhile, has increasing concerns about his health and the potential impact on his hockey career.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The early humorous moments had me cringing in secondhand embarrassment more often than I preferred, but the characters were generally very likeable and Jed and Breezy's relationship had some nice cute moments. Both of them struggled with family issues, particularly feeling like they were living in a sibling's shadow. I loved that he took her ice skating so that she could try it without her mom's expectations putting pressure on her. Her efforts to find the perfect book for him were nice too, although they didn't inspire quite the same warm fuzzies as the ice skating scene.</p><p>This was working fairly well for me until the end. Breezy's plan to set the record straight and apologize to Jed could, and probably should, have backfired - honestly, the way she'd arranged things put him in a pretty awkward position. I was also really annoyed by Breezy's secret goal and the way things worked out there - she wanted to open a children's bookstore, which the author, via Jed, seemed to view as a natural thing for a children's librarian. Never mind that being a children's librarian doesn't necessarily prepare you for owning your own business, or that Breezy would have to take sales and profits into account in addition to the joy of matching kids up with the perfect books.</p><p>So, this had some issues. But like I said, the characters were really likeable, and that might be enough to make me give this series another shot. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-33787609662766557362024-03-17T14:20:00.001-05:002024-03-17T14:20:28.302-05:00REVIEW: The Fake Mate (book) by Lana Ferguson<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFyCmzPWV2pFm9zRaHA87tk2eiKlj94WWVObOSZU3wP0TBS_wVthLdwix2soTwGtnn76HJ1p1g47RN_g8eufA-M5eVLA5GelEMagexWIwpC3KJBGnbl_XwpD_j-tsWuB3l2QhV6KsnXMHK-kaUiXKJw4tqLz1CpBuDb0k48Kh35FTxfXFvNeGSC1iGcc/s386/fakemate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFyCmzPWV2pFm9zRaHA87tk2eiKlj94WWVObOSZU3wP0TBS_wVthLdwix2soTwGtnn76HJ1p1g47RN_g8eufA-M5eVLA5GelEMagexWIwpC3KJBGnbl_XwpD_j-tsWuB3l2QhV6KsnXMHK-kaUiXKJw4tqLz1CpBuDb0k48Kh35FTxfXFvNeGSC1iGcc/s320/fakemate.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></div><i>The Fake Mate</i> is a blend of paranormal and contemporary romance. I bought my copy new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>In the world of this book, wolf shifters exist alongside humans and are generally accepted, although there are some stereotypes about alpha and omega wolves. Mackenzie is an omega wolf shifter who's tired of being set up on bad dates by her well-meaning grandmother. In order to get her grandmother off her back, she makes up a fake boyfriend and finds herself instantly backed into a corner when she's asked for a name and the only one she can think of is Noah Taylor, aka a wolf shifter and the grumpiest cardiologist at Mackenzie's hospital. Mackenzie asks Noah for help making the lie more believable and ends up agreeing to be <i>his</i> fake mate - he's just been outed as an alpha and must somehow combat stereotypes about violent unmated alphas in order to keep his job.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>This was a delightful grumpy/sunshine romance. Noah was viewed as a terrifying ogre by most of the hospital, but as Mackenzie got to know him, she realized he was just intense, introverted, and bad with people. The blend of contemporary romance "fake dating/marriage" with light wolf shifter paranormal romance aspects (they have to scent each other to make their relationship believable, and Mackenzie goes into heat once) was perfect. I loved the lack of weighty pack politics - Mackenzie and Noah were just regular people worrying about their jobs and families. They just happened to be a bit biologically different from humans.</p><p>For some reason, reading this reminded me of reading manga. I could absolutely imagine it as a fluffy romantic workplace manga with lead characters whose wolfy aspects led to things between them getting a bit steamier than they expected.</p><p>The obstacles standing between Mackenzie and Noah's romance weren't really that solid. Yes, Noah was considering a new job in Albuquerque, but it wasn't a done deal. And Mackenzie didn't necessarily have anything against relationships and dating in general (although I expected her to freak out a bit more once she realized that the stories about alpha and omega relationships maybe had some truth to them). Honestly, everyone in this book complicated things way more than necessary. Did that make this any less fun to read? No, it did not.</p><p>I'm curious about whether I'd like Ferguson's purely contemporary romance stuff as much as I enjoyed this - the paranormal aspects made it fairly easy to accept the speed with which Mackenzie and Noah started lusting after each other, and the scenting stuff (basically, nuzzling each other's necks) gave them lots of believable opportunities for very close physical contact. I could have done without the knotting thing, though, despite Mackenzie's assurances that it was actually pretty enjoyable.</p><p>All in all, this was a lot of fun, and I'd happily read another blend of contemporary and paranormal romance from this author. I may even give one of her regular contemporary romances a try.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-25711862042989965742024-03-17T13:19:00.001-05:002024-03-17T13:22:39.313-05:00REVIEW: Tender Is the Flesh (book) by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoMzKcn60fu8ZGtQMzLgRvmMBGe1xGgd9VbAppqJzfOw4AInOaaLzRXQoAMNqSE5C1ucisLy2FBNOPn2TvJxQSF9RE2ULfEQHHhoSnb3OqYw20n6zbvEV0-yyUAuv20Nt2ZjPFa3S-rHYYX-5bH3Vi8Uy5kUq3DP5qXjR-12at30ErMsPopA7yM7XcU4/s377/tenderistheflesh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoMzKcn60fu8ZGtQMzLgRvmMBGe1xGgd9VbAppqJzfOw4AInOaaLzRXQoAMNqSE5C1ucisLy2FBNOPn2TvJxQSF9RE2ULfEQHHhoSnb3OqYw20n6zbvEV0-yyUAuv20Nt2ZjPFa3S-rHYYX-5bH3Vi8Uy5kUq3DP5qXjR-12at30ErMsPopA7yM7XcU4/s320/tenderistheflesh.jpg" width="212" /></a></i></div><i>Tender Is the Flesh</i> could be considered a blend of horror and speculative fiction. I bought my copy brand new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Marcos is the son of a butcher whose primary focus, right now, is ensuring that his father, who has dementia, gets the care he needs and is respectfully cremated after his death. In this new world, where an infectious virus has supposedly made all animal meat and products poisonous to humans, it's not an easy goal. Meat for human consumption is supposed to come from genetically modified head, bred to age faster, or from First Generation Pure (FGP) head. Special meat isn't supposed to have a name, but it's not unheard of for deceased people to end up sold on the black market, and Marcos wants to make sure that never happens to his father.</p><p>We're given detailed descriptions of what Marcos' job at a meat processing plant is like, as he talks to tanners, breeders, and others his company works with, and gives potential new hires a tour of his plant. He can barely stomach this work anymore, to the point that he secretly stops eating meat altogether, and it nearly pushes him over the edge when a client gifts him an FGP female.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>In case my description didn't make it clear, this book is set in a world where humans eat other humans. It's very clearly a message about the horrors of the meat industry, and it might have been more effective if I weren't a genre reader who found myself constantly questioning the world of this book.</p><p>It didn't make any sense. Marcos and others strongly suspected that the virus that supposedly made all animal meat poisonous to humans was, in fact, a government conspiracy to reduce overpopulation. There was no believable explanation for why so many believed in the virus to the point of killing all nearby animals, including zoo animals and beloved pets, and the author paid zero attention to the ecological damage that this wholesale slaughter would have caused. Readers were also supposed to believe that the majority of people would accept "special meat" made out of humans as replacement for animal meat. The world-building was vague at best, dependent on the book's frequent on-page cruelties to keep readers from noticing. </p><p>The story was populated by hordes of voiceless victims (literally, in the case of the people bred and raised to be meat - their vocal cords were removed) surrounded by monsters. Reading this was like watching a long string of torture porn-style ads supposedly meant to raise awareness about animal cruelty.</p><p>On the plus side, finishing this means that I'm prepared for my next book club meeting, and I'm sure our discussion will be interesting.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-542914901195781322024-03-03T22:34:00.000-06:002024-03-03T22:34:32.057-06:00REVIEW: My Androgynous Boyfriend (manga, vol. 2) by Tamekou, translated by Jocelyne Allen<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXNLXPOha2uyJOpjhtG0imdZ8Qf-kVBBekNcYiiA-wID7n8w1UWLH6TN9jBBCe1CAD1nkGAsr-1CbX3SINegqoQWC1Vp5Ky0IJMjD-K5NAnC8i_OGLnOYVSVeyYOvGISL4eF49hjEiBiIiNWAeYar6yabocPnSrb3iCSZyLIF-02YDbQuh_xs5EUpkFM/s351/myandrogynousboyfriend-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXNLXPOha2uyJOpjhtG0imdZ8Qf-kVBBekNcYiiA-wID7n8w1UWLH6TN9jBBCe1CAD1nkGAsr-1CbX3SINegqoQWC1Vp5Ky0IJMjD-K5NAnC8i_OGLnOYVSVeyYOvGISL4eF49hjEiBiIiNWAeYar6yabocPnSrb3iCSZyLIF-02YDbQuh_xs5EUpkFM/s320/myandrogynousboyfriend-2.jpg" width="228" /></a></i></div><i>My Androgynous Boyfriend</i> is a slice-of-life manga. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Meguru visits Wako's parents' home (they love him). Wako tries to convince Meguru to apply to be a Log House resident (something like the show <i>Terrace House</i>?) in order to get an even bigger fanbase. Then Meguru agrees to debut as an androgynous boy duo with equally cute Sasame. There's also a brief flashback to Wako and Meguru's high school days - he thought they were dating while she thought they were just going on a series of photo shoots.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The flashback underscored one of my main issues with this series, which is that Wako tends to treat Meguru like some kind of fantasy idol she's a huge fan of, rather than as her boyfriend who she lives with. I really liked that, in the flashback, Meguru called her out on it, reminding her that he's a real person and not some fantasy character. That said, Wako hasn't really stopped doing it. During the Log House portion of the volume, she even had full-blown fantasies of Meguru as a Log House resident being so perfect and cute that he somehow charmed everyone, becoming the first Log House resident to be beloved by all.</p><p>On the one hand, we have Wako practically pairing Meguru up with any pretty person he might come across, despite the fact that he's made it clear he's only interested in her (Wako) and even wants to be open with his fans about their relationship. The prospect of Meguru's debut makes her genuinely happy, as Meguru's first and biggest fan. On the other hand, a part of Wako still worries that he's going to become untouchable by someone like her once he becomes super famous.</p><p>I'm 100% sure that Meguru would choose Wako over fame if he had to make a choice. What would he do instead? My guess is become a professional makeup artist or something - all we really know about him is that he likes clothes, makeup, and Wako.</p><p>I'm still iffy about this series. The artwork is lovely, but the rest of it is...meh. On the plus side, it's a low-stress read that's pretty to look at.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-39665905077762688972024-03-03T22:07:00.001-06:002024-03-03T22:07:45.623-06:00REVIEW: Loading Penguin Hugs: Heartwarming Comics from Chibird (graphic novel) by Jacqueline Chen<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeByBlUEdY0UkrVxcvEuoUrimvEWKMgLhm8lWtLCuOALROSSGvlQog7wvXEDDNFsww4MQoZksB_YCqGwl7U9IC8obWLEi0L2CHfx1tRd4OksAPlEhBnG4AF9EufN5ZeEoIJCVkSmn2lvik5lVKnKREGrBWwGkWNyIujNL-oegyOfJL29gUwS6lMZBpkys/s300/loadingpenguinhugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="250" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeByBlUEdY0UkrVxcvEuoUrimvEWKMgLhm8lWtLCuOALROSSGvlQog7wvXEDDNFsww4MQoZksB_YCqGwl7U9IC8obWLEi0L2CHfx1tRd4OksAPlEhBnG4AF9EufN5ZeEoIJCVkSmn2lvik5lVKnKREGrBWwGkWNyIujNL-oegyOfJL29gUwS6lMZBpkys/s1600/loadingpenguinhugs.jpg" width="250" /></a></i></div><i>Loading Penguin Hugs</i> is a Chibird comics collection featuring comics you may be familiar with from reposts on your social media feeds.<p></p><p>Not much to say about this one - the comics work better as random online encouragement than as a "read in one sitting" thing. Still, the art is cute and the messages are good.</p><p>The volume is indexed according to the type of encouragement the comics provide (self-esteem, motivation, working hard, etc.), which I thought was both unusual and nice. </p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>A couple pages of cute stickers, 18 designs in all. The pages aren't perforated, so you can't easily remove them. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-83304017713542514782024-03-03T18:25:00.000-06:002024-03-03T18:25:51.413-06:00REVIEW: A Story of Seven Lives: The Complete Manga Collection (manga) by Shirakawa Gin, translated by Alexa Frank<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdfpIadKI3J54GfwsyKm9IObOGlELUwk_Wz2Mel7ZV3c-MMXFgZWOSmq1JZEfmHpNb70RcuVIPpHt8n2WCigagHWDEBmOdQVFF4mtq6HE86wjrHSIULAy_KE2IljSHcoHgvBsi-7ji1wmTF1IkfUKANKMMutzwp5xiGMI1AoJ_IJd5vTOcIrt10ZjkTo/s336/storyofsevenlives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdfpIadKI3J54GfwsyKm9IObOGlELUwk_Wz2Mel7ZV3c-MMXFgZWOSmq1JZEfmHpNb70RcuVIPpHt8n2WCigagHWDEBmOdQVFF4mtq6HE86wjrHSIULAy_KE2IljSHcoHgvBsi-7ji1wmTF1IkfUKANKMMutzwp5xiGMI1AoJ_IJd5vTOcIrt10ZjkTo/s320/storyofsevenlives.jpg" width="238" /></a></i></div><i>The Story of Seven Lives</i> is a blend of drama and some fantasy elements. I bought my copy of this omnibus volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Nanao used to be a house cat, but he's now yet another abandoned stray cat. He spends his days alongside his best friend Machi, a fellow stray, trying to survive just like all of the other strays in their neighborhood. </p><p>Meanwhile, Yoshino, who for some reason has an aversion to cats, runs the Narita Bathhouse with help from her younger brother. The neighborhood the bathhouse is in is known for its feral cat population, which creates some cute moments for tourists to photograph but has negative aspects as well. In the interests of reducing the local feral cat population, people are now forbidden from feeding them unless they're on the neighborhood cat feeding schedule, which all the local shops are part of. To her shock, Yoshino is first up on the schedule, which requires her to face her feelings about cats and her memories of and grief over her husband, who died in an accident shortly after they were married.</p><p>This manga is a combination of several things: a "keep your cats inside" PSA, a story about a widow overcoming her grief over the death of her husband and learning to love the cats he loved, and a story about cats dealing with feline politics and trying to figure out how and whether to trust humans.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>A warning: there's some on-page cat death in this, as well as some on-page animal cruelty (a guy who catches Nanao and plans to torture and kill him - he does get as far as breaking Nanao's tail), and lots of "cat in peril" moments. One of the main ways this series tackles its "keep your cats inside" PSA aspects is by showing readers lots of ways being outside can turn out badly for cats - being injured by cars, people, or other cats, the possibility of starvation, and more. There was very little, if any, focus on the damage feral cats can do to the environment - the author knew readers were likely cat lovers who'd be most likely to listen to messages focused on preventing cats from getting hurt.</p><p>Although I hated the amount of time I had to spend feeling anxious about Nanao and Machi (I flipped to the end, at one point, in an effort to find out whether they both survived), I was interested in their story and its intersection with Yoshino's. The flashback to the accident that killed Yoshino's husband was heartbreaking on multiple levels (and also frustrating, because he could have waited just a bit longer and it probably would've been fine).</p><p>The cat politics-focused bits engaged in more anthropomorphization than I'd have liked. Machi was the son of Ten, the cat who was the "Ao" (leader) before the current one. Because he'd inherited his father's blue eyes, it seemed likely that Machi would be a future Ao, but other feral cats in the area used his father's history against him, forcing him to prove himself in a way that they'd rigged to fail. All of this gave Machi almost as harrowing a story as Nanao's, but overall I preferred Nanao and Yoshino's story.</p><p>It's an anxiety-inducing read, but don't worry, it does end well, eventually. I got a kick out of the fact that Yoshino does <i>not </i>end up with Horimiya, the TNR supporter guy, even though it would've been easy for the author to make that part of her "healing after the death of her husband" journey. She was still single, but happy as she was, living with her cats and running her husband's family's bathhouse.</p><p>This was an impulse purchase, a result of browsing through available manga omnibus editions looking for something I might enjoy. All in all, I enjoyed it despite its upsetting moments. The artwork was lovely, and the story felt like it was just the right length.</p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>Three full-color illustrations, a few pages of concept artwork and notes from the author, and a couple pages about TNR and related topics. There's also a short bonus manga that I suspect was originally released at the end of volume 1 but which was included at the very end of this omnibus volume. The manga features Nanao and Machi transforming into human boys.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-47325263471285508672024-03-03T17:18:00.001-06:002024-03-03T17:19:44.784-06:00REVIEW: Heartstopper (graphic novel, vol. 5) by Alice Oseman<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9L5TRW_FtYQKzjGIPBD5kc5lOPfhey5QWfFdfD_LbFOT8pW3nc8T6BKJcn7yGXmF6kDZavtQFm656iyeECmGfDxeVdzBS-A3LYGE8Wy_cYsiEEWQHa13nb1yIbyYoppAT6Lq3KKirH7b6LGm4m9H4SNEr3ESq3htFuXAGI2u8zrEhSV1UjdFMDOAPGE/s405/heartstopper-5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij9L5TRW_FtYQKzjGIPBD5kc5lOPfhey5QWfFdfD_LbFOT8pW3nc8T6BKJcn7yGXmF6kDZavtQFm656iyeECmGfDxeVdzBS-A3LYGE8Wy_cYsiEEWQHa13nb1yIbyYoppAT6Lq3KKirH7b6LGm4m9H4SNEr3ESq3htFuXAGI2u8zrEhSV1UjdFMDOAPGE/s320/heartstopper-5.jpg" width="198" /></a></i></div><i>Heartstopper </i>is a YA high school romance graphic novel series. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>In this volume, Charlie and Nick are having to confront upcoming changes in their lives. Nick is considering university options and the possibility of a long distance relationship with Charlie. Charlie is still working on his body image issues and his eating disorder, although he's doing much better. As he adjusts to the idea of school life without Nick around everyday, he also finds himself thinking about his and Nick's relationship. He thinks he's ready to take things to the next level, but is Nick?<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>After the bucketloads of anxiety that was volume 4, this volume was relatively low stress. Both Charlie and Nick are at a point in their lives where they're being forced to think about who they are outside of their relationship - especially Nick, who doesn't have a lot of people besides Charlie with whom he feels comfortable talking to honestly about his feelings. Luckily, both of the guys are better able to handle these issues than they initially realize. They also both have good and supportive people around them.</p><p>There's a bit of a subplot involving Tori, who comes out as asexual and has her own worries about relationships. I suspect that's fleshed out more in Oseman's <i>Solitaire</i>, which I haven't read.</p><p>All in all, a very good volume.</p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>An Osemanverse timeline that lays when various works in this world (<i>Heartstopper </i>volumes, <i>Solitaire</i>, "This Winter" novella) take place and how much time they cover.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-27145521323097425352024-03-03T16:44:00.000-06:002024-03-03T16:44:19.203-06:00REVIEW: Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon (graphic novel) written by Matt Fraction, art by David Aja (#1-3) and Javier Pulido (#4-5)<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwdO4Eo4ULc2BMgZoPWDtEeJiSmfhlqXZzfud0lco4bDjJGTkwCwU4b5yZlOXc7lgMMIYyj-t4gyFfYy_2-Dwe4t1nLPshMuiFYaIkMILAFYAebYPgFXM9xlzwMy5jCDYCMWd6hUGYiyDieClOEoap_iw8B6TjA78HNjn9FUx3YfFRQeBJhjhUkjCIkU/s384/hawkeyemylifeasaweapon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwdO4Eo4ULc2BMgZoPWDtEeJiSmfhlqXZzfud0lco4bDjJGTkwCwU4b5yZlOXc7lgMMIYyj-t4gyFfYy_2-Dwe4t1nLPshMuiFYaIkMILAFYAebYPgFXM9xlzwMy5jCDYCMWd6hUGYiyDieClOEoap_iw8B6TjA78HNjn9FUx3YfFRQeBJhjhUkjCIkU/s320/hawkeyemylifeasaweapon.jpg" width="208" /></a></i></div><i>Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon</i> is a Marvel comics collection. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b><br /></p><p><i>Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon</i> collects <i>Hawkeye </i>(2012) #1-5 and <i>Young Avengers Presents</i> (2008) #6.</p><p>In this volume, Hawkeye deals with a rent increase, steals from thieves who steal from thieves, and has to do some work to get an incriminating tape back. There's also a flashback to Kate Bishop as Hawkeye trying to prove herself to the real Hawkeye.</p><p>I used to read a lot of Mavel and DC comics, but that was decades ago. I haven't even been keeping up with the Marvel movies very well. I don't think I've ever read or watched anything with Kate Bishop in it. Basically, I'm probably not the best person to be reviewing this. That said, I think I picked this up because I read somewhere that that Matt Fraction's writing was good and that this was a decent starting place for Hawkeye comics newbies mostly familiar with the Marvel movie universe.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I enjoyed the volume's flashes of humor, and I particularly liked David Aja's artwork. I felt a bit lost in terms of the timeline (the volume's events were shuffled some and I didn't immediately realize this), character relationships, and situation. There was no context/explanation given for the period of time that Kate apparently spent pretending to be Hawkeye. And who was Eli? </p><p>Hawkeye spent a good chunk of this volume getting beaten up as he reminded readers that he has no superpowers, just skill (and some trick arrows). Still, he managed to get himself back up and functional pretty well considering some of what he went through. I appreciated the bit about the dog he desperately tried to save after it helped him.</p><p>The front and back covers include a guide telling readers which volumes to read after this one. I don't feel particularly compelled to continue on, but I appreciate the existence of the guide all the same.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-51970731207238256912024-03-03T16:06:00.000-06:002024-03-03T16:06:14.499-06:00REVIEW: The Lightning Thief (book) by Rick Riordan<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWj7trWiHqsh_gPgxG3XQfDZ9ZKwObJc40_QfC8Cir6jRE2xjNtacYgFVrH6LDGZY3b_lvFP3nTfJLQTUHcS8tKZV3-SjZ4qOB4Mae6Z_jHgNGON_7PDT8X2qDEbq1Yl3iqxJ1yFcychSoKS5aehY3bU5nDp0dFzQCMZqUEQ5VsbDjh_J8usOzweEg6M/s410/lightningthief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWj7trWiHqsh_gPgxG3XQfDZ9ZKwObJc40_QfC8Cir6jRE2xjNtacYgFVrH6LDGZY3b_lvFP3nTfJLQTUHcS8tKZV3-SjZ4qOB4Mae6Z_jHgNGON_7PDT8X2qDEbq1Yl3iqxJ1yFcychSoKS5aehY3bU5nDp0dFzQCMZqUEQ5VsbDjh_J8usOzweEg6M/s320/lightningthief.jpg" width="195" /></a></i></div><i>The Lightning Thief</i> is the first book in Riordan's Middle Grade fantasy series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old boy with dyslexia and ADHD attending a school for at-risk students in New York. Percy's first major clue that something weird is going on happens during a school trip, when one of his teachers turns into some kind of monster, attacks him, and he defends himself with a sword that, seconds before, was a pen belonging to another one of his teachers.</p><p>When school wraps up, he goes home and thinks he's about to go on a much-needed trip with his mom when he's attacked yet again and barely makes it to the safety of Camp Half-Blood. There, Percy learns that he's a demigod - his father is one of the Greek gods. As Percy learns more about himself and his abilities, he gets caught up in a conflict between Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades and must somehow find and return Zeus's missing master bolt.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>My first exposure to this series was via the 2010 live action movie. I came away from it feeling so-so about the franchise. I didn't remember enough about it to say, one way or another, how similar it was to the original book, although I do at least know that the movie aged the main characters up a few years. The better to introduce potential romantic subplots as soon as possible, I guess.</p><p>In this book, Riordan introduces a world where kids like Percy can discover that their dyslexia is actually a sign that they're a demigod and their ADHD helps give them an edge in battle. It's not all great, though - quite a few of the Camp Half-Blood kids have issues with their mortal families. Also, not only are the gods prohibited from directly taking a part in their children's upbringing, but several of them aren't exactly good parent material to begin with. There are many Camp Half-Blood kids who never get a sign from the gods indicating that one of them has claimed them as their child.</p><p>I generally enjoyed the way Riordan worked Greek mythology into Percy's world and story. There were times I got a bit impatient - although I could barely remember anything about the movie, it seemed obvious to me who Percy's father was based on the various clues we were given - but I'm also willing to accept that I'm a good bit older than the intended audience for this series. If I had been introduced to this series when I was in the 5th grade, when we spent a period of time learning about Greek gods and mythology, I probably would have gotten a kick out of having the opportunity to figure out a few things here and there in this book using the details I knew.</p><p>It did take ages for Percy to show any sign of concern about the part of the prophecy that predicted he'd be betrayed by someone who called him a friend, though.</p><p>Overall, this was decent and I'll probably give the next book in the series a try.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-55206155790420258762024-03-03T14:57:00.000-06:002024-03-03T14:57:01.827-06:00REVIEW: A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (and Some Bears) (nonfiction) by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rmWyzJFqdKOgiM0n0u5vhvZod95vJNef35YEMcCL6ybnJg7yWbPl0H-nIGgWEHNa3MjwUK8PsjQ98bMEF0xW3p48QWfotlwU947x7rdnJGdU1dQN6g_Mt91743-XVesm2oPdhZ4Us9i035mm5aStuMSQfKXbT-x1Vn3i9KKz8YyabxNuy9mY7feja88/s388/libertarianwalksintoabear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rmWyzJFqdKOgiM0n0u5vhvZod95vJNef35YEMcCL6ybnJg7yWbPl0H-nIGgWEHNa3MjwUK8PsjQ98bMEF0xW3p48QWfotlwU947x7rdnJGdU1dQN6g_Mt91743-XVesm2oPdhZ4Us9i035mm5aStuMSQfKXbT-x1Vn3i9KKz8YyabxNuy9mY7feja88/s320/libertarianwalksintoabear.jpg" width="206" /></a></i></div><i>A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (and Some Bears)</i> is nonfiction written by freelance journalist Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>This book is about Grafton, NH, the Free Town Project (a libertarian plan to take over an American town and eliminate its government), and New Hamphire's bears.</p><p>I believe this book got on my radar via <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5114534156" target="_blank">Obsidian's review</a>. In a way that occasionally feels a bit roundabout, Hongoltz-Hetling writes about Grafton, NH's beginnings, how it contained the seeds that allowed the Free Town Project to take root, and how that then exacerbated and exposed Grafton's various issues.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Grafton was depicted as a place that had been hanging on by its fingernails even before the Free Towners got there. The Free Towners took Grafton and tried their best to abolish as many laws and regulations as possible, or cripple the town's ability to enforce them, leaving residents even more vulnerable to things like fire and the area's growing bear population than they were before. As the town's problems mounted, things like guns, fences, and occasional neighborly support (which could be nonexistent, or not enough, or downright scary) were viewed as potential solutions. Literally everything but taxes. <br /></p><p>I came away from this book with feelings of horror and anger about New
Hampshire in general (the Free State Project gives me chills), Grafton in particular, and the various
similarities I see in my own state. If you ever really want to
appreciate taxes and what they can do for communities, this is the book
to read.</p><p>The one bright spot: Soule, a Grafton resident who I'd been worrying about since the author described her difficulties moving around in her own home and making everything more accessible, and who'd basically become a shut-in due to concerns about bears, eventually ended up someplace that sounded genuinely healthier and better for her overall.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-57413037392066207632024-03-03T14:13:00.005-06:002024-03-03T14:19:11.537-06:00REVIEW: Everything Is Fine (graphic novel, vol. 2) by Mike Birchall<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRTekk0VfhdoW6-Wh8XVH1rtaWJ4gdKc3uymvZ7OzDpNlIWLbgqX6A5dzKQXVO0UrLUP4DA-QYqJhIgupumpGT_ZluamVa4kdcl1RQ_D1BIqzmF4GaYQ7eX5pVDS6kJi7X273uD-gzcpvse2b7SG_5AdsAnrErOtDO9x1yEknHkscVGbzdaB2mjM3X6I/s400/everythingisfine-2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRTekk0VfhdoW6-Wh8XVH1rtaWJ4gdKc3uymvZ7OzDpNlIWLbgqX6A5dzKQXVO0UrLUP4DA-QYqJhIgupumpGT_ZluamVa4kdcl1RQ_D1BIqzmF4GaYQ7eX5pVDS6kJi7X273uD-gzcpvse2b7SG_5AdsAnrErOtDO9x1yEknHkscVGbzdaB2mjM3X6I/s320/everythingisfine-2.png" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>Everything Is Fine</i> is a horror (dystopian?) graphic novel series. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p>This review includes slight <b>spoilers</b>. <br /></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>After the events of volume 1, Maggie has to convince Sam to calm down and then the two of them have to cover up a murder. Luckily, the next door neighbors who ratted Maggie out in the first place, Bob and Linda, are conveniently right there.</p><p>I still don't really know what's going on, but I'm pretty thoroughly hooked now. Sam and Maggie's murder coverup probably shouldn't have worked, except this world seems to be operating according to a screwed up set of rules that requires everyone to act a certain way, and Sam and Maggie took advantage of that.</p><p>One new thing we know now: whatever is going on, it seems to involve everyone's kids. I thought the kids were all dead, like Poor Winston, but from the sounds of things they're maybe being used as hostages to force the adults to stick to certain types of behavior.</p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>I don't know if this counts as an extra or if it was just the introduction of a new character, but there was a brief sidestory at the end involving a guy whose house is apparently trapped in some kind of bubble. He generally hides inside and leaves his cat, Oscar, to do most of his interacting with the outside world.</p><p>Definitely an extra, though: a redone version of a certain scene from volume 2 in which everyone has been given "real" cat heads instead of cartoonish cat heads. There are also a variety of reference illustrations.<br /></p><p>Now I'm of wondering if this series' villains are, in fact, actual cats.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-21828171922116214032024-02-25T23:36:00.001-06:002024-02-25T23:38:44.210-06:00REVIEW: How to Survive Your Murder (book) by Danielle Valentine<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgPXQ6CW5jGO5t-Uk4oI7oEfGaqGMEsOPLqGg6V_QCcPHUrC5X2w-zNWB7E_vsiun78M_Y8dJoiIQbRD36yBvYd3N3Iokbbgw7EJgjfXFd8c0QnMhwRDablIAtu6avtVuSanrdjfqiaLAYyybkZLtaK9fE3e4V3BYBw0vHlMRTRXsgT5stBRxVh6Qt0Y/s381/howtosurviveyourmurder.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgPXQ6CW5jGO5t-Uk4oI7oEfGaqGMEsOPLqGg6V_QCcPHUrC5X2w-zNWB7E_vsiun78M_Y8dJoiIQbRD36yBvYd3N3Iokbbgw7EJgjfXFd8c0QnMhwRDablIAtu6avtVuSanrdjfqiaLAYyybkZLtaK9fE3e4V3BYBw0vHlMRTRXsgT5stBRxVh6Qt0Y/s320/howtosurviveyourmurder.jpg" width="210" /></a></i></div><i>How to Survive Your Murder</i> is a YA thriller. I bought my copy new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Alice's sister Claire was murdered on Halloween, and Alice saw it happen. A year later, she's about to take the stand as a witness in the trial of Claire's killer when she meets a girl who looks exactly like <i>Scream</i>'s Sidney Prescott. NotSidney says she's an angel and sends Alice back in time to go after her sister in the cornfield maze where she was murdered, so that she can finally learn the truth about what really happened that night.</p><p>This has loads of horror movie references and yet is conspicuously missing any mention of <i>Happy Death Day</i>, a movie with a similar premise. Anyway, this was an impulse purchase that I expected would be mediocre at best. I did not predict how angry it would end up making me.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Alice may take the prize for heroine with the worst friends. Prior to Claire's death, Alice and her friends had been planning some kind of horror movie-related podcast. After Claire's death, they started the podcast without her and made its focus true crimes looked at through the lens of horror movies - basically, what could the victims of these crimes have done to better align with horror movie rules that might have allowed them to survive? If that isn't horrible enough, one of the victims they talk about, against Alice's wishes, is Claire.</p><p>Alice's crush on Wes didn't make much more sense than her friendships. The author tried really hard to convince readers that Wes was some kind of mysterious hottie, but mostly he just sounded like some kind of weird loner.</p><p>Really, though, he was bait intended to convince readers that this was going to wrap up with a cliched and mediocre ending. Instead, the ending was utterly unhinged and aggravating. I don't even know where to begin. It only made sense in the most shallow way - there were holes you could drive a truck through, and about a billion unanswered questions. The bonus chapter didn't add anything to the story and, in fact, somehow just made things worse.</p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>Bonus chapter (do some editions of this book not have this chapter? I wasn't sure what made it a bonus) and a Q&A with the author (where <i>Happy Death Day</i> is mentioned).<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-2807178140295853952024-02-25T23:04:00.001-06:002024-02-25T23:04:25.878-06:00REVIEW: Deal with the Elf King (book) by Elise Kova<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H3v1clCv6iuH1hBEauOjTlMpa8PQ6KHvQ1JWb2IYHZvrn7t1hyJvjt9Zw7fRRMM50WQEPcUFXqM-u-Vo2R-ogx8mzJPgLGRHy8XGFoyE6w-YCl7ZqPRAgQa_0f8a87fvjmMq2qNDe9XZjN7wxed-cedNwU03nZhQc76a6NCvF_odk7ZnBU9YRSbId3I/s400/dealwiththeelfking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4H3v1clCv6iuH1hBEauOjTlMpa8PQ6KHvQ1JWb2IYHZvrn7t1hyJvjt9Zw7fRRMM50WQEPcUFXqM-u-Vo2R-ogx8mzJPgLGRHy8XGFoyE6w-YCl7ZqPRAgQa_0f8a87fvjmMq2qNDe9XZjN7wxed-cedNwU03nZhQc76a6NCvF_odk7ZnBU9YRSbId3I/s320/dealwiththeelfking.jpg" width="200" /></a></i></div><i>Deal with the Elf King</i> is fantasy romance. I bought my copy new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Luella has devoted her whole life to becoming her village's healer, until Eldas, the Elf King, arrives and she learns that she's the Human Queen, our world's payment for peace with the elves. Now, with none of the preparation that Human Queens usually receive, Luella must go with Eldas to his lands, which need her life force in order to live and bloom. Her only hope of freedom and returning to her family and village is to find a way to end the cycle of the Human Queens before it's too late.</p><p>A couple things attracted me to this book: the gorgeous cover art (Eldas looks very much like Hades in Linda Sejic's <i>Punderworld</i>) and a line I read somewhere in an ad or a review that said this had elements of the Hades and Persephone myth. "Elements of" is definitely more appropriate than saying this is an adaptation of the myth - the only thing the two really have in common is that Eldas, whose powers are linked to death, is essentially king of a dead land (Hades-like) and that Luella's powers are linked to life and growing things (Persephone-like). The seasons in Eldas' land are dependent upon Luella's presence or absence.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I expected to enjoy the romance more than I did. It didn't feel entirely organic, and Luella was a bit of an idiot at times. For example, she wouldn't say that she loved Eldas because she wasn't sure if she <i>really</i> loved him or if that was just a part of her resigning herself to being his Human Queen. By that point, though, it was pretty obvious she loved him. The bigger worry should have been how and whether they could still be together if they managed to break the cycle.</p><p>Eldas "smirked" way too much, and the solution to Luella's quest to break the cycle was fairly obvious, or at least the elements involved in the solution were. That said, despite this book's issues, it was still somehow very bingeable.</p><p>I wish the romance had been a bit stronger and that the author had spent a bit more time showcasing Eldas' powers and how they worked. Also, I had many unanswered questions about how this world was supposed to work after Luella and Eldas accomplished what they did. Still, this was an enjoyable read, and I plan on trying more by this author at some point.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-31127984130740751722024-02-25T01:48:00.002-06:002024-02-25T01:48:53.400-06:00REVIEW: Everything Is Fine (graphic novel, vol. 1) by Mike Birchall<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVZ60GtaWOADU7zDVhJPKLKCwejq5sNT2RsSS5inLpgBX5K7sF8a_PiJ7t4dIuXY9v5OjUjgtNz6nT9EaU9eOfpecVTcyL3gFu725doTSQ9m719vylrDt395-JVaxZ75eQoOpGdayH56qNDcLMtCWNZhPOlVSopSy0qNEBXecCduLLqmdoHabLEtmQAU/s375/everythingisfine-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVZ60GtaWOADU7zDVhJPKLKCwejq5sNT2RsSS5inLpgBX5K7sF8a_PiJ7t4dIuXY9v5OjUjgtNz6nT9EaU9eOfpecVTcyL3gFu725doTSQ9m719vylrDt395-JVaxZ75eQoOpGdayH56qNDcLMtCWNZhPOlVSopSy0qNEBXecCduLLqmdoHabLEtmQAU/s320/everythingisfine-1.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>Everything Is Fine</i> is a dystopian graphic novel series. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>This is the story of a couple living in an ordinary suburban neighborhood. Everyone wears cute animal masks on their heads, but somehow this is ordinary as well. Everything is fine, even though it clearly isn't - everyone's being constantly monitored, "freedom" can only be attained if you sell out your neighbors, and Winston the dog has been dead for a while.</p><p>I was hesitant to try this because the art wasn't really to my taste. It's simple and bland, and if you just flip through the volume you might think that people's animal heads are their actual faces, so all facial expressions are uniformly happy and cute in a stale sort of way. It works very well for the story, though, so I'm glad I gave this a shot.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>This first volume raises a lot more questions than it answers. We don't know how or why everything ended up this way. There are no children anywhere, and characters go out of their way to avoid acknowledging anything unpleasant. Whatever it is seems to have been going on for a while, because Winston was pretty decomposed, but not so long that folks didn't remember how things used to be.</p><p>Considering how little effort Maggie, the wife, made to hide the signs that she no longer wanted to pretend everything was fine, it was tough to believe that no one confronted her earlier, and I didn't really expect her to be alive by the end of the volume. Volume 2 may strain my sense of disbelief even more, but I'm intrigued enough by whatever horror is going on under the surface of all of this to want to continue on.<br /></p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>A note from the author, plus bonus pages showing comparisons of the original Webtoon artwork vs. the remastered artwork, and some bonus comics ("demonic mode," "headless mode," and "Victorian mode") originally made to interest people in the author's Patreon.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-74774973874159288852024-02-25T01:12:00.001-06:002024-02-25T01:12:13.718-06:00REVIEW: The Stand-In (book) by Lily Chu<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBAQIPWZzif-WiMk_KjKBtDxKXutyGQovfcdvihvdlXrTgcsEHmjvnoy0EQK_1-wAGzzJMwGWdm3el7ongGkbLeRktrdySRB1-zkFk0pGyI3dpvgr3K9bih80lz5Sp1xPy-IGSlWO-M8YMgGvMSDfclUSbp_arvMOjx_uOlcTOnsUJopZl6pWCeaPW4U/s375/stand-in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBAQIPWZzif-WiMk_KjKBtDxKXutyGQovfcdvihvdlXrTgcsEHmjvnoy0EQK_1-wAGzzJMwGWdm3el7ongGkbLeRktrdySRB1-zkFk0pGyI3dpvgr3K9bih80lz5Sp1xPy-IGSlWO-M8YMgGvMSDfclUSbp_arvMOjx_uOlcTOnsUJopZl6pWCeaPW4U/s320/stand-in.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>The Stand-In</i> is contemporary romance. I bought my copy new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Gracie is trying to get her mother, who has Alzheimer's, into a better nursing home, but the one she wants for her is more expensive and has a huge waiting list. Gracie's job is a nightmare - she's being subtly harassed by her boss but doesn't feel she can do anything about it because 1) no evidence and 2) she really needs the money. Then she receives a nerve-wracking offer she can't really refuse: get paid handsomely to act as the double of famous Chinese actress Wei Fangli. This puts Gracie in frequent contact with Fangli's best friend, the gorgeous and equally famous actor Sam Yao, who disapproves of this plan but will do whatever is necessary to help Fangli.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The scenes with Fangli and Gracie were wonderful - I loved reading about those two becoming friends. Unfortunately, the romance between Gracie and Sam wasn't as good. In the midst of everything else, it didn't have enough room to breathe. Sam was pretty emotionally walled off - he took on the bulk of teaching Gracie to be Fangli, and one of the most important lessons he had to teach was that everyone watched literally everything he and Fangli did when they were out in public, and every word, gesture, and action had to take that into account.</p><p>Gracie learning to be Fangli was great, if anxiety-inducing. That said, the author went a bit easy on her, so situations that should have blown up in her face and ruined the whole plan ended up being much less disastrous than I expected. The story's internal logic occasionally had some issues, as well. For example, Gracie was acting as Fangli's double so that Fangli could rest while still projecting "Fangli is fine" to the world, but at one point Gracie used laryngitis as an excuse to avoid having to talk and there were no real consequences.</p><p>The cross-cultural mental health aspects were interesting. Also, I loved that each chapter started with an illustration of Gracie's latest stab at her productivity app (which, by the end of the book, I really wished I could try). I wish the romance storyline had been stronger, although I appreciated that this was a bit of a romance unicorn, with off-page sex (on-page was limited to kissing and hand-holding).</p><p>While I had some issues with this book, I still enjoyed it a lot and plan to try more of the author's works.</p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>Reading group guide, interview with the author, and blank templates of some of Gracie's various To Do list ideas. <br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-5450292017434265932024-02-25T00:14:00.003-06:002024-02-25T00:14:16.223-06:00REVIEW: Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Vol. 2: The Silver Sugar Master and the Blue Duke (book) by Miri Mikawa, illustrations by Aki, translated by Nicole Wilder<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoj8RvR7SyJWz63Y_8X9bJ6P6DPQ6B8v-3wr1_NlUgz1dv59t77rGqieci3urAbFTcrC-LWnwTSRtbnKE_VirKdOeeQ8D51tMPXhi1MWIQuPcrC6Lg25uho2xFPKjUHWzoN9-GWUs3V00Mb_9tErhDwIV7Jp32igZIClq27T1DEY4TNMtFv-QrBj-GjE/s375/sugarapplefairytaleLN-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoj8RvR7SyJWz63Y_8X9bJ6P6DPQ6B8v-3wr1_NlUgz1dv59t77rGqieci3urAbFTcrC-LWnwTSRtbnKE_VirKdOeeQ8D51tMPXhi1MWIQuPcrC6Lg25uho2xFPKjUHWzoN9-GWUs3V00Mb_9tErhDwIV7Jp32igZIClq27T1DEY4TNMtFv-QrBj-GjE/s320/sugarapplefairytaleLN-2.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></div><i>Sugar Apple Fairy Tale</i> is Japanese fantasy with romantic elements. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Anne is in a bind. She won't survive the winter if she can't save up a decent amount of money right now, but since she didn't attain the status of Silver Sugar Master, it's difficult for her to get many clients or ensure that she's paid what her work is worth. She's barely managing to scrape by, so she's immediately intrigued by news that a duke is offering 1000 cress to any candy crafter, not just Silver Sugar Masters, who can make what he wants. But what if what he wants is impossible?<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I figured out what Duke Alburn wanted before Anne did, although that didn't tell me how she'd manage to make it out of this situation. She didn't know it at the time, but the duke wasn't entirely stable. Plus, pressure from outside elements was slowly building up.</p><p>The way everything resolved reminded me of <i>Violet Evergarden</i>. Anne had to come to the realization that what clients want and need isn't always a beautiful work of silver sugar art.</p><p>Romance-wise, Anne has an epiphany about her feelings for Challe. Meanwhile, Challe is surprisingly dense when it comes to human emotions for someone who spent the beginning of his life at the side of a girl who, from the sounds of things, fell in love with him much the same way Anne has.</p><p>Anyway, this was somehow enjoyable despite being fairly predictable.</p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>Black and white illustrations throughout, as well as a short afterword by the author. </p><p>One thing I just realized: Aki, the illustrator for this series, is the same Aki who authored <i>Olympos</i> and <i>Utahime: The Songstress</i>.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-6598422204072959972024-02-24T22:56:00.002-06:002024-02-24T22:56:37.663-06:00REVIEW: The Japanese Yokai Handbook: A Guide to the Spookiest Ghosts, Demons, Monsters and Evil Creatures from Japanese Folklore (nonfiction book) by Masami Kinoshita<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyCj765udpPalR2w6wcHNvJ_UxSB2s0RFPj15Uv4QmiU5FhqEZrLbWMBh_wcDivbn32Y0JGA_t-40PkwaT2OY9MpcC9ucqvAYR9P5BlNrazsveRsXePKzvIeiGENkQ4RJEG45YnzSCphdSaAShNXQjhUT9stQara2DVxJew5AYK4pPeZQuzncRIiO4RE/s390/japaneseyokaihandbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyCj765udpPalR2w6wcHNvJ_UxSB2s0RFPj15Uv4QmiU5FhqEZrLbWMBh_wcDivbn32Y0JGA_t-40PkwaT2OY9MpcC9ucqvAYR9P5BlNrazsveRsXePKzvIeiGENkQ4RJEG45YnzSCphdSaAShNXQjhUT9stQara2DVxJew5AYK4pPeZQuzncRIiO4RE/s320/japaneseyokaihandbook.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><i>The Japanese Yokai Handbook</i> is a guide to various Japanese supernatural beings. Most entries consist of only one page, which has a trading card-style image on it with a rarity level, ratings for scariness, danger, immortality, speed, and intelligence, a couple paragraphs of information, and some brief info, if known, about the yokai's origins, size, place it can be found, and general characteristics. Each chapter focuses on a general type of yokai (scary, mysterious, powerful, weird, cute, simple, sad, kind, evil, and stupid). In between chapters, the author answers some basic questions about yokai and gives brief overviews of locations known for particular yokai.<p></p><p>Either this mostly covered yokai I've never heard of, or the author's depictions were so different from what I've seen in manga or anime that I didn't recognize them. Unfortunately, most of the information was so brief that I didn't feel like I learned very much, although some of the yokai covered were definitely intriguing. There was one modern yokai (first mentioned on internet forums in the 21st century), Kunekune, although its information was just as brief as all the rest.</p><p>One of my biggest issues with this book was that it was riddled with typos - misspellings, grammatical errors, and even partial sentences. Pages 34-35 had a particularly confusing example. Page 34 ends at the end of the last sentence of its sole paragraph. Page 35 begins with the last two words of a sentence that doesn't exist on page 34. </p><p>This is definitely written for younger audiences (one of the questions the author addresses is "There are scary stories of ghosts at school. Are those yokai?"), but they might be even more frustrated and confused with the errors in the text than I was.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-24199473451962941992024-02-18T23:38:00.000-06:002024-02-18T23:38:02.008-06:00REVIEW: City Under One Roof (book) by Iris Yamashita<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtF_pv9aAqIUdPZZazFWeb5gqTvME7inStdjL60wSFAPirj2jJt-fA2L5h9n6UJ2LQmWgXicU5tZyVCMplOHu1xG5hZ7pO0RBAFyAtD_TC7C8HFTwHjD6aqlbFfa4OfymlfT7DtT-_I3NWEGx6PXpqT5T1VO1dDlUXWfQuikrQNHBhCFVVb1jZwcnmJA/s378/cityunderoneroof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtF_pv9aAqIUdPZZazFWeb5gqTvME7inStdjL60wSFAPirj2jJt-fA2L5h9n6UJ2LQmWgXicU5tZyVCMplOHu1xG5hZ7pO0RBAFyAtD_TC7C8HFTwHjD6aqlbFfa4OfymlfT7DtT-_I3NWEGx6PXpqT5T1VO1dDlUXWfQuikrQNHBhCFVVb1jZwcnmJA/s320/cityunderoneroof.jpg" width="212" /></a></i></div><i>City Under One Roof</i> is a mystery. I bought my copy new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>When a couple body parts are found near Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is hopeful that there might be some connection to the disappearance and death of her husband and young son. She arrives at the town just before a terrible snowstorm cuts it off from everything - although, truth be told, it's a fairly isolated place even at the best of times. You can only get there via a tunnel so narrow it only allows one-way access (the direction changes on a schedule, when the weather permits it), and everyone lives in one enormous building. It's the kind of environment where everyone knows everyone's business, and outsiders are kept at an arm's length.</p><p>You don't willingly live in a place like this without good reason, and most of the residents have big secrets in their pasts. Did one of them commit murder in order to keep their secrets hidden? And, if so, what's the connection to the murder of Cara's husband and son?<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>This had a great premise. Point Mettier's claustrophia and isolation instantly hooked me. Unfortunately, all of the book's best reveals happened way too soon. The actual final reveals were easy to predict and not particularly thrilling. </p><p>I don't know that the alternating POVs really added anything to this, either. We got to see things from three perspectives - Cara, Lonnie, and Amy. Amy was one of Point Mettier's few teens, and also one of its longest-term residents. Lonnie was a former patient at a mental institution - even at Point Mettier, the only ones she truly trusted were the sheriff and Denny, her moose. Amy's POV was fine and gave readers a view into what it was like being a Point Mettier resident (largely very boring), but Lonnie's had enough repetitive elements that I wish she'd had fewer chapters. </p><p>The supposed "connection" between the body parts and the deaths of Cara's husband and son felt like a pretty big reach. In general, Cara read like somebody who really needed some caring friends or family around to keep her grounded and help her heal. It looks like this book is going to be the first in a series, and I'm not sure I'm interested enough in Cara and her story to continue on.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-61070541362448348472024-02-18T22:56:00.000-06:002024-02-18T22:56:06.403-06:00REVIEW: Unordinary (graphic novel, vol. 1) by uru-chan<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-mpQz6fDGJ4mv6WA7nQNmFwyZ8HjqIlOq9Oc8qjOXhBZmFzOhwbZVYuBVfI7ujrSkhOnvf3JRstxgfcEjHEj-88sGy3yt6DUJzFeC0cqpXYANQXXh_nc_vmJmfVk_xdh3qGDsSxvc7lEwGZndyu68PxXTs0oIE3tGnXwkGK05_zA_Tt4kANBK0dvwso/s370/unordinary-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-mpQz6fDGJ4mv6WA7nQNmFwyZ8HjqIlOq9Oc8qjOXhBZmFzOhwbZVYuBVfI7ujrSkhOnvf3JRstxgfcEjHEj-88sGy3yt6DUJzFeC0cqpXYANQXXh_nc_vmJmfVk_xdh3qGDsSxvc7lEwGZndyu68PxXTs0oIE3tGnXwkGK05_zA_Tt4kANBK0dvwso/s320/unordinary-1.jpg" width="216" /></a></i></div><i>Unordinary </i>is an SFF graphic novel series originally published on Webtoon. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>John is a Zero, the only person without superpowers at his school. He spends his days trying to avoid bullies, and his only friend is Sera, an extremely powerful girl who used to be at the top of the school's food chain but who, for some reason, completely quit caring about being the best at everything after an encounter with John. When John isn't able to avoid his bullies, Sera is usually able to step in and either help or deescalate things. Unfortunately, the two of them are separated when it's discovered that Sera has a copy of <i>Unordinary</i>, a banned book about a person with superpowers in a world of Zeroes who uses his superpowers to defend those weaker than him. </p><p>Their separation puts a huge strain on John, who no longer has anyone around to watch his back. As he tries to deal with bullies determined to beat him to a pulp, cracks start to appear in his facade. What he doesn't realize is that one of his classmates, Arlo, has begun to suspect that he isn't who he says he is.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>I wouldn't call this a very original series. It feels like a blend of <i>My Hero Academia</i> and <i>Classroom of the Elite</i>. The world-building is also a bit confusing. Does Sera have multiple superpowers? We know she can apparently stop and/or rewind time, but that doesn't really explain how she managed to slam the one bully into a building. Does she also have super strength? And it seemed like her classmates expected her to be at the top academically, as well, so does that mean super-powered intelligence or just generally high expectations?</p><p>Various schools fought for territory via battles between their top three students (the King, Queen, and Jack), with no sign that any adults had a problem with this. Readers also learned that there were a few people who, influenced by the book <i>Unordinary</i>, became vigilantes, protecting those weaker than them. It could be assumed that powerful people abusing their abilities was accepted as the norm in general society, not just as John's school. I have lots of questions about how a society like that might function, but I suspect this series is never going to answer them.</p><p>Still, I was somewhat intrigued by the storyline involving the murdered vigilantes, and I liked that the author seemed to be leaning towards turning Arlo into another one of John's allies, rather than yet another bully. Also, while I have some suspicions about John's true abilities, I'm interested to see where the author goes with him. Right now this series isn't exactly wowing me, but I'll probably give it another volume at least before moving on.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-56530061562320830472024-02-18T22:00:00.001-06:002024-02-18T22:00:35.899-06:00REVIEW: Disquiet (novella) by Julia Leigh<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlzIuT3iU8rZTENZjh23SI4Uy728pHL648qOzZND6f3YhCwAnEvUbFaiHNnTpjPzKx8tqtWj64go8Tu1ULRUWikt3idj9Ji49PPP-1qOLKxsih7G4yfdfR-XEvR8V0jrIj1W2n5WXlIs3d5ScL2SAEogP11KREYA5yJjZf_SUWPbgYPZ5vnDWhWqbY-I/s344/disquiet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlzIuT3iU8rZTENZjh23SI4Uy728pHL648qOzZND6f3YhCwAnEvUbFaiHNnTpjPzKx8tqtWj64go8Tu1ULRUWikt3idj9Ji49PPP-1qOLKxsih7G4yfdfR-XEvR8V0jrIj1W2n5WXlIs3d5ScL2SAEogP11KREYA5yJjZf_SUWPbgYPZ5vnDWhWqbY-I/s320/disquiet.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>I've seen <i>Disquiet </i>labeled as gothic fiction. I'd call it an understated domestic drama, if you can consider a woman literally carting her baby's corpse around everywhere "understated." I checked my copy out from the library.<br /><p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Olivia married her husband and left her family against her mother's wishes. Now, more than a decade later, she's back with a broken arm and two children in tow. Unfortunately, it's not exactly the best time to be coming back to the family. Olivia's brother Marcus and his wife Sophie arrive home shortly after Olivia does, but not with the happy, healthy baby they expected. Sophie isn't handling her stillborn baby well, and for some reason the doctors thought it was a good idea to let her take the baby's corpse home with her. The idea is that she'll get some time with it before the funeral, at which point it will be buried and life will go on. Sure.</p><p>I don't understand what I was supposed to get out of this, besides the fact that no one in this family could properly communicate with each other. I'd have cheered at the ending, except that everything that happened then should have happened <i>way </i>earlier. Preferably before the baby's corpse started decomposing.</p><p>Overall, this was a frustrating and weird read about people who generally made my skin crawl, and not in an entertaining or even terribly interesting way.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-84599530629350564482024-02-18T21:27:00.000-06:002024-02-18T21:27:49.630-06:00REVIEW: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (book) by Holly Jackson<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0xqEVc1AU1s4nLnxtiDn1fXDbOGx2cR6c4-ouFk8ergtSa5KSxCXxV-_tNYE6CG6M6w1Dh_YY3AuZzDXCpW23XUjFjaZANF-YQNFqtjHWIJP8hQ9sxpaHO68gG4mGsXqjiHNdppS_czRW7D7Df-gsMTckQeNsBdx8Eoj4aHYD9nl22O_u-K_ViQacfE/s378/goodgirlsguidetomurder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0xqEVc1AU1s4nLnxtiDn1fXDbOGx2cR6c4-ouFk8ergtSa5KSxCXxV-_tNYE6CG6M6w1Dh_YY3AuZzDXCpW23XUjFjaZANF-YQNFqtjHWIJP8hQ9sxpaHO68gG4mGsXqjiHNdppS_czRW7D7Df-gsMTckQeNsBdx8Eoj4aHYD9nl22O_u-K_ViQacfE/s320/goodgirlsguidetomurder.jpg" width="212" /></a></i></div><i>A Good Girl's Guide to Murder</i> is YA mystery. I bought my copy new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>Five years ago, pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell disappeared. A short while later, his alibi in tatters, Sal Singh, her boyfriend, confessed to killing her and then killed himself. Although it was never proven in a court of law, everyone in town accepted that Sal was the murderer.</p><p>Everyone except Pip. Now that she's a high school senior herself, Pip plans to use her senior capstone project to investigate the truth behind Andie's disappearance and apparent murder. The Sal she knew was a nice guy - she's never been able to accept that he might have killed his girlfriend, and it's always bothered her that the entire town so readily accepted this narrative. She convinces Ravi, Sal's brother, to help her, and the two of them begin picking at the various threads of the original investigation, trying to find things that the police missed. <span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>A star student hoping to get into a good college almost certainly wouldn't have picked a senior capstone project with a high probability of getting disqualified (Pip was told flat out that any ethical violations would get her disqualified). But the author needed a reason why Pip would be able to devote this much time and effort to a single thing - if you can accept that, the investigation in general was pretty interesting. I enjoyed the way Pip dug into her topic and tried to find various holes or inconsistencies. At least until the end, the way everything was laid out (including things like Pip's map, her attempts at a timeline, etc.) made it feel like readers could follow along and try to solve the mystery with her.<br /></p><p>Pip was so focused on her investigation that it was, unfortunately, easy to forget that she had family or friends. Anytime any of them had on-page appearances, it was a bit of a surprise. I had particular difficulty remembering the names of Pip's friends. Maybe that's part of the reason why Pip herself never really grew on me as a character. I enjoyed her investigation, while she was just the way that investigation was communicated to readers.</p><p>And about that investigation...for someone who was supposedly so smart, Pip made some truly boneheaded decisions at times. The ones that stuck out to me the most were the ones that literally put her in danger. I get that she wanted more information than the police would likely give her later on, but confronting a likely murderer all on her own was really, really stupid, especially considering that her investigation had already led to more death.</p><p>While I generally liked this book, I haven't decided yet whether I'll continue on with the series. As far as I'm concerned, this book works fine as a standalone.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-53114039717306154162024-02-11T22:23:00.000-06:002024-02-11T22:23:48.162-06:00REVIEW: Cells at Work! Baby (manga, vol. 4) by Yasuhiro Fukuda, based on Cells at Work! by Akane Shimizu, translated by Dean Leininger<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq_wdrHWt-sDRM1Vu_oGqY9qC5yENBdpDDK1_qR-shFt48KixOV_4NQkCgn-TJWPZEGJR76k4NpVBGK0e_P4iMURRzRJ6xKevGgl_r0f6uREvWXnQujZMIn1rEI_PkMYJRZKDvBjCG3b1ibRBAt5hF2gOJd4djIr_wf7b0LLgPd09k06pN9ncd4FpKBY/s329/cellsatworkbaby-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSq_wdrHWt-sDRM1Vu_oGqY9qC5yENBdpDDK1_qR-shFt48KixOV_4NQkCgn-TJWPZEGJR76k4NpVBGK0e_P4iMURRzRJ6xKevGgl_r0f6uREvWXnQujZMIn1rEI_PkMYJRZKDvBjCG3b1ibRBAt5hF2gOJd4djIr_wf7b0LLgPd09k06pN9ncd4FpKBY/s320/cellsatworkbaby-4.jpg" width="243" /></a></i></div><i>Cells at Work! Baby</i> is an edutainment manga. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>It's the final volume of <i>Cells at Work! Baby</i>, which means it's time for the moment readers of this series likely saw coming since F's informational box changed in volume 2, or possibly even as early as volume 1 and the start of pulmonary circulation. But first, we have food allergies.</p><p>Although it's not that funny from the outside (I have a niece who has had eczema due to food allergies pretty much her entire life), I got a kick out of watching the regulatory T cell try to get everyone's attention as they were freaking out over the apparent invasion of a bunch of monster chickens.</p><p>The rest of the volume, dealing with RBC and F's relationship (more entertainment than education, here) and F's disappearance, was surprisingly emotional even though I was expecting it for a while. Yes, the edutainment manga made me tear up a bit.</p><p>I still need to complete all of the original <i>Cells at Work!</i>, but I felt that this spinoff found the perfect place to end things. Overall, I really enjoyed <i>Cells at Work! Baby</i>.</p><p><b>Extras:</b></p><p>A short interview with Dr. Shirai, the medical advisor for the Japanese editions of volumes 3 and 4.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-26600684912736326332024-02-11T21:59:00.000-06:002024-02-11T21:59:10.732-06:00REVIEW: Cells at Work! Baby (manga, vol. 3) by Yasuhiro Fukuda, based on Cells at Work! by Akane Shimizu, translated by Dean Leininger<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsicGLhduo0I69fAfTalwM7FnpXiBfV3Up9kWs3W3HFXXa_gx1XupuP6Fxe24JuYLxUWoPMV4RLGRXIb_yW_2A1MMGwIriycxif9WktdTLqd-f6HMUPDppsWo0En7qM527lk1PpROfNPZ4kjUfAG4EmbfqcbAi5LjM6eZMmmKM2du03bOAJq78964GIs/s358/cellsatworkbaby-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbsicGLhduo0I69fAfTalwM7FnpXiBfV3Up9kWs3W3HFXXa_gx1XupuP6Fxe24JuYLxUWoPMV4RLGRXIb_yW_2A1MMGwIriycxif9WktdTLqd-f6HMUPDppsWo0En7qM527lk1PpROfNPZ4kjUfAG4EmbfqcbAi5LjM6eZMmmKM2du03bOAJq78964GIs/s320/cellsatworkbaby-3.jpg" width="223" /></a></i></div><i>Cells at Work! Baby</i> is an edutainment manga. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>This volume covers the reabsorption of primary urine in the kidneys, diaper rash (injury + platelet involvement and immune system response), IgG from mom no longer functioning and then disappearing (baby begins making its own), first baby food, and some flashback stories to when F first met Red Blood Cell (RBC).</p><p>As usual, there is advice for parents in the informational boxes. I continued to get a chuckle out of the baby's cells wondering about the mysterious being (parents!) who must be watching out for the body they're in, since there are times that things turn out okay when there's very little the cells can do for the body they're in themselves.</p><p>The body all these cells are in is growing up, and we're seeing it in how the cells function. Everyone is learning to do their jobs better and more efficiently. The help provided by the mother's cells (IgG delivered to the fetus via the placenta) is starting to fade away, but it's okay, because everyone's been preparing for this time without realizing it.</p><p>I love the "nice lady from the placenta" character and how she's basically a mom stand-in. Yeah, there are elements to anthropomorphized cells that are kind of weird, but I have to admit that my heart squeezed a little when F and Nice Lady did an "in the air pinky swear" (because the mom's blood and baby's blood can't mix).</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2094562384038868734.post-15291116274570202642024-02-11T21:08:00.002-06:002024-02-11T21:08:24.434-06:00REVIEW: Cells at Work! Baby (manga, vol. 2) by Yasuhiro Fukuda, based on Cells at Work! by Akane Shimizu, translated by Dean Leininger<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfOxP8wbfOeNlkw_noXHF85GO9d8Qhg5kEDiWrBVaq9Tq287w8B21ao5U0GsccdRrSNrJU469bANKcOgZG0s2ehSMqBDikKXr46DztfdWLZryvblKzKjL4VTXpNHb6A1iZg9XRJjOeC9Cb8hddKBFgJU313pJVjDJNOGzkyYYPyp9R2wzvZHk-3zTyC8/s347/cellsatworkbaby-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfOxP8wbfOeNlkw_noXHF85GO9d8Qhg5kEDiWrBVaq9Tq287w8B21ao5U0GsccdRrSNrJU469bANKcOgZG0s2ehSMqBDikKXr46DztfdWLZryvblKzKjL4VTXpNHb6A1iZg9XRJjOeC9Cb8hddKBFgJU313pJVjDJNOGzkyYYPyp9R2wzvZHk-3zTyC8/s320/cellsatworkbaby-2.jpg" width="231" /></a></i></div><i>Cells at Work! Baby</i> is an edutainment manga. I bought my copy of this volume new.<p></p><p><b>Review:</b></p><p>In this volume the baby deals with its first bump, gets its first vaccination, gets the RS virus, has constipation, and almost suffocates, presumably in its crib. We meet Killer T Cell, some rectal muscle cells, and Red Blood Cell (RBC) gets into a fight with F.</p><p>Once again, I don't know enough to say how accurate the information is or how good the advice for parents is.</p><p>Platelets are in this volume, and they're even tinier than they were in the original series. </p><p>The author comments on this themselves, but wow, there are a lot of terrified immune cells in this series. White Blood Cell was a dedicated and frightening killer in the original <i>Cells at Work!</i> - here, White Blood Cell does his job while constantly terrified he's going to die. Killer T Cell acts like a big shot when in reality he doesn't 100% know what he's doing and worries that this will be obvious if he's ordered to do something.</p><p>The weirdest part of the volume was the section devoted to constipation, which includes RBC drooling in happiness at witnessing stools (represented as a pile of garbage bags) get expelled and several of the cells talking about how good it feels when feces are expelled. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0