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Monthly Archives: December 2017
Forbidden Dance Volume 2 by Hinako Ashihara
So…. what to do with a plot when your heroine triumphs and wins the big event to make her guy notice her? Add in a rival, of course! And a perfect one as well – the elusive European who speaks … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Forbidden Dance Volume 1 by Hinato Ashihara
In 2018, when this review is written, titles such as this can feel very dated. The artwork is very shoujo 1990s and can be hard to like at times with the era’s huge foreheads and small faces. As well, we … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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dazzle Volume 1 by Minari Endoh
Back when Tokyo Pop was licensing big chunks of random manga, selections veered to the very good and some very bad titles. This is one of the latter: lazy writing, lacklustre storylines, and cliche stock characters. It’s everything that can … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Fantasy, manga
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Category Freaks by Gokurakuin Sakurako
Mangaka Gokurakuin is mostly known for her illustration work rather than her storytelling skills. Juvenile Orion series broke her out with its beautifully drawn characters but the plot was honestly silly and pedantic. With Category Freaks, she attempts to write … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, urban fantasy
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Valentine Book 1 by Vanyda
This was a hard nut to crack – very little happens and we are pretty much a fly on the wall of a quiet and reserved teen girl who is navigating friendships, booze, sex, and boys. That sentence makes the … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, contemporary, graphic novel
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The Diet Detox by Brooke Alpert
Alpert’s The Diet Detox contains most of the findings about diet and nutrition that we come to expect: avoid sugars, avoid carbs, get away from processed foods, eat smarter. In addition, there are exercises and lifestyle changes such as not … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, cookbook, fitness/diet, non fiction, nonfiction
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Boomerang by Helen Dunbar
Boomerang is a bit of a different animal in that this isn’t a romance so much as a collection of people with very messy lives coming to terms with their life choices and the mistakes they’ve made. There are absolutely … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, contemporary, romance
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Jormungand 1 by Keitaro Takahashi
Jormungand feels oddly dated though it isn’t that old; the style is reminiscent of military shounen fare at the turn of the century, especially titles like Full Metal Panic (but without the pathos and wonderful humor of that series). It’s … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, manga, urban fantasy
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Dogs 0: Prelude by Shirow Miwa
I can’t help but feel that this should not be read before the main series and instead best invested in after you know the characters better. For what we have here is a set of vignettes about people who feel … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, manga, urban fantasy
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Anonymous Noise Volume 7 by Ryoko Fukuyama
It is pretty hard to get love triangles right in this age of silly young adult novels. But Fukuyama does an excellent job of making us like both Momo And Yuzu and their obsession with our Nino/Alice. Each volume will … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, contemporary, manga, romance
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The Demon Prince of Momochi House Volume 11 by Aya Shouoto
I always wonder where else Shouoto can take the story to keep it interesting and she never fails. As beautiful as the artwork is, it’s the story that keeps me coming back volume after volume. And this one is no … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, manga, urban fantasy
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The Young Master’s Revenge by Meca Tanaka
This is a cute and quirky romance that has fun upending typicaly shoujo conventions. Our hero, Leo, is highly flawed, and his love interest, Tenma, is so clueless as to be almost a cipher. Author Tanaka has fun with the … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Kaguya-Sama Love Is War 1
Kaguya-Sama pits two very different characters against each other: Very smart but plebian-background student body president Miyuki Shirogane and heiress princess vice president Kaguya Shinomiya. Both are hyper competitive and both refuse to back down or give in/lose. It means … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Party by Kaiya Tatsumi
I wish there was more to like in Party. The story meanders all over the place and most of the book is about not trusting your partner and not having faith in him. So much of it is doubt that … Continue reading
Posted in contemporary, manga, romance
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Fake Fur by Satomi Yamagata
Fake Fur (no indication whatsoever of why it has this title) is a slow burn tale of a boy coming to terms with his sexuality. It’s a meditative piece with a lot of inner dialogue of how the character views … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, contemporary, manga, romance
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Memento (Harmony, #1) by Mathieu Reynès
There is some nice art in here (great cover!) but I can’t help but feel I’ve read this story so many times. Speshul unique snowflake has amnesia, is clearly powerful, and everyone just wants to help her or falls all … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, graphic novel, urban fantasy, YA
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Bleach 72 by Kubo Tite
With book 72, we get more on Shunsui Kyōraku’s past, his connection with his vice captain’s mother, and Nanao’s special ability. Ichigo and his friends finally confront Uryuu on siding with the Quincys, all wanting to know why he sided … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, manga, urban fantasy
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Food: What the Heck Should I Eat by Mark Hymen
The subtitle of the book is surprisingly accurate rather than flippant: this is a book that takes all we know about the various food groups and updates our knowledge. It turns over a lot of misconceptions about what is healthy … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, cookbook, fitness/diet, non fiction, nonfiction
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A Dream for Three (Emma and Violette, #1) by Jérôme Hamon
Despite the title, this first volume is about Emma, the older sister of the two middle grade teens. Both she and Violette have trained most of their lives to become prima ballerinas and have really perfected their dance. The book … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, contemporary, graphic novel
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In the Beginning There Was Fury (Shi, #1) by Zidrou, José Homs
Shi (In The Beginning There Was Fury) is a lushly illustrated novel about Victorian society and the positions women had in them in London. Set in 1851 at the opening of the Crystal Palace, it takes place in the heart … Continue reading
Posted in ARC, Book Reviews, graphic novel, Historical
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