Comic Review: Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5-5

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Release Date: June 2018

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Soppy meets Sarah’s Scribbles in this sweet collection of comics about the simple, precious, silly, everyday moments that make up a relationship.

What began as stray doodles on scraps of paper became an internet sensation when Catana Chetwynd’s boyfriend shared her drawings online. Now, Catana Comics touches millions of readers with its sweet, relatable humor. Little Moments of Love collects just that – the little moments that are the best parts of being with the person you love.

Review:

I love this little collection of comics. It's starring this cute couple, and we get to see moments from when they first started dating, expectations versus reality, and moments as they live together and stay adorable and odd and cuddly at all times. They have a cat, and they're both introverted and sometimes work at home. It's definitely from a cute perspective, but it's also honest.

It's so very simple, and yet I love it. It was a lot of fun to read, and I will definitely pick up the next one.

Comic Review: Strange Planet by Nathan W Pyle

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5-5

Publisher: Morrow Gift (William Morrow/HarperCollins)

Release Date: November 2019

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Available November 19, 2019, Limited Quantity. Author Signed First Edition Hardcover. Straight from the mind of New York Times bestselling author Nathan W. Pyle, Strange Planet is an adorable and profound universe in pink, blue, green, and purple, based on the phenomenally popular Instagram of the same name! Strange Planet covers a full life cycle of the planet’s inhabitants, including milestones such as: The Emergence Day Being Gains a Sibling The Being Family Attains a Beast The Formal Education of a Being Celebration of Special Days Being Begins a Vocation The Beings at Home Health Status of a Being The Hobbies of a Being The Extended Family of the Being The Being Reflects on Life While Watching the Planet Rotate With dozens of never-before-seen illustrations in addition to old favorites, this book offers a sweet and hilarious look at a distant world not all that unlike our own. I feel more attractive. Honestly, you are. It’s the star damage. I CRAVE STAR DAMAGE.

Review:

I've been following Nathan W Pyle on Twitter for a while now, after discovering these Strange Planet comics. I pre-ordered the book pretty early on.

These comics are so funny and so cute. I love the perspective of looking at the human world from an alien perspective, describing things in much more real terms that we don't think of anymore. They're very real sometimes, too, in their honesty and portrayal.

There are some new comics in this collection, as well as the loved ones posted online. It's a very nice hardback, with pretty comics on the inside covers and organized in an interesting way.

If you like fun comic strips and humor books, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Manga Review: Horimiya, Volume 7, by Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5-5

Publisher: Yen Press

Release Date: April 18, 2017

Volumes: 10+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The unbelievably attractive Akane Yanagi takes the stage...and maybe the lead from Miyamura?! The high school lives of the usual Kiri High suspects grow even livelier, as Hori abruptly starts demanding violence from Miyamura, the student council trio gets unusually flustered, and the sports festival arrives!

Review:

I don't think I could love this series any more than I do.

There's still the ongoing drama between the triangle—Yuki, Tooru, and Kouno. Tooru is still rather oblivious, even though Miyamura has hinted. Kouno starts worrying about giving Tooru baked goods. Yuki, on the other, has ended up with her own admirer in the form of a super cute classmate. It looks like the new guy might be sticking around, and he's super sweet and clutzy; I'm a fan.

Then the school sports festival is coming up, and there are two main teams. It starts getting a little competitive, and everyone is working hard to do their best, even in sports they don't like.

Of course, I love all of the humorous moments amongst all of this. This series is hilarious. The sweet moments between Hori and Miyamura, though, get me just as good. There's a cute moment of jealousy between them. In a surprising development, we find out that Hori likes seeing Miyamura get angry, and she wants him to yell at her. This is funny from an outsider perspective, and Miyamura is trying to do it for her, because Hori loves it and begs for it. Miyamura feels bad and weird, though. It's also comedic given that Hori is significantly more scary than Miyamura is; he's also always been very careful around her. I really appreciate the casual introduction of a consensual kink, especially with a couple that hasn't gotten too intimate, and with no shame or worry involved.

I absolutely love this series, and cannot get enough.

Manga Review: Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Volume 26, by Karuho Shiina

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5-5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: March 7, 2017

Volumes: 28+

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 25. 27.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sawako “Sadako” Kuronuma is the perfect heroine…for a horror movie.

With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, Sawako “Sadako” Kuronuma always had trouble fitting in. But her whole life changes when she befriends the most popular boy in class, Shota Kazehaya. Can love trump her cursed life?

Review: 

I am obsessed with this series. I love every little piece of it, and every new volume is always a delight. I love it.

Seeing Kazehaya and Sawako having a real moment, whether they're arguing or making up and understanding each other or just generally being adorable, just hurts my heart because I love it so much. They finally get to continue their discussion from the previous volume when they were interrupted. They've had time to think about it, and now they know what to say. And god, it's so freaking sweet. I'm in love with them.

They're my OTP. I think that's it.

Aside from that, Sawako also has a big development with Kurumi, as they finally mention what happened in the past. We see that Kurumi genuinely feels bad about how she acted, and I'm impressed with this entire development. Along with that, we get to see how much Sawako has really grown. She speaks her mind more freely now, and trusts her friends. It's sweet.

And, finally!, Yano has a revelation, and of course runs into Pin right after. I won't spoil too much, but I've been waiting for this. It needed to happening. I know I should probably not be so behind this, but I really am.

These books come too sparsely and are gone too quickly. I love them so much.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Novel Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4) by Marissa Meyer

Rating (Out of 5): ~5

Genre: YA Fantasy/Sci-fi Romance; Fairy-Tale Retelling

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

The Cover:

I love all of the covers in this series. I think they're pretty much perfect. The contrast of the red and the blue, with the red showing the main symbol for the fairy-tale story, is beautiful. They're simply and gorgeous, focusing on the important part of the story. I love it.

Review:

I don’t think that I can ever write a review that expresses my complete and utter love for this series, so I’m just going to do my best here.

This conclusion could not have been any better. It was everything I wanted it to be and I can’t believe it’s over. I love it unconditionally, I should make that clear.

We fully meet Winter, and she’s crazy. Literally going insane because she won’t use her powers. But she has Jacin, who will do anything he can to help her.

Scarlet and Wolf finally seeing each other again is beautiful and makes me want to cry they make me so happy. I hadn’t even realized I loved them as much as I do until this book. Ohmygod they make me so ridiculously happy.

Cress and Thorne is almost as good as Scarlet and Wolf. Thorne is my favorite, even if he is frustrating at time, and I love how Cress pushes him and stands up to him, even as she loves him so much. I want to see their adventures after this, seriously. They’re the best.

I love Cinder, of course, our witty, hard-edged heroine. And while Kai doesn’t stand out to me as much as the others, I do think that they’re a good match. I love their ending, and I believe that they do have a good future ahead of them.

Aside from the romances, I love the relationship that Winter and Scarlet form, and of course Thorne and Cinder are my favorite friendship. Their banter is so nice.

I won’t spoil too much of the main plot, but I do love what happens. It’s intense and surprising, and long. A lot happens in regards to Levana, but I love how it all works out.

I would read a dozen more books about these characters, and I just want more. More more more. I know I’ll be re-reading this series in the future, because I love it to pieces, and I'm looking forward to the novella collection.

Manga Review: Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Volume 20, by Karuho Shiina

Rating (Out of 5): ~5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2, 2014

Volumes: 23+

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 19. 21.

Add it on Goodreads

Review:

Every time I even think about this series, all I want to do is fangirl everywhere, grin and gush. I just love everything about this series, honestly. No complaints, ever. I could re-read it forever, and will always want more. It’s just that good to me.

They’re all growing up! Sawako has decided what she wants to do after school, and it’s perfect for her. Ayane is told to actually push herself, to do more. Chizu is still a bit unsure, with everything.

Then there’s Valentine’s Day, and everyone gives chocolate. Chizu is just weird and hesitant and freaking out. Ayane is better, but I’m starting to wonder about her feelings for Kento, as well as her relationship with Pin. I’m just not sure where she’s at anymore.

And then there’s Sawako and Kazehaya and I’m just in love with them. They’re perfect and adorable, actually talking to each other, getting more comfortable, getting closer and more mature. Everything about them is perfect, and while I enjoy seeing the other characters, they’re my favorite, no competition. They just make me happy, and I go back and re-read their scenes every time. Just swoon.

I want more, more, more. I can’t wait for the next volume. And I seriously wish that VIZ would pick up another of Shiina’s series.

Manga Review: Strobe Edge, Volume 10, by Io Sakisaka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Volumes: 10

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 9.

Re-readable?: Yes.

Goodreads Synopsis:

What is love, anyway? Ninako Kinoshita's friends tell her it's one thing, but Ninako wonders what this mysterious feeling really is. When she meets Ren Ichinose, the handsome, enigmatic guy that all the girls worship; her life takes an unexpected turn. With just a few words and a smile, he changes her world...Ninako loves Ren, but seeing Ando get hurt while protecting her makes her feel sad and confused - to the point where she turns Ren down when he confesses his love for her! Has Ninako lost her chance with Ren? Or will they find a way to be together?

What Will I Miss?:

• I will absolutely miss the way Sakisaka tells a story; the perfect mix of humor and serious and thoughtful--I love it. It's one of my very favorite thing about this series, how funny it is that it has me grinning, but also how thoughtful it can be, how certain scenes can really stick with you (like Ren's breakup scene), and how perfect the romance builds and how the characters exchange glances and touches. I just love it.
• I will miss the art. It's kind of charming, particularly how Ninako is drawn, but also just really pretty.
• The characters. I grew really close to all of them, and they all made me feel a lot of things. I will miss them a lot.

Review:

This was a fantastic ending to a fantastic series. I absolutely love it.

At first, the confession doesn’t quite go where I wanted it to, didn’t stay quite as intense as I wanted it to. But then Ninako has a realization, and she goes after Ren. And then there’s a big, crying, messy confession, and it’s just kind of perfect. It’s very Ninako. And Ren gets it, and he loves her. And I love them. And just… Yes.

I’m not going to spoil too much, but it was just great. I love it. (This is going to be like a mantra in this review, I can already tell.)

Then we got to see the two on an actual date, and see how actually perfect they really are together. I honestly just love how similar they are. They feel and think alike, even if they show it in different ways. And when they finally talk about it, after they’ve misunderstood, I like how easily, how quickly, their entire thought-process changes. The realization they have of “oh, that’s what they were thinking”, and their entire thought on what happened changes.

There was also a short story featuring Manabu, who I have previously stated was a favorite of mine. He’s just such an adorable, fun, sweetheart. And this story really proves that. I loved getting inside his head. For some reason, I didn’t think this was going to be a Happily Ever After for him, but I was still a little upset at the ending. There are obviously good things in store for him, but I think I just wanted to see it happen. I wanted to see him truly happy. 

This was a perfect ending to the series, and I completely love it. This series is definitely a favorite of mine, I would give it five stars overall, and it’s one that I could happily reread. I really hope that VIZ picks up another series by Sakisaka in the future, because I really want to read more of her stuff.