Manga Review: Otomen, Volume 14, by Aya Kanno

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 18

Spoilers?: Very Minor.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Powells. Rightstuf!.

Goodreads Synopsis:

A shojo series that features handsome, manly men wAsuka Masamune is a guy who loves girly things--sewing, knitting, making cute stuffed animals and reading shojo comics. But in a world where boys are expected to act manly, Asuka must hide his beloved hobbies and play the part of a masculine jock instead. Can Asuka ever show his true self to anyone, much less to Ryo Miyakozuka, the girl that he's falling for?

Asuka and Ryo join their friend Kitora on an adventure abroad to find the legendary delamezla flower! Meanwhile, things get complicated when Asuka encourages his cousin Kasuga to confess his feelings to his crush—especially when Asuka becomes involved in more ways than one...!

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.

Review:

I like this series. I rather enjoy it quite a bit, actually. But it’s kind of slow, tends to have episodic chapters, plus it’s being released rather slowly. Still, it’s very enjoyable. It’s fun, lighthearted, cute.

The first part of this volume featured most of the group going on a snowy vacation, mainly for Kitora (the flower guy). Some special flower is supposedly popular in this one area, but when the group gets there, they find that it’s extinct, or maybe never even existed at all. This storyline has a bit of a supernatural element, but it’s cute. I like Kitora, and did enjoy seeing some more of him, and getting to see him with his love interest.

The second part features several things. There a hint of the future and how several of the characters don’t know what they’re going to do after high school. Tonomine (the make-up guy) is conflicted by his pushy father and his actual wants. Kasuga (Asuka’s cousin or whatever) decides to confess to Jewel Sachihana, so Asuka has to dress up as her again, and before that he helps Kasuga make a cake, which means that we got to see a good amount of Asuka's father (who I like a lot, actually). Asuka is also being pressured by his mother to not be girly.

I don’t really have a whole lot more to say, I don’t think. I like this series; it’s cute and enjoyable. I kind of wish something more heavy in plot would happen, or something more romantic with Asuka and Ryo, or at least to get more of Ryo (I think she might be my favorite character, oddly enough). As I said, this is kind of a slow moving manga, and it’s being very slowly released, but I like it, and I tend to get every volume as they’re released.

Novel Review: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger

Genre: Adult Historical Contemporary/Literature

Rating (Out of 5): ~4.5

Publisher: HarperCollins (Avon)

Spoilers?: No.

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

The hilarious and heart-warming story about a down-and-out kid who finds inspiration in his favourite baseball hero. In Brooklyn, 1940, a wisecracking, baseball loving twelve-year-old boy, Joey Margolis, is in desperate need of a hero. His rich father has recently divorced his mother, leaving her all but penniless, and she is forced to move herself and her son to an Italian dominated part of Brooklyn, where he's the only Jew in the area. Constant abuse from other boys in the neighbourhood prompts Joey to send letters to Charlie Banks, an up-and-coming star with the New York Giants, asking for a home run so he can tell everyone that it was for him. Joey uses every trick in the book to get what he wants and the friendship that comes out of their simple correspondence will change them both forever.

This improbable friendship is woven together through letters, postcards, notes, telegrams, newspaper clippings, report cards and ticket stubs, and includes a colourful cast of supporting characters.

o The joys and sorrows growing up will always have an audience and this novel sheds light on all the complexity of those difficult times, with humour and joy.

Something Special:

That I love:

• Everything. I tried finding a specific quote, a specific something to say about this book, but I just loved everything. It was all just so good and I can't choose a specific thing. I just loved it all.

 

Review:

First of all, I love Steve Kluger. He only has, I believe, four novels out, and I’ve only read one other, but I love that one (even more than this one), and that’s enough for me. It took me forever to get to this book, but it was fantastic. I have another book of his, and I don’t doubt that it will also be very good.

I don’t think I want to spoil anything from this book, and my main message is: “Go read this. Right now. It’s amazing.” But I do want to talk about it a little, so…

This is set in the 1940’s, in America, during WWII, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was President. It’s told in letters and recorded dialogue and grades and all other formats of not straight-up narrative voice (aside from the prologue and epilogue). Kluger does this with all of his novels, I believe, and he does it amazingly well. He knows his characters, and so it’s easy to get a good sense of who they are.

This book is sweet and funny (very funny) and witty and sad. Joey, a kid growing up in Brooklyn, has a big mouth, never stops talking, can come up with stories at the drop of a hat (usually fake, but not always); he sends letters and gets responses from the President and his assistant, and then starts harassing Charlie Banks, a famous baseball player, via letters. Charlie, at first, tries to get the annoying kid to leave him alone, but quickly ends up being a stand-in father to him. They’re the main characters, but there’s also Charlie’s girlfriend Hazel, who is awesome, and Joey’s Japanese best friend Craig. Then there’s Joey’s mother and aunt and absentee father. Those are the main characters, but there’s also mention of Joey’s teachers, and Charlie’s friends. And they all have very distinct personalities and voices and you can’t help but love them all.

This book is simply amazing. The writing, the characters, the rapid and witty dialogue… Just go read this book, okay?

Wishlist Thursday: The Rising (Darkness Rising, #3) by Kelley Armstrong

So, I’m starting something new. This is, quite possibly, the worst time for me to be starting something new, but that’s what I’m doing. From now on (and feel free to yell at me, in the comments, if I somehow miss posting one in the future) I will be posting something every Thursday. It might be a rant, a DNF review, a something-else, a lot of times it might be a Wishlist/Waiting on Wednesday related thing (like today)—I’m not set on it being one thing, but it will be something.

This also means that I will be posting less reviews on the weekend. Instead of usually two every Saturday and Sunday, I’m planning to do one on every Saturday and Sunday. Which means that I will be posting something four times a week now—Teaser Tuesday on Tuesday, Something on Thursday, a Review on Saturday, and another Review on Sunday. Of course, this might change in the future. I do want to post more, more regularly, at some point in the future, but at the moment this is what I’m going with.

Okay? Awesome.

So, here’s todays post!:

The Rising (Darkness Rising, #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Genre: YA Supernatural (Romance)

Publisher: HarperCollins/Teen

Publish Date: April 2^nd, 2013

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

Goodreads Synopsis (maybe don't read if you haven't read the two previous books, cause spoilers!):

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

Why?:

I realize that this book came out last week, and usually I’m supposed to do a book that isn’t released yet, and in the future I probably will, but this is the main book on my mind of i-want-this right now. I love this series, I love Armstrong’s books and characters, and this is the last one in this series. I don’t know yet how it’s going to end, how it’s possibly going to wrap up in one book, or what she’s going to do next in YA. Plus, we get to meet the characters from the first series in this book and I am so excited for this. I don’t have it yet, however, which is horrible. I’m planning to get it soon, though, and am very excited to finally get to read it and see how this series ends.

So. What are you looking forward to reading, or wanting published, or… whatever? Tell me in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday[42]: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Haven’t been reading very much lately. Have been much too busy with schoolwork, but it looks like I’m managing my time a little better and should have more time to read. My schedule is getting busier, but still… I’m hopeful.

This week’s book!:

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Scholastic (Point)

Publish Date: January 1st, 2010

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love is all you need... or is it? Penny's about to find out in this wonderful debut.

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .

Excerpts:

“She was one of my few friends who understood the cultural importance of the Beatles.” (Hardback, pg. 88)

“‘So, are we going to have rules for the anti-guy Club?’ Tracy asked at lunch.

‘It’s called The Lonely Hearts Club,’ I reminded her.

‘Uh-huh. And are we going to have to wear matching T-shirts or chastity belts or something?’” (Hardback, pg. 88)

So, what are you reading right now?

Manga Review: Ceres: Celestial Legend, Volume 1, by Yuu Watase

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo)

Volumes: 14

Spoilers?: Some, somewhat minor

Buy it here: (My edition is out-of-print) Amazon. Book Depository. Barnes and Noble.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Aya Mikage is a seemingly normal high school student until her 16th birthday, when her family imprisons her twin brother and attempts to kill her. She learns she carries the blood of the tennyo (heavenly maiden), and when upset, she will transform into the goddess Ceres. If she is allowed to live, she will bring ruin upon her family.

Review:

I ended up getting the whole set of this series for a really good deal online. So, you know what that means? That I will be reviewing all of the volumes as I read them. I’m not sure how quickly that will go by, but either way, it’s happening.

This first volume was alright (aside from the fact that the first page in my copy was missing: ugh!). Not amazing, not horrible, but I’m sure it will only get better from here. I have read several other series by Watase, and am also very slowly reading Arata right now, although that one might be on a somewhat hold because of this series (even though it has already been going at a very slow pace for me).

Also, my copies of the first four volumes are the first edition, big, read the English way, manga, which sucks. I hadn’t realized it, not that that would have changed my mind in buying them. Still, they don’t match the rest of the books, and they are not nearly as nice. I am so glad that VIZ changed the format. Also, and I hope it’s only in this format, but there is a huge amount of italics used. There is generally at least one italicized word in every sentence in this book; it’s ridiculous and rather annoying. I hope it slows down in later books.

Upon starting the volume, we are introduced to Aki and Aya Mikage, twin brother and sister, whose sixteenth birthday is coming up (and we know how big a deal that number is, right?). They’re planning to hang out with their mutual friends, as the twins get along really well, but their parents tell them that they have to visit their grandpa, and also the rest of their family (mostly aunts and uncles). Before that, Aya almost gets killed by falling off a bridge and almost getting hit by a car, but somehow floats and gets saved by this weird guy with long hair and sunglasses who disappears right after (it’s obvious right away that he’s the main love interest; much too obvious).

When Aya and Aki go to the ‘birthday celebration’ which actually looks like a funeral, they’re shown a mummified hand, which causes Aki to get stabbed or something, and Aya to get some glowy power overload and her clothes to rip (something that happens every time she gets a power overload, which happens several times—it’s very cliché and a bit eye-rolling worthy). Aki passes out and Aya is told that she is going to be killed. Aya fights and runs off, the guy with sunglasses and long hair, who works for her family and is also trying to kill her, finds her.

Another girl, Suzumi Aogiri, though, also has some of the same powers and can feel Aya’s presence, and her and her brother-in-law, Yuhi Aogiri, come and save her. From there, we find out that Aya is descended from some ancient powerful girl named Ceres, who set out to kill the Mikage family, so they plan to kill all others like her, testing each daughter in the family when they turn sixteen. It also turns out that she has more power than most other descendants.

Aya is hiding out from the Mikage’s, her family, who are out to kill her. Aki is still hurt, which means he also has powers but of a different kind, and is being isolated in some room in some big business-y building. The guy with sunglasses and long hair, Toya, has been told to kill Aya, although he hasn’t done anything to harm her so far (that’s not true, actually—but nothing bad enough to kill her).

Several other things happen in this volume, none of which are good, including a cliffhanger, but I’m not going to spoil anything more.

Aya is alright. I like her and Aki’s relationship. I also like Aki, and am looking forward to seeing what happens with him. I like Yuhi enough at the moment. I’m intrigued by Toya, but I’m very annoyed with the fact that Aya, after seeing him once and then about three other times in this volume consisting of very little talk and then mostly of her family wanting to kill her, is saying that she’s in love with him, and she’s going to fight whatever is happening with her so she can be with him. I mean, I’ve read insta-love in other books, but not this fast or abrupt or obvious before. It’s done ridiculously badly in this book.

They keep trying to push this book off as horror, and I just don’t agree with that. I mean, it says it on the back of the book, and the author mentions it in the side panels. I do agree that there is much more gore and death in this volume alone than is usually in Watase’s books, but there’s also a lot of humor. And I would agree that it has the element of horror, but I can’t call it horror when, right after a big gory scene happens, as in a page after it, there’s yelling and hitting for comedies sake. That just doesn’t work for me.

This book did not start off with a very big bang for me. It was rather mediocre, even. But I do hope that it gets better, am sure that it will, and am looking forward to reading more of it.