Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 14

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 14 by Masami Tsuda. As it is the fourteenth in the series you need to have read the first thirteen to understand what is going on. It is 200 pages long and is published by Tokyopop. The cover has Soichiro on it. The intended reader is someone who likes high school romance, young adult drama, and mostly funny plots. There is no language, no sex, and mild violence in this volume. The story is told from the third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Ever since Arima appeared on TV everyone has taken notice. But Arima never counted on his birth mother taking notice! Arima wonders why, after so long, she finally decides to come back into his life. Slowly, the inner demons of his past begin to surface and Arima learns just how much he is like his own mother. Will Arima follow his mother down the path of darkness or will Yukino save him?

Review- So we get to see why Arima's uncle and aunt took him in. His mother is abusive and she wants to use him again. Soichiro at first just wants to understand her and when he does, she just losses it on him. Also Yukino now knows that he has been hiding things from her. She does not know what to do about it but she going to do something and soon. I have to say that the parents who raised Soichiro are the real heroes of this series. They really love him and want to give everything he needs. He wants to protect them from what he fears in himself and his birth parents. But this series is getting to a close and I cannot wait to see how everything is going to end up. Only six more volumes left and more Drama ahead.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Griffin & Sabine

Today's post is on Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock. It is 46 pages long and is published by Chronicle Books. It is the first in the Griffin & Sabine trilogy. The cover is a beautiful post card with a parrot on it. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who loves art, magical fiction, and where the two meet. The story is told from the first person perspective of the main characters are letters to each other. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It all started with a mysterious and seemingly innocent postcard, but from that point nothing was to remain the same in the life of Griffin Moss, a quiet, solitary artist living in London. His logical, methodical world was suddenly turned upside down by a strangely exotic woman living on a tropical island thousands of miles away. Who is Sabine? How can she "see" what Griffin is painting when they have never met? Is she a long-lost twin? A clairvoyant? Or a malevolent angel? Are we witnessing the flowering of a magical relationship or a descent into madness?
This stunning visual novel unfolds in a series of postcards and letters, all brilliantly illustrated with whimsical designs, bizarre creatures, and darkly imagined landscapes. Inside the book, Griffin and Sabine's letters are to be found nestling in their envelopes, permitting the reader to examine the intimate correspondence of these inexplicably linked strangers. This truly innovative novel combines a strangely fascinating story with lush artwork in an altogether original format.

Review- I love this book. The way that art brings so much to the story, the way Griffin and Sabine interact with art and words together, the story itself, everything. Magical realism is very hard to do but Bantock does it wonderfully. I love epistolary novels and this one takes the cake. With all the art that makes up who Griffin and Sabine are, I just love it. The plot is great magical realism. The ending makes you question what you just read and what you really think is going on here. Is it real or has Griffin gone over the edge? Bantock sweeps you away with the art and the moving love story about two people who need each other. Just a wonderful book.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 13

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 13 by Masami Tsuda. It is 188 pages long and published by Tokyopop. As it is the thirteenth in the long running series, you need to have read the first twelve to understand the story. The cover has Yukino has on it. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story from Soichiro point of view. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It's the end of high school, and everyone is looking toward the future - especially Soichiro Arima. He's got it going on: good grades, great body, and all the popularity! However, there's much more to Soichiro than meets the eye. This model-student is plagued by inner demons, which force him to look at Yukino in a whole new light. Will he end his relationship with his one true love?

Review- Soichiro is finally dealing with his past and his feelings about his family. He is very angry and that does scare him but it is very normal. Soichiro has to learn how to deal with what has happened to him and this is one way to do that. In addition his parents want him to think about what he wants to do with his life not what he thinks that they want. In the end we get to see some of his birth mother and she is going to be coming into the story soon. So more adult thinking happens and more Drama ahead.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this volume with my own money. 

The Hanged Man

Today's post is on The Hanged Man by P. N. Elrod. It is 333 pages long and is published by TOR. The cover has a the main character standing in London fog. The intended reader is someone who likes alternate history, steampunk, and good writing. There is mild language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- On a freezing Christmas Eve in 1879, a forensic psychic reader is summoned from her Baker Street lodgings to the scene of a questionable death. Alexandrina Victoria Pendlebury (named after her godmother, the current Queen of England) is adamant that the death in question is a magically compromised murder and not a suicide, as the police had assumed, after the shocking revelation contained by the body in question, Alex must put her personal loss aside to uncover the deeper issues at stake, before more bodies turn up.
Turning to some choice allies—the handsome, prescient Lieutenant Brooks, the brilliant, enigmatic Lord Desmond, and her rapscallion cousin James—Alex will have to marshal all of her magical and mental acumen to save Queen and Country from a shadowy threat. Our singular heroine is caught up in this rousing gaslamp adventure of cloaked assassins, meddlesome family, and dark magic.

Review- A wonderful and fast-paced action story from a master of her craft. This is steampunk at its best. The characters, the plot, the world building are all first rate. Alex is an excellent investigator. Lieutenant Brooks is a man fighting to be who he wants to be. And James is some of the best parts. He is so over the top about everything. Alex is attacked by the bad guys during a party that James is hosting is one of the funniest scenes in the book. The villains had good reasons for what they were trying to do and there is more that they could do. I hope that this is the first in a series because I want more of everything I found here.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 12

 

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 12 by Masami Tsuda. It is the twelfth in her long running series so you need to have read the first eleven to understand the story. It is 208 pages long and is published by Tykoypop. The cover has Ying and Yang Kazuma's band on it. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story is closely following Tsubasa and Kazuma for this volume. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Tsubasa's never had much luck with guys--the ones she likes never feel the same way about her. When Kazuma drifts out of her life and focuses on his music career, Tsubasa's heart is broken yet again. Is this tender teen even capable of being loved? Does a rising pop star have room in heart for love and music? For these lovelorn siblings, the answers lie in song.

Review- Still more about Tsubasa and Kazuma but after this volume we go back to Yukino and Siochiro. Tsubasa loves Kazume and he loves her but they do not know what to do. Kazuma feels that Tsubasa just loves him because he is safe. That she does not love him the same way that he loves her. But of course Tsuabasa does but she is just scared because it is a grown-up feeling and that scares her. They work through it and are engaged at the end of the volume. The real important thing that happens is the time jump. We are going to be continuing the story at the end of high school. I have no idea where this is going to go after because it will not be a high school romance for much longer. More drama to come.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money.

Empire of Night

Today's post is on Empire of Night by Kelly Armstrong. It is the second in her Age of Legends trilogy. It is 424 pages long and is published by Harper. The cover is dark with a monster on it. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy mixed with horror, good female characters, and politics. There is some language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- SISTERS MORIA AND ASHYN ARE THE KEEPER AND SEEKER OF EDGEWOOD.
OR AT LEAST, THEY WERE.
Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now, they are all but prisoners in court, forced to watch and wait while the Emperor decides whether to help the children of Edgewood, who remain hostages of the treacherous Alvar Kitsune.
But when the emperor finally sends the girls on a mission to rescue the children - accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of men - the journey proves more perilous than any of them could have imagined. With lies and unrest mounting in the empire, Moria and Ashyn will have to draw on every bit of influence and power they possess to unite their people and avert an all-out war.

Review- I loved the first book in this trilogy and this one lives up to it. It picks up right the last novel stopped with everything still in motion. The children are still missing, the empire is on the brink of war, and no one knows what Kitsune wants. Although the story takes place over about two months, you do not feel the time. Everything happens so quickly from one to next. That said you can follow everything that happens, nothing is confusing. We get some new characters and some light romance. I want Moria to choose the prince, I like him better. In the end we get to see more of the evil things that Kitsune has summoned back from the darkness.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape

Today's Non-fiction post is on Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape by Peggy Orenstein. It is 336 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The intended reader is someone who is interested in culture and the way it works. There is language, sex, and sadly violence in this book. Lots of interview and data in this book, so be warned. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- With casual hookups and campus rape relentlessly in the news, parents can be forgiven for feeling anxious about their young daughters. They’re also fearful about opening up a dialog. Not Orenstein. A contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine and the New York Times best-selling author of books like Cinderella Ate My Daughter, Orenstein spoke to psychologists, academics, and other experts in the field and yes, 70 young women, to offer an in-depth picture of “girls and sex” today.

Review- This was a very interesting, if sad, read. Orenstein does a lot of good things with this book but she does miss some very important things too. The young ladies she interviews are mostly white, straight, upper-middle class. So her information is in that direction. But within that, she does give some excellent and insightful information. Orenstein lets the young women talk about themselves, for themselves and how they navigate this current culture. They define the current teen buzz words and what they mean in current teen culture. It was enlightening, scary, and very concerning, just in general, for me. What the young women know and what they do not know, what is rape, what is consent, and what is an orgasm are all in this book. Orenstein does offer some solutions to the fear of 'hook-up' culture but how many people will be willing or able to do them is the remaining question. An interesting read one way or another.

I give this book a Four of Five stars. I was give this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

Linesman

Today's post is  on Linesman by S. K. Dunstall. It is the first in their Linesman series. It is 372 pages long and is published by Ace. The cover is black with a silver ship in the center. The intended reader is someone who likes hard science fiction, science mysteries and political books. There is mild language, no sex, and voilence in this book. The story is told from the third person close of two characters changing from chapter to chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy…
Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.
Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.
The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever.

Review- The only thing I liked about this book was Ean. I liked him. I wanted him to get away from everyone else in this book. I wanted him to get on the alien ship and fly into the unknown and be free. Everyone else in this book is despicable. They were all horrible people, who knew that they are horrible, and they just do not care. This is supposed to be a space opera with lots of politics and everyone is shades of grey and all that but I think that I should not want the main character to just fly away from the plot. The leaders were weak and let people under their care be mistreated, sometimes in front of them. The 'bad' guys were no worst the 'good' guys, other than Ean. The mystery of the lines was not really interesting just mostly confusing and pulled me out of the story. I still have no idea what the lines are or even what their purpose is. All in all I did not like this book, I just wanted it to be over so I could read something with more one than character I liked. I will not be reading anymore in this series.

I give this book a Two out of Five. I was given this book by Ace/ROC books in exchange for an honest review.

Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 11

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 11 by Masami Tsuda. As it is the eleventh in the long running series you need to have read the first ten to understand the story. It is 216 pages long and is published by Tokyopop. The cover has Kazuma and Tsubasa on it. The intended reader is someone who likes high school manga, sweet story lines, and DRAMA! There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story is from Kazuma's perspective for this volume. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kazuma is the yin to his stepsister Tsubasa's yang--their relationship is like fire and ice. Kazuma is a famous singer loved by everyone in school... and Tsubasa has a bit of a schoolgirl crush on Kazuma! But how can a girl strike a chord with someone who is occupied with his own music 24/7?

Review- This whole volume is about Kazuma and Tsubasa but I really liked it. Kazuma spends the volume getting to really think about himself and those around him. He is in the process, like everyone else in the manga, of growing up. He realizes that his feelings for Tsuabasa are more complicated than just as a brother and he does not know what to do about that. So we get a very emotional volume about learning oneself. I really enjoyed it and I think that Tsuda is doing a very good job with her characters.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

One-Eyed Dukes Are Wild

Today's post is on One-Eyed Dukes Are Wild by Megan Frampton. It is 375 pages long and is published by Avon Books. The cover has the two main characters on it looking passionate. The intended reader is someone who likes historical romance, good characters, and fun. There is no language, sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from third person close perspective of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- When does proper behavior deserve a deliciously improper reward?
The scandalously unmarried Lady Margaret Sawford is looking for adventure—and is always up for a challenge. Her curiosity is aroused by a dangerous-looking stranger with an eye patch, an ideal companion for the life she longs for, no matter what Society might say. So when the piratical gentleman turns out to be a duke—and just as boringly proper as any other nobleman—she can't help but incite him to walk on the wild side.
Well-heeled, well-mannered, and well beyond any interest in society's expectations, the Duke of Lasham is tired of being perfect. Margaret's lush beauty and gently laughing eyes are an irresistible temptation to embrace the imperfect—and her. But if a little misbehavior is appealing, unleashing his wild side is completely seductive—as long as the lovely Margaret is the object of his passion.

Review- This is a fun and charming historical romance. In my opinion the best part is that the hero and heroine talk to each other. Everything that happens between them is 100% consensual. There is one and half sex scenes in this book but there is no question about consent. The hero is not wild but a decent man who wants a little adventure in his life and the heroine likes him for him. The Duke does not just want to have a good time then out the door, he likes the heroine but he does not know how to ask for more than what they have. The heroine is interesting because she does not want to ruin the Duke because she know how easy it is to be ruined in their society. So two adults having a raltionship in which they talk to each about what they want and are willing to meet in the middle. I wish more books in general were like this one. A very fun and entertaining romp.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 10

Today's post is on Kare Kano: his and her circumstances volume 10 by Masami Tsuda. As it is the tenth in the long running series you need to have read the first nine to understand the story. It is 224 pages long and is published by Tokyopop. The cover has Yukino, Tsubasa, and Maho on it. The intended reader is someone who likes high school love stories, humor, and cuteness in general. There is no language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story is told from the main characters point of views moving as needed over the course of the story. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- When Maho confesses her true feelings for Takashi, he admits that he's not the man she thinks he is. With the arrival of winter comes an end-of-semester school trip to Kyoto, where a little love and tenderness just might fill everyone with good memories, glad tidings and the sweetest of dreams.

Review- The first part of the volume is about how Maho met and started dating her older boyfriend. It was sweet but the age difference did bother me. It is talked about how much older he is than her and how that will affect their relationship. The last half is on the school trip to Kyoto. Things go back to normal with everyone acting like teenagers. Yukino and Soichiro have some time to themselves and it sweet. Everyone else's adventures are pretty funny. Nothing about Soichiro's 'dark side'; just him and Yukino enjoying themselves together. More Drama ahead!

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.