Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet's Ace Reporter

Today’s post is on Investigating Lois Lane: The Turbulent History of the Daily Planet's Ace Reporter by Tim Hanley. It is 303 pages long and is published by Chicago Review Press. The cover is white with Lois Land in Dark blue and the city behind her in light blue. The intended reader is someone who likes Lois Lane, is interested in her history and the history of comics. There is no foul language, talk of sex, and talk of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- In a universe full of superheroes, Lois Lane has fought for truth and justice for over 75 years on page and screen without a cape or tights. From her creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 to her forthcoming appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, from helming her own comic book for twenty-six years to appearing in animated serials, live-action TV shows, and full-length movies, Lois Lane has been a paragon of journalistic integrity and the paramour of the world's strongest superhero. But her history is one of constant tension. From her earliest days, Lois yearned to make the front page of the Daily Planet, but was held back by her damsel-in-distress role. When she finally became an ace reporter, asinine lessons and her tumultuous romance with Superman dominated her storylines for decades and relegated her journalism to the background. Through it all, Lois remained a fearless and ambitious character, and today she is a beloved icon and an inspiration to many. Though her history is often troubling, Lois's journey, as revealed in Investigating Lois Lane, showcases her ability to always escape the gendered limitations of each era and of the superhero genre as a whole.

Review- Let me get this out of the way first, I am a big fan of Lois Lane. She is brave, smart, and creative. She stands tall in the face of heroes, villains, gods, and she does not back down. Lois Lane is a wonderful character and I loved reading about her past and hope for her future. Hanley loves her too and I think that it shows in this book. He researches so much about her and her long story but with great respect and at times frustration for how Lois was handled by the men in the cutting room. Hanley does not spare them from his displeasure with how in the 1950s, Lois was infantilized, how her core character traits where ignored and down played throughout the whole of her history. But he also points out that Lois Lane is tougher than that and always bounces back to be herself again. I really enjoyed the way that Hanley wrote about her and I am going to be reading his other books on Wonder Woman and Catwoman. If you are a fan of comics and of Lois Lane, you should read this book.

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.

Claymore volume 12: Souls of the Fallen

Today's post is on Claymore volume 12: Souls of the Fallen by Norihiro Yagi. It is the twelfth the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first eleven volumes to understand the story. It is 189 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare standing in a winter landscape surrounded by the graves of other Claymores. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and lots of violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Seven years have passed since the devastating battle in Pieta, and now a new generation of warriors carries on the fight against the Awakened Ones. However, the mystery of Clare's fate, and that of her comrades, resurfaces after a surprising discovery made by a young Claymore.

Review- We get a time skip in this volume jumping seven years. Clare and seven other Claymores have been hiding and training in the far north. The  Organization believes them to be dead and Isley has moved from the north to somewhere south. A small band of Claymores has been send north as a hunting party and they almost die but Clare and company save them. The Organization has rebuilt with new Claymores and they are starting to push against the Awakened Ones hard. But Clare is tired of waiting in the north. So she is going south to hunt for Raki and Priscilla but that means she might be discovered still alive by the Organization. I am about half way down this series and I am looking forward to seeing where Clare is going to end up and how she is going to bring Priscilla down.

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.

A Deadly Cliché

Today’s post is on A Deadly Cliché by Ellery Adams. It is 278 pages long and is published by Berkley. It is the second her Books by the Bay series and you need to have read the first one to understand the characters. The cover is a beach scene with Captain Haviland, the poodle, on it near the first victim. The intended reader is someone who likes cozy mysteries, interesting characters, and fun plots. There is mild foul language, talk of sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character Olivia. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- While walking her poodle, Olivia Limoges discovers a dead body buried in the sand. Could it be connected to the bizarre burglaries plaguing Oyster Bay, North Carolina? At every crime scene, the thieves set up odd tableaus: a stick of butter with a knife through it, dolls with silver spoons in their mouths, a deck of cards with a missing queen. Olivia realizes each setup represents a cliché. And who better to decode the cliché clues than her Bayside Book Writers group?

Review-This novel picks up very closely to the end of the first one but things get moving very quickly and so much happens in this book character-wise. I liked Olivia in the first book but I am glad to see her growing. She cares for her fellow writers and wants to help them, from getting one the skin treatments he needs to helping another get the courage to get a job as journalist. My one problem with the story is that we never met the killers until the big reveal so we cannot really figure out who they are before but that is the only problem. Everything else about the story was really good and fun, I liked seeing the characters grow together and individually. I look forward to our next adventure together.

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

Codename: Sailor V volume 2

Today's post is on Codename: Sailor V volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi. It is 291 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover is a close up of Sailor Venus as she looks at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes classic manga and shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and very mild violence it in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Minako. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Its Valentine’s Day and chocolates are being exchanged, but Minako Aino can’t decide if she wants a crush to give her chocolates to, or just to eat them all herself. If stress of Valentine’s Day wasn’t already enough, now Sailor V has to contend with a chocolate shop fatting everyone up, and an evil spa draining people of their life force. It’s up to her to defeat the Dark Agency and their servant deVleene and maybe even find a Valentine of her own. 

Review- This volume finishes the prequel series to Sailor Moon and we leave Minako ready to meet the Sailor Guardians and save the world. Takeuchi did so much with this series and I really liked the set up work for Sailor Moon. Minako does grow as a character but it more about her remembering who she is and what her mission is. She does at the end and I look forward to seeing her again in main series. There are many stories in this volume that are building to Minako remembering her past as the princess of Venus and just a little bit about her future friends, the other guardians. I enjoyed this series overall and I recommend it.

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

Shadow Spell

Today’s review is on Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts. It is the second in her Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy. It is 319 pages long and is published by Berkley. As it is the second in this trilogy you need to have read the first one to understand the story. The cover is an autumn scene with a hawk in front and a house in the background. The intended reader is someone who likes romance, urban fantasy, and friends-to-lovers stories. There is mild foul language, sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has found true love, and where his childhood friends form a circle that can’t be broken…
A circle that is about to be stretched out of shape—by a long-awaited kiss.
Meara Quinn is Branna’s best friend, a sister in all but blood. Her and Connor’s paths cross almost daily, as Connor takes tourists on hawk walks and Meara guides them on horseback across the lush countryside. She has the eyes of a gypsy and the body of a goddess…things Connor has always taken for granted—until his brush with death propels them into a quick, hot tangle.
Plenty of women have found their way to Connor’s bed, but none to his heart until now. Frustratingly, Meara is okay with just the heat, afraid to lose herself—and their friendship—to something more. But soon, Connor will see the full force and fury of what runs in his blood. And he will need his family and friends around him when his past rolls in like the fog, threatening an end to all he loves…

Review- I liked this one better than the first novel for many reasons but I think that biggest one is that Iona is very dramatic and either of the heroes are in this novel.  But the heroine did annoy me with her disregard for her own safety. She takes dangerous risks and then feels bad after the fact. The story itself is interesting with more world building and getting more of an idea about the villain and his driving force. The romance is good without becoming too sweet and we are pulling for them to get together. I like Connor as a romance hero, he does so much right like being honest about what he wants and being willing, mostly, to want to Meara to figure it out on her own. I look forward to seeing how this story is going to end and how Roberts is going to save Fin.

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

Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything

Today' post is on Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang MD and Nate Pedersen. It is 352 pages long and is published by Workman Publishing Company. The cover is black with the title in fancy script. The intended reader is someone who likes weird history. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Discover 67 shocking-but-true medical misfires that run the gamut from bizarre to deadly. Like when doctors prescribed morphine for crying infants. When snorting skull moss was a cure for a bloody nose. When consuming mail-order tapeworms was a latter-day diet. Or when snake oil salesmen peddled strychnine (used in rat poison) as an aphrodisiac in '60s. Seamlessly combining macabre humor with hard science and compelling storytelling, Quackery is a visually rich and information-packed exploration of history's most outlandish cures, experiments, and scams.
A humorous book that delves into some of the wacky but true ways that humans have looked to cure their ills. Leeches, mercury. strychnine, and lobotomies are a few of the topics that explore what lengths society has gone in the search for health.

Review- A dark topic that is manageable with great humor by the authors. Kang and Pedersen have done excellent research on the topic of bad medicine. They cover everything from King's Touch to the roots of drinking water for your health with lots of jokes thrown in to help with the horror of some the stories.  I did learn some new history like how tobacco was believed to help with constipation by having someone blow the smoke up your bum. Kang also talks about how we still use of older remedies for our modern health care, like we still use leeches but just not everywhere or for everything. If you are looking for a fun read about medical history, then you cannot go wring with this book.

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

Claymore volume 11: Kindred of Paradise

Today's post is on Claymore volume 11: Kindred of Paradise by Norihiro Yagi. It is the eleventh the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first ten volumes to understand the story. It is 189 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare and Rigalo on it facing off. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and lots of violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- In the northern town of Pieta, Clare and a force of Claymores battle a troupe of Awakened Ones to prevent them from advancing south. Their orders are to hold off the evil horde at all costs, while the Organization prepares a secret weapon. Clare and her comrades realize that theirs is a suicide mission. As their friends fall one by one, the warriors band together to make their last stand.

Review- We pick up right where we left with Rigalo trying to kill the leaders of the Claymore band. Lots of fighting in this volume but then we have moments with Raki and the Awakened Beings who are caring for him. Raki has no idea about who they are but he does know that there is something odd about Priscilla. The fight with Rigalo almost drives Clare past her limits but Jean brings her back at a high cost. The volume ends in a cliffhanger with Isley sais that all the lights, the Claymores, have gone out. But the Organization planned for that and have made a very powerful Claymore that is only to kill Awakened Beings and she does. This is a very good volume and I am very curious about where the story is going to go now.

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.

Captain Marvel: Volume 2 Stay Fly

Today’s post is on Captain Marvel: Volume 2 Stay Fly by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Writer), Marcio Takara (Artist), David López (Artist). It is 120 pages and is published by Marvel Comics. The cover has Captain Marvel and Rocket under a pile of cats. The intended reader is someone who has read the first volume, likes super heroes, and funny story lines(mostly). There is mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of Captain Marvel.

From the back of the book- Captain Marvel’s space adventure with her pet cat, Chewie, continues! But when they have an unexpected alien visitor, Carol learns that Rocket Raccoon was right: There’s more to Chewie than meets the eye! Chewie is a Flerkin…and a mom to hundreds! Is this the end for Carol and her pet? Then, Carol has her hands full with a special guest-star from the X-Universe: rock and roll maven Lila Cheney! And Christmas comes to the Carol Corps as we celebrate 100 issues and nearly 50 years of Carol Danvers’ high-flying adventures!
But after tracking Captain Marvel and Tic for weeks, the Haffensye Consortium has finally caught up to them both! Carol was barely able to survive the last time she squared off against the Haffensye — will the astronomical Avenger be so lucky again?

Review- We pick with Captain Marvel just where we left her on her way back to her ship with Tic in tow. Rocket and Chewie are still not friends but Rocket is still convinced that Chewie is a Flerkin and the last of her kind. He was going to sale Chewie when Marvel gets back to save the day as pirates try to steal her. The last story in the volume is a Christmas story where Marvel gets to go back to Earth for a day to spend with a friend but a crazed villain who wants her powers kidnaps her. Lots of action and plot in this volume but not too much in character development, so I have mixed opinions about it. I did enjoy the storylines and the action was fun but I would have liked more time with Marvel’s friend and maybe more interaction with the pirates, they were there then she defeated them. But I still had a good time with this volume and I look forward to more adventures with Captain Marvel.

I give this volume a Four of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this comic from my local library.

Member of the Family: My life with Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness That Ended the Sixties

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Member of the Family: My life with Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness That Ended the Sixties by Dianne Lake and Deborah Herman. It is 384 pages long and is published by William Morrow. The cover has a split picture of Lake and Manson. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Charles Manson, his Family, and an insiders’ view of the whole affair. There is foul language, abuse, sex, rape, and violence in this book; reader discretion is advised. The whole story is told from first person close of Lake from her childhood all the way through the trail and some into her adult life. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In this poignant and disturbing memoir of lost innocence, coercion, survival, and healing, Dianne Lake chronicles her years with Charles Manson, revealing for the first time how she became the youngest member of his Family and offering new insights into one of the twentieth century’s most notorious criminals and life as one of his “girls”
At age fourteen Dianne Lake—with little more than a note in her pocket from her hippie parents granting her permission to leave them—became one of “Charlie’s girls,” a devoted acolyte of cult leader Charles Manson. Over the course of two years, the impressionable teenager endured manipulation, psychological control, and physical abuse as the harsh realities and looming darkness of Charles Manson’s true nature revealed itself. From Spahn ranch and the group acid trips, to the Beatles’ White Album and Manson’s dangerous messiah-complex, Dianne tells the riveting story of the group’s descent into madness as she lived it.
Though she never participated in any of the group’s gruesome crimes and was purposely insulated from them, Dianne was arrested with the rest of the Manson Family, and eventually learned enough to join the prosecution’s case against them. With the help of good Samaritans, including the cop who first arrested her and later adopted her, the courageous young woman eventually found redemption and grew up to lead an ordinary life.
While much has been written about Charles Manson, this riveting account from an actual Family member is a chilling portrait that recreates in vivid detail one of the most horrifying and fascinating chapters in modern American history.
Member of the Family includes 16 pages of photographs.

Review- This is a riveting but tough to read story. Lake takes the reader from her childhood with an unstable father and mother who worships him to how she fell in with Manson and his Family. It was interesting, stomach-turningly horrifying, but in the end is up-lifting to see Lake overcome everything and become a good person. Lake does not pull any punches about what happened to her from being molested by her grandfather to her rape at the Manson’s hands. Lake does not want to underplay her experiences or make herself into a victim. Looking at the child and teenager, I saw a victim but looking at the adult I see a survivor who became someone great. Lake did not let what happened to her stop her from living a fulfilled life by becoming a special education teacher, getting married, and having three children of her own. Lake is an inspiring survivor and at the end of this book I was not depressed by what she had experienced but was up lifted by the way she lived her life in spite of Manson and his ‘Family’.

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.

Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play, Volume 1: Priestess

Today's post is on Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play, Volume 1: Priestess by Yuu Watase. It is 197 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has the two main characters on it facing the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes historical fantasy, high fantasy, romance, and shojo stories. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and violence in this story. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- When best friends Miaka and Yui open the pages of an ancient Chinese books, they are transported into the Universe of the Four Gods, a parallel world to ancient China. Now, to escape schoolwork and family problems, Miaka fless to the parallel world, only to find a lot more danger and romance than she bargained for.

Review- This is a classic shojo manga that changed the genre and this volume shows why. It is very strong start to an epic story. Miaka wants to make her mother happy but Miaka herself is very unhappy with her life at this time. She is trying to pass a test into the great high school but she keeps failing and Miaka feels unloved. Yui is her clever, pretty friend who does understand her but does not know what to do to help her. Enter the Macguffin, the book that is legend of the Universe of the Four Gods, and they are temporally transported to the parallel world. The girls are now joined in some way that will have to explored as the story goes on. The romance is going to be really important I think because Miaka and Tamahome are already falling in love. The art is top notch, the story is very engaging, and the characters are great. I have not done this first volume an justice  because everything is so good. I look forward to reading the next volume.

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.

Glory in Death

Today’s post is on Glory in Death by J.D. Robb. It is the second in her In Death series. It is 320 pages long and is published by Berkley. As it is the second in the series you need to have read the first one to understand the characters and the world. The cover is purple with handcuffs and a mansion in the background. The intended reader is someone who has read the first one, likes light science fiction and mystery stories. There is mild foul language, sex, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It is 2058, New York City. In a world where technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion-in the heart.

Even in the mid-twenty-first century, during a time when genetic testing usually weeds out any violent hereditary traits before they can take over, murder still happens. The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second is murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects -- including her own lover, Roarke.

Review- A solid second novel in this series with some problems. In this novel we get more character development and relationship building. I wish that Roarke had not been on the suspect list for a second time, it felt contrived and it caused needless drama in the story. While I think that Eve and Roarke are good for each other, he did annoy me so much in this novel. His lack empathy to Eve’s emotional baggage was very trying for me to read. He wants more, I understand that, but Eve cannot give him what she does not have and him pushing her did not endear him to me. I wanted Eve to walk out on him and find herself and I was disappointed that she did not do that. But the murder was interesting and that is what this series should really be about. I did not guess the killer until the very end and I enjoyed the twists and turns as the mystery was discovered.

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