Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

Today’ s post is on Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley. It is 256 pages long and is published by Harper Collins. The cover has Beauty on it with a rose. The intended reader is someone who loves fairy tales and retellings. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from first person close of the main character, Beauty. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A strange imprisonment...
Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.
When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"
Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple, Beauty and the Beast.

Review- This is one of the best, if not the best, retelling of Beauty and the Beast I have ever read. I first read this book about twenty years ago and I loved it as a teenager; so when I wanted to revisit it I had my previous feelings in mind. I was not disappointed in my old favorite. It is still as wonderful, magical, and everything that it was when I first read it. The story starts out when Beauty is a child and she is dissatisfied with her given name of Honor and wants to be called Beauty. We travel with her and her family as she grows, they lose their fortune, and have to move into the countryside. This story is the perfect version of Beauty and the Beast, we see Beauty grow to feel compassion, mercy, and then love for the Beast. We see that he is really not a monster but someone who is trapped by magic and unable to help himself or change his own fate. Wonderful retelling and I highly recommend it.

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 many years ago.

Claymore volume 23: Mark of the Warrior

Today's post is on Claymore volume 23: Mark of the Warrior by Norihiro Yagi. It is the twentieth-third the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first twenty-two volumes to understand the story. It is 195 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Miria facing something in the distance. 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- Rebel Warrior Miria penetrates te headquaters of the secret Organization that created her, discovering the appalling truth about Yoma. Meanwhile, human warrior Raki joins the Claymores on the battlefield and seems closer than ever to his goal of reunited with Clare, his Claymore companion. Yet the cycle of violence cannot be stopped- an epic battle is brewing and Priscilla, a powerful force for evil, is back in the fight!

Review- We learn a  lot about the history of the Yoma in this volume and how they were created. Miria discovers the beings that Yoma and Claymores are made from and she frees them from the Organization and stops the experiment in this area. Most of the volume is about getting ready for Clare to return to the story. We get to see what happens when a Claymore is made because Clare comes out without the stitches needed to hold her together. The volume ends with Priscilla is back and everything is going to get real from here.

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.

My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel

Today's post is on My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran,  Larissa Zageris. It is 352 pages long and is published Quirk Books. The cover is dark blue with different scenes from the book on it. The intended reader is someone with a sense of humor, likes choose your own adventure stories, and over-the-top love stories. There is mild foul language, sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told in second person and moving as you make choices. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The romance novel that lets you pick your path, follow your heart, and find happily ever after!
You are the plucky but penniless heroine in the center of eighteenth-century society, courtship season has begun, and your future is at hand.
Will you flip forward fetchingly to find love with the bantering baronet Sir Benedict Granville?
Or turn the page to true love with the hardworking, horse-loving highlander Captain Angus McTaggart?
Or perhaps race through the chapters chasing a good (and arousing) man gone mad, bad, and scandalous to know, Lord Garraway Craven?
Or read on recklessly and take to the Continent as the “traveling companion” of the spirited and adventuresome Lady Evangeline?
Or yet some other intriguing fate?
Make choices, turn pages, and discover all the daring delights of the multiple (and intertwining!) story lines. And in every path you pick, beguiling illustrations bring all the lust and love to life.

Review- This is a great and fun read. I love choose your own adventure books as a child and it was fun to have something like that again. This is mostly a humorous book with everything being very tongue-in-cheek about the story lines and way that they are told. We get to choose from handsome Scotsman to a fair lady love in exotic Egypt. The writing is fun, the choices are quirky and fun, and the overall book is a good time. There are many paths to choose from, so many that  I didn't get to all of them in my read through. Easy and fun, I highly recommend.

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

Timekeepers: How the World Become obsessed with Time

Today’s post is on Timekeepers: How the World Become obsessed with Time by Simon Garfield. It is 349 pages long including index and further readings and is published by Canongate. The cover is blue with a clock face on it. The intended reader is someone is interesting in the history of time and timekeeping. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book.  There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-  Not so long ago we timed our lives by the movement of the sun. These days our time arrives atomically and insistently, and our lives are propelled by the notion that we will never have enough of the one thing we crave the most. How have we come to be dominated by something so arbitrary?
The compelling stories in this book explore our obsessions with time. An Englishman arrives back from Calcutta but refuses to adjust his watch. Beethoven has his symphonic wishes ignored. A moment of war is frozen forever. The timetable arrives by steam train. A woman designs a ten-hour clock and reinvents the calendar. Roger Bannister becomes stuck in the same four minutes forever. A British watchmaker competes with mighty Switzerland. And a prince attempts to stop time in its tracks.
Timekeepers is a vivid exploration of the ways we have perceived, contained and saved time over the last 250 years, narrated in the highly inventive and entertaining style that bestselling author Simon Garfield is fast making his own. As managing time becomes the greatest challenge we face in our lives, this multi-layered history helps us tackle it in a sparkling new light.

Review- Garfield starts this book with thinking about when time slowed down for him. He was in an accident and time seemed to slow down as he experienced it. That started him thinking about time and how we interact with this thing that rules so much of our lives. Garfield writes about how time has changed over the course of centuries, how it started with trains making everyone work on the same time, and how watches are made. He spends many chapters of the book about watches and how they have affected society. He spends a day watching a movie with every scene taking place at a particular time and to see the whole movie you have to spend a whole day watching it. The research, as always from Garfield, is excellent and the ideas expressed are interesting. That said, I had some trouble connecting with Garfield this time. In the past when I started one of his books, I was drawn into immediately but not so with this one.I still enjoyed it but it took time for me to be invested in this book. 

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

Takane & Hana, volume 1

Today's post is on Takane & Hana, volume 1 by Yuki Shiwasu. It is the first volume on her Takane & Hana series. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Takane & Hana on with money flying around them. The intended reader is someone who likes ridiculous, over-the-top comedy. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from Hana's perspective. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- After her older sister refuses to go to an arranged marriage meeting with Takane Saibara, the heir to a vast business fortune, high schooler Hana Nonomura agrees to be her stand-in to save face for the family. But what happens when Hana meets Takane is an unexpected pairing of utter opposites!
The meeting between Takane and Hana ends in an explosive manner, and Hana is convinced that she’ll never have to see that awful Takane again. But Takane actually seems interested in Hana! Exasperated by Takane’s immature attitude, yet amused and intrigued despite herself, Hana embarks on a hilarious journey with Takane that just might lead to love!

Review- This series is so funny. Hana is so smart and quick-thinking and Takane is over-the-top hilarious. The basic is as the blurb says but add in a lot of gags like Takane being dumb about all things normal and being too busy trying to get one over on Hana but it never really works. The age difference is a big point of the plot with them both being very aware of it but it is not illegal and it is handled with humor and care. I never felt uncomfortable with Hana and Takane's interactions. I had a good time reading this manga but I can see where it would not be for everyone. I, personally, look forward to reading more because I enjoyed it.

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

Ms. Marvel, Volume 4: Last Days

Today's post is on Ms. Marvel, Volume 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson (Author),  Adrian Alphona (Illustrator). It is 120 pages long and published by Marvel. The cover has Kamala on it in the center with destruction of Jersey City behind her. There intended reader is someone who has read the first three volumes and like Marvel Comics. There in no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this comic book. The story is told from third person close of Kamala. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- From the moment Kamala put on her costume, she's been challenged. But nothing has prepared her for this: the last days of the Marvel Universe. Lucky she's got the help of Carol "Captain Marvel" Danvers! Between teaming up with her personal hero to rescue her brother and trying to keep her city from falling into an all-out frenzy, Kamala has barely had time to come to terms with the fact that the world is literally collapsing around her. But the truth will catch up to her, and soon. When the world is about to end, do you still keep fighting? Kamala knows the answer. Let's do this, Jersey City.
Collecting: Ms. Marvel (2014) #16-19, written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona, plus material from Amazing Spider-Man (2014) #7-8.

Review- We pick very near the ending of volume three with Kamala still dealing with her ex-crush and a bit of a broken heart. But she doesn't get long to mope because something is happening in New York City, a planet has appeared over it and everything is getting real. Kamala does what she can help but then she begins to feel how small she really is in the face of something like this. Captain Marvel comes to see her to give her information and to help her in a small way. We do not get the see the bigger picture in this comic because that is not the point, the point is Kamala protects Jersey City, her home, New York is in the hands of others. We do get some character development with Kamala, her mother, and her best friend. But the volume ends before we get see anything else about the bad stuff the volume ends. I am pleased with the character progress in this volume and I am curious about what is going to come next.

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.

The Ancient Magus' Bride, volume 3

Today's post is on The Ancient Magus' Bride, volume 3 by Kore Yamazaki. It is the third in her Ancient Magus' Bride series and as such you need to have read the first two volumes to understand the story. It is 184 pages long and is published by Seven Seas. The cover has the three main characters Chise, Ruth and Elias on it. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy and shonen manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Chise. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- An Ancient Evil
Chise has come face to face with the person responsible for the brutal killings at a nearby churchyard- and to her shock, it's someone she recognizes from her visions of the tragedy at Ulthar! Appalled by the realization that the alchemist who wrought such horror is still p to his old tricks, Chise must act to stop him. But in order to control her dangerous powers as a sleigh beggy, she'll need all the help she can get.

Review- We get a lot of character development in this volume with Chise learning more about what Elias is truly capable of. The bad guy is revealed to an immortal called Joseph and other names but he ,mostly, calls himself Joseph, so I will to. He is insane and does not understand or care that his actions are evil. He is doing it to live a pain-free life, whatever that means he never says. I liked everything that happens in this volume from Chise getting Ruth to seeing what happens when Elias loses his temper, I felt that a lot of ground was covered in this volume. It is ends with Chise being told a story about Elias from many centuries ago and I look forward to seeing him long before he was anything like Chise knows him as.

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

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

Today’s post is on The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. It is the first in her The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things series. It is 256 pages long and is published by Candlewick Press. The cover has a butt on it with the title stitched into her jean pocket. The intended reader is young adult. There is mild foul language, talk of sex, sexuality, and rape but there is no violence in this book. The story is told from first person close of the main character, Virginia. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex, especially when she compares herself to her slim, brilliant, picture-perfect family. But that’s before a shocking phone call — and a horrifying allegation — about her rugby-star brother changes everything. With irreverent humor and surprising gravity, Carolyn Mackler creates an endearingly blunt heroine who speaks to every teen who struggles with family expectations, and proves that the most impressive achievement is to be true to yourself.

Review- A compelling coming of age story for a modern audience. Virginia is very relatable character, she worries about her weight, her grades, that she doesn’t feel like she fits into her family of thin, brown haired smart people. Add into trying to have some kind of relationship with a boy when she believes that no boy would want to be seen with her in public you have enough drama. But then her beloved older brother date rapes a girl. Virginia is forced to really look at her family, herself, and the world she lives in. The subjects handled where handled with care and respect to the readers, honestly but not overly descriptive. Virginia talks about how knowing her brother could do something like made her feel about herself, him, and boys in general. She makes mistakes but learns to own up to them. I enjoyed this book greatly and I think that it has a place in our ongoing conversation about consent. I am curious about where the sequel is going to go from the end of the first book.

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

Queen's Quality volume 3

Today's post is on Queen's Quality volume 3 by Kyousuke Motomi. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. It is the third in Kyousuke's new series, Queen's Quality, you need to have read the first two volumes and previous series in order to understand what is going on. The cover has the main two characters on it looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who has read QQ Sweeper, likes shojo manga, and supernatural love stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters moving as the story goes on. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Fumi finds out that she has both a White Queen and a Black Queen inside of her, and she must train her mind and body in order to becomes a the true Queen. Kyutaro vows to protect Fumi, but will he be able to do anything when other gatekeepers go after her power?

Review- Lots of world-building in this volume with other gatekeepers and learning more about what happened ten years ago. Fumi is scared but because it is Fumi, she just plows on into her future whatever happens, she trusts Kyutaro to help her and protect her from herself. She is tested and 'fails' by another gatekeeper clan but I think that they are the failures. They made the Black Queen rise up out of Fumi as a protector to stop them from harming and maybe even killing Fumi. Kyutaro's family feels the same way, that tormenting Fumi is not the right way to test her. I know that we will see the Seiryu family again but I hope they stay background characters. I really like our main characters too much to have less of them.

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.