Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages

Today's post is on Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages by Gaston Dorren. It is 320 pages long and is published by Atlantic Monthly Press. The cover is white with the title in five different language. The intended reader is someone who is interesting in the history of languages and how they develop. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- English is the world language, except that most of the world doesn't speak it--only one in five people does. Dorren calculates that to speak fluently with half of the world's 7.4 billion people in their mother tongues, you would need to know no fewer than twenty languages. He sets out to explore these top twenty world languages, which range from the familiar (French, Spanish) to the surprising (Malay, Javanese, Bengali). Babel whisks the reader on a delightful journey to every continent of the world, tracing how these world languages rose to greatness while others fell away and showing how speakers today handle the foibles of their mother tongues. Whether showcasing tongue-tying phonetics or elegant but complicated writing scripts, and mind-bending quirks of grammar, Babel vividly illustrates that mother tongues are like nations: each has its own customs and beliefs that seem as self-evident to those born into it as they are surprising to the outside world. Among many other things, Babel will teach you why modern Turks can't read books that are a mere 75 years old, what it means in practice for Russian and English to be relatives, and how Japanese developed separate "dialects" for men and women. Dorren lets you in on his personal trials and triumphs while studying Vietnamese in Hanoi, debunks ten widespread myths about Chinese characters, and discovers that Swahili became the lingua franca in a part of the world where people routinely speak three or more languages. Witty, fascinating and utterly compelling, Babel will change the way you look at and listen to the world and how it speaks.

Review- Dorren takes the reader on a deep dive into twenty languages and particular parts of the these languages. Dorren gives a general overview about the language, its history and development, and then the special thing about that language. Like discussing the separate language for woman that is in Japan's history, what languages tone to tell the difference between words that are spelled the same or that do not have tone at all. It is an interesting history of language without getting too overwhelming the reader with too many details. Dorren is very passionate about language and how it is used in our world, not just as a way to communicate but a way that we, as humans, live in our words and how we use them.

I give this a book Three 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 11: Veteran

Today's post is on Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play, Volume 11: Veteran by Yuu Watase. It is 183 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has the two main characters on it facing facing the reader with excitement. 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- The first Shentso-Pao treasure from the northern country of Bei-Jai was stolen from Miaka, and the only treasure left is in the western country of Xi-Land- and both Miaka and her friend-turned-mortal-enemy Yui are intent on getting the treasure for themselves! But Xi-Lang isn't a frozen wasteland of forgotten dreams and ghost like Bei-Jia. It's a vibrant, living desert country, whose inhabitants are veterans of the last clash of between priestesses and gods.

Review- Plot happens in this volume. Tamahome learns, with the other warriors, that Miaka will have to go back to her home no matter what, that is the one wish that the god cannot give. He tries to pull back from Miaka but in the end that is impossible for both of them. Yui tricks Miaka but somewhere in her heart, Yui still loves Miaka and I think that is going to save her. Yui is being more and more controlled by the general but I am pulling for her warrior, who loves her, to help her see what the general is doing. It ends with Yui starting to summon her god and Miaka trying to get to her to stop  it. Things are getting intense and I am very curious if Miaka is going to help Yui and have some kind of  a happy ending.

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

The Eye of Zoltar

Today's review is on The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde. It is the third in his Chronicles of Kazam, you need to have read the first two books to understand the story. The cover is brown with a jeep and a dragon in the center and stone steps behind into the clouds. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence it in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes unique stories and characters. The story is told from the first person close of the main character Jennifer Strange. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- The Mighty Shandar, the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, returns to the Ununited Kingdoms. Clearly, he didn't solve the Dragon Problem, and must hand over his fee: eighteen dray-weights of gold.
But the Mighty Shandar doesn't do refunds, and vows to eliminate the dragons once and for all - unless sixteen-year-old Jennifer Strange and her sidekicks from the Kazam house of enchantment can bring him the legendary jewel, The Eye of Zoltar.
The only thing that stands in their way is a perilous journey with a 50% Fatality Index - through the Cambrian Empire to the Leviathan Graveyard, at the top of the deadly Cadir Idris mountain. It's a quest like never before, and Jennifer soon finds herself fighting not just for her life, but for everything she knows and loves . . .

Review- Another excellent story from Fforde. Jennifer has save the two dragons from the Mighty Shandar, rescue the Once Magnificence Boo, and find a jewel that more than likely does not exist. Normal day for Jennifer all things considered. This is more of the Jasper Fforde that I know and love. We have quick word play, quirky characters, and fast plot. Of course the Mighty Shandar has something up his sleeve and wants Jennifer and Kazam out of the way. But Jennifer has more than just Shandar to deal with, she also has a body-swapped princess who is supposed to learn about the real world and become better for it. So much happens, plots and character-wise and I loved every minute of this book but now I have the long wait for the next and last novel in the Chronicles of Kazam and that makes me sad.

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

Devices and Desires: Bess of Harkwick and the Building of Elizabethan England

I was given a copy of this book by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. 

Today's post is on Devices and Desires: Bess of Harkwick and the Building of Elizabethan England by Kate Hubbard. it is 384 pages long including notes and is published by Harper Collins. The intended reader is someone who likes Elizabethan history and architecture. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The cover is dark red with Elizabeth Shrewbury monogram in the center. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The critically acclaimed author of Serving Victoria brilliantly illuminates the life of the little-known Bess of Hardwick—next to Queen Elizabeth I, the richest and most powerful woman in sixteenth-century England.
Aided by a quartet of judicious marriages and a shrewd head for business, Bess of Hardwick rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most respected and feared Countesses in Elizabethan England—an entrepreneur who built a family fortune, created glorious houses—the last and greatest built as a widow in the 70s—and was deeply involved in matters of the court, including the custody of Mary Queen of Scots.
While Bess cultivated many influential courtiers, she also collected numerous enemies. Her embittered fourth husband once called her a woman of “devices and desires,” while nineteenth-century male historians portrayed her as a monster—”a woman of masculine understanding and conduct, proud, furious, selfish and unfeeling.” In the twenty-first century she has been neutered by female historians who recast her as a soft-hearted sort, much maligned, and misunderstood. As Kate Hubbard reveals, the truth of this highly accomplished woman lies somewhere in between: ruthless and scheming, Bess was sentimental and affectionate as well.
Hubbard draws on more than 230 of Bess’s letters, including correspondence with the Queen and her councilors, fond (and furious) missives between her husbands and children, and notes sharing titillating court gossip. The result is a rich, compelling portrait of a true feminist icon centuries ahead of her time—a complex, formidable, and decidedly modern woman captured in full as never before.

Review- An interesting history of both a woman and a building but at times can very hard to stay engaged with. Hubbard gives the reader an in dept look into the life of a woman who to controlled her own life and her money in a time when that was hard to do so. Starting at her birth, the reader follow Bess of Hardwick through her marriages, children, scandals, and her buildings. She had a passion for buildings and how they were made, she wanted to have something just for herself and no man had control of it. She lived during some very tumultuous times but she survived and worked to make the best of whatever situation she found herself in from deaths of children to caring for Mary, Queen of Scots for years. With the building of Chatsworth always in the background of her life, Bess worked to make something that would stand forever, it possible. Lots of details, lots of people, and lots of buildings are talked about in this book, so keep that in mind if you give this one a read.

I give this book a Three out of Five stars.

Claymore volume 25: Sword of the Dark Deep

Today's post is on Claymore volume 25: Sword of the Dark Deep by Norihiro Yagi. It is the twentieth-fifth in the long running Claymore series, You need to have read the first twenty-four volumes to understand the story. It is 191 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clarice and Galatea on it looking into the distance. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, high action, and strong female characters. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, nudity, 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- Three battles unfold around the holy city of Rabona as demonic forces seek to destroy one another, the rebel Claymores and the city itself. Seemingly intent on devouring all life, monsters of unprecedented strength rage on as the rebels struggle to contain them. Could the cause of this rage lie in a distant childhood memory?

Review- Everything is coming to close and we are starting to get answers about Awakening beings and Priscilla. No Clare in this volume but lots of fighting with the Awakening beings heading into the city to eat the people and the Claymores are all that can stop it. The child Miata is the last line of defense to stop it but the price is very high. But we learn something very interesting about Priscilla that explains why Clare was not killed when Priscilla awakened, it seems that Priscilla cannot see young girls like she was when the Yoma killed her family. It was her human mind's last act, to hide young girls from her sight in an effort to protect to herself from the horror that she has become. With only two volume left I am very curious about how everything is going to be wrapped up.

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.

Storm Watcher

Today's post is on Storm Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow. It is the second in her Watchers series. It is 183 pages and is published by ImaJinn. The cover has the main male character on it without a shirt and a dagger in his belt. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy romances. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and some violence this book. The story is told from the third person of the two main characters moving as the story goes. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The Witch: All Mariamne Niege wants is to finish her thesis and get a job. Unfortunately, she's a Guardian now, and her visions of the future have grown so intense she's blind to the world while in their grip. Her Watcher, Hanson, is sleeping on her couch and scaring her roommates when he's not shepherding her through the visions and calming her worsening nightmares. Then the earthquakes start, warning of an even bigger disaster-a cataclysm that could level her beloved city and claim countless innocent lives. A disaster her visions say are triggered by Hanson, even though he's sworn to protect her . . .
The Watcher: Hanson joined the Watchers to atone for a life of lies, but the only way he can stay close enough to Mari to protect her is to use some of his less-than-honest talents. She is the only witch who can ease the agony of being a Watcher, and the only woman in the world he wants. Then Mari's house is broken into and her roommates slaughtered, and in order to save his witch, Hanson is going to have to become more vicious than the Dark-even though it might mean losing her forever.

Review- This second novel follows on the heels of the first novel with Mari and Hanson just trying to deal with her visions and difficult people. We do not get really anything new in this novel it is more of the same, the Lightbringers need to protect the city and their Watchers need to protect them. The two characters we follow in this are not terrible but I did not like Mari as much as Theo, at times is she Too Stupid To Live. She has visions and instead of talking to Hanson or her fellow Lightbringers, she runs off on her own and causes lots of problems. That said I did enjoy the book, it was a fun fast read that does not take much to engage with. If you want a quick paranormal romance read then you should like this novel and this series.

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.

Yona of the Dawn, volume 5

Today's post is on Yona of the Dawn, volume 5 by Mizuho Kusanagi. It is the fifth in her Yona of the Dawn series and you need to have read the first four volumes in order to understand the story. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Princess Yona and Gija on it. The intended reader is someone who likes epic high fantasy, shojo manga, and revenge plots. There is no foul language, no sex, but there is violence in this story. The story is told from third person close mostly of Yona but some from other characters to give insight into their thoughts and feelings. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- An earthquake suddenly hits the Village of the Blue Dragon, and Yona and her friends are trapped! Will Yona manage to escape safely? And will the Blue Dragon join her on her journey? Meanwhile, Gija senses the presence of the Green Dragon!

Review- We finally get to met the Blue Dragon and he is so cool and very sweet. He has been very mistreated by his village, he does not even have a name, and Yona wants to save him from his lonely life. I knew that she would but I was so happy when the Blue Dragon decided to go with her. Yona names him Sinha and he is so happy to have his own name. We get to see more of Hak's devotion to Yona and doing anything again to keeping her safe. The Green Dragon is a lot of trouble both himself and what is going on around him. He is pirate and he wants Hak to join the crew to stop the local lord who is a bad guy. Yona is facing what her father's reign did the kingdom and how people were hurt by his weak rule. It hurts her to see her father from the outside but she wants to fix what is wrong in the kingdom so that people can have better lives. I like how much Yona is growing and is taking responsibility for herself, her kingdom, her father, and her future. She is a wonderful character and I really love this series so far.

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.

Animus

Today's post is on Animus by Antoine Revoy. It is 224 pages long and is published by Macmillan. The cover is dark blue with a child in a mask sitting on a jungle gym in the center. The intended reader is someone who likes comics, Japanese lore, and horror stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Tucked away in a quiet Japanese neighborhood lies a peculiar playground. There, Hisao and Sayuri meet a masked ghost named Toothless. And there, one of their friends gets hurt. Now they must race against the clock to solve the mystery of who Toothless really- and break the playgrounds curse.

Review- This is an interesting comic that I still have questions about. There are many things that I do not understand about this story. What really happened to Toothless, what happened to Sayuri, what does the detective know, and other things like that. The plot itself is about two kids interacting with a ghost or at least something that says it is a ghost. This comic was more creepy then scary and I would have liked the creepy elements to be turned up more. The main point of the story is about helping the ghost and the consequences of doing that. Revoy's art is excellent and the use of color adds to the story in the few scenes that color is used. I did enjoy this story and I would like to see more in this world maybe following the cop and discovering what is really going on. I would recommend this graphic novel.

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

Claymore volume 24: Army of the Underworld

Today's post is on Claymore volume 24: Army of the Underworld by Norihiro Yagi. It is the twentieth-four the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first twenty-three volumes to understand the story. It is 193 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare cutting through a Yoma on it looking cool. 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- Priscilla, whose monstrous savagery was reawakened in the previous battle, is bent on absorbing the power of those who feel in her wake and destroying the rebel Claymores. Raki and several former top warriors band together with a defensive plan, but even their skills may be no match against Priscilla's poisoned wrath. Meanwhile, the terrifying Yoma-based creature coalescing outside of the Holy City of Rabona may seek to defeat Priscilla... but it may also be seeking to defeat the rebel warriors!

Review- We get to see how powerful Priscilla's true form is as she destroys four out of the seven powerful Awakened Ones that were watching her fight and absorb her power back from the resurrected warriors. The Claymores and Awakened Ones are going to try and work together to stop Priscilla but it is an uneasy alliance. Add in Clare's over-powering rage at being so close to Priscilla and everyone has their hands full. As this series is winding down, we are getting less character growth and longer action scenes as this is an action manga; not a complaint more of a comment. The volume ends with a powerful, almost abyssally powerful, Awakened One joining the fight. Only three volumes left to bring it all together.

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.

Between the Blade and the Heart

Today's post is on Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking. It is the first volume in Valkyrie series. It is 319 pages long and is published by Wednesday Books. The cover is dark purple with a sword rising up the center to make the A in blade. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy. The story is told from first person of the main character. There is mild foul language, sex, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- As one of Odin's Valkyries, Malin's greatest responsibility is to slay immortals and return them to the underworld. The balance of the world rests on her ability to carry out orders. But when Malin discovers that her mother spared the life of an immortal who was destined to die, her world is thrown into chaos.
As Malin wrestles with the knowledge that her mother might not be who she thought, she’s also thrust into the path of a gorgeous blue-eyed guy named Asher who needs her help slaying the rogue immortal who destroyed his family. Malin, along with her best friend and her ex-girlfriend, must decide where her loyalties lie...and whether helping Asher enact his revenge is worth the risk—to the world and to her heart.

Review- This is a fun and fast urban fantasy read. The characters are interesting, the world is cool, and the rules make sense. My only complaint is I wanted a dictionary in the back so that I look up what monster was what, what their abilities are, and other details. But at was my only complaint. I really enjoyed everything else. Malin is interesting, complex, and she grows over the course of the story. I liked seeing the world through her eyes and experiencing it as she changed. Malin has much to learn about herself and what she can really do, so much more than her mother taught her. It has a cliffhanger ending but it is really cool and I am excited about where the story is going from here.

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.