The Beauty, volume 2

Today’s post is on The Beauty, volume 2 by Jeremy Haun, illustrated by Jeremy Haun, Brett Weldele. It is 129 pages long and is published by Image Comics. The cover has a woman looking like she is singing. The intended reader is someone who likes comic books, has read the first collection, and likes fast, violence stories. There is foul language, sex, and violence in this collection. The story closely follows two new characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

Blurb- After the shocking events of issue 6, we're introduced to Timo, Ezerae, and a host of new characters, as well as your favorites from the first arc, to further explore a dark and demented world tainted by The Beauty, where perfection is a fatal disease, and not everyone wants a cure. The disturbing world of The Beauty, from creators Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, expands with new stories featuring guest artists Mike Huddleston, Brett Weldele, and Stephen Green.

Review- This volume takes us back from the ending of the first volume and we follow two new characters. We get to see more of what The Beauty can do, like make a Transwoman’s body match her mind. The whole story in this volume is about Timo and Ezerae. They are in some kind of crime family but it is not very clear but things are starting to go sideways in the family and just in general. The art is still wonderful, the story is very fast-paced but I wanted to get back to the main plot of dealing with The Beauty and what is going to happen to the world now.

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 Unspeakable Mind: Stories of Trauma and Healing from teh Frontlines of PTSD Science

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

Today's post is on The Unspeakable Mind: Stories of Trauma and Healing from the Frontlines of PTSD Science by Shaili Jain, M.D. It is 400 pages long including notes. The cover is white with the title in black and red. The intended reader is someone who is interesting in PTSD and what is being done to help the people suffering from it. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- From a physician and post-traumatic stress disorder specialist comes a nuanced cartography of PTSD, a widely misunderstood yet crushing condition that afflicts millions of Americans.
The Unspeakable Mind is the definitive guide for a trauma-burdened age. With profound empathy and meticulous research, Shaili Jain, M.D.—a practicing psychiatrist and PTSD specialist at one of America’s top VA hospitals, trauma scientist at the National Center for PTSD, and a Stanford Professor—shines a long-overdue light on the PTSD epidemic affecting today’s fractured world.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder goes far beyond the horrors of war and is an inescapable part of all our lives. At any given moment, more than six million Americans are suffering with PTSD. Dr. Jain’s groundbreaking work demonstrates the ways this disorder cuts to the heart of life, interfering with one’s capacity to love, create, and work—incapacity brought on by a complex interplay between biology, genetics, and environment. Beyond the struggles of individuals, PTSD has a tangible imprint on our cultures and societies around the world.
Since 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been a huge growth in the science of PTSD, a body of evidence that continues to grow exponentially. With this new knowledge have come dramatic advances in the effective treatment of this condition. Jain draws on a decade of her own clinical innovation and research and argues for a paradigm shift in how PTSD should be approached in the new millennium. She highlights the myriads of ways PTSD care is being transformed to make it more accessible, acceptable, and available to sufferers via integrated care models, use of peer support programs, and technology. By identifying those among us who are most vulnerable to developing PTSD, cutting edge medical interventions that hold the promise of preventing the onset of PTSD are becoming more of a reality than ever before.
Combining vividly recounted patient stories, interviews with some of the world’s top trauma scientists, and her professional expertise from working on the frontlines of PTSD, The Unspeakable Mind offers a textured portrait of this invisible illness that is unrivaled in scope and lays bare PTSD's roots, inner workings, and paths to healing. This book is essential reading for understanding how humans can recover from unspeakable trauma. The Unspeakable Mind stands as the definitive guide to PTSD and offers lasting hope to sufferers, their loved ones, and health care providers everywhere.

Review- An interesting and engrossing book about PTSD and how it is being treated in the modern day. Jain starts the book with her father's story of survival and how his PTSD has affected her life and choices. She covers all kinds of PTSD from all kinds of traumas from car accidents to war stories. Jain discusses the ways that PTSD has been treated in the past and what is the current treatment opinions are. It is a well written book that is easy to get into and understand without feeling talked down to. I was engaged with this book from beginning to end and I feel that I have learned more about not just PTSD but the culture that we live that contributes to creating more people with this mental illness. Jain brings the reader to real people suffering from this illness and helps give it a face and voice, like our own. If you are curious about PTSD or just learn more about current treatment opinions, then give this book a try.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars.

Accomplishments of Duke's Daughter, volume 1

Today' post is on Accomplishments of Duke's Daughter, volume 1 by Reia and Suki Umemiya (Illustrations). It is 180 pages long and is published by Seven Sails. The cover has the main character and her bodyguard on it and the cover illustration wraps around to the back with other characters on the back. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga, portal fantasies, and otome game tropes. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is in third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- After a young woman gets hit by a car, she wakes up in her favorite dating sim as "Iris", the villain of the game. Iris decides that rather than chase after the prince, she'll go down a different route: revolutionize society and save her father's failing fiefdom! Now it's not only Iris's happy ending at stake, but the whole country's...

Review- If you like otome games and shojo manga then you should give this manga a try, it is very fun. We never get to know much about our main character before she is killed and wakes up in another world. But we get to see her character in her quick thinking. When 'Iris' realizes where she is and what is going on around, she moves quickly to get some control of her new life and name. I enjoyed this manga, it is slow with world building being more important than fast plot in this volume. Iris is going to live in this world and she is not going to give control of this new life to anyone. I like the side characters and I do hope for some romance later in this series but I am satisfied with this first volume in general.

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

Ruined

Today’s post is on Ruined by Amy Tintera. It is the first in her Ruined series. It is 355 pages long and is published by Harper Teen. The cover is silver with the title in gold in the center behind the title is two circles with a sword through them and lines behind that like the ruined markings. The intended reader is someone who likes dark plots, magical powers, and gray mortality. There is mild foul language, implied 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- A Revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.
Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers that her fellow Ruined. Worse of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.
But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by revenge and the hope of finding Olivia, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to the take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.
Em is determined to succeed, but the close she gets to the prince, the more Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life- and her family- on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

Review- An intense and vivid world filled with characters who are caught in a deadly game. The world that the reader discovers in Ruined is a very dark with murder, betrayal, and crazy people with powers and not many morals. Casmir and Emelina are only trying to help as many people can they can but the world and others around them are not interested in helping. Casmir’s father is the one who started the war the Ruina and killed Emelina’s parents then kidnapped her younger sister for reasons unknown. But Emelina is going to save her sister and get revenge for the thousands of her people killed, just for being born Ruined. Casmir does not agree with his father but at the start of the story is powerless to stop him. The story moves very fast with Casmir and Emelina discovering common ground and both learning from each other and changing. The changes are not easy and are met with great distrust from others. A tightly plotted novel for those who love the darker side of fantasy.

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.

Claymore volume 27: Silver-Eyed Warriors

Today's post is on Claymore volume 27: Silver-Eyed Warriors by Norihiro Yagi. It is the twentieth-seventh in the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first twenty-six volumes to understand the story. It is 191 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clare and Teresa on it back to back with wings. 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- As rebel warrior Clare prepares to face former Claymore Priscilla in a climactic final battle, Clare is suddenly transformed by an unprecedented Yoma energy. Priscilla, whose brute and evil power once threatened to overwhelm Clare, is now matched against the reawakened spirit of another former Claymore elite- this one with strength beyond measure and the power of Clare within her!

Review- This volume ended the series in a good place with Clare seeing Teresa again and Priscilla finally defeated. The man in black is chased from the island and the Claymores are going to finish hunting down the remaining Yoma then just defend the island from outsiders. Clare's true awakened form is of the Twin Goddesses Clare and Teresa. The fight between them and Priscilla was good but not as amazing as some of the earlier fights in the series, like with Ophelia but it was very emotional satisfying.  In general I have really liked and enjoyed this series. The characters were interesting, they grow over the course of the story, the art is solid over the whole series, and the fights were very intense with some being more than a little worrisome about the survival of the characters. I would recommend this series if you have not read it already. Solid Five out of Five series.

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

Supergirl: Being Super

Today’s post is on Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki, Joelle Jones, Sandu Florea and Kelly Fitzpatrick. It is 200 pages long and is published by DC Comics. The cover has Kara flying upside down with the earth under her and at the top of the cover. The intended reader is someone likes Supergirl and comic books. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence. The story is told from third person close of Kara. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- One Girl. Two Worlds, Infinite Complications.
She's super-strong. She can fly. She crash-landed on Earth in a rocket ship. But for Kara Danvers, winning the next track meet, celebrating her 16th birthday and surviving her latest mega-zit are her top concerns. And with the help of her best friends and her kinda-infuriating-but-totally-loving adoptive parents, she just might be able to put her troubling dreams--shattered glimpses of another world--behind her.
Until an earthquake shatters her small town of Midvale...and uncovers secrets about her past she thought would always stay buried.
Now Kara's incredible powers are kicking into high gear, and people she trusted are revealing creepy ulterior motives. The time has come for her to choose between the world where she was born and the only world she's ever known. Will she find a way to save her town and be super, or will she crash and burn?

Review- In the reboot of Supergirl there is so much to like about it. Kara is very normal, worried about her future, about her powers, and about life in general. She felt very real to me. The plot is about Kara’s powers are not always working, there are earthquakes happening, and then her best friend dies. In spite of the fast plot, I felt like I knew Kara and I understand her emotions and motives. She wants to discover who she is, why does have these powers, and what is going wrong with them. I really liked the art and that Kara was not sexualized, she is sixteen and that is not needed for the character or the story.

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

Murder Beyond the Grave

Today's Nonfiction post is on Murder Beyond the Grave by James Patterson. It is 304 pages long and published by Grand Central Publishing. The cover is a picture of an empty field with a shovel next to title. It is in his Discovery's Murder is Forever series but you do not have to have read any of the other books as they are all different stories. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and talk of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the Cloud Library Blurb-  A wealthy kidnapped man fights for his life and a real estate deal turns deadly in these two true crime thrillers that inspired Discovery's Murder is Forever TV series.
Murder Beyond the Grave (with Andrew Bourelle): Stephen Small has it all: a Ferrari, fancy house, loving wife, and three boys. But the only thing he needs right now is enough air to breathe. Kidnapped, buried in a box, and held for ransom, Stephen has forty-eight hours of oxygen. The clock is ticking . . .
Murder in Paradise (with Christopher Charles): High in the Sierra Nevada mountains, developers Jim and Bonnie Hood excitedly tour Camp Nelson Lodge. They intend to buy and modernize this beautiful rustic property, but the locals don't like rich outsiders changing their way of life. After a grisly shooting, everybody will discover just how you can make a killing in real estate . . .

Review- These were two cases that I knew nothing about and the tragedy in both cases is extreme. The first case has a lot of grey area about who is or is not involved with the crime. Patterson gives a clear, if bias, opinion on the case but the bias did not take away from the account. The second story pulled a twist at the end about who the real killer was and I really liked that Patterson kept that twist under his hat for the whole case until the end. The writing is Patterson's normal style with short, quick chapters and a short style that helps keep the story going and the reader is pulled to the conclusion with all the heartbreak that it brings. If you enjoyed Patterson's other true crime nonfiction then you will enjoy this book too.

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 Cloud Library account.

Takane & Hana, volume 2

Today's post is on Takane & Hana, volume 2 by Yuki Shiwasu. It is the second in her Takane & Hana series, as such you need to have read the first volume to know what is going on. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has a close-up of Takane being extra with rose petals flying around and Hana in the background with an umbrella to stop the petals from getting on her. The intended reader is someone who likes over-the-top story-lines, manga, and silly characters. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story is told from third person close of Hana. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Hana has to continue to pretend to be her sister after Takane's grandfather expresses his desire to meet Takane's prospective marriage partner! But Hana's totally out of her element at a party hosted by the Takaba Group, the largest conglomerate in Japan! Just how the heck is she supposed to pull this off?

Review- This manga is so funny with Takane being so over-the-top and Hana being so unimpressed by him. Takane's grandfather wants to see Yukari a.k.a Hana again so Takane agrees to bring her to a party. Of course that causes all kinds of problems but Hana is more than up to the job. But then she starts to worry about Takane because she is only sixteen and she is worried that Takane could get into some kind of trouble hanging out with a young woman like her in spite that it is not a sexual relationship and she is over the age of consent in Japan. I like that the main focus of the story is currently friendship, that Takane and Hana do value each other as friends and play pranks on each other. We do not know much about Takane's past but I get the feeling that having someone like Takane for Takane not his money or family is something very rare for him. Add in that the person in question in not impressed with his money or family name and Hana is something very special. I cannot wait to read 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.

Welcome to Night Vale

Today's post is on Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. It is 401 pages long and is published by Harper Perennial. The cover is purple with the skyline of Night Vale on it. The intended reader is someone who is a fan of the podcast. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The story is mostly told in third person close of the two main characters with the occasional aside from Cecil or Carlos. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the inside of the book- From the creators of the wildly popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast comes an imaginative mystery of appearances and disappearances that is also a poignant look at the ways in which we all struggle to find ourselves...no matter where we live.
Located in a nameless desert somewhere in the great American Southwest, Night Vale is a small town where ghosts angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all commonplace parts of everyday life. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge.
Nineteen-year-old Night Vale pawn shop owner Jackie Fierro is given a paper marked "King City" by a mysterious man in a tan jacket holding a deer skin suitcase. Everything about him and his paper unsettles her, especially the fact that she can't seem to get the paper to leave her hand, and that no one who meets this man can remember anything about him. Jackie is determined to uncover the mystery of King City and the man in the tan jacket before she herself unravels.
Night Vale PTA treasurer Diane Crayton's son, Josh, is moody and also a shape shifter. And lately Diane's started to see her son's father everywhere she goes, looking the same as the day he left years earlier, when they were bot teenagers. Josh, looking different every time Diane sees him, shows a stronger and stronger interest in his estranged father, leading to a disaster Diane can see coming, even as she is helpless to prevent it.
Diane's search to reconnect with her son and Jackie's search for her former routine life collide as they find themselves coming back to two words: "King City". It is King City that holds the key to both of their mysteries, and their futures...if they can ever find it.

Review- As a hard-core fan of Welcome to Night Vale podcast I loved this book. It was everything I hoped for; funny, quirky, with lots of inside jokes, and an interesting outside of the radio show story. That said if you can not a fan of the podcast then I do not think that you are going to enjoy this novel as much I have, for the above reasons. The story is about a two women both looking for someone who happens to be the same person, sort-of in a Night Vale way. We get to know more about some side characters like the man in the tan jacket, the angels, and how traveling out of Night Vale is very difficult. The writing style is just like the podcast so I was very happy with that and I could hear Cecil's voice when we were taken to the radio station to get the news of the day. I really had fun with this novel and I look forward to reading the next one, It Devours. 

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

We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults

Today's non-fiction post is on We Are Here to Stay: Voices of Undocumented Young Adults by Susan Kuklin. It is 192 pages long and is published by Candlewick Press. The has a pair of hands holding up a sign with the title on it. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- With refreshing candor, nine young people speak out about being undocumented.
Meet nine courageous young adult who have lived in the United States with a secret for much of their lives: they are not U.S. citizens. They came from Colombia, Mexico, Ghana, Independent Samoa, And Korea. They came seeking education, fleeing violence, and escaping poverty. All have harrowing, heartbreaking, and hopeful stories about leaving their homeland and starting a new life in America. And all are weary of living in the shadows. We Are Here to Stay is a very different boo from the one it was intended to be when it was originally slated for a 2017 release, illustrated with Susan Kuklin's gorgeous full-color portraits. Since the last presidential election and the repeal of DACA it is no longer safe for these young adults to be identified in photographs or by name. We've replaced their photographs with frames and their names with first initials, but are still honored to publish their stories. Enlightening and honest, these brave accounts encourage open, thoughtful conversation about the complexities of immigration- and the uncertain future of immigrants in America.

Review- An interesting examination about immigration and nine young adults who are caught in the middle of this debate. We get to know nine very different young adults with very different stories, from a Latino woman who walked across the dessert with her sister to a young man from Ghana who was trafficked. There is no one story and no one dream expect that they want to stay in American and be American in all ways. Their identities are protected but it still a risk to have this published with so much information about themselves in it. It is interesting and important to have their voices in this debate about immigration as people who will be the most affected by any laws that are created or enacted. They are honest about their lives, their worries, and what they want from their futures.  An interesting and enlightening read with interesting young adults that have something important to give the topic of immigration and its future.

I give this book a Five out Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book by a friend.

Claymore volume 26: A Blade From Far Away

Today's post is on Claymore volume 26: A Blade From Far Away by Norihiro Yagi. It is the twentieth-sixth in the long running Claymore series, you need to have read the first twenty-five volumes to understand the story. It is 191 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump Advanced. The cover has Clarice and Priscilla facing off on it. 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- Former Claymores Cassandra and Priscilla appear to be headed toward an epic conflict, as the warriors protecting the Holy City of Rabona attempt to orchestrate a battle between these two savage elements in order to avert complete annihilation. However, when Clare and Raki step in, the Awakened Ones' fury is redirected towards them!

Review- We get to see more of Raki's training and what advice Isley gave him for defeating Priscilla, that he would have to survive a killing blow to make her forget about him then with Clare he would have one strike. Most of the volume is fighting with little other plot going on in it. We get to see that Priscilla will do anything to survive, we see the end of the engineer by Priscilla's hand, and we get a hint about how Clare is going to stop her somehow using or resurrecting Teresa inside her. But with only one volume left Yagi has a lot to finish.

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.

Shut Out

Today’s post is on Shut Out by Kody Keplinger. It is 273 pages long and is published by Little, Brown, and Company. The cover is a close up the main characters' face. The intended reader is young adult. There is mild foul language, talk of sex and sexuality, and no violence. The story is told from first person close. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it’s a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend. Randy. Is always ditching her to go pick a fight or haze a freshman. And on three separate occasions Randy’s car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend’s attention.
Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all. She and the other players’ girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won’t get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don’t count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys? Lissa never sees it coming. In this hilarious and romantic reimagining in of Aristosphanes’ Lysistrata, the battle of boys against girls is on.

Review- In this very clever retelling of Lysistrata Keplinger gives the reader a very nice treat. There are lots of to like about this book. The honest way that the characters talk about sex, the sweet romance, the lack of actual teen sex, and the fast moving plot. I do not dislike anything about this book. The characters are interesting, fun, and they tackle the hard issues of the book is very honest and feels very real to life. Lissa is trying to be the perfect girlfriend but her boyfriend is not helping her with that. He is not very considerate to her feelings and that is why we have our plot. Our real hero is a nice guy who does care about the way that the girls feel, not just Lissa. He wants people to stop getting hurt too and decided to the guys together to win the girls back. There is some back and forth between the two groups and Lissa has to learn to both stand up for herself and when to bend for the other person. This is a great book and I had a really great time reading it, I recommend it.

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.