Rasetsu, Vol. 2

Today’s post is on Rasetsu, Vol. 2 by Chika Shiomi. It is 208 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Rasetsu and Kuryu and it. As it is the second volume of the second series you need to have both Yurara and the first volume in this series. The intended reader is someone who likes horror manga and strong female leads. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from  third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Not knowing it's the solution to her curse, Yako thinks that Rasetsu's quest for a boyfriend seems frivolous. Nothing's trivial about Rasetsu's next exorcism, however, especially when she's suddenly overpowered by the emotions of the spirit! 

Review- The blurb for this volume is just the first story and the rest of the volume has some great character development. We see how Rasetsu got cursed by an evil spirit and how much it really does affect her. She is giving it her all to survive and search for a way to safe herself. The last story has some interesting details that I would like to see more of which is the other team member’s powers. Kuryu can summon or control spirits in a way that he has not told his teammates. It saves the day but I would like to learn more about the spiritual powers in this world and we see the ghost Yurara for the first time in this series. I am very curious about where this series is going.

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.

 

A Tangled Web: A Cyberstalker, a Deadly Obsession, and the Twisting Path to Justice

Today's post is on A Tangled Web: A Cyberstalker, a Deadly Obsession, and the Twisting Path to Justice by Leslie Rule. it is 287 pages long and is published by Citadel Press. The cover has an iron grate with a spider’s web in it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime. There is mild foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In the tradition of her acclaimed mother, Ann Rule, author of The Stranger Beside Me, bestselling author Leslie Rule delivers a riveting true story for our time--as she exposes the years-long trail of a sadistic sociopath, identity thief, and killer at the dark heart of a real-life fatal attraction . . .
It was a bleak November in 2012 when Cari Lea Farver vanished from Omaha, Nebraska. Cari, thirty-seven, was a devoted mother, reliable employee, and loyal friend--not the type to shirk responsibilities, abandon her son, and run off on an adventure while her dying father took his last breaths. Yet, the many texts from her phone indicated she had done just that.
It appeared that Cari had dumped her new boyfriend, quit her job, and relinquished custody of her son to her mother--all by text. While Cari's boyfriend, Dave Kroupa, and her supervisor were bewildered by her abrupt disappearance, they accepted the texts at face value. Her mother, Nancy Raney, however, was alarmed and reported Cari missing. Police were skeptical of her claims that a cyber impostor had commandeered her daughter's phone and online identity.
While Nancy was afraid for Cari, Dave Kroupa was growing afraid of her, for he believed Cari was stalking him. Never seen or heard, the stalker was aware of his every move and seemed obsessed by his casual girlfriend, Shanna "Liz" Golyar, often calling her "a fat whore" in the twelve thousand emails and texts he received in a disturbing three-year deluge.
How did the stalker know Dave's phone numbers immediately after he changed them, the names of his lady friends, even what he wore as he watched TV? He and Liz reported death threats, vandalism, and burglaries, but the stalker remained at large. The threats were vicious, vile and often obscene, sent mostly via text and always in Cari's name. There was some truth in the messages, but all of them contained one big lie. The culprit was not Cari -- but had killed and planned to kill again.
With mesmerizing detail and compelling narrative skill, Leslie Rule tracks every step of the heart-pounding path to long-awaited justice--from a sociopath's twisted past to the deadly deception and the high-tech forensics that condemned the killer to prison, where the tangled web of manipulations still draws trusting souls into danger.

Review- An interesting and twisted true crime story that Rule handles very well. This is a very horrifying story with a real psychopath as the killer. Dave Kroupa is newly single and just wants to have fun. So he turns to the internet to meet ladies who want the same thing. Unfortunately he meets Shanna ‘Liz’ Golyar and she becomes obsessed with him. The writing is very well done, Rule has access to the people who are still dealing with the crimes Golyar committed, and she handles the victims with care and respect. My only complaint with this book is whenever Rule introduces a person to the reader she does a full bio on them, by that I mean she discusses their family back to grandparents, their early life, everything. I, personally, did not feel like I needed all that information for every person we met over the course of the book. It  distracted from the story. But in the end it is a good true crime book about a very twisted killer and the people she harmed along the way, so if you like true crime then you should read this one.

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.

Skip Beat!, Vol. 18

Today’s post in Skip Beat!, Vol. 18 by Yoshiki Nakamura. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. As it is the eighteenth volume of the long running series you need to have read the first seventeen volumes. The cover has Kyoko and Ren on it looking at the reading. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kyoko hasn't had a Love Me Section job in a while, and this newest assignment is pushing her limits. She's now the personal assistant to Koo Hizuri, a Japanese actor turned Hollywood star, and everyone knows how assistants are treated in Hollywood! Can Kyoko see past Koo's meanness, or will his nastiness just make her demons worse?! 

Review- This volume we spend so much time with Ren’s father Koo Hizuri and Kyoko. Koo and Kyoko argue and fuss at each other but in the end Kyoko learns more about acting and Koo realizes the kind of talent that Kyoko has. Koo gives Kyoko an assignment to prove her acting ability and lots of advice along the way. He asks her to play his son, Koun. Of course as the reader we know that Koun is Ren and that makes everything weird for us but it is a brilliant plan in the story itself. Kyoko is struggling with getting new roles other than mean girl and she wants to do more. Koo tells her to takes the roles she can get and learn to make all the mean girls different from each other. A solid volume in a fantastic series. I cannot wait to see what Kyoko gets into next.

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

The Conference of Birds

Today's Review is on The Conference of Birds by Ransom Riggs. It is 325 pages long and is published by penguin Random House LLC. The cover is a black and white picture of a little girl facing away from the reader. as it is the fifth novel in his Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series, you need to have read the first four novels to understand the story. There is very mild foul language, no sexuality and Mild violence in this novel. The story is told from first-person close of the main character Jacob. There be spoilers ahead

From the back of the book-  A fragile peace. 

An apocryphal warning. 

Chaos waiting in the heart of the storm.

With his dying words H-  Jacob’s final connection to his grandfather Abe's secret life-  entrusts Jacob with a mission:  Deliver the newly contacted peculiar Noor Pradesh to an operative known only as V.

Noor is being hunted. She is the subject of a prophecy one that foretells a looming apocalypse. Sav Noor- save the future of all peculiardom..

With only a few bewildering clues to follow, Jacob must figure out how to find V, the most enigmatic, and most powerful, all Abe’s former associates. But she is in hiding and she never, ever, wants to be found.

Time is running out. But even as Jacob and his friends are working feverishly to decipher the prophecy, it's warnings…

When the prisons are blown to dust

And Chaos Reigns 

Are beginning…

The old ones from their sleep or torn

To come true.

An age of strife will soon be born

With enemies behind him and the unknown ahead, Jacob Portman's story continues as he takes a brave Leap Forward into the Conference of Birds, the newest installment in the Beloved, number one best-selling Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series. 

Review- A strong fifth novel In The Peculiar Children series. We pick up right where the fourth novel left off with Jacob finding Noor and trying to escape from the American peculiar to get back to his friends at the devil's acre Loop. Just now what was very fast paced with not much time and a lot going on. Villain from the first trilogy is back we don't really see him in this in this volume but we see his handiwork. Some character issues from previous novels are resolved in this novel, and one of the missing characters has been found but what kind of damage she has survived really has yet to be seen. I found the love story part of this novel very distracting and a little annoying. I want more adventure from this series and less teenage angsty love story. But all in all this was a strong volume and I am interested to see where we're going to go in the final novel of this trilogy. 

 I of this novel of Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review read this book from my local library.

Cool Town: How Athens, Georgia, Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture

Today’s post is on  Cool Town: How Athens, Georgia, Launched Alternative Music and Changed American Culture by Grace Elizabeth Hale. It is 371 pages long and is published by University of North Carolina Press. The cover is a picture of the B-52’s in concert. The intended reader is someone who is interested in music history and how one small town grew new music. There is mild foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In the summer of 1978, the B-52's conquered the New York underground. A year later, the band's self-titled debut album burst onto the Billboard charts, capturing the imagination of fans and music critics worldwide. The fact that the group had formed in the sleepy southern college town of Athens, Georgia, only increased the fascination. Soon, more Athens bands followed the B-52's into the vanguard of the new American music that would come to be known as "alternative," including R.E.M., who catapulted over the course of the 1980s to the top of the musical mainstream. As acts like the B-52's, R.E.M., and Pylon drew the eyes of New York tastemakers southward, they discovered in Athens an unexpected mecca of music, experimental art, DIY spirit, and progressive politics--a creative underground as vibrant as any to be found in the country's major cities.
In Athens in the eighties, if you were young and willing to live without much money, anything seemed possible. Cool Town reveals the passion, vitality, and enduring significance of a bohemian scene that became a model for others to follow. Grace Elizabeth Hale experienced the Athens scene as a student, small-business owner, and band member. Blending personal recollection with a historian's eye, she reconstructs the networks of bands, artists, and friends that drew on the things at hand to make a new art of the possible, transforming American culture along the way. In a story full of music and brimming with hope, Hale shows how an unlikely cast of characters in an unlikely place made a surprising and beautiful new world. 

Review- A well written history about music in Athens, GA and the bands who made it there. Hale was a student at University of Georgia, she was involved in this scene, and knew all the major players in it too; so she is writing from a place of knowledge and personal experience. Hale gives an excellent background for the culture of the area, the people who lived here, the kids who moved there, and everything in between. At times it is a little too much with so many people. Places, dates, and other information that it can be overwhelming but the overall narrative of counterculture and the musicians who made the music is very detailed. She explores her topic by time starting with the start of the Scene and the creation of the B-52’s and why they started making music. She ends the book with her time in Athens and how it changed the course of her life. If you are interested in musical history then you should give this one a try. 

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

Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Vol. 2

Today’s post is on Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Vol. 2: Heed My Call, Beast! Part 2 by Yoshinobu Akita and Muraji.  It is 180 pages long and is published by Seven Seas. The cover has Orphen, Azalie and Childman on it. As it is the second volume of the series you need to have read the first volume to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who has read the first volume, likes high fantasy and action manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and fantasy violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Orphen. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- BLOODY REUNION
It’s been five years since Orphen last saw his dear friend Azalie–and now he finds her, twisted into a deadly monster. The sorcerous Tower of Fangs is sending out an extermination squad to claim her head, and its leader wields the very sword that transformed Azalie in the first place. No matter the risks, Orphen’s not about to give up on the woman he loves. He joins the monster hunters, secretly waiting for his chance to break the curse! 

Review- An excellent conclusion to this short series. Orphen gets his answers about what happened and he saves Azalie but it does not look like what he expected it to. There is not much else in this volume other than plot wrapping up and more magic in this world. There are so many different kinds of magic that I would have liked to get more into it but as it is only two volumes long something had to be sacrificed. But all plot threads are tied off and Orphen and friends ride off into the sunset to have more adventures that I would love to see. If you are looking for a fun short series then you should give Sorcerous Stabber Orphen a try.

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.

Scott Under the Covers

Today's review is on Scott Under the Covers by Suzanne Enoch. It is 347 pages long and is published by St. Martin's paperbacks. This is the second of Enochs' Wild Wicked Highlanders series but you do not have to have read the first novel to understand the story. The cover is blue with the two main characters locked in an Embrace on it in the middle. The intended reader is someone who enjoys historical romance with a strong villain and two main characters that you're pulling to succeed through all the odds for. There is mild foul language, sexuality, and no violence in this novel. The story is told from third-person close of the two main characters moving over the course of the story. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

 

From the back of the book-  When a resourceful English lady and a hot-blooded Highlander join forces to trick a scoundrel every rule will be broken!

Miranda Harris is known for her charm wit and ability to solve any problem she encounters. But when her brother lands neck-deep in gambling debt to a crafty villain and Miranda is subsequently blackmailed into marrying him she must enlist the help of the devil himself to save the family honor and herself.

Devilishly handsome Highlander Aden MacTaggert knows next to nothing about the ways of the Ton but he certainly knows his way around gambling halls and women's hearts. Still, not sure how he managed to find a Sassenach bride in time to save his family's inheritance. But when his almost sister-in-law Miranda comes to him for assistance, he proposes a partnership: she will help him navigate London society and he'll teach her everything about wagering... and winning back her freedom. The beautiful, clever lass intrigues Aiden but is she playing her own game, or are the sparks between them real?  He's accustomed to risking his pocket. But betting on Miranda's love is a game he can't afford to lose …

 

Review-  this is a fast-paced, at times very intense, historical romance. Miranda's brother has gotten into quite a bit of trouble with the villain who knew he was an inexperienced gambler and took him for everything he had and more. Aden Has been forced to come to London to find a English bride by his mother or the family will lose all of the money. The two characters start off at odds but they still like each other when the villain comes in he really submits that attraction into something more. The villain is really quite bad in this one, I was very nervous at times for the heroine, I was afraid that if he got her alone he would really do a harm to her so every scene he was in was very tense. The writing style is good with some Scottish phrases thrown in but in context so the reader can understand if you've never read anything with Highlanders before. The sexuality is fairly mild and can easily be glazed over if you're not interested in reading it. This is an excellent historical novel with two great main characters and a villain who really does make you very nervous. I highly recommend this if you enjoy historical novels. 

 

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

 

Murder by the Book: The Crime That Shocked Dickens's London

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Murder by the Book: The Crime That Shocked Dickens's London by Claire Harman. It is 252 pages long and is published by Alfred A. Knopf. The cover is white with a red book in the center. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. The intended reader is someone interested in true crime, literary history, and where the true cross. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- From the acclaimed biographer--the fascinating, little-known story of a Victorian-era murder that rocked literary London, leading Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and Queen Victoria herself to wonder: Can a novel kill?

In May 1840, Lord William Russell, well known in London's highest social circles, was found with his throat cut. The brutal murder had the whole city talking. The police suspected Russell's valet, Courvoisier, but the evidence was weak. The missing clue, it turned out, lay in the unlikeliest place: what Courvoisier had been reading. In the years just before the murder, new printing methods had made books cheap and abundant, the novel form was on the rise, and suddenly everyone was reading. The best-selling titles were the most sensational true-crime stories. Even Dickens and Thackeray, both at the beginning of their careers, fell under the spell of these tales--Dickens publicly admiring them, Thackeray rejecting them. One such phenomenon was William Harrison Ainsworth's Jack Sheppard, the story of an unrepentant criminal who escaped the gallows time and again. When Lord William's murderer finally confessed his guilt, he would cite this novel in his defense. Murder By the Book combines this thrilling true-crime story with an illuminating account of the rise of the novel form and the battle for its early soul among the most famous writers of the time. It is superbly researched, vividly written, and captivating from first to last. 

Review- A fascinating and well written account of a true crime that may have started the whole blame the media/movie/tv series/book thing that we still have today. Lord William Russell was found murdered in his bed and the whole of London was shocked and the nobles were terrified by the thought that their servants could or would kill them for no reason. Harman does excellent research, the notes are good, and the way she tells the narrative is engaging. The mystery of who did it, why they did, and were they really so strongly influenced by a book, are questions not only posed in the narrative but for the reader themselves to think about. Harmon does handle those questions well but she does the best with ‘Can media make people do things?’ and she covers more than just the supposed book that the man read. She encourages the reader to think about their own actions and how would they engage with this material themselves. She gives basic biographies of the lesser known author and artists that were pulled into this mess. If you like true crime or historical crime, you should give this one a try.

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. 

Fiancée of the Wizard Manga, Vol. 1

Today’s post is on Fiancée of the Wizard Manga, Vol. 1 by Masaki Kazuka (Illustrator), Syuri Nakamura (Original Creator), Keiko Sakano (Character Design). It is 196 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has the two main characters on it looking cute. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo romance, transmigration stories, and nice art. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence's in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Went looking for magic but found love instead...

Filimena via Adina, daughter of nobility, awakens one day with the realization that she had actually been reborn into a world of sorcery and given a second chance at life. In her new country full of heroes, she expects this means she's a chosen one, yet her lot is not as she dreamed-instead, her path crosses with the improbably powerful stepson of a wizard, and as a young noble lady, her place is at his side...as his fiancée! But perhaps a quest for love is exactly the adventure she was looking for... 

Review- A cute isekai romance story with some fun magic in it. The main character has been reborn with the knowledge of her past live but she just moves on with her new life. But because she has the mind of a thirty-five year old, she handles life better then others around her. So she makes an impression on the male lead, Egiedeyrus, Eddy, and he falls in love with her from a young age. But now the trouble is starting as Eddy is a very powerful wizard and other people want to control him including who he marries. Filimena is in between a rock and a hard place but I am sure that she will figure it out and I look forward to going with her on her journey.

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. 

Perfect Little Children

Today's post is on Perfect Little Children by Sophie Hannah. It is 329 pages long and is published by William Morrow. The cover is dark green with a house tag on a ribbon. The intended reader is someone who is interested in intense, twisty mysteries that have a strong thriller/horror vibe. There is some foul language, no sex and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of the main character Beth. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- All Beth has to do is drive her son to his football game, watch him play, and then return home. Just because she knows her ex-best friend lives near the field doesn't mean she has to drive past her house and try to catch a glimpse of her.
Why would Bath do that and risk dredging up painful memories? She hasn't seen Flora  for twelve years. She doesn't want to see her today- or ever again. But she can't resist. She parks outside the open gates of Newnham House and watches from across the road as Flora arrives and calls to her children, Thomas and Emily, to get out of the car.
Except...there's something terribly wrong. Flora looks the same, only older. Twelve years ago, Thomas and Emily were five ans three. Today, they look precisely as the then. They are no taller, no different from when Beth last saw them. They are Thomas and Emily without a doubt- Beth heard Flora call them by their names- but why haven't they grown? How is it possible that they are still the same two perfect children Beth know more than a decade ago?

Review- This is a very surprising and twisty mystery that had me guessing what the heck was really going on the whole time. Beth sees her friend and her two children and they are still the same ages that they were twelve years ago. And what is going is on is really messed up. I haven't read Hannah before so I was not sure what to expect from her and I was pleasantly surprised. She had me guessing and wondering what Beth was going to do next and the real villain is very chilling. Their reasons were extremely evil and cruel and I was impressed with their cold-heartedness. If you looking for something very twisty and with a bad villain, then I would recommend this novel.

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.

Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark

 

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark by Cecelia Watson. It is 213 pages long and is published by Harper Collins Publishing. The cover is blue with three semicolons on it in red, yellow, and blue. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of the semicolon and how it has been viewed over history. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- In Semicolon, Cecelia Watson charts the rise and fall of this infamous punctuation mark, which for years was the trendiest one in the world of letters. But in the nineteenth century, as grammar books became all the rage, the rules of how we use language became both stricter and more confusing, with the semicolon a prime victim. Taking us on a breezy journey through a range of examples—from Milton’s manuscripts to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letters from Birmingham Jail” to Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep—Watson reveals how traditional grammar rules make us less successful at communicating with each other than we’d think. Even the most die-hard grammar fanatics would be better served by tossing the rule books and learning a better way to engage with language.

Review- As fun little read about one my favorite punctuation marks.  Watson loves her topic and all that love in the text and I understand how she feels. She covers the semicolons from when it was created, why it was created, and now how people feel about it. Watson is a good writer, she knows her material, and she makes it very engaging. She never over loads the reader with information, just enough to understand and appreciate what she is telling us. There are fun little pictures in the beginning of each chapter where you can play where is the semicolon?, it's a fun little game. One benefit to this book is the short length, Watson understands that getting to the point is a good thing with dealing with an odd bit of history and it works in her favor. I recommend this book as a wonderful, fun read about an interesting and at times difficult punctuation mark.

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. 

Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter Vol. 4

Today’s post is on Accomplishments of the Duke's Daughter Vol. 4 by Reia, art by Suki Umemiya and character design by Haduki Futaba. It is 162 pages long and is published by Seven Seas Publishing. As it is the fourth volume in the series you need to have read the first three to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character Iris with some scenes from different characters for plot development. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- After being banished from high society, Iris has managed to invigorate her father’s domain as acting fief lord. But when an invite comes from the Queens Dowager, Iris finds herself called to court once more… just as the struggle for the crown begins to heat up. Can Iris find a way to manipulate the outcome to her own advantage, or will she become caught in the crossfire?

Review- The plot is starting to move into a more political direction with Isis being noticed for the way that she has reformed her home. She has been pulled back into the royal court and within moments, the second prince and the woman he left her for, start berating her for showing her face. Iris handles it well but she sees that something is going on with the ‘heroine’ Yuri, that Yuri is manipulating the men around her for some reason. The plot is getting more political and will be interesting to see how Iris is going to deal with this. War is on the horizon and the Dowager Queen can see it coming and I am not sure what her end game is but I am really enjoying this series. 

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.