Daytime Shooting Star, vol 5

Today’s post is on Daytime Shooting Star, vol 5 by Mika Yamamori. It is 224 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover is green with Mr. Shishio on it. As it is the fifth in the series,you need to have read the first four volumes to understand the story. There is mild foul language, no sexuality, and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga. The story is told from third person close following the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Suzume has moved to Tokyo and is living with her uncle. Although Mr. Shishio seemed interested in her, he suddenly turns cold and acts threatening toward Mamura. Suzume tries to avoid Mr. Shishio, but he blurts out his true feelings for her...

Review- Just as Suzume is trying to get past her crush on Mr. Shishio, he starts to flirt with her and make her think that he likes her back. And maybe he does but it is very inappropriate and I think that this manga does touch on that. He knows that as her teacher and an adult, what he is doing is wrong, Shishio even hides his face so that they will not be seen together. Suzume does not know what to do so she reaches out back to him. She does not really understand why it is wrong but I think that she is going to learn. And I think that it is going to be a painful lesson. 

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

 

The Big Sleep

Today’s post is on The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. It is 231 pages long and is published by Vintage Crime The cover is blue with Marlowe’s jaw in frame. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes classic noir novels. The story is told from first person close following the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid....He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man.
This is the Code of the Private Eye as defined by Raymond Chandler in his 1944 essay 'The Simple Act of Murder.' Such a man was Philip Marlowe, private eye, an educated, heroic, streetwise, rugged individualist and the hero of Chandler's first novel, The Big Sleep. This work established Chandler as the master of the 'hard-boiled' detective novel, and his articulate and literary style of writing won him a large audience, which ranged from the man in the street to the most sophisticated intellectual. 

Review- This novel is the definitive noir novel and Chandler is a brilliant writer. Everything about this book is amazing; from characters, the setting, the dialog, and the plot. It starts as a simple blackmail job, Marlowe is hired to discover who the blackmailer is and deal with him. Then everything just explodes from there. The dames, the gangsters, the missing husband, and everything in between. It sounds like it would be too much or over the top but it’s not. Everything about this novel is just perfect. I had a wonderful time listening to this novel and I am so looking forward to the next one. 

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.

Rasetsu, Vol. 7

Today’s post is on Rasetsu, Vol. 7 by Chika Shiomi. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has the chief and Rasetsu on it. As it is the seventh in the series you need to have read the first six volumes from this series. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main characters, moving as the story needs. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Yako comes to grips with his feelings for Rasetsu and gives her mixed signals. Meanwhile, Kuryu and Yako visit the site where their boss fought the evil spirit that will eventually claim Rasetsu… but Kuryu suddenly attacks Yako!

Review- Yako is finally dealing with his feelings for Rasetsu. But we are starting to get a real idea about the monster that is hunting her and how powerful it is. The chief of the group has been a mysterious character, but in this volume we see his and Kuryu’s past. When he was young, the chief overestimated his power and attracted the attention of the powerful evil spirit and people died from it. Kuryu is getting desperate to protect Rasetsu from the bad guy that he is willing to take powers from others. I am getting worried about him and what is going to happen to him in the end. Only two more volumes and I am curious about how all this is going to wrap 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.

A Gathering of Shadows

Today’s  post is on A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. It is 509 pages long and is published by TOR. The cover is an illustration of Delilah Bard in black with red hands reaching for her. As it is the second on her Shades of Magic trilogy, you need to have read the first novel to understand the story. There is mild foul language, mild sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes character driven fantasy novels. The story is told from third person close following the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.
Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Review- This novel picks up about four months after the first one with some jumping back in time to show what happened in Lila in particular. Kell is now more of a prisoner than son, Rhy feels guilty for what happened, and Lila is having the time of her life. With a big magic part coming to town all our characters are back in Red London and getting into trouble. Plus Holland isn’t as dead as Kell thinks and is coming for his old friend. At times I found this second novel a bit slow and Lila a bit annoying with her need to push everything to extremes but overall a very strong middle volume. The characters have room to start growing in new ways and the reader discovers more about the world that they live in. The ending was strong with a cliffhanger about Kell and if Lila can rescue him. I am curious about how everything is going to end. 

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

The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age

Today’s nonfiction post is on The Man Who Hated Women: Sex, Censorship, and Civil Liberties in the Gilded Age by Amy Sohn.  It is 386 pages long and is published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The cover is extracted out newspaper clipping with two of the women that Comstock jailed. There is some foul language, very mild sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history, women’s rights, and where they meet. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-Author Amy Sohn presents a narrative history of Anthony Comstock, anti-vice activist and U.S. Postal Inspector, and the remarkable women who opposed his war on women's rights at the turn of the twentieth century. Anthony Comstock, special agent to the Post Office, was one of the most important men in the lives of nineteenth-century women. His eponymous law, passed in 1873, penalized the mailing of contraception and obscenity with harsh sentences and steep fines; his name was soon equated with repression and prudery. Between 1873 and the ratification of the nineteenth amendment in 1920, eight remarkable women were tried under the Comstock Law. These "sex radicals" supported contraception, sexual education, gender equality, and a woman's right to sexual pleasure. They took on Comstock in explicit, bold, personal writing, seeking to redefine work, family, sex, and love for a new era. The Man Who Hated Women tells the overlooked story of their valiant attempts to fight Comstock in court and the press. They were publishers, editors, and doctors, including the first woman presidential candidate, Victoria C. Woodhull; the birth control activist Margaret Sanger; and the anarchist Emma Goldman. In their willingness to go against a monomaniac who viewed reproductive rights as a threat to the American family, they paved the way for modern-day feminism. Risking imprisonment and death, they redefined contraceptive access as a human civil liberty.

Review- An interesting and well written biography of Anthony Comstock and the people he fought with. Sohn takes the reader from the beginning of Comstock's life and his childhood influences that made him into the man who saw the human body as a vile, sinful thing that must be hidden or destroyed. The reader also spends time with the people who Comstock saw as the bringers of filth and evil to young minds. From Free Lovers to nurses and other medical professionals, they all fought against the ignorance that Comstock believed was the root of a woman’s purity and the only way to be a good mother, and motherhood is the only goal that a woman should have. He was a dangerous man to all women and he did his best to make that all women were trapped by marriage and childbirth. Sohn does a wonderful job bringing this piece of women’s history to a modern reader and this is a timely book. I recommend this book for everyone to read. 

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. 

Skip Beat! Vol 23

Today’s post is on Skip Beat! Vol 23 by Yoshiki Nakamura. It is 192 pages long and published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Kyoko in her new role as Natsu. As it is the twenty-third volume in the series you need to have read the first twenty-two minutes. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this volume. The story is told from third person close of the character, moving as the story needs. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Chiori's rage threatens the whole production when she lashes out and hurts Kyoko. Kyoko is used to overcoming obstacles, and she uses her injury as an excuse to push Chiori into exploring her acting. But Chiori has a traumatic past. Will focusing on the dark side of her character bring it all rushing back?! 

Review- This volume is about Kyoko and Chiori working out what is going with Chiori and creating some great characters. Kyoko really pushes Chiori into facing why she left acting and what Chiori wants from being an actor. Of course everyone is focusing on Kyoko and her ability to become her character and she is doing a great job as a bully. We see Ren and Sho for a moment at the end of the volume with Kyoko worrying about what to get Ren for his birthday. I liked seeing Kyoko and Chiori interact on many levels from their characters to the real girls having real conversations about their acting and their goals. I look forward to seeing what trouble is going to happen next. 

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. 

She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs

Today’s nonfiction post is on She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs by Sarah Smarsh.  It is 187 pages long and is published by Scribner. The cover is a black and white picture of Dolly Parton with her guitar. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in Dolly Parton, her life, and her music. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  Growing up amid Kansas wheat fields and airplane factories, Sarah Smarsh witnessed firsthand the particular vulnerabilities—and strengths—of women in working poverty. Meanwhile, country songs by female artists played in the background, telling powerful stories about life, men, hard times, and surviving. In her family, she writes, “country music was foremost a language among women. It’s how we talked to each other in a place where feelings aren’t discussed.” And no one provided that language better than Dolly Parton.

Smarsh challenged a typically male vision of the rural working class with her first book, Heartland, starring the bold, hard-luck women who raised her. Now, in She Come By It Natural, originally published in a four-part series for The Journal of Roots Music, No Depression, Smarsh explores the overlooked contributions to social progress by such women—including those averse to the term “feminism”—as exemplified by Dolly Parton’s life and art.

Far beyond the recently resurrected “Jolene” or quintessential “9 to 5,” Parton’s songs for decades have validated women who go unheard: the poor woman, the pregnant teenager, the struggling mother disparaged as “trailer trash.” Parton’s broader career—from singing on the front porch of her family’s cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains to achieving stardom in Nashville and Hollywood, from “girl singer” managed by powerful men to leader of a self-made business and philanthropy empire—offers a springboard to examining the intersections of gender, class, and culture.

Infused with Smarsh’s trademark insight, intelligence, and humanity, She Come By It Natural is a sympathetic tribute to the icon Dolly Parton and—call it whatever you like—the organic feminism she embodies. 

Review- An interesting series of essays about how Dolly Parton is seen by the people that she writes about in her songs, the rural and working poor. Smarsh grew up working poor and she watched her mother and grandmother listen and live the songs that Parton writes. Smarsh interviews many people, those around Parton herself, Smarsh’s friends, and music industry experts about Patron, her influence, and her business sense. Smarsh has a deep respect and love for Parton and that is reflected in these essays. The book is broken up into different sections about different times in Parton’s life and in the world around her. From when she was the ‘girl singer’ on the Porter Wagoner Show to being the boss and owning her own music label. It is an inspiring journey, about an inspiring and kind woman. We could stand to be a little more like Dolly. 

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.

Yakuza Lover, Vol.2

Today’s post is on Yakuza Lover, Vol.2 by Nozomi Mino. It is 176 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Yuri and Oya on it in an embrace. As it is the second volume in the series you need to have read the first volume to understand the plot. The intended reader is someone who likes josei manga, and over the top romance stories. There is mild foul language, sex, and violence in this manga. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Yuri and Oya’s romantic getaway in Shanghai is cut short when sinister Russian mob boss Semilio kidnaps Yuri and tries to make her his own. But Yuri won’t be won over so easily. As she fights off Semilio’s advances, Oya suddenly comes to her rescue. With Yuri finally out of harm’s way, Oya charges headfirst into battle against Semillio, leaving Yuri to wonder if he’ll make it out alive.

Review- Yuri and Oya are enjoying a weekend away together when his work comes to find them. Yuri is kidnapped then Oya has to deal with the other guy, this volume is full of drama. Story is more serious than the first volume but it is a nice change of pace. I like to see that Mino is stretching her story into more interesting and complex places like dealing with Oya’s job and the danger it will bring Yuri. Another translation for the title is Dangerous Lover and we really see that in this volume. Of course because this is a romance manga all is well in the end but I think that Yuri will experience more of Oya’s real life as the story goes on. 

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. 

Written in Stone

Today's post is on Written in Stone by Ellery Adams.  It is 294 pages long and is published by Berkely Prime Crime. The cover has Olivia’s dog on it sniffing around some food. It is the fourth in Adams’ Books by the Bay series, so you need to have read the first three to understand the characters. There is mild foul language, mild sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes cozy mysteries series with characters that grow.  The story is third person close of the main character, Olivia. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book-  When Munin Cooper, known as the Witch of Oyster Bay, warns Olivia Limoges that death is coming, neither of them realize that it is the older woman herself who will soon be found dead. And Olivia’s instincts tell her that something—or someone—more sinister than a mystical force is at play…
Olivia has a lot on her plate preparing for the Coastal Carolina Food Festival. When she hears the news of Munin’s untimely death, however, finding the murderer takes priority. The witch left behind a memory jug full of keepsakes that Olivia knows must point to the killer—but she’s got to figure out what they mean. With handsome Police Chief Rawlings by her side, Olivia starts to identify some of the jug’s mysterious contents—and finds its secrets are much darker than she suspected. Now Olivia must enlist the help of the Bayside Book Writers to solve the puzzle behind the piece of pottery and put an end to a vengeful killer before any more damage can be done…

Review- Another great volume in this series. Olivia gets pulled into a mystery from an old woman who knew her mother and is warned that death is coming. There is more than just murder in this volume, history is coming back to haunt the present and innocent are going to pay for the crimes of the past. The best thing about this series is the characters, they grow and change from novel to novel. It is very natural and the reader is on the journey with them but it is so nice to have a mystery series with a stable cast that grows and changes with events of the stories. I look forward to reading the next volume. 

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

 

The Gallery of Miracles and Madness: Insanity, Modernism, and Hitler's War on Art

Today’s nonfiction post is on The Gallery of Miracles and Madness: Insanity, Modernism, and Hitler's War on Art by Charlie English.  It is 336 pages long and is published by Random House. The cover is done in an art deco  style font and setting. There is mild foul language, discussions of sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who wants to learn more about Germany pre and during World War 2.  There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- As a veteran of the First World War, and an expert in art history and medicine, Hans Prinzhorn was uniquely placed to explore the connection between art and madness. The work he collected--ranging from expressive paintings to life-size rag dolls and fragile sculptures made from chewed bread--contained a raw, emotional power, and the book he published about the material inspired a new generation of modern artists, Max Ernst, Andre Breton, and Salvador Dali among them. By the mid-1930s, however, Prinzhorn's collection had begun to attract the attention of a far more sinister group.
Modernism was in full swing when Adolf Hitler arrived in Vienna in 1907, hoping to forge a career as a painter. Rejected from art school, this troubled young man became convinced that modern art was degrading the Aryan soul, and once he had risen to power he ordered that modern works be seized and publicly shamed in "degenerate art" exhibitions, which became wildly popular. But this culture war was a mere curtain-raiser for Hitler's next campaign, against allegedly "degenerate" humans, and Prinzhorn's artist-patients were caught up in both. By 1941, the Nazis had murdered 70,000 psychiatric patients in killing centers that would serve as prototypes for the death camps of the Final Solution. Dozens of Prinzhorn artists were among the victims.
The Gallery of Miracles and Madness is a spellbinding, emotionally resonant tale of this complex and troubling history that uncovers Hitler's wars on modern art and the mentally ill and how they paved the way for the Holocaust. Charlie English tells an eerie story of genius, madness, and dehumanization that offers readers a fresh perspective on the brutal ideology of the Nazi regime.

Review- This was a fascinating read about the art of the mentally ill and how it influenced Hitler’s ideas about art and purity. The book starts out with Dr. Hans Prinzhorn and his studies with psychiatric patients. He observed that their art was very similar to the art of modern artists. Prinzhorn made it his life’s work to study and display their art. When Hitler came to power, he was disgusted with modern art and he too saw the similarities between the two. To him it was a sign of degeneracy of both art and the human race. The book moves through the war and what happened to the patients and their art. At times very moving and at times hard to read, I would recommend this book for those who are looking for a new way to study World War 2.  

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.

 

Something's Wrong With Us, Vol. 3

Today’s post is on Something's Wrong With Us, Vol. 3 by Natsumi Andō. It is 160 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has Nao and Tsubaki on it looking up at the reader. As it is the third in the series, you need to have read the first two volumes in the series to understand the story. There is mild foul language, mild sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this volume. The intended reader is someone who likes dark, mature thriller love stories. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Nao. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- CONSUMED

The proprietress has caught onto Nao's true identity, and will do anything to kick her out. But one day, a woman appears, claiming to be Nao's mother and covering for her. As Nao chases the bare threads of connections to her real mother, Tsubaki remains close behind. The two grow further intertwined after overcoming the Shirafujiya incident, incurring the wrath of the old master, and sharing a room... But trust is far from the Kogetsuan home where Tsubaki admits to Nao that if he ever saw Sakura again, he'd make Sakura disappear.

Review- Nao is getting really over her head with this family when someone, probably Tsubaki’s mother, tries to kill her. Tsubaki is now starting to trust her but he doubts himself more than he doubts anyone else and that is impressive because he really shouldn’t trust anyone in that house, not even Nao. But Nao has someone on the outside helping her and covering for her for some reason and they are still a mystery as of the ending of this volume. Tusbaki’s mother is much more complicated than I first thought as she is scheming something that she can only do if Tsubaki gets control of the house. This is a very intense thriller with everyone lying to everyone for their own secret needs from revenge to power. You can’t help but be drawn in. 

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.

Crooked House

Today’s post is on Crooked House by Agatha Christie. It is 236 pages and is published by  William Marrow. The cover is red with a house and a light coming from a window. The intended reader is someone who is interested in classic mystery stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of the main character Charles. There Be Spoilers. 

From the dust jacket- In the sprawling, half-timbered mansion in the affluent suburb of Swinly Dean, Aristide Leonides lies dead from barbiturate poisoning. An accident? Not likely. In fact, suspicion has already fallen on his luscious widow, a cunning beauty fifty years his junior, set to inherit a sizeable fortune, and rumored to be carrying on with a strapping young tutor comfortably ensconced in the family estate. But criminologist Charles Hayward is casting his own doubts on the innocence of the entire Leonides brood. He knows them intimately. And he's certain that in a crooked house such as Three Gables, no one's on the level...

Review- A wonderful mystery from the queen of the genre. Charles wants to get married to long -time girlfriend but the sudden death of her grandfather puts everything to a halt. His girlfriend, Sophia, wants to know what happened to her grandfather before she will get married and asks Charles to come down and help. There are many twists in this mystery from how was the grandfather murdered to why the final murder happens. The characters are interesting and very dramatic from silent wives to fainting mothers and all that money, just about everything you could want from a mystery. This was one of Christie’s favorite works, personally, and I agree with her that it is a masterpiece. 

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.