Skip Beat, vol 28

Today's post is on Skip Beat, vol 28 by Yoshiki Nakamura. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Kyoko in her Love Me uniform looking at the reader. As it is the twenty-eighth in the series, you need to have read the first twenty-seven. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Kyoko and Ren. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Ren's new roles are dredging up old memories best left buried, and he's having trouble dealing with the emotional turmoil. But the President was right when he claimed Kyoko was Ren's good luck charm. Will her strange but good-natured ways be enough to keep him from his own darkness?

Review- We get a lot of Ren's back story in this volume and start to see what he is running from. Of course Kyoko has no idea about what is going in his head because she is too worried about herself. The character development in this volume is great. Kyoko gets to see how Ren deals when he feels underprepared for a role. those moments help balance out the serious plot development with Ren. It ends with Kyoko having an emotional crisis herself and I can't wait to see how she handles it. 

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.

A Day of Fallen Night

Today's fiction post is on A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. It is 880 pages long and is published by Bloomsbury Publishing. The cover has a blue Asian dragon on it. The intended reader is someone who likes epic fantasy. This is a prequel to Priory of the Orange Tree but you can read this novel as a stand alone. There is mild foul language, sex and sexuality, and violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms – but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose.
To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow – exactly where she wants to be.
The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate.
When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.

Review- This is an incredible fantasy novel. It is in the same world as Priory of the Orange Tree. It takes place in the past and deals with a uprising of the fire dragons. Like Priory, the story is told from all over the globe with characters dealing with the same problems. This novel puts many things from Priory into motion and explains some things and why some people are where they are. We see more of the kingdom of Seiiki and how the Rainbow Throne ended and the beginning of the dragon riders. So much happens in this novel and I hope that Shannon has more planned. Shannon is a great writer, she knows how to balance world building with character development. She never overwhelms the reader with details, instead everything in the novel happens naturally and the reader is with the characters as the plot moves. I highly recommend this novel. 

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.

The Earl and the Pharaoh

Today's nonfiction post is on The Earl and the Pharaoh by The Countess of Carnarvon. It is 400 pages long and is published by Harper. The cover is blue with a castle at the bottom and a pharaoh's mask on top. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of the Earl of Carnarvon. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In November 1922, the world was mesmerized by news of an astonishing historical find in Egypt's legendary Valley of Kings: the discovery of the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. George Herbert, himself a famed amateur Egyptologist and noted antiquities collector, financed the expedition and excavation headed by lead archaeologist Howard Carter, and accompanied him inside this sacred space that had remained untouched for centuries.
Inside the tomb, the explorers found King Tut's sarcophagus and a treasure trove of astonishing artifacts: chariots and model boats, board games and paintings, a coffin made of pure gold. But these objects were more than just beautifully crafted works of art; they shed new light on Tutankhamun world and this fabled period of history, and changed our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians had lived--transforming overnight what had been formed through centuries of history and myth.
Drawing on Highclere Castle's archives, Lady Fiona Carnarvon pays homage to her ancestor on the 100th anniversary of this extraordinary event. In vivid and dramatic detail, she brings into focus the larger-than-life characters and lustrous settings--as well as those twists of luck and tragedies that shaped Herbert's life. Across the early 1900s, Highclere saw no less drama than the fictional Downton Abbey, with early tragedies for the Earl and love affairs, as well highs of exorbitant wealth and trials of punishing debt. But above all there was adventure. While Herbert first went to Egypt for his health, this mysterious, romantic land would become a second home; the beloved place where he funneled his attentions over a period of decades, never quite realizing how great the fruits of his labors would prove.

Review- This is not a book about Egyptology and the discovery of King Tut's tomb. It is a biography of the Earl of Carnarvon and his life, in which he was interested in Egyptology but that was just a small part of his life. The book starts with his birth and goes until his death and it covers everything in between. Herbert was a man of many interests, from flying to racing horses and Egyptology was just one. He did help Howard Carter get funding and help to do his excavations. He did have a collection of many priceless artifacts but I was expecting a story just about the discovery of the tomb not a life story of a man tangentially involved in the discovery. The writing is fine but at times can drag with all the details about the Earl's life. If you are a fan of Downton Abbey and want to learn more about the real people that inspired it, then you may like this book. But if you are looking for an in-depth book about the discover of King Tut's tomb, then you should pass on this book. 

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.

Revolutionary Girl Utena, Vol. 5: To Blossom

Today's post is on Revoluntionry Girl Utena, vol 5: To Blossom by Chiho Saito and Be-Papas. It is 168 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has Utena, Anthy, and Akio. As it is the fifth volume in the series, you need to have read the first four to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo manga, over the top plots, and no so end of the world stories. The story is told from third person close perspective of the main characters, Utena and at times Anthy. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Utena has now met her prince and discovered the secret behind World's End. Accompanied by friend Anthy and her sword Dios, she's ready to revolutionize the world, unless fate has other plans. 

Review- Utena finally understands what happened to her, when she was child, and what is really means. She did meet Dios, not Akio, and Dios gave what was left of his power to her, to save Anthy and the world from Akio. In the end Utena uses that power to stop Akio but a heavy price. This series is very good, with lots of tropes that will become common in shojo. The answers in the end are fine but the journey was more important to both the reader and Utena herself. The end is more than a little ambiguous with what really happened to Utena and Akio in the end. I would have liked more chapters in this series and I am going to read the side stories that have been written later. A solid classic in shojo manga history and a must read for all shojo manga fans or any manga fan who wants to have a good grounding in classic manga. 

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.

Sisters in Resistance: How a German Spy, a Banker's Wife, and Mussolini's Daughter Outwitted the Nazis

Today's nonfiction post is on Sisters in Resistance: How a German Spy, a Banker's Wife, and Mussolini's Daughter Outwitted the Nazis by Tilar J. Mazzeo. It is 336 pages long and is published by Grand Central Publishing. The cover is a group of pictures of the three women. The intended reader is someone who is interested in World War 2 history and women's history. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- In 1944, news of secret diaries kept by Italy's Foreign Minister, Galeazzo Ciano, had permeated public consciousness. What wasn't reported, however, was how three women—a Fascist's daughter, a German spy, and an American banker’s wife—risked their lives to ensure the diaries would reach the Allies, who would later use them as evidence against the Nazis at Nuremberg.
In 1944, Benito Mussolini's daughter, Edda, gave Hitler and her father an ultimatum: release her husband, Galeazzo Ciano, from prison, or risk her leaking her husband's journals to the press. To avoid the peril of exposing Nazi lies, Hitler and Mussolini hunted for the diaries for months, determined to destroy them.
Hilde Beetz, a German spy, was deployed to seduce Ciano to learn the diaries' location and take them from Edda. As the seducer became the seduced, Hilde converted as a double agent, joining forces with Edda to save Ciano from execution. When this failed, Edda fled to Switzerland with Hilde’s daring assistance to keep Ciano's final wish: to see the diaries published for use by the Allies. When American spymaster Allen Dulles learned of Edda's escape, he sent in Frances De Chollet, an “accidental” spy, telling her to find Edda, gain her trust, and, crucially, hand the diaries over to the Americans. Together, they succeeded in preserving one of the most important documents of WWII.
Drawing from in‑depth research and first-person interviews with people who witnessed these events, Mazzeo gives readers a riveting look into this little‑known moment in history and shows how, without Edda, Hilde, and Frances's involvement, certain convictions at Nuremberg would never have been possible.

Review- A very interesting look into three women who fought to protect the journals of Galeazzo Ciano and all the history within them. After his death Germany wanted his dairies to cover up what really happened in Italy. A good drive into what was going on inside the family of Mussolini-Ciano, from the affairs, the fights, and the politics. Ciano was a charming man and that charm was what helped his journals survive the war. The real heart of the story is women who worked so hard to safe them and everything they endured to make the dairies public. The book covers the whole scope of the war but most of the action is toward the end of war. The reader will learn a lot of about Edda and her life before, during, and after the war. She was a very interesting person and I enjoyed learning about her. I would recommend this book. 

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

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 2

 

Today's post is on The Promised Neverland, vol 2 by Kaiu Shirai and art by Posuka Demizu. It is 189 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has Emma and her friends searching for something in their house library. As is the second in this plot heavy manga series, so you need to have read the first volume to understand the characters and story. The intended reader is someone who likes horror-fantasy manga. 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- Behind the facade of a happy orphanage, the children of Grace Field House are secretly being raised as food for demons! Determined to save themselves and the other kids, Emma, Norman, and Ray begin planning an escape. But their caretaker, "Mom," has brought in extra help to keep the orphans in line...

Review- The kids know that they are racing against time as Mom knows about their plan. They have a traitor in their group, someone who is feeding Mom information about their plans. This volume is more about Norman and Ray, building their characters and motivations. They both want to escape but only one wants to help Emma get the other children out. The new Sister Krone is pretty scary, as she is an unknown and her plans are to replace Mom herself. Mom is not too much in this volume but her shadow is over them and their plans. The reader is reminded of the ticking clock over the children's heads at the end of the volume. This was a good volume with character development and rising tension for the next shipment day. I look to reading the next volume. 

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. 

All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind

Today's nonfiction post is All That Is Wicked: A Gilded-Age Story of Murder and the Race to Decode the Criminal Mind by Kate Winkler Dawson. It is 320 pages long and is published by G.P. Putman's Sons. The cover is blue with a red skull in the center. The intended reader is someone who likes historical true crime. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead

From the dust jacket- Edward Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer--some have called him a "Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter"--whose crimes spanned decades and whose victims were chosen out of revenge, out of envy, and sometimes out of necessity. From his humble beginnings in upstate New York to the dazzling salons and social life he established in New York City, at every turn Rulloff used his intelligence and regal bearing to evade detection and avoid punishment. He could talk his way out of any crime...until one day, Rulloff's luck ran out.
By 1871 Rulloff sat chained in his cell--a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century mind hunters tried to understand what made him tick. From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyze the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analyzed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made? Eventually, Rulloff's brain would be placed in a jar at Cornell University as the prize specimen of their anatomy collection...where it still sits today, slowly moldering in a dusty jar. But his story--and its implications for the emerging field of criminal psychology--were just beginning.

Review- A very interesting historical true crime story that helped both undermine phrenology and credit to psychiatry. Rulloff was considered as brilliant by some but a cold blooded killer by all. He defied the logic of the day as he was not deformed or handicapped in anyway. So in the logic of the time, he should not be a killer. But he did kill his wife and baby daughter. So Rulloff was the debate of the century. The writing is not bad but it does drag at times. I would recommend this book if you are a historical true crime fan. 

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.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 7

Today's post is on The Way of the Househusband, vol 7 by Kousuke Oono. It is 168 pages long and is published by Viz Media. The cover has Tatsu and his cat on it. As it is the seventh in the series, you need to have read the first six volumes to understand the story and the humor. There is no foul language, no sex, and comedy violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the the different characters to make the humor stronger. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Tatsu is tasked with squeezing the locals for money owed to the association- the neighborhood association, that is. But when the former gangster tried to collect, what should be a quick and easy job ends up anything but! All your faves are back in action as the cozy yakuza comedy continues!

Review- More funny stories about Tatsu and his not so ordinary life. There are so many good stories in this volume from Tatsu creating haikus with his father-in-law and having a haiku challenge with his old boss to making homemade sake with his second Masa. We get to see more of how Tastu and Miku met and how she helped him after whatever trouble he got into. This is the funniest manga ever, I swear.

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.

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, Vol. 1: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tou

Today's post is on Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, Vol. 1: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour by Tee Franklin and Max Sarin (Illustrator). It is 144 pages long and is published by DC Comics. The cover has Harley and Ivy in the center with side characters around them. The intended reader is someone who has watched the tv series. There is foul language, sexuality, and humorous violence in this comic. The story is told from third person close of Harley and Ivy. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Hey, do you wanna see Harley and Ivy go on a road trip and make out??? Picking up directly from the cliffhanger ending of Harley Quinn: The Animated Series, Harley and Ivy are on the run in a Thelma-and-Louise journey, it's all here!
Harley and Ivy on the road trip of the century! Following the wedding disaster of the decade, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy end up on the run from Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD! But as fun as all that sounds, Ivy still worries over leaving Kite Man at the altar... Luckily, Harley's got the perfect scheme to shake her out of her wedding-day blues!
This incredible volume is packed to the brim containing Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour #1-6!

Review- As a huge fan of both Harley and Ivy, this is a great season 2.5 of the series. The comic picks up where season 2 ended and Harley and Ivy are going on epic road trip. They have a lot of talk about because of the ending of season 2 and there is some talking, some fighting, and lots of other fun in this comic. This show and comic has one of favorite representations of Commissioner Gordon, he is so unhinged and it is hilarious. The art is very fun with little silly touches, like heart eyes and the like. I like the more humorous take on the DC characters from Batfam to other heroes from the Justice League. If you are a fan of the TV series, you need to read this comic. 

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

Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People

Today's nonfiction post is on Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party's Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon. It is 400 pages long and is published by Candlewick Press. The cover is yellow with different pictures of the Black Panther Party and it's members. The intended reader is someone who someone who is interested in the history of the Black Panther Party and American history. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and discussion of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In this comprehensive, inspiring, and all-too-relevant history of the Black Panther Party, Kekla Magoon introduces readers to the Panthers’ community activism, grounded in the concept of self-defense, which taught Black Americans how to protect and support themselves in a country that treated them like second-class citizens. For too long the Panthers’ story has been a footnote to the civil rights movement rather than what it was: a revolutionary socialist movement that drew thousands of members—mostly women—and became the target of one of the most sustained repression efforts ever made by the U.S. government against its own citizens.
Revolution in Our Time puts the Panthers in the proper context of Black American history, from the first arrival of enslaved people to the Black Lives Matter movement of today. Kekla Magoon’s eye-opening work invites a new generation of readers grappling with injustices in the United States to learn from the Panthers’ history and courage, inspiring them to take their own place in the ongoing fight for justice.

Review- This is a very well written and interesting account of the Black Panther Party and its members. Magoon covers the history of African Americans from slavery to Jim Crow laws and why the Black Panther Party was and still is needed. Magoon also profiles the major players in the Party and how they worked together to make a difference in their communities. Nothing is held back from reasons why the Party was needed from police brutality to black citizens to the free breakfast programs. The Party was more than just black men with guns, they were about protecting innocent people, feeding hungry children, and helping citizens understand their rights as Americans. I would recommend this book for those interested in American history and African American history. 

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.

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, vol 7

 

Today's post is on Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, vol 7 by Rin Mikimoto. It is 200 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. As it is the seventh in the long running series, you need to have read the first sex volumes to understand the story. The cover has the two main characters on it, looking cute in pjs. There is no foul language, mild sexuality, and mild violence 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- Disbanded
With Mitsuki constantly threatening to ruin everything Kaede loves, Kaede has decided it's time for Hinana to learn the truth. When Kaede whos up at Hinana's door, he's prepared to tell her all the terrible things he did to Funny Bone. But will this really make Hinana and Kaede's bond stronger? When their relationship is tested by Misuki's onslaughts, Kaede may be pushed to take more drastic measures!

Review- Kaede tells Hinana what happened in his past with the guys from Funny Bone and tragic loss that they all had. They went to the same school and wanted to climb to the stop together. But Kaede discovered that he loved acting more than singing and when he told the group, they had a big fallout. Hinana understands Kaede more now and they are trying to grow together. Of course that doesn't stop his old bandmate from continuing to try and ruin their relationship. The volume ends on a cliffhanger with Hinana's mother discovering that she is dating Kaede. This series continues to impress me with how it handles hard topics and still be funny and cute. I am looking forward to the next volume. 

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.