Rurouni Kenshin volume 26

Today's post is on Rurouni Kenshin volume 26 by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It is 185 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has Kaoru and Tomoe in the foreground with Kenshin and Enishi behind them. It is the twenty-sixth volume in the long running series. You have to have read the first twenty-five in the series to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical stories, manga, and interesting characters. There is no foul language, no sex, but some violence in this series. The story is told from third person close following different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- If there's one thing tough-as-nails street brawler--and ex-Sekihô Army cadet--Sagara Sanosuke can't stand, it's hypocritical, loudmouthed braggarts who talk the talk but are incapable of walking the walk. Finding himself in the middle of a provincial squabble between an old man and the local yakuza, Sano returns to his old "fight merchant" ways and agrees to do some ad hoc butt kicking for pay. But the old man he's hired to tangle with might be his strongest foe to date.

Review- Most of the volume is Sanosuke dealing with his past.  He goes home to think about everything that happened with Kenshin and Kaoru. He gets hired to fight some old man who is in the way of the local bad guy. Sano wants to fight someone because that helps him work stuff out. But the old man is his father.Sano gets some nice character development. We get to see the family that he comes from and they are interesting themselves. Back to Tokyo, Kenshin wakes up because Tomoe smiled and spoke to him in a dream. He is finally ready to face Enishi and rescue Kaoru. Everyone is there for the showdown. The volume ends with Enishi's partner trying to steal his revenge from him. More fights, more drama, and more action ahead!

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,

Lady's Bridget's Diary

Today's post is on Lady's Bridget's Diary by Maya Rodale. It is the first in her Keeping up with the Cavendishes series. It is 361 pages long and is published by Avon Books. The cover is white with Lady Bridget in the center looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes retellings, funny characters, and quick reads. There is no foul language, sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is told from the third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From back of the book- Lord Darcy is the quintessential Englishman: wealthy, titled, impossibly proper, and horrified that a pack of Americans has inherited one of England's most respected dukedoms. But his manners, his infamous self-restraint, and his better judgment fly out the window when he finds himself with the maddening American girl next door.
Lady Bridget Cavendish has grand—but thwarted—plans to become a Perfect Lady and take the haute ton by storm. In her diary, Bridget records her disastrous attempts to assimilate into London high society, her adoration of the handsome rogue next door, her disdain for the Dreadful Lord Darcy, and some truly scandalous secrets that could ruin them all.
It was loathing at first sight for Lady Bridget and Lord Darcy. But their paths keep crossing . . . and somehow involve kissing. When Lady Bridget's diary goes missing, both Darcy and Bridget must decide what matters most of all—a sterling reputation or a perfectly imperfect love.

Review-  This was a fun retelling of Pride and Prejudice with some fun twists. The only problem I have is that no gentleman would behave like that in front of or with a lady. But overlooking that, I had a fun time with this book. The characters were funny, I liked the siblings, and Lord Darcy was as stuffy as he should be. The family dynamics were very fun and really added something to the story. The subplot of the other woman was unnecessary drama and the way that that Lord Darcy handled it did not surprise me or impress me. But as much as I had reading this I do not think that I will be reading any more in the series. The writing was just okay. It was not bad but it really just did not grab me.

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 World in Flames: A Black Boyhood in a White Supremacist Doomsday Cult

Today's Nonfiction post is on The World in Flames: A Black Boyhood in a White Supremacist Doomsday Cult by Jerald Walker. It is 208 pages long and is published by Beacon Press. The cover is red with flames and a bible in the background. The intended reader is someone who is interested in cults and memoirs. There is mild foul language, drug use,  sexuality, and mild violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A memoir of growing up with blind, African-American parents in a segregated cult preaching the imminent end of the world
When The World in Flames begins, in 1970, Jerry Walker is six years old. His consciousness revolves around being a member of a church whose beliefs he finds not only confusing but terrifying. Composed of a hodgepodge of requirements and restrictions (including a prohibition against doctors and hospitals), the underpinning tenet of Herbert W. Armstrong s Worldwide Church of God was that its members were divinely chosen and all others would soon perish in rivers of flames.
The substantial membership was ruled by fear, intimidation, and threats. Anyone who dared leave the church would endure hardship for the remainder of this life and eternal suffering in the next. The next life, according to Armstrong, would arrive in 1975, three years after the start of the Great Tribulation. Jerry would be eleven years old.
Jerry s parents were particularly vulnerable to the promise of relief from the world s hardships. When they joined the church, in 1960, they were living in a two-room apartment in a dangerous Chicago housing project with the first four of their seven children, and, most significantly, they both were blind, having lost their sight to childhood accidents. They took comfort in the belief that they had been chosen for a special afterlife, even if it meant following a religion with a white supremacist ideology and dutifully sending tithes to Armstrong, whose church boasted more than 100,000 members and more than $80 million in annual revenues at its height.
When the prophecy of the 1972 Great Tribulation does not materialize, Jerry is considerably less disappointed than relieved. When the 1975 end-time prophecy also fails, he finally begins to question his faith and imagine the possibility of choosing a destiny of his own.

Review- A riveting and well written account of a young boy growing into a young man in a frightening cult that said the world would end before he was twelve.  This was more than just a memoir surviving a cult, it is about a young man finding himself as he grows up. Walker goes from being a believer to being honest with himself about his beliefs and how he sees his family as he changes. I really enjoyed this book but I did not like the ending. It was just over. He was walking to get a fake ID then he realized that he had left the faith he was raised in and then the book was over. I wanted to see what happened after he left the faith but was still at home. How did he get from there to being a professor at Emerson College. What happened to the rest of his family. I hope that Walker writes more about his life and I would love to read about what happened after as he grew into a man, husband, and father.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I won this book from Library Thing to review. 

Rurouni Kenshin volume 25

Today's post is on Rurouni Kenshin volume 25 by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It is 208 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has Kenshin, Yahikio and Sanosuke looking cool and ready for a fight. It is the twenty-fifth volume in the long running series. You have to have read the first twenty-four in the series to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical stories, manga, and interesting characters. There is no foul language, no sex, but some violence in this series. The story is told from third person close following different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Kujiranami, the giant whose right arm Kenshin severed during the Bakumatsu, escapes from prison and goes on the rampage. He is armed with a frightening new weapon, and the police force is helpless against his wrath. One warrior has the courage to stand up to him: Myôjin Yahiko, Kenshin's youthful ward and Kaoru's only student in Kamiya Kasshin-ryû. And while it's true that Yahiko's skill has increased, will he alone be able to stop a deranged Kujiranami? If Kenshin doesn't do something quick, this will certainly be Yahiko's greatest--and last--battle!

Review-  This volume is about Yahiko fighting someone who can and will kill him. Tsubame goes running to Kenshin for one last attempt to get help. Kenshin has been totally gone but because Tsubame calls to him for help, he reponses. The old man who has been sitting with Kenshin says that revenge would not reach Kenshin because he does not care about revenge. But someone, anyone, needed help Kenshin will always response to. Yahiko pulls the few police that are in Tokyo together to try and stop Kujiranami. He faces Kujiranami himself to give innocent people time to get out of his way. Kujiranami sees Kenshin in Yahiko and that drives him even crazier. Not much happens with Kaoru and Enishi; just getting ready to face Kenshin and friends. Aoshi and Saito find where Enishi is, so everything is ready for the beginning of the final face off. More action, more drama, and more fighting ahead!

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. 

Ghost Talkers

Today's post is on Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal. It is a stand alone novel best I can tell. It is 299 pages long and is published by TOR. The cover multicolored with the main character in the center and a dead man at her feet. The intended reader is someone who likes historical novels with something extra, interesting worlds, and plots that keep you guessing. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and violence in this novel. The story is told from third person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force.
Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence.
Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she's just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing…

Review- This is one of the best books I have read last year. The plot is wonderful with just enough mystery to keep moving, the characters are interesting with lots of personality, and the world building is fantastic. The war is in the background of the story, it is something that is everywhere but it is not overwhelming. Ginger is a good heroine. She is interesting, she is curious, and she is brave. She does what needs to be done because it is right and if she doesn't do it who will? Kowal builds a very real world of people who can talk to ghosts. I wonder is she is going to continue in this world and what other magic may exist in it.

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

Brillinace and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds

Today's post is on Brillinace and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds by Rachelle Bergstein. It is 384 pages long and is published by Harper Collins. The cover is blue with white lines making diamond shapes and cuts. The intended reader is someone interested in the history of diamonds both scientifically and socially. There is no foul language, no sex, and no direct violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book-  A diamond is forever." Who among us doesn’t recognize this phrase and, with it, the fascination that these shiny gemstones hold in our collective imagination as symbols of royalty, stars, and eternal love? But who gave us this catchphrase? Where do these gemstones and their colorful legacies originate? How did they become our culture’s symbol of engagement and marriage? Why have they retained their coveted status throughout the centuries?

Rachelle Bergstein’s cultural biography of the diamond illuminates the enticing, often surprising, story of our society’s enduring obsession with the hardest gemstone—and the people who have worked tirelessly to ensure their continued allure. From the South African mines where most diamonds have been sourced since the late 1890s to the companies who have fought to monopolize them; from the stars who have dazzled in them to the people behind the scenes who have carefully crafted our understanding of their value—Brilliance and Fire offers a glittering history of the world’s most coveted gemstone and its greatest champions and most colorful enthusiasts.

Review- This was an interesting account of the history of jewels and diamonds in particular. Bergstein covers the basic history of diamonds without getting stuck in the details. We move back and forth over the course of history with different diamonds and people. She talks about diamonds in her own family's lives and how diamonds came to be seen as forever. Bergstein explains how diamonds were not the once preferred gems that they are today and about the people who changed that. All this information is given in a well written and easily digested manner. I enjoyed this book and I feel that I have a better idea about the general history of diamonds now.

I give this book Five out of Five stars. I was given this book to review by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. 

Rurouni Kenshin volume 24

Today's post is on Rurouni Kenshin volume 24 by Nobuhiro Watsuki. It is 208 pages long and is published by Shonen Jump. The cover has Kenshin and Yahikio in color and Kaoru in the background greyed out. It is the twenty-fourth volume in the long running series. You have to have read the first twenty-three in the series to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical stories, manga, and interesting characters. There is no foul language, no sex, but some violence in this series. The story is told from third person close following different characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- To defeat an enemy in combat is one thing. To destroy an enemy's spirit by striking at what he holds dearest is another. Kenshin always felt that, so long as he wielded a sakabatô, those within his sight could be protected from harm, yet while he is incapacitated by the gargantuan Kujiranami of the "Six Comrades," Enishi seizes upon the opportunity to cripple Kenshin's resolve, and will to fight, for good. If Kaoru dies, will Kenshin's dream of a new Japan die with her?

Review- So much happens in this volume. Enishi finishes his revenge and it is terrible. Misao and Aoshi get to Tokyo too late and discover the aftermath. Kenshin is really not present in this volume because of Enishi's revenge. Aoshi is really starting to come back to himself and he has the best fight in this volume. He shows his brilliant mind that won his side of the war. What pushes him into action is Misao and how heartbroken she is over Enishi's revenge. Kaoru is in real danger but I feel that she is being more than just a the love interest in this volume. She does stuff in this volume and I am glad to see it and I hope that continues. More drama, more action, and more fighting ahead.

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.