Love in Focus, Vol. 2

Today’s post is on Love in Focus, Vol. 2 by Yoko Nogiri. It is 176 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has the two male leads, Kie and Misuru, on it looking at the reader. As it is the second volume you need to have read the first volume to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The intended reader is someone who likes coming of age stories and high school romances. The story is mostly told from the third person close of Mako but some added in scenes from other characters for plot development. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- ALL MIXED UP

After earning Mitsuru's trust, Mako's beginning to get the hang of living in Lens Inn with the high school photo club. Behind the scenes, however, Mako's best friend Kei warns Mitsuru to keep his distance. This ominous message exposes Kei's feelings for Mako, but Mitsuru is the only one who knows! Later, when the club members all go on a field trip together, a sudden downpour strands Mako and Mitsuru. What will the two do?!

Review- Mako is trying to sort her feelings and now she has to deal with the fact that two boys both like her. The boys themselves are trying to make themselves known to her and each other. It is very sweet, this story of first love. I like all the characters, Mako who has only lived in her camera before now, Kei who wants more from life and Mako, and Mitsuru who is learning to want something for the first time himself. They are so very earnest and sincere. With only one volume left, I’m not sure how anything is going to turn out but I will find out soon enough. 

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.

Teen Titans: Beast Boy loves Raven

Today’s nonfiction post is on Teen Titans: Beast Boy loves Raven by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo. It is 208 pages long and is published by DC Ink. As it is the third in the DC Ink series you need to have read the first two volumes to understand the story. The cover is a picture of Gar and Raven on it. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who likes DC characters and their origins. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- It seems like years, but it’s only been a few days since Raven Roth recovered her memories, trapped her demon father, Trigon, into her amulet, and had her heart broken for the first time. But she doesn’t have time to think about the past…she has to focus on finding a way to get rid of Trigon for good.
Garfield Logan still can’t believe he has powers that allow him to change into different animals, but the price of knowing that his parents kept this secret hidden from him just feels too high. And what’s more, his difficulty controlling these abilities could have unexpected consequences.
Both are seeking answers from the one person who seems to have them all figured out: Slade Wilson.
When their paths converge in Nashville, Raven and Gar can’t help but feel a connection, despite the secrets they both try to hide. It will take a great amount of trust and courage to overcome the wounds of their pasts. But can they find acceptance for the darkest part of themselves? Or maybe even love?

Review- Continuing the adventures from the previous books Gar and Raven are off to meet a mystery man, Slade, who says that he can help them with their problems. They meet by chance and spend some time together and being teenagers, they get crushes quickly. Then the plot comes back and they are kidnapped by the bad guys who want their powers for themselves and the ‘greater good’. Plus we meet Damien Wayne and he is a spicy boy and I like him. I am very curious about what the overall plot is and I have to wait until next year before the next volume comes out for more story. I do like this series and I want to read more but man that wait is going to kill me. 

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.

At Any Cost: A Father's Betrayal, a Wife's Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice

Today’s post is on At Any Cost: A Father's Betrayal, a Wife's Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice by Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar. It is 304 pages long and is published by St. Martin’s Press. The cover is gray with a tall apartment building on it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime. There is some foul language, some sex, and some violence in this manga. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- At Any Cost unravels the twisted story of Rod Covlin, whose unrepentant greed drove him to an unspeakable act of murder and betrayal that rocked New York City.
Wealthy, beautiful, and brilliant, Shele Danishefsky had fulfillment at her fingertips. Having conquered Wall Street, she was eager to build a family with her much younger husband, promising Ivy League graduate Rod Covlin. But when his hidden vices surfaced, marital harmony gave way to a merciless divorce. Rod had long depended on Shele's income to fund his tastes for high stakes backgammon and infidelity—and she finally vowed to sever him from her will. In late December 2009, Shele made an appointment with her lawyer to block him from her millions. She would never make it to that meeting.
Two days later, on New Year’s Eve, Shele was found dead in the bathtub of her Upper West Side apartment. Police ruled it an accident, and Shele’s deeply Orthodox Jewish family quickly buried her without an autopsy on religious grounds. Rod had a clear path to his ex-wife's fortune, but suspicions about her death lingered. As the two families warred over custody of Shele’s children—and their inheritance—Rod concocted a series of increasingly demented schemes, even plotting to kill his own parents, to secure the treasure. And as investigators closed in, Rod committed a final, desperate act to frame his own daughter for her mother’s death.
Journalists Rebecca Rosenberg and Selim Algar reconstruct the ten years that passed between the day Shele was found dead and the day her killer faced justice in this riveting account of how one man’s irrepressible greed devolved into obsession, manipulation, and murder. 

Review- This is a very tragic story about a family that is torn apart by greed and murder. Shele Danishefsky was trying to leave her husband when she died under mysterious conditions. For the next ten years her family fights to find answers and get justice for her. Rosenberg and Algar do intense research into this case and do their best to recreate what happened so long ago. I do think that they made up their minds as they were writing the book but I did find the evidence as presented to be convincing. I found this story to be very heartbreaking for many reasons from Shele’s family losing her so young to her children never knowing their mother or her family, as their father kept the children from that half of their family. In the end it is difficult to say whether justice was served but I personally think that it was. 

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.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (Manga) Vol. 4

Today’s post is on My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (Manga) Vol. 4 by Satoru Yamaguchi, Nami Hidaka (Illustrations). It is 176 pages long and is published by Seven Seas. The cover has Katarina on it with her brother Keith and friend Nicol behind her. As it the the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes otome games, humorous manga, and making fun of tropes. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this volume. The story is told from third person close of mostly Katarina but with lots of asides from other characters in this volume. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Asleep and Scheming

After Katarina discovered that the student council president Sirius Deek was a hidden villain in the dating sim she was reborn into, she fell under the spell of his black magic. Now, in a deep sleep, she must navigate her previous life to uncover information that will help her save Maria from the same fate. Will she fate in time to defeat Sirius? Or will Katarina finally meet her doom?

Review- An excellent volume in a series that I just love. Katarina is in a sleeping beauty from Sirius and she will die unless she can be woken up. Of course everyone is trying their best on their side but Katarina is dreaming about her life before. She is happy to see her family again but she doesn’t belong there anymore and her best friend helps her to wake up. It is a very moving scene between the two of them and it revealed that her best friend, Acchan, is now Sophia in this new life. Of course Katarina saves the day and her life. I have so enjoyed this series and I look forward to the next volume. 

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

Fever

Today’s post is on Fever by Lauren DeStefano. It is the second in her The Chemical Garden trilogy. It is 341 pages long and is published by Simon and Schuster. The cover is tan with a girl in the middle holding a tarot card. As it is the second novel in the trilogy you need to have read the first volume to understand the story. There is mild foul language, discussing of sex and sexuality, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of the main character, Rhine. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

Review- Rhine and Gabriel have escaped and are on the run into a world that neither of them know. Most of the story is about Rhine and Gabriel seeing what the world is really like now and doing their best to not die. Gabriel is sweet and loyal but in over his head and Rhine is getting sick but not with whatever kills young adults, something else, something her father in law did to her. I enjoyed this volume more than the first one, I liked seeing more of the world, I liked seeing Rhine and Gabriel working together and exploring the world in their search for Rhine’s twin. The world is hard and our heroes learn over the course of the story and grow. The ending is good with Rhine seeing her brother and now she has a fight to get free from her father in law. I am curious about how the story is going to end. 

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

History is Delicious

Today’s nonfiction post is on History is Delicious by Joshua Lurie and Laura Foy (Illustrator). It is 80 pages long and is published by Honest History. The cover is an illustration of different foods from around the world. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who wants to know more about food history at a basic level or has children who are curious about world foods. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A delicious children’s book by Honest History uncovering the history of cuisine and culture from around the globe. From well-known cultures to those just being rediscovered, History Is Delicious explores the history of different dishes, cultural traditions, and even a few great recipes. What does Ethiopian cuisine look and taste like? Find out for yourself with each beautifully illustrated page that makes learning about food fun. Discover the role cuisine plays in the fabric of unique cultures from around the world and enjoy some great tasting food along the way. Featured sections include History of European Cuisine, Dining "Do's and Don'ts," Dumplings of the World, Recipes from Around the World, and so much more.

Review- A great food about food history for young readers with some fun recipes to try out. Lurie takes the reader all around the world and through the history of food. He uses straight forward language, not too simple or too complex, to guide the reader and inform them. Foy’s illustrations are very cute but good reflections of the real foods and ingredients used to create the foods. The recipes are simple enough for a child to do with some help from a parent and are tasty projects to help tie the book’s topic to real world  applications. I would recommend this book and I had a good time reading it. 

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

Knight of the Ice, Vol. 4

Today’s post is on Knight of the Ice, Vol. 4 by Yayoi Ogawa. It is 176 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has Kokoro dressed in his new costume for his new program. As it is the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes in the series to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this series. The intended reader is someone who likes sports and romance manga. The story is told from third person close of mostly Chitose. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- ON THIN ICE

Chitose and Kokoro start to take baby steps in adjusting from childhood friends to lovers, but their newfound relationship soon finds itself on thin ice. After the paparazzi catches model Liza Shibata leaving Kokoro's apartment, rumors begin spreading that the two of them are a couple. Chitose knows that the rumors are groundless, but still can't help but feel a pang of jealously. Meanwhile, Kokoro tries to show Chitose that he only has eyes for her, but for an otaku like Kokoro who doesn't know the first thing about romance, that may be easier said than done... 

Review- We are starting to get romance complications between Chitose and Kokoro, like his family wanting to marry him off to an heiress, still unknown, and a model who pretends to be his girlfriend to get into his apartment. His family is going to be a problem for them but how will Kokoro handle them? Does he love Chitose enough to not put up with their actions or is he going to be wishy-washy? I’m afraid that he is going to be wishy-washy but I could be wrong. That is pretty much all that happened in this volume with the addition of two cheek kisses but no other movement either plot or character. But a slow volume is not bad. I hope we get more plot development in 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.