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.