I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! Vol. 2

Today's manga post is I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! Vol. 2 by Haru Harukawa  (Artist) , and Reina Soratani  (Original Story). It is 180 pages long and is published by Seven Seas. The cover has the crown prince on it. As it is the second volume you need to have read the first volume to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes villainess stories, rom-coms, and shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is story from third person close of the main character, Violette. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- All the World's a Stage
The daughter of a duke, Lady Violette, attempted to murder her half sister out of jealousy and was thrown into prison for her crime. After losing consciousness in jail, she wakes up one year in the past. This time, she decides to avoid attention and live a quiet and normal life. But the people around her can't help but notice that something's different. Despite her attempts to lay low, during a study session Violette crosses paths with the handsome price and student council president Claudia, as well as his closest confident Milania, and her childhood friend Yulan! And now her half sister Maryjune won't leave her alone, either!

Review- This volume picks up right where the last one left off with the prince about to go on stage. Violette helps him because she can without thinking about it but now the prince has noticed her. Of course now that Violette is just living her life without trying to get anyone to notice her, the prince is all over her and I am will her on being annoyed about it. In addition we see some of Violette's past when she was a child and the abuse that her mother did. Her mother made Violette dress as a boy and pretend to be her father. It was very twisted but it shows why Yulan is so attached to Violette and why Violette so badly wants to be loved for herself. I am looking forward to the next volume.

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.

Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1: Walking the Path

Today's fiction post is on Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1: Walking the Path by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Artist). 136 pages long and is published by Berger Books. The cover is beautiful blue sky with a lone figure in red facing a floating building. The intended reader is someone who likes science fiction, political stories, and graphic novels. There is no foul language, implied sex, and mild violence in this volume. The story is told from third person god, following the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In a distant galaxy, two women discover an inconceivable conspiracy between the world's most dominant religion and an all-powerful mega corporation.
Suddenly the prey in a desperate interstellar chase, they're faced with a life-or-death decision: reveal the truth or risk plunging their worlds into anarchy.

Review- A great start into a graphic novel series about a conspiracy a the highest levels of life and effecting every living species. Vess is a new none on the path to the invisible kingdom, she has a calling towards her religious order and when she discovers something odd in the books of the order, she learns that not everything is what it should be. There is so much to like about this graphic novel, the story is fast paced, the art is great, and the characters are very interesting. I really like the none of the aliens look like a human, other than walking on two legs. They are very alien but that works so well and makes the story have a very different feel than if the reader had a human character to attach to. I recommend this graphic novel and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next volume and continue the chase.  

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

A Village in the Third Reich: How Ordinary Lives Were Transformed by the Rise of Fascism

Today's nonfiction post is on A Village in the Third Reich: How Ordinary Lives Were Transformed by the Rise of Fascism by Julia Boyd and Angelika Patel. It is 480 pages long and is published by Pegasus Books. The cover is a painting of a beautiful village with mountains in the background. The intended reader is someone who is interested in World War II history. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Hidden deep in the Bavarian mountains lies the picturesque village of Oberstdorf—a place where for hundreds of years people lived simple lives while history was made elsewhere. Yet even this remote idyll could not escape the brutal iron grip of the Nazi regime.
From the author of the international bestseller Travelers in the Third Reich comes A Village in the Third Reich, shining a light on the lives of ordinary people. Drawing on personal archives, letters, interviews and memoirs, it lays bare their brutality and love; courage and weakness; action, apathy and grief; hope, pain, joy, and despair.
Within its pages we encounter people from all walks of life – foresters, priests, farmers and nuns; innkeepers, Nazi officials, veterans and party members; village councillors, mountaineers, socialists, slave labourers, schoolchildren, tourists and aristocrats. We meet the Jews who survived – and those who didn’t; the Nazi mayor who tried to shield those persecuted by the regime; and a blind boy whose life was judged "not worth living."
This is a tale of conflicting loyalties and desires, of shattered dreams—but one in which, ultimately, human resilience triumphs. These are the stories of ordinary lives at the crossroads of history.

Review- A interesting account from a small village in Bavaria starting just after the end of World War I to the after the end of World War II. Boyd gets access to village records, personal letters and journals of the villagers during this time. She gives an intimate examination of a singular village during a particular time and political atmosphere. Boyd does a good job with the material, not justifying anyone's behavior. The writing is good, handling all the characters and places with skill and help the reader remember who is who and where they are. A different look at the war and the people who lived through it. 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 book from my local library.

Golden Japanesque - A Splendid Yokohama Romance, Vol. 1

Today's manga post is on Golden Japanesque - A Splendid Yokohama Romance, Vol. 1 by Kaho Miyasaka. It is 163 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has the main character, Maria on it. The intended reader is someone who likes historical romance, shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Maria. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- In Meiji-era Japan, sixteen-year-old Maria wishes she can change her appearance. If only her eyes and hair were different, maybe she wouldn’t be met with such fear, and maybe her own mother wouldn’t be so ashamed of her. But when Maria encounters a handsome yet mischievous boy named Rintarou, her understanding of beauty—and herself—begins to change. To him, Maria’s not just pretty; she’s straight out of a fairy tale! A historical romance unfolds on the streets of Yokohama…

Review- A good start to a new series. Maria is half-western and half- Japanese and she has been mistreated because of it. She has golden hair that her mother puts ink on every morning and Maria never lifts her head. But she gets involved with the son of a social higher family, Rintarou. From meeting him, Maria's world expanded and she began to question her reality and experiences. The story is interesting, the art is just wonderful, and the characters are good. I am interested in what is going to happen to Maria and I hope that she finds herself on this journey. 

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

Leech

Today's fiction post is on Leech by Hiron Ennes. It is 323 pages long and is published by Tor. The cover is grey with a bottle in the center, there is a castle in the bottle and black tentacles coming from the top. The intended reader is someone who likes weird, dystopian fiction. There is foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this novel. The story is told from first person of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In an isolated chateau, as far north as north goes, the baron’s doctor has died. The doctor’s replacement has a mystery to solve: discovering how the Institute lost track of one of its many bodies.
For hundreds of years the Interprovincial Medical Institute has grown by taking root in young minds and shaping them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the apocalyptic horrors their ancestors unleashed.
In the frozen north, the Institute's body will discover a competitor for its rung at the top of the evolutionary ladder. A parasite is spreading through the baron's castle, already a dark pit of secrets, lies, violence, and fear. The two will make war on the battlefield of the body. Whichever wins, humanity will lose again.

Review- This is a fascinating novel told from the perspective of a parasite that has been living in humans for over 500 years and has made itself the only medical help around the world. The world has been destroyed by war with aliens and between countries. Something has happened to the Institute's body in the far north and so another has been sent, to tend to the people there and to discover what happened. In the frozen, the body discovers that more fell from the stars than just legends. I enjoyed this novel, it was an interesting way to tell a story with the body being in touch with others of its kind and the body's panic when it cannot hear them anymore. Ennes creates a very interesting world with a rich past and dark present. They have a wonderful writing style that gives the reader just enough information to understand what is happening but making the reader curious about what happened and what is going to happen. If you like horror, dystopian novels, I would recommend this novel. 

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

In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust

Today's nonfiction post is on In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust by Richard Hurowitz. It is 480 pages long and is published by Harper. The cover is tan with title in a red ribbon from left to right with pictures of the people from this in book behind it. The intended reader is someone who is interested in history, World War II history, and unsung heroes. There is mild foul language, no sex, and descriptions of violence in this book. There Be Spoiler Ahead.

From the dust jacket- These powerfully illuminating and inspiring profiles pay tribute to the incredible deeds of the Righteous Among the Nations, little-known heroes who saved countless lives during the Holocaust. Less than a century ago, the Second World War took the lives of more than fifty million people; more than six million of them were systematically exterminated through crimes of such enormity that a new name to describe the horror was coined: the Holocaust. Yet amid such darkness, there were glimmers of light—courageous individuals who risked everything to save those hunted by the Nazis.
Today, as bigotry and intolerance and the threats of fascism and authoritarianism are ascendent once again, these heroes’ little-known stories—among the most remarkable in human history—resonate powerfully. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, has recognized more than 27,000 individuals as “Righteous Among the Nations”—non-Jewish people such as Raoul Wallenberg and Oskar Schindler who risked their lives to save their persecuted neighbors.
In the Garden of the Righteous chronicles extraordinary acts at a time when the moral choices were stark, the threat immense, and the passive apathy of millions predominated. Deeply researched and astonishingly moving, it focuses on ten remarkable stories, including that of the circus ringmaster Adolf Althoff and his wife Maria, the Portuguese diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the Italian cycling champion Gino Bartali, the Polish social worker Irena Sendler, and the Japanese spy Chinue Sugihara, who provided hiding places, participated in underground networks, refused to betray their neighbors, and secured safe passage. They repeatedly defied authorities and risked their lives, their livelihoods, and their families to save the helpless and the persecuted. In the Garden of the Righteous is a testament to their kindness and courage.

Review- This book is a selection of ten stories of different people from around the world who didn't turn away from the suffering of others. Some of them were powerful people in government and some were just average people who did what they could. But they made a difference where they could, they took risks that others wouldn't, and sometimes they paid the ultimate price for their bravery. The writing is very good, with information pulled from letters, dairies, official paperwork, and face to face conversations with those still living. At times this book is hard to read with the details of the suffering of both Jews and those who helped them but reading about their bravery and the lives that were saved helps make this book more encouraging than depressing. If you are a WWII history buff, then you need to read this book. 

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. 

Frau Faust, Vol. 4

Today's manga post is Frau Faust, Vol. 4 by Kore Yamazaki. It is 160 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has Faust, Marion, and Mephistopheles on it. As it is the fourth in the series, you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of Faust. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the manga- The Devil you know
After a surprise reappearance by a recently defeated demon, Johanna and her companions find themselves under attack. The demon Ino has been ordered to capture Dr. Faust, and this time, nothing will stop Ino from accomplishing her goal. Soon, Johanna finds herself in the heart of enemy territory, but the Doctor's smirk as she faces her captors seems to suggest that the series of events leading to defeat may have all been according to plan...

Review- We start with Faust and co. running from trouble and into the demon Ino. Faust gets taken into the cathedral where Mephistopheles' head is. But she is very hurt and passes out. Then we get to see more of her past as she remembers in her dreams. Everything is starting to wrap up with all the threads coming together, from who is pulling Ino's strings to what really happened to Faust.  Faust is no fool, she knows that she is running out of time and she is willing to do whatever is takes. The art continues to be wonderful and a wonderful addition to the story telling. I am looking forward to seeing how everything ends. 

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.