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Title: Bleach Vol 1 Author:  Tite Kubo

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Bleach is one of my favorite series, and I realized with a great deal of dismay that I am far, far behind in my reading of this title.  I don’t think I’ve reviewed many of the volumes, so I opted to take advantage of a comp copy through Vizmanga.com to reacquaint myself with Ichigo, Rukia, and the rest of the gang.  This is a very fun series that features a ton of action, surprisingly touching emotions, and fan favorite protagonists in both Ichigo and Ruikia.  If you enjoyed The Ghost and the Goth or The Curse Workers by Holly Black, I think you should give Bleach a try.  Admittedly, the length of the series is daunting, and it’s still being published, but there are enough volumes released in English that you can read it in manageable chunks by utilizing online sales and trips to the library. 

Ichigo Kurosaki is 15 years old and he can see ghosts.  His sisters can too, though all they can see are faint outlines.  Ichigo can see, touch, talk to, and channel these pesky spirits that he thinks are a pain in the butt.  He just wants to be left alone to mind his own business but NOPE!  That’s not happening.  Ichigo also has a high moral obligation to help anyone in trouble, even those troublesome ghosts.  When an evil spirit threatens to hurt his family, he’s forced to borrow Soul Reaper powers from Rukia, a Soul Reaper who was badly injured saving his bacon.  Too hurt to fight, she offers to lend Ichigo half of her dark powers so he can save his family.  She’s dismayed to discover that he’s so spiritually powerful that he steals all of them, and now she can’t get them back!

I love the relationship between Ichigo and Rukia.  Their back and forth banter is humorous and full of snark.  While Ichigo isn’t exactly disrespectful, he doesn’t understand the need to put himself in danger, fighting the Hollows, regardless of the obligation he acquired when he snatched away all of Rukia’s power.  When the chips are down, though, her forceful prodding  makes him realize how important a Soul Reaper’s duties are.  If he doesn’t take care of the restless spirits, they will eventually turn into Hollows, and once they become these evil monsters, they lose their last shred of humanity.  There is no going back, and the Hollows have an insatiable need to feed on souls.   Rukia put her life at risk to save Ichigo and his family, so he acknowledges that he has a duty to help Rukia until she can figure out a way to get her powers back.

Ichigo is one of my favorite characters because he can’t stand to see an injustice and not want to correct it.  He and One Piece’s Luffy have a lot in common. Both of them will give their heart and soul, not to mention their life, to defend those needing help.  They are white knights in attitude.  Ichigo can’t turn his back on bullying, or just stand by when someone is about to get hurt.  He’s not perfect, and there are many times when he should learn to keep his mouth shut, but he can’t do it.  He is fiercely devoted to his friends and family, and he won’t let anyone hurt them.  Now that he’s a Soul Reaper by default, he can’t ignore when a soul is in danger, either.

The first volume of Bleach is fast-paced, brimming with frantic action, yet it doesn’t let the characters and their interactions take a back seat to all of the fighting.  That is what I enjoy most about Bleach.  The character come to life for me, and I so badly want Ichigo to master his new powers so he doesn’t come to harm.  It’s hard watching such a likeable guy getting the crap beat out of him, even though I have few doubts that he’ll always persevere.  That assurance is the main appeal of manga for me.  I know that even as the protagonists are facing certain doom, they will eventually find a solution to all of their problems.  Reading along as they figure that out is what makes reading them so rewarding.

Grade:  A-

Review copy provided by publisher

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Title: Peanut Author: Ayun Halliday and Paul Hoppe

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

When I received this book, I was a bit mystified.  Why, oh why would anyone pretend to have a fatal peanut allergy?  Baffled, I dug right into this graphic novel, intrigued to see if there was a compelling reason for Sadie to fabricate such a serious health issue.  After finishing the book, I have to say that I didn’t find it.  While the characters are likable, the rationale behind Sadie’s pretend illness just didn’t cut it for me.  Sadie’s little white lie, which quickly spirals out of control, is spun in an effort to be more popular at her new school. 

After talking to a girl about her medical alert bracelet, Sadie is so fascinated by the thought of having a severe peanut allergy that she orders a bracelet of her own.  I wanted to question how she was able to accomplish this, online, without a credit card or her mother’s knowledge, but I didn’t.  I just followed along with Sadie as she experiences the unintended consequences of her little lie.  A concerned teacher has her freaked out because she hasn’t turned in a health form, signed by her mother,  to the school nurse, and that EpiPen that she’s supposed to carry with her at all times?  Yeah, she needs a prescription to have access to that prop.  When a new friend asks to see it, she flips out on him.  When her new boyfriend thinks that she’s eaten a chip cooked in peanut oil, she realizes that living with this lie isn’t going to be easy.

The thing that kept me engaged in the story was Sadie’s fear of discovery.  Afraid to fess up to her new friends, she just keeps digging herself into a deeper and deeper hole.  She is terrified that the truth will come out, and when it does, that she will lose all of the friends that she’s made.  When reality does come crashing down around her, it is every bit as awful as she feared.  I think that the fallout was shortchanged, and that mending her bridges went too easy for her.  From her first day of school, the image of herself that she projected was all based on fallacy, and the small amount of page time given for her repentance was disappointing.

The art is quirky and it works well with the tone of the story.  I loved the splash of color from Sadie’s clothes. 

Grade:  C+

Review copy provided by publisher

Title:  Strobe Edge Vol 1 Author: Io Sakisaka

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review: 

When I first read the book blurb above, I thought it was pretty lame.  After reading Strobe Edge, though, I think it very accurately and very succinctly describes this high school romance.  Ninako is shy and reserved, and everyone thinks she and her childhood friend, Daiki will eventually get together.  Daiki makes no secret of his feelings, but he has never voiced them, leaving Ninako, who is kind of clueless, thinking that they are just friends.  After circumstances have her and school heartthrob Ren cross paths several times, Ninako discovers how kind and thoughtful he is, and she falls in love with him.

Strobe Edge captures all of the awkwardness and exhilaration of falling in love for the first time.  Ninako falls head over heels for Ren, and who can blame her? He’s gorgeous, and better yet, he is nice.  What a combo!  As her feelings for Ren grow, so does her guilt over them.  She has finally picked up on Daiki’s feelings, and she feels awful about her lack of feelings for him.  She blames herself for leading him on, and though she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings, she knows that she has to level with him.  So along with the giddy rush she experiences whenever she sees Ren,  she realizes that her feelings are going to hurt one of her closest friends.

I don’t want to spoil any other plot points, so instead I’ll urge you to give Strobe Edge a try if you enjoy series like High School Debut and Kimi ni Todoke.  This introductory volume will leave you smiling as Ninako slowly begins to blossom, shedding her reservations and allowing herself to come out of her shell.  She knows that her heart will more than likely get broken, but for the time being, she is enjoying how she feels about Ren.  Because she is so sweet, and because she is taking this huge risk, you can’t help but cheer her on.  Will things work out between her and Ren, or is Ninako doomed to heartbreak?  I don’t know, but I can hardly wait to find out!

Grade:  wavering between a B+ and an A-

Review copy provided by publisher

Title: Stepping on Roses V 8 Author:  Ueda Rinko

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Every volume of Stepping on Roses just gets better and better!  Each one leaves me dismayed when I reach the last page because I have to wait for the next release.  Rinko Ueda knows how to build  the suspense and the drama so that by the time you reach the last page, you are a quivering mass of emotions.  Some volumes that means being upset by the injustices Sumi has to overcome, and some leave you with an adrenaline rush, cheering Sumi on as she manages to stay true to herself and deal with adversity.  This volume left me pumped for Sumi – she’s finally had enough, and she is going to try to turn the tables on Nozomu.  You go, girl!  I only hope she can wage a battle against the crafty, unscrupulous Nozomu without compromising who she is.

Just when it seems as though things can’t get any worse for Sumi and her family, things do.  They get monumentally worse.  After being thrown out of their home by Nozomu, they are without shelter, have no money, and even less food.  They have lost everything.  Nozomu has poisoned the ears of most of Soichiro’s acquaintances, and nobody will hire him for fear of Ashida Product’s reprisals.  When Soichiro becomes ill and the doctor refuses to treat him because they have no money,   Sumi knows that she must give in to Nozomu’s demands.  She sells herself to him in order to help her family.  Poor Sumi!  Her desperation is palpable.  She will do whatever is required to keep her loved ones safe, and it’s not going to be easy for her.

What I enjoyed most about this volume is how Sumi begins to subtly exert her will against Nozomu.  She is passive on the surface, but underneath, she is learning the fine art of subterfuge  from her new fiancé.  He doesn’t care about anything but getting the best of Soichiro, and his single-mindedness is actually making it easier for Sumi to stage quiet rebellions.  With her reputation in tatters and her family’s well-being on the line, she doesn’t have much to lose.  I loved seeing her plans begin to bear fruit, and finished the last page with a feeling of elation.  I finally started to believe that things will work for her in the end, and I haven’t felt that positive about Sumi’s future in a while.   

One person  I would like to see more of is Komai, who I always liked, even when he turned traitor.  What is his deal?  Is he a traitorous scum?  Or does he somehow think he is doing what’s best for Soichiro?  Because there is no way that Nozomu, who is clearly psychotic,  could be a better employer than spoiled and over-indulged Soichiro.  I think?  Unless he really is evil?  Maybe we’ll find out in February, when the next volume is released!

Grade: A-/B+

Review copy provided by publisher

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I just love this series!  Rinko Ueda has a knack for telling beautifully illustrated romances with lots of angst and melodrama. These are better than afternoon soaps.  Seriously! If you ever enjoyed a soap opera, download the sample chapters from the Viz Manga website and start reading Stepping on Roses.  I love the elegant drawings and the historical setting.  The contrast between the wealthiest and some of the most humble Japanese at the time makes for so many opportunities to add almost insurmountable challenges to  Sumi’s life.  Now, after Nozomu’s diabolical plans, Soichiro has lost control of Ashida Products, and he’s forced to face a life of poverty head on.  After throwing his lot in with Sumi and refusing to give her up in order to keep his company, he’s discovering just how unpleasant life can be.  So long abundant food, clean clothing, and warm baths!  I used to despise Soichiro, but my feelings for him have completely reversed in the last few volumes of the manga.

Now, Nozomu, on the other hand, has turned into a complete slime ball.   After his plot to wrestle control of Ashida Products comes to fruition, thanks in part to Sumi’s lazy, greedy brother, he let his true colors show.  Brilliantly!  Complete with a new evil-guy, slicked back hairdo, all of his focus is aimed at destroying Soichiro and stealing Sumi away from him. Her feelings don’t matter to him.  All he wants is what his ex-BFF has.  What is wrong with this guy? How could I have so completely misjudged his character?  Nozomu is the perfect villain, because part of me still feels some lingering affection for him.  I can’t help it!  He was such a nice guy, and it’s hard to accept that he’s taken an irreversible turn to the dark side.  He always seemed so gentle and kind!  Maybe he still is, somewhere in there, under all of his jealousy and hatred for Soichiro.  I am so dying to find out what is going to happen next, so this manga is a great example of the correct way to use cliffhangers, at least to keep me engaged in the plot.  How can I not want to know what happens next, with all of these high emotional final pages? 

While Sumi slips seamlessly back into her former life, privileged Soichiro has a much harder time.  He was willing to give up his company so he could be with Sumi, but things aren’t going to be a cake walk.  He can’t find a job, Nozomu keeps popping up at the most aggravating times, and the loss of his company stings.  From being one of the movers and shakers to barely scraping by, Soichiro’s new reality is  going to test him in ways he can’t even imagine.  When is he going to start resenting Sumi for his reduced circumstances?  When will he begin to blame her for everything that’s happened?  I so want to hope that his feelings for Sumi are real and that he’s grown up and is willing to take responsibility for his new life, but I’m also afraid that he won’t. Argh!  Good thing I have volume 8 so I can get another fix soon!

Grade:  A

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Mayu Shinjo’s works.  Her titles usually feature a douche bag uber alpha hero and a timid, naïve heroine.  I usually don’t enjoy reading stories where the hero treats the heroine, his supposed love interest, like crap.  That’s one of the problems I have with Black Bird, though I find myself helplessly flipping through whatever new volumes happen to end up in my hands.  I don’t want to like it, but I do.  Ugh!  Demon Love Spell reminds me a lot of Black Bird, so if you are a fan of Kanoko Sakurakoji, you might want to give this series a try.

Miko is a shrine maiden, and while everyone else in her family can see spirits, she can’t sense them at all.  Disappointed in herself because she has no sixth sense, she nonetheless studied hard to recognize and banish demons.  So while she is familiar with their characteristics and their powers, she can’t see them, which makes carrying on the family tradition unlikely.  Still, she has hopes and she is dedicated to both the shrine and her family legacy.

When an incubus begins to prey on girls at her high school, a moment of high emotion gives her the strength to seal his powers and confine him into an itty-bitty demon form.  Once the most powerful demon, Kagura is now helpless against stronger demons, and he can’t revert back to his former self, a tall, stunningly gorgeous young man who knocks the ladies dead.  He is a sitting duck, and so is Miko.  Since she was powerful enough to seal away Kagura’s powers, all the demons want to kill him and eat Miko to gain her strength.  Eek!  She can’t even see her enemies unless she is holding chibi Kagura!  How can she defend herself against a bunch of big, bad, ugly monsters?  To make matters worse, she can’t remember which spell she used to seal away his powers, so she can’t change Kagura back to his powerful self.  She isn’t even sure that she wants to; he’ll just go back to preying on innocent women and stealing their life essences, anyway!

Kagura can enter Miko’s dreams when she’s asleep, so he steals into them and seduces her in order to gain back some of his strength.  Miko can’t remember a thing in the morning, but she feels a burning sense of embarrassment, and she’s exhausted.  Like she was up all night long.  Which she was, in her dreams, romping around with Kagura.  She begins to question why she is forming an emotional attachment to the perverted demon, and wonders if he has cast a demon love spell over her.  She doesn’t trust him, but she can’t stop her growing feelings for him.

I enjoyed this introduction to the series.  It’s a fast read, it’s brainless, and it’s fun.  Despite some awkward proportions, Mayu Shinjo’s art is attractive, and her guys are hot, hot, hot.  The characters are engaging, and though the plot is predictable, I found a lot to like in the first volume of Demon Love Spell, and I will follow the series for at least a few volumes to see how things work out for Miko and sex obsessed Kagura.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by publisher

Thanks to the generosity of Viz, I have a subscription to Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha.  Starting January 21, 2013, there will be a simultaneous US release to coincide with the Japanese release of the magazine.  I am curious to see how that’s going to work, and to see what new series will be added to the magazine, so here is the first of my weekly looks at Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha.  The magazine looks great on my iPad, though I did have a bit of a headache before I was able to get my first issue loaded.  All it took was an update to the Viz Manga app, but I didn’t think of that until after wasting about 15 frustrating minutes.  Always check for a software update! Note taken.

This issue kicked off with Bleach Ch 516.  Whoa!  I haven’t read Bleach in ages, even though it is one of my favorite series.  For shame!  I spent the pages here wondering what the heck was going on, but by the last panel, had it figured out.   I think.  There will soon be an epic confrontation with Squad Zero, a squad comprised only of Squad captains.  No peons in this group of warriors!  There still has to be some kind of pecking system, some top dog to lord over the other squad members, right?  Unless they are all so bad ass that they have a mutual fear and respect for each other.  I am looking forward to learning more about them and catching up with Ichigo in future issues.

Naruto Ch 609 was next. Ch 609, folks!  I am hopelessly out of my depth with this one, but there was fighting!  Which I like.  And Kakashi!  Who I like.    Naruto and Kakashi are duking it out with the bad guy Obito, who hates Kakashi.  That is enough right there to elevate him to evil bad guy.  Who could possibly hate Kakashi?!  After a little help from Nine Tails, it looks like Kakashi is ready for more fighting, so next week, the battle with Obito and Madara will continue!  This is comfort reading for me – mindless speed lines, over exaggerated poses, and endless wells of energy to keep up that toe-to-toe action. 

Nisekoi Ch 51 followed.  This is a new series for me, and I believe it just started it’s run in the magazine.  Raku, one of those impossibly hopeless, hapless guys who can barely comb his hair, has attracted a gaggle of girls, I think by being nice, which in manga usually means wimpy.  Raku’s gangster father has him engaged to Chitoge, who hated him at first sight, but she’s come around and realizes that he’s not such a bad guy and that she might really, really like him.  To cast some mystery over his love life, Raku made a childhood promise to a girl, but he can’t remember who the girl is!  Her identity is locked in his prized pendant, but the lock is broken, so he can’t open it to reveal his childhood love.  You’d think he would remember the first girl he fell in love with!  No wonder these manga boys are always single!  I am actually going to have to read the sample that’s on the Viz website to help wrap my head around this one. 

Toriko Ch 22 – I don’t have much to say about this one, because the entire chapter is nothing but character introductions for the upcoming Cooking Festival.  I usually love cooking manga, but the endless parade of contestants bored me.  Better luck next week.

Wrapping up this issue is Cross Manage Ch 10 is a sports manga about a girls’ lacrosse team.  I liked this story the best.  It was easy to follow for a new comer, the art is engaging, and the characters are likable.  Ex-soccer player Sakurai reluctantly agrees to manage the high school girls’ lacrosse team.  They need a lot of help!  They can barely fill the roster, and they all pretty much suck at the game.  I’m sure that under Sakurai’s guidance they will quickly overcome their shortcomings.  I love sports manga, especially with an underdog team, so I am looking forward to more of this one.

No One Piece!  It’s on break until the next issue, which is a bummer, because Luffy always makes me laugh.

To purchase Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha, click here. You can check out the free Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha starter pack here.  Viz is having a sale on their digital manga. You can get 20% off until January 8th!  Click here for the deets.

Here are this week’s new and notable releases, Part Two.  Check out Part One here.  So many great titles!  So little time to savor them all!  I am looking forward to Seduced by a Pirate, Lord Gray’s List , and Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady most.  What’s on your wish list?

Click on the covers for the Amazon product page.

Barefoot in the Rain (Barefoot Bay) by Roxanne St. Claire (Oct 30, 2012)

Burning Up (Smoke Jumpers) by Anne Marsh (Oct 30, 2012)

A Cowboy for Christmas: A Jubilee, Texas Novel by Lori Wilde (Oct 30, 2012)

Damek’s Redemption by N.J. Walters (Oct 30, 2012)

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson) by Darynda Jones (Oct 30, 2012)

An Heiress at Heart (Love’s Grace) by Jennifer Delamere (Oct 30, 2012)

Lord Gray’s List by Maggie Robinson (Oct 30, 2012)

A Notorious Countess Confesses: Pennyroyal Green Series by Julie Anne Long (Oct 30, 2012)

Princess in Love by Julianne MacLean (Oct 30, 2012)

The Recruit: A Highland Guard Novel by Monica Mccarty (Oct 30, 2012)

Scorched by Laura Griffin (Oct 30, 2012)

The Scottish Witch: The Chattan Curse by Cathy Maxwell (Oct 30, 2012)

Seduced by a Pirate by Eloisa James (Oct 30, 2012) – Novella

Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale (Oct 30, 2012)

Sin With a Scoundrel: The Husband Hunters Club by Sara Bennett (Oct 30, 2012)

Sinners & Saints by Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Oct 30, 2012)

Stolen: A Novel of Romantic Suspense by Shiloh Walker (Oct 30, 2012)

To Hell and Back: A League of Guardians Novella by Juliana Stone (Oct 30, 2012) Novella

The Warrior (Return of the Highlanders) by Margaret Mallory (Oct 30, 2012)

Warrior Reborn by Melissa Mayhue (Oct 30, 2012)

Wed to a Highland Warrior (Warrior King) by Donna Fletcher (Oct 30, 2012)

Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady (Dangerous Rogues) by Tiffany Clare (Oct 30, 2012)

I have a special treat for you today!  Check out this excerpt of Venomous, a short story written by Fiona Paul!  If you haven’t read any of it yet, you can backtrack through the blogs hosting segments of the story (see below for links).  Be sure to follow the rest of the blogs; there will be a new excerpt posted every day!

Venomous

A Secrets of the Eternal Rose short story

By Fiona Paul

The year is 1600 and the streets of Venice, Italy are ripe with intrigue and danger. In this introduction to the world of Venom, eighteen-year-old Mariabella has recently elevated herself from the rank of common prostitute to the status of courtesan, a respected high-class escort for those men in Venetian society who can afford them. Mariabella steps out to attend a party on the arm of her powerful new patron, certain that the night will be filled with glamour, secrets, and adventure.

If you missed the last part of the story, check it out on Cover Analysis.

–

“Sometimes I think my father will never have the money for a proper wedding,” she says. The folds of her lavender skirt sink low on the ground as her body deflates slightly.

“Don’t fret, my goddess,” the boy says. “In my mind, we are already married.” He reaches out to tuck a tendril of dark hair back from her face.

She brightens at his touch. “In your mind I bet we’re doing all sorts of things,” she says playfully. He bends down to murmur something in her ear and her mouth twists into a smile. “Yes, we could, couldn’t we?”

Wind whips strands of dark hair around her face as the boy rests his hands on her waist and bends down to kiss her. She rises to meet his embrace, her gloves hands threading together behind his neck. I shouldn’t stare, but I do. There’s something so graceful about the way their bodies move together.

I duck behind the fountain as they break apart and turn toward the front of the palazzo. Sharp peals of laughter float through the air as their silhouettes gradually fade. It makes me think of bird song and flute music and other sounds of sheer joy.

It has been a long time since I laughed like that. A few months ago, I was entertaining a traveling bard who always seemed more interested in singing to me than kissing me. I thought it was an odd waste of his money, but his songs always started out normal and then got sillier and siller until I couldn’t help but giggle—and then laugh, and then laugh until I snorted. He even gifted me a lute and persuaded me to accompany him in his act a couple of times.

It was fun, and I was happy during my time with him. But eventually he had to move on to another city. It’s for the best. If he returned it’d be one more man I’d want to see against Joseph’s wishes.

–

For the next part of the story, visit Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf tomorrow 10/18. [http://laurenscrammedbookshelf.blogspot.com]

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

How lovely to see Paradise Kiss back in print after so long!  This series,  Peach Girl, and Marmalade Boy  are directly responsible for my love of graphic novels.  During the hey-day of the US manga craze, there were so many wonderful books being released that it was hard to keep up with them all.  There was also a lot of garbage hitting store shelves, in such an overwhelming wave, that buyers couldn’t keep up.  Then the recession hit, and it was bye-bye to several of my favorite publishers.   CMX’s demise hit me the hardest, because DC’s imprint had licensed some unique titles, and many of the series that I followed were being released by them.  When Tokyopop shuttered, I actually became so discouraged with comics that I started reading prose books again.  Am I bitter that I will never see the end of I Hate You More Than Anyone or Kamui?  Am I upset that Silver Diamond and Demon Sacred were never competed?  You betcha! That’s one reason why I was so happy to see ParaKiss back in print with a new publisher.  This is a timeless story of a high school girl’s coming of age, with fun characters and gorgeous illustrations.  It deserves to stay in print, and since it’s been ten years since it was last published, there is a brand new audience out there just waiting to discover it.

One thing that I love about Ai Yazawa’s storytelling style is how she sprinkles humor into her plot when events get emotionally intense.   There is so much drama, drama, drama, which I love, and then all of a sudden there is this marvelous little blast of humor – either a joke from one of the characters or a humorous visual to ease all of that tension, just a little bit.  It is more evident in NANA (speaking of which, what happened to NANA?), but there are small glimpses in this first installment of Ai Yazawa’s classic romance.  I enjoy the contrast to the heart-stopping tension, and look forward to seeing how she’ll maneuver her characters from emotional trauma to eliciting an chuckle from the reader. 

In ParaKiss, Yukari is a high school senior with a lot of her mind.  She is cramming for her college entrance exams, and she doesn’t have time to get involved with a bunch of weirdos from the local fashion school.  Once she meets charismatic George and is caught under petite Miwako’s charm, she has no choice but to model for their fashion show.  There is so much change in Yukari from the opening chapter,  where she is risk adverse and single-mindedly intent on her studies, to the end of this volume, where she is fabricating lies for her parents so she can spend more time with her new friends in their basement studio.  She is finally starting to assert herself, and to reject her mother’s stranglehold over her.  Finally, there is something that she cares enough about to fight against the carefully planned path her parents have laid out before her.  Is it in her best interests to get caught up in the lives of these creative and impulsive people?  Probably not, but the rush of being with them is intoxicating, and she’s not willing to let it go.

George is so far over her head that I worry for Yukari.  He is jaded and worldly, while she’s lived a very sheltered life.  No friends, no boyfriends, few connections outside of her family.  George is like a blazing torch, and she is drawn, against her will,  to his brilliance.  As I read the book this time around, I sympathized more with her confusion over her feelings for George.  She’s not accustomed to expressing her feelings or hanging out with a guy, and everything that George does sets her world on end.  He is intense and self-confident, and he rushes head-first into everything that life has to offer.  Yukari isn’t prepared for a guy like George, and now that she’s caught his attention, she isn’t sure how to keep it fixed firmly on her.  All of the emotional ups and downs of that first relationship are intensified by George’s vivid personality.  She doesn’t stand a chance against him, and I kept wondering if he was just dicking around with her from the moment he met her.

I love the art.  Ai Yazawa’s delicate, detailed character designs are distinctive and beautiful.  The clothing is also stunning, but how can you possibly have a story about fashion designers and have everybody wearing ugly clothing?  You can’t, and the clothing take on a life of their own.

If you enjoy drama and that pulse-pounding confusion of first love, give this series a shot.  If you enjoy comics with beautiful clothes and beautiful characters, give this series a shot.  If you are interested in manga and haven’t read any of it yet, this is a good, short (3 volume) title to get you started.  It’s still as pretty and as moving as it was 10 years ago.  As always, Vertical’s presentation is top notch, with a new translation and a bigger, bolder trim size than the previous version.

Grade:   B+

Review copy provided by publisher

{ED. I received this email and wanted to share.  You can grab Beautiful Creatures at a discount, to test drive the series if you haven’t started it yet.}

THE END IS COMING… CATCH UP ON HOW IT ALL BEGAN.

For a limited time, Beautiful Creatures (Beautiful Creatures, Book 1)  is available as an e-book for just $3.99!

Visit your favorite e-retailer this week and enjoy the first book in the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series at a special low price.

AND ON OCTOBER 23, 2012:

BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION, the breathtaking series finale, arrives in print and eBook!

"The Beautiful Creatures novels contain a potent mix of the gothic, the mythic, and the magical. Readers can look forward to more of what they love in the final installment, Beautiful Redemption, as they follow Ethan’s compelling journey to its bittersweet close. With original characters, complex world building, and crackling prose, this is masterful storytelling." – Deborah Harkness, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches

Praise for The BEAUTIFUL CREATURES Novels

“Exactly the right blend of dark suspense and romance” —Newark Star Ledger

“Fans will devour this latest book and plead for more.” —VOYA, starred review

“Give this to fans of Twilight or HBO’s “True Blood” series.” —School Library Journal

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES was named an Amazon #1 Teen Best Book of The Year and #5 Editor’s Pick Best Book of the Year for 2009.  The series was an instant New York Times, Indiebound, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller.

Coming February 13, 2013: BEAUTIFUL CREATURES will be released as a major motion picture from Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures! Directed by Academy Award® nominee Richard LaGravenese, the film stars Academy Award® winnersJeremy Irons and Emma Thompson, Academy Award® nominee Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, and Thomas Mann, as well as newcomers Alden Ehrenreich and Alice Englert.

About the authors

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl both live in Los Angeles, California with their families.  Beautiful Redemption is the fourth and final book in the Beautiful Creatures series, following Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, and Beautiful Chaos. You can visit them online at

Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art?

The cover for The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley is so cool.  I love the colors and the flashes of lightning, and the creepy masked guys in the background – they are really creepy!  The world-building seems interesting, what with the automatons powered by human souls.  Human souls. Really?  I’m am very intrigued by this book!

In stores November 2012.

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Welcome to my  Vacation Reads Giveaway,  hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Bookish Mama.  This hop runs from July 19 to July 25, and you can win lots of new reads.  Click here for a complete list of blogs participating in the hop.

I am giving away a finished copy of  A Long Way From You by Gwendolyn Heasley.  This is a quiet, reflective book, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon! 

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So here’s me, without a planned post for the day.  Oops! To rectify that situation, here are some mermaid books that I discovered while trolling through Goodreads.  Mermaids have quickly become one of my favorite paranormal beings.  Think of all of the sushi they get to eat while traveling the wonderful, wide oceans.  It would be a drag to not have a massive book collection in my underwater home, but I guess some sacrifices would have to be made.

Have you read any of these?  Can you recommend a good book with mermaids?

Promises by Amber Garr is the start of her Syrenka series.  My search started with this, because I received an email regarding the third book in the series, which released in July of this year. Click here for the Goodreads description.

This is me totally judging a book by the cover.  The Secret of the Emerald Sea by Heather Matthews is a release from Sugar and Spice Press.  Never heard of them. I think I will have to hunt this down. Click here for more info.

The cover for Fins by Ashley L Knight doesn’t wow, but the description is very intriguing. Click here to read the synopsis.

Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley is a Simon Pulse release, and I’m surprised that I haven’t seen it before, because I like this imprint.  I think I will track this one down first.  Read more about it here.

If you have more title suggests, drop a comment below.

Jessica Therrien is the author of Oppression, her debut YA novel and the kick-off of her Children of the Gods series.  I am a sucker for anything based on Greek mythology, so I excited when  Jessica dropped by the virtual offices to discuss her new series.

[Manga Maniac Café] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Jessica Therrien] I’m a closet goofball, T.V. addict, pajama lovin’ YA book fanatic. I married my crush. I’m 26. I enjoy writing and singing in the shower.

[Manga Maniac Café] Can you tell us a little about Oppression?

[Jessica Therrien] OPPRESSION tells the story of Elyse, a seemingly young woman with an extraordinary ability and a unique destiny. Elyse ages five times slower than the average human, which means that even though she appears to be almost eighteen, she’s nearly a century old. When her parents died, she believed herself to be the only one in the world with such a condition. But after moving to San Francisco, determined to keep herself hidden and alone in the middle of the big city, she quickly discovers she’s not alone. On the contrary, there’s a whole society of people just like her, who age five times slower than normal people, and who have strange, almost magical abilities.

Overall it’s a love story full of heartbreaking conflict and that last shred of hope.

[Manga Maniac Café] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Jessica Therrien] The concept was just an intriguing thought I had after realizing that some of the places in Greek Mythology are actually thought to exist. What if other parts of mythology were real? What if there was some explanation for the myths, like the Greek gods were never really gods, just a supernatural race of people whose abilities were embellished?

The characters started off being based on people I know. I was falling in love with my husband as I was writing Oppression, so he was my inspiration for William. Once the book got going, though, the characters developed into themselves and my creative brain just sort of took over.

[Manga Maniac Café] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the story?

[Jessica Therrien] Editing was the hardest part for me. I had to do some re-writes. It was extremely difficult for me to tear into my manuscript after I had already considered it “finished.” Little did I know, I had yet to write the best parts. The rewrites were well worth it.

[Manga Maniac Café] What are three things Elyse would never have in her backpack?

[Jessica Therrien] A ball gown. Make up. A banner that says, “I’m going to save the world.”

[Manga Maniac Café]  What are your greatest creative influences?

[Jessica Therrien] Most of my creative influences are people….My mother and sister, my husband, my critique partner Holly, Molly the Magnificent (as I call her) with ZOVA Books. Also, amazing authors such as JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth, & Moira Young.

And…I really have to say the writers of The Vampire Diaries T.V. show. They are masters of plot.

[Manga Maniac Café] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Jessica Therrien] I need to be in the mood to write, and that’s it.

I’ll write on a napkin in a noisy restaurant if an idea strikes. Eventually, I do need my computer so I can put it all in my manuscript, but that’s obvious.

[Manga Maniac Café] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Jessica Therrien] Harry Pot

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I love this series!  So much drama! So much angst!  So many people plotting against Sumi and Soichiro!  Trouble follows them like a cat follows mice.  Even worse, it seems as though the people carefully planning their downfall are so much crafter than they are!  It’s like they don’t have a chance, and that has me even more engrossed in the impending disaster.  Soichiro is too focused on himself to steer clear of trouble, and he doesn’t really have any allies left in his corner to watch his back.  Pissing off Komai was an incredibly short-sighted thing for him to do, but Soichiro hasn’t been known to actually think things through.  Nozomu, on the other hand – he’s got the chessboard memorized and has even figured out what moves Soichiro is going to make long before his former friend has even touched the game pieces.  With Kujo in  his corner, it looks like he will be unbeatable.  Mix in Komai, and oh my!  Soichiro is in for a rough time!

Sumi can’t help that she’s utterly clueless.  She’s been thrown into the lion’s den, and she has no idea that she’s about to be an amusing toy for the men who are out to get her husband.  Sumi takes everyone at face value, and can’t see the deceit that is roiling around her.  Her brother isn’t helping matters, either.  With his weakness for gambling and his humble background, he is ripe for the plots that have been set in motion to implicate him in crimes that he will not be able to defend himself against.  Worse, still – he’s dragging Sumi down with him, by taking advantage of her soft heart, and her inability to read isn’t helping matters.  With Komai’s angry words still ringing in her ears, Sumi is also dealing with a lot of guilt for events that really aren’t her fault.  Now, when it looked like things were going to finally fall into place for her, everything is unraveling before her eyes.  Gah!  Poor Sumi!

I love how readable Rinko Ueda’s stories are.  Once I pick up a new volume of her manga, I can’t put it down.  I am held captive until the end of the book, and then I gnash my teeth because I have to wait for the next installment of the series.  Her artwork is so expressive, too, that I can’t help but get caught up in the emotions playing out across the pages. 

Highly Recommended

Grade: A

Review copy purchased from Rightstuf

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I was excited when Kodansha announced that they would be releasing Sailor Moon, with new translations, unflipped.  This is one of the series that got me interested in anime and manga in the first place (Ranma 1/2 is the other).  When Tokyopop’s version of Sailor Moon was released, I was more than a little disappointed with the final product.  The books weren’t constructed to last for more than a reading or two, and all of the names had been changed to match those of the hacked up TV version that was being shown on the Cartoon Network.  Ugh.

After reading this introduction to the series, I am looking forward to reading more.  The translation flows effortlessly, and Usagi’s adventures are fun to follow.  She will never be Ms. Motivated, and that’s why I love her character.  She is a normal 14 year old, more interested in playing video games and goofing around than in doing her homework. Napping is a hobby for her, as is stuffing her face.  She is clearly a girl after my own heart.  I can instantly relate to Usagi, and her lack of ambition had me totally engaged in the plot.  How is this slacker going to save the world from evil?

With Luna, the talking cat there to offer guidance, Usagi slowly accepts the mantel of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.  One of my favorite shoujo tropes is the magical girl story, and Sailor Moon is one of the best.  I don’t know what I find so engaging about girls yelling ridiculous phrases like “Moon Prism Power! Makeup!!” and “Jupiter Thunderbolt!” while having magic wardrobe changes, but I do.  While Usagi’s transformations have nothing on Sakura’s (or Kero’s for that matter), her costume swaps are still entertaining.  I want a magical tiara and Moon scepter, too!  Perhaps Santa will bring me one for Christmas.  I have tried to be especially good this year.

It’s hard to write a review about a franchise as well known as this one.  It’s like writing up my thoughts about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  Everyone has seen it, and everyone has their own opinion of it.  It’s hard to offer new insight about it.  So I’m just going to tell you why I love these books, as each volume is released.    I am very familiar with the beginning half of the series, but the ending is kind of foggy for me, so I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with Usagi, Mamoru, and the Sa

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Gah!  Sometimes I get so confused when I read Vampire Knight.  I think that the key to understanding it is right in front of me, but when I sit back and try to analyze the story in more depth, my head starts to spin.  Seriously.  If it wasn’t for the pretty, pretty pictures, I would be so frustrated with this series!

I don’t want to divulge any spoilers, so I’ll keep my discussion of this volume very general, and focus more on how it made me feel, instead getting into the nitty-gritty details of the plot.  Yuki and Aido are attacked by another pureblood, and they are saved by Zero.  Now, I know in the past I have bashed Zero, but in this outing, I actually liked him again.  I think my affection for Zero rises and declines with my feelings for Kaname.  When I am soft on Kaname, I am tough on Zero,  Well, in this volume, I don’t feel as though I know Kaname anymore, and in this confusion, I have gravitated back to Zero.  Zero’s motivations aren’t as difficult to understand, and I don’t feel that he’s selfishly working toward some unknown goals to benefit himself.  I do feel that way about Kaname now, and I don’t like it!  Kaname, I just don’t trust you anymore!  You have become a stranger to me!

So, after having everything that I believed to be true about Kaname blown to itty-bitty bits, I wandered along with Yuki as she treads cautiously through Kaname’s memories.  His past is a lot different from what I thought it would be, and if I were him, I would be running around, tearing out the throats of whatever humans I ran across.  Kaname is made of sterner stuff, so it’s a good thing I don’t have the ability to turn anyone into a hapless vampire slave.  I’d make them clean my bathrooms just for fun, and then make them clean all of the dirty dishes in the sink, too.  Watching his memories with Yuki, it’s no wonder he rarely cracks a smile; those are some grim thoughts to carry around with you for all of that time.

Poor Aido, one of my favorite characters, has found himself a “guest” of the Hunters.  Both Yuki and Kaname ditched him, leaving him at Zero’s not so tender mercies.  At least their exchange made perfect sense, and shed some light on the creation of the Hunter Society. 

Now, I think that if I sat down and reread Vampire Knight, back to back, it would make more sense.  Part of the problem with reading a serial is that it’s easy to forget key elements of the story during the three or four months between volumes.  I read volume 12 back in May, so I’m sure that I have forgotten important plot points.  Despite the fact that I occasion

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week the bloggers at The Broke and The Bookish post a new Top Ten list that one of them answers. They welcome everyone to join in and share their lists, too. Click here for the rules – they are so simple!

This week’s Top Ten: Ten Books That I Read That Were Outside Of My Comfort Zone (whether you liked them or not).

I have pretty broad reading tastes, and there aren’t many books that I will absolutely avoid, but there are certain genres that are more to my liking than others.  Here’s a list of some of the books that prove that I should keep a more open mind when I am searching for my next read. 

This first book deserves a little more of an introduction than the rest of the titles on my list, because it totally changed my reading expectations.  At one time, I absolutely despised books written in first person point of view. The only thing I hated more were first person point of view told in present tense. Nothing guaranteed that I would put down a book quicker than that.  Then I received a review copy of this book, and that opinion totally changed.  Now there are times when I prefer 1st person POV!  This has opened up a whole new world of reading for me!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan – Er, the zombie plague is much too scary for me to read.  And there is no way to have a romance with being chased by rotting corpses.  Right?  Wrong!

Unlocked by Courtney Milan – I hate short length stories! There isn’t time to get to know the characters!  Oh, maybe I need to reassess that opinion.

Clarity by Kim Harrington – Mysteries are boring!  Too much sleuthing and thinking and not enough action and suspense.  Oh, wait!

The Enemy by Charlie Higson – Those pesky zombies again.  I can’t read a scary, icky book about rotting corpses.  Oh, wait, maybe I can!

My Brother’s Shadow by Monika Schroeder – WWI (or WWII for that matter!) is too depressing and just not for me.  Oops!  It’s still depressing, but a little more interesting that I thought!

Orchards by Holly Thompson – This book is in verse!  Ugh!  I don’t like books in verse!&n

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Vertical has a strong track record for licensing thoughtful, provocative titles, and No Longer Human is no exception.  This somber tale of self-hatred and self-destruction fits in well with their other manga releases, but this story isn’t one that resonated with me.  After learning that time is truly a limited resource, I just can’t relate with Yozo Oba, a young man who seems to have everything, yet wanders aimlessly from panel to panel, with no goals, no attachments, and no appreciation for anything that he has. 

Born into a wealthy family, privilege and comfort are taken for granted.  Yozo’s problem, though, is that these luxuries mean nothing to him, because he can’t stand himself.  His self-loathing pushes him to be someone he isn’t, and only serves to make him miserable.  Pursuit of base pleasures leaves him empty, and he lacks the ability to make meaningful connections with others.  Yozo is emotionally isolated, unable to care for anyone or anything, and so he is much like a piece of driftwood, floating where ever the current takes him.  I quickly became frustrated with him, because he wasn’t living his life – he was just wasting it.

Yozo didn’t come across to me as a tragic character warped by the heavy expectations of his father.  He came across instead as se

May Contain Spoil

From Amazon:

Review:

I don’t know what exactly I expected from Stargazing Dog, but a sad story of wasted opportunities wasn’t anywhere on the list.  From the cover, I expected a carefree tale about a man and his dog.  It’s not.  It’s a story about a man without goals or the ability to change, and the love he has for his dog, the one constant in his life.  Happie provides most of the narrative, and as someone who loves dogs and can’t imagine life without my Buu, the deceptively simple language packs a powerful punch.  It actually felt like someone stabbed me in the heart a few times as I become totally engrossed in Happie’s life with Daddy.

Told in two parts, the first half of the book follows Daddy and Happie from a comfortable life in the suburbs, to divorce, to homelessness.  Through it all, Happie stays faithfully by Daddy’s side.  His whole life revolves around Daddy, and he is over the moon as long as he gets his daily walk and is allowed to spend time with the center of his universe.  When Happie first enters Daddy’s life as a puppy, the man tolerates the dog and allows his daughter to keep her new pet.  As the years slowly pass, the only anchor in Happie’s life is Daddy, and Daddy slowly grows fond of the dog.  Unconditional love is hard to resist, and Daddy soon succumbs to Happie’s worship.  As his fortunes decline, Daddy’s world begins to revolve around Happie, and soon, the two only have each other.  Everything else is gone; sold, stolen, discarded.  Just their mutual affection remains, even as life-threatening illnesses and a life on the road take their toll on both of them.

The second half of the book follows Okutsu, a social worker who is trying to uncover the mystery left by Daddy and Happie.  Okutsu is a lot like Daddy, except that he lacks one thing that the homeless man still possessed; the blind love and trust of a dog.  As Okutsu follows leads to close his case, he is forced to reflect back on his treatment of his dog when he was a child.  He wasn’t always nice to the dog, and even when he was at his meanest, the dog still accepted him with unwavering devotion.  Unconditional love isn’t always as easy to return as one would think, and when Okutsu was a boy, he resented his dog for always loving him, no matter how cruel he could be. 

This book resonated with me because of the relationship between Daddy and Okutsu and their dogs.  Neither one of them is particularly successful in their dealings with other people, but they have learned to form a deep connection with their pets.  Even as Okutsu chides his dog for stargazing and staring into the night sky, you can’t help but wonder how the lives of both men would have changed if they

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

It’s the last week before the Labor Day holiday.  This is a time for soaking up the last of the warm summer rays before the leaves start to change colors and the colder weather of autumn begins to settle in.  This is the time for brainless, action-packed movies, and caving in to the theory that too much thinking is sometimes bad for your noggin, I picked up the second volume of Highschool of the Dead to help usher out the last of the summer. 

Where to start?  Let’s see – brainless certainly fits this series.  It is a mindless festival of gore and blood splatters.  Oh, and impossibly large breasted women, but I think I already covered that in my thoughts on the first volume.  Takashi and Rei have split away from their friends because of a falling out with Shidou.  They race off on a motorcycle, each clutching blunt-edged weapons so they can pummel the crap out of any zombies they encounter.  Ignoring for the moment the fact that motorcycles are loud, noisy machines, they make it unscathed to a gas station, where they are accosted by a nut-case intent on kidnapping Rei so he can have his wicked ways with her.  And because he needs a chick to survive. Or something like that.  During this encounter, both Rei and Takashi discover that they enjoy beating the brains out of anything that moves, including cash registers.  Go figure.

After discovering that all of the bridges in town have been closed off and our little gang is trapped on the wrong side of all of them, Rei and Takashi are reunited with their buddies from the bus.  Naked bath scenes with large breasted bimbos ensue.  Again, I wonder at the intelligence of these characters as they cavort loudly and drunkenly with hordes of the undead searching for a snack just outside of their bathroom.  Since there isn’t really a plot, whatever, we’ll just go whichever way the rubber ducky floats.

There is a rescue scene, a Hummer running over zombies scene, and even police officers firing on frantic crowds of desperate people trying to escape becoming zombie chow scene.  The bulldozer squashing everyone in its path scene only got a few measly panels, but it’s here!  Flattening anything in its path, leaving human and not-quite human pancakes in its wake!

I am not a fan of brainless horror flicks, but some people love them.  Dean will sit in front of Syfy all day long, watching Mongolian Death Worms, Mega Piranha, and Dinocroc, one right after another.  This is why I read.  I am trying to avoid having my brain cells rot during the course of a Sunday afternoon.  Still, there must be an audience for these kinds of movies, because they keep making them.  So, in theory, there must be an audience for brainless manga as well.

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

Deadman Wonderland is the perfect example of one of the reasons I feel like  I have lost my manga mojo.  I was thoroughly enjoying this action-packed sci-fi series when its US publisher, Tokyopop, abruptly shut their doors for business.  Stu Levy, per his own infamous Tweet, was bored with the publishing industry.  Books were too old-school for him, so he turned his back on all of his fans and totally rained on their parade.  Bye-bye almost ten years’ worth of collecting the old fashioned, boring books his publishing company had been blitzing the market with.  Bye-bye series that I had come to love and anticipate, and in part prompted me to start this blog in the first place.  Ouch!  Talk about a slap in the face…

Deadman Wonderland is the type of series I didn’t have much interest in when I first heard about it.  I’m not a big fan of horror yarns or stories with graphic violence, though after taking a look at some of the titles I am following, I am going to have to admit that I do like some of these kinds of books.  While this title doesn’t have a lot of over the top violence, it does offer its fair share of blood sprays, explosions, and destructive combat scenes.  After reading the first volume, I was hooked.  How is Ganta going to survive and get out of Deadman Wonderland?  Will he survive the Carnival of Corpses?  At first glance, it doesn’t seem that he will survive very long, with his skinny frame and gullible nature.  Better for US fans if he had only lived the span of four graphic novels – we wouldn’t have been left hanging when yet another manga publisher shuttered their offices.

This volume has Ganta facing off against Yo’s sister in the second round of the Carnival of Corpses.  Minatsuki is a psychopath, and she gets off on lying and killing.  Her hair is her deadly weapon, and she can whip her opponents to bloody ribbons with about as much effort as it takes a normal person to yawn.  Their battle gets off to a fierce and furious start, and it looks like Ganta’s going to go down fast.  Then Yo arrives to complicate matters even more for the hapless Ganta.

I like this series, and I don’t know why.  The action is mind-numbing, the plot is erratic, and most of the characters are one-dimensional.   Still, there are enough twists and suspense to keep me turning the pages.  I like Ganta quite a bit, and I want him to survive, to find out why he’s in DW, and to somehow find freedom for himself.  I also like Shiro.  I want to know everything about her.  A fe

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

I was just a tiny bit disappointed with this volume of Library Wars, but I think that I am expecting too much from the series now.  I found the first four volumes extremely satisfying, and I don’t know if it’s possible for every single installment of a series to leave as big an impression on me.  What would have made this collection of chapters better?  More Dojo and Iku interaction!  The last two bonus manga were wonderful, and I wish the rest of the book would have been more like them.

The wrap up with Iku’s parents brought a smile to my face, because her father finally saw that his daughter is a dedicated and motivated employee for the library.  Iku isn’t always the brightest bulb on the tree, but I firmly believe that she is the most determined one, and she takes her job tasks very seriously.  She just isn’t suited for all of that paperwork that she’s expected to perform.  Iku is at her best when her passion leads her actions, and that’s when I like her the best.  When she jumps into a situation because she sees an injustice being committed.  She would dive into a shark tank if she thought it would save a book or a library patron, and that kind of dedication is hard to beat.  It was nice to see her father finally stand up for her and to give her credit for trying to do something that means so much to her. 

The rest of the book didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat.  Komaki is arrested under suspicion of abusing a person with disabilities, and it’s got the library in an uproar.  Iku wants to prevent him from being taken into custody, but Dojo, fearing that both of them will be arrested if she interferes, intervenes.  Komaki is taken away by the MBC, and then they attempt to force a confession from him.  Iku wants to engage Marie’s help, the girl that the MBC claims Komaki has abused.  Iku has seen Komaki and Marie together, and she strongly suspects that they have feelings for each other.  Dojo refuses to get Marie involved, which leaves Iku to act on her own.

I just didn’t find this story line as compelling as previous ones, mainly because Dojo and Iku aren’t the stars this time around.  While I like Komaki, he just doesn’t hold a candle to Dojo.  There is just something about Dojo’s taciturn, gruff exterior that appeals to me, and the rest of the men in the series pale in comparison.  I don’t think I realized how much I like him until he wasn’t constantly in the spotlight, but now I’m kind of hung up on him and gosh darn it, I want to read more about him! 

There are three bonus chapters included, and all three of them are light and humorous, especially after Iku gets a make-over. Ha!  Eat your heart out, Dojo!  Someone else is going to sweep her off her feet if you keep hiding your feelings!  Even if they are inappropriate, given that you are Iku’s commanding offi