Gord’s Comments (group member since Apr 06, 2017)

Gord’s comments from the Vampires, Weres and Fae! group.

I think my local library seems to have taken great personal offense to the idea of me being caught up on my library pile because they are making up for lost time with great gusto. I picked up eight new books and one ebook on the weekend which is a perfectly fine number and easy to manage. This morning I checked my account and I had ten items "in transit" to me. I just checked again and I am now up to thirteen items. Then I got an email about this ILL hold that I had submitted over a month ago suddenly shipping. Apparently I am not allowed to be caught up on library books. Oh and the icing on the cake, eight or nine of all these books are omnibus manga editions.

Yup, three years. It has been a long, long, long, wait. The book order was dropped at some point and apparently there was supply issues with the publisher but I'm finally getting it.

Guys, it's here, it's really, really, really here. I've been waiting for three years for this book but my library finally got a copy of the fourth volume of XXXholic. This book has been on order for three years now but it's now actually "in transit" to me. I've requested the first three books for a refresher but I see a week long marathon of nothing by XXXholic in my future.

Alright, going to be responsible and do this early so I can back to my mini vacation and my reading. I took Friday off and got a ton of reading done this week. I'm actually done my backlog of books and now the oldest thing I have from the library is only a week old at this point. It feels so freeing to read something that isn't decided by due date at the library. Anyway, enough rambling, lets get to the books.

The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters -3 Stars
This was a fun little romp across the US looking at the various cryptids that inhabit it. You have your usual suspect such as Bigfoot, The Jersey Devil, and Chupacabra but you have a lot of other ones as well. Some of these are inspired by Native American mythology and some of these are downright strange. There is one that I would say is entirely possible and that was the story of a giant turtle from prehistoric times found in this pond/lake. I'm thinking just a really old snapping turtle combined with a fisherman's ability to embellish a tale of what they saw. Some of these were clearly hoaxes and some were created for the sake of tourism and drawing strangers into town. It was an interesting romp across the States getting the most basic glimpse into some local folklore.

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent (Light Novel) Vol. 2 -4 Stars
I found myself in a weird spot when I finished this book. If this was a normal book I would have given this a three star rating at best as just not a lot of anything at all happened in this book. Since it's a light novel it was sitting at about a 3.5 stars and then I kicked it up a half point because I like the series. So yeah, not a lot really happened in this book. Basically Sei is confirmed to be The Saint which we already knew, she starts her magic training, and goes on her first expedition. Here are the things that I found interesting that the anime just never really touched on. We get a glimpse into the Aira situation and how it all played out the way it did. It really added a lot more context to that situation. I also love how we got to see a lot more of the trials behind the magic. Sei trained a lot and practiced a lot with her magic to get better at it. There was also the experimentation side of things. Where we get to see her try to figure out how this new magic works, how it compares to what we would consider magic (video games , etc), and test what she is capable of. It's a very chill type of book but I had a fun time with it.

White Trash Warlock -3 Stars
This was another solid three star book and a solid start to a series. It was definitely not I was expecting heading into this. With a title like White Trash Warlock I was figuring more of a humorous take on an UF novel that would be set in a trailer park setting. In many ways this was much more of a standard UF novel set in a big city with a MC who is from small town Oklahoma. I found the MC interesting, the world building interesting, and the story to be solid. There just wasn't anything there that blew me out of the water. This is a group read and I will definitely be continuing with the next book.

Now for all the manga

Made in Abyss Vol. 5 -4 Stars
Made in Abyss, Vol. 6 -4 Stars
Jumping back into this series after a month plus break was a bit odd. Especially as I was kind of right in the middle of a story line when I stopped last time. This was an odd read as I feel like it has really started leaning into the body horror part of things. Well, horror in general would be a much better description. We get down to the sixth level and there are "things" down there. This section was oddly uncomfortable. There are all these things and they have their own language which is not translated. I don't know why and I don't think I can describe it but there was just something unsettling about all of this. Maybe the author is tapping hard into the whole "fear of the unknown" but everything is just so alien that it's unsettling. I'm curious about where we are going next with this story and what else is down there in the Abyss.

Beauty and the Feast 10 -3 Stars
Beauty and the Feast 11 -3 Stars
I finally made it to the end and I find myself feeling rather conflicted and a lot of it comes down to the conflicting messaging that the author puts across. There is a part of me that still enjoys the comfy, feel good, slice of life food part of it all but it's all jumbled up with the ecchi splash pages and the maybe, sort of, budding romance between the two. Since this is the end of things I'm throwing up a spoiler wall for the ending.

(view spoiler)[
In the end we have at least a one year time skip, no more than I'd say two and it feels like little has changed. Everyone gets back together for one last panel of everyone being there and that's it. I don't think they are together yet but there is a romance budding. It just all feels weird as they met when he was probably 16 and she was late 20's. I know this is not her first relationship with this kind of age gap but it just feels weird. From what I understand this relationship age gap thing is popular in romance in Japan. I'm not saying that people that have 10+ years in age gap can't have relationships but when it starts when one of them is a teen it just feels weird. Also, what does she do for a living? She ran out of money and got a job but that didn't work out so what is she doing? Is just idling through life now doing nothing? I'm not sure that is a great role model as the senior in that relationship especially with that weird age difference. I don't regret reading this series but its tone is very confusing. (hide spoiler)]

Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1 -5 Stars
This is one of those series that I wanted to reread and my first book has finally come in. It has been many years since I last read this and it feels really good to pick it up again. It's interesting to come back and see how the characters, their motivations, the villains, and the story are all set up for the reader. Especially as now that I am viewing it as a reread and with some more experience on the writing process. It really makes me appreciate the start of this book a whole lot more. This book also contains probably one of the most hated characters in manga/anime, Shou Tucker. Just seeing this guy appear on the page brought my mood down a notch or two. Not that he is poorly written character, or he is hindrance to the series. It's his actions in the story that make him so reviled. It's interesting to see how little time he actually gets in the story but how large his impact is on the MC's and the fandom in general. I really can't wait for the next one.

The Apothecary Diaries Manga, Vol. 10 -4 Stars
More MaoMao and that is never a bad thing. It really feels like the story is building to something big which makes reading a single volume of manga every couple of months or so very difficult. I just want to sink into this world and see where all of this is going but before I know it I am done the volume and waiting for the next one.

What is next?
The Fellowship of the Ring
I've started this on audiobook and to say that I am excited would be a slight understatement. This is not my first rodeo with the LotR series but it is my first time listening to the audio version. I have the Rob Inglis version and so far it has been a treat to listen to. I forgot about the massive history lesson at the start of this book but I have no complaints. It really shows the depth of world building that Tolkien put into his creation. Right now I have to listen to two hours a day to complete this into time and my stance on that is "Oh no, please stop, please stop twisting my arm and making me do this horrible thing". In case their is any doubt floating around, that is said with a mountain of sarcasm.

I'm not sure what I'm tackling in regards to physical books next. For the first time in about a month, month plus, I'm not chasing a library due date and I can read what I feel like and not what is due next. It's kind of a nice feeling honestly.

I'm 80% done this book and I want to peek at all these spoiler conversations so bad but I must resist.

We are, and book three the month after that.

Welcome to the group!

I'm deeply shocked by this news and I know that John will be missed by those that knew him both online and in real life. All I can do at this moment is offer my deepest condolences to you and your family.

I'm 30 something percent into the book and it's alright. No real complaints at all yet, just kind of curious where things are going to go. As for the Harry Dresden comparison, I can see it. It's not like a clone of Dresden or anything but I feel like there could have been some influence. It's not distracting or anything but I notice it because we talked about it.

I'm done but if I'm being honest that cryptid book felt like massively cheating. I already had a few filled out from other books but still. Combine that with the fact that it's only April and I'll be seeing if I can fill my slate a second time. I think the biggest thing that would help is actually reading books that are set in the States.

I figured I would post this early as I actually have a fair bit to talk about this week. It was a manga heavy week but I'm nearly at the point where I am fully caught up on my library backlog which is so nice.

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England -3 Stars
Just to be clear before I get into this book, I am not comparing this to other books by Brandon Sanderson or the other Secret Project books. This is just my opinion on this book by itself. Alright, that out of the way I thought this book was a perfect three star book. It kept me entertained, it made me chuckle a time or two, and I don't really have anything super negative or super positive to say about this. It really makes it hard to talk about though as there's not a lot for me to talk about. I love the premise for the book and it definitely gave me some Hitchhiker vibes especially with the parts of the book that was dedicated to the corporate handbook. I heard that for the physical and ebook editions there were a ton of cool doodles in the margins of the book but I listened to this on audio so I missed out on that.

The Boxer, Vol. 5 -5 Stars
I love this series and I love the shift that we've had the last couple volumes. The story shifted away from the MC and is now focused on those that are challenging him. It's shifted the MC from the focus point to this scary end boss and it just works for this story. Especially as the MC is not the most emotive individual. We got treated to two different fights in this book and both were just that, a treat. I'm now back to "patiently" waiting for the next volume to come out in a few months.

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 3 (Volume 3) -5 Stars
The first two volumes did a great job hooking me in but this was the volume where everything just clicked for me and I have no idea where or how to even talk about this. The roster of characters gets expanded and it allows us to start exploring the characters, their backgrounds, and see how they interact with others. This series really tackles diversity but from a Japanese POV (which makes sense considering it's a Japanese manga written by a Japanese person). I'm really liking this series and can't wait for the next volume.

I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 3 -3 Stars
I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 4 -3 Stars
This is just more dumb isekai fun and it was a what I need yesterday. Our hero befriends Death who of course gets a bit of a Yandere crush on him which is hilarious. It's dumb but I'm in for more.

Mr. Villain's Day Off 01 -3 Stars
Mr. Villain's Day Off 02 -3 Stars
This was exactly what I expected. It was cute, it was funny, it's what advertised on the cover. I've also come to the conclusion that I am just not a fan of gag manga. This was cute and fun but I just wanted more. Having nearly every chapter start out the exact same way with the exact same wording gets a little stale shall we say. I doubt I will continue with this series as I've already got the joke hammered into me but at the same time I would tell you give it a try if you're curious.

Cursed Princess Club Volume Two -3 Stars
I have some pretty conflicted feelings about this series. This was a WEBTOON comic that was brought over to the printed page and the influence of internet humor is kind of obvious to me. As a result a lot of the jokes in this just kind of fell flat for me. I just didn't fun them funny. There was one particular joke towards the end though that did make me laugh out loud but I'm sure I'd laugh out loud regardless of what it was in. Then there is the chapter dedicated to the Princels which is exactly what you think it is. They are princes who are not a pretty as the standard prince and have become incels. This whole chapter just left a very bad taste in my mouth. I get the joke but I just don't find it really all that funny and I just don't think incels need any more light shined on them in any fashion. They just need to go away. Outside of that the story is more of the same. There are some good moments, some bleh moments, etc. The problem is that there is just enough story that I'm kind of curious enough to want to read the next volume. We get the back story to how the Cursed Princess Club started and its founding member and it kind of intrigued me. I might give it one more volume to see how it goes. I'm just not looking to more of the Princels as they are getting set up to be a kind of running gag and bleh.

As for what I am working on next...

White Trash Warlock
This is my current audiobook and it's not bad. It's not blowing my socks off or anything but it's not bad. It's shaping up to be another solid three star book so far.

The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters
This is one of two physical novels I'm working on and so far it's interesting. Some of these are eyebrow raising and some of this are clearly someones drunk/stoned relative seeing things with others cashing in on the temporary popularity. It's great for a 50 states challenge for sure.

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent (Light Novel) Vol. 2
I can't wait to get to this one. This one of the last legacy books from last month and I just want more from this series but haven't had a chance to get to it due to other library obligations.

I'm reading a book that is exploring the various cryptids of the US and I almost, almost, feel bad using this book. I'm not sure if I'm going to get all the States using this book but it is helping put a dent in things so far.

I'm feeling pretty good and a little bit liberated. As you guys know a little over a month ago there was a chance that my local library was going to go on strike that was called off at the last minute. Between some poor planning and just things suddenly becoming available I found myself with 30ish books from the library and no strike to pad the time I was allowed to have the books out. Since then I haven't really been making any new requests but I have been getting more books in as things became available. About the only thing that was getting a constant request was my audiobooks. I can happily say that I've pretty much caught up on my huge pile of books after a week of reading a whole lot of manga/comics. I am now down to four legacy books and two newer ones. All of these are due in the next week but I can probably renew some if I need to. It's almost time to start looking for some new books to read.

I like the ones that are 8-10ish hours as I can finish those in a week of walking plus maybe some extra for at home.

Nope, I listen to it at original speed unless it something I really don't like and I just want to get it over with. I got the one that was narrated by Rob Inglis. I know it's still short compared to some. I'm also starting the Harry Potter series on audio at some point and I know some of those books push 30 hours.

I finally got my copy of The Fellowship of the Ring and I'm both excited and nervous. I'm excited to see what LotR is like in an audiobook format but this is by far the longest audiobook I've tackled so far at a whopping 20 hours. I know that there are longer ones out there but this is the longest one for me so far. I just started White Trash Warlock today and there is a small part of me that kind of wants to sweep it aside to tackle this. I won't, but I am tempted.

Katie❄️ wrote: "Rahr rahr rahr! Nothing more frustrating than being 95% done with an audiobook and needing to wait till after work to finish it!"

This is what happened to me this morning. 92% and 43 minutes left but I can't finish it until this evening.

This is next on the docket after I'm done my current book.

I've been wanting to do a reread of Harry Potter but I want to do it audiobook. The problem is that they are still insanely popular and have massive queues still.

I decided to just give in and throw my hat in the waiting list. The version we have at the library is the Jim Dale narrated one. I'm 220th in line or about a 13 week waiting.

Not a lot of really lot to talk about this week. Just life, other hobbies, and the never ending library list.

One Dark Window -2 Stars
There is a little bit of backstory to this and it's kind of funny. I saw this in one of my book club groups and it came highly recommended. I was between audiobooks at the time so without reading the synopsis I threw it on my hold list and forgot about it. Many, many months later it showed up so I threw into the cycle of things to get through from the library. I only listened to an hour or so of this book and I knew I was in trouble. I can appreciate that a lot of people are really into this book but it's just not for me. This is a YA gothic romantasy novel. First, I really don't like this new buzz word of romantasy. Maybe I'm just a grumpy old man but that word just rubs me the wrong way. Second, I'm not a huge fan of the type of romance that makes its way into YA fantasy novels. Third, this book is far from anything related to action or adventure. Instead this is more of a political scheming kind of novel which translates to pages and pages of talking and nothing much else. Yeah, I was in trouble very early on. I'm really not sure why I kept listening to this book honestly. Maybe it was spite, stubbornness, or just sheer stupidity. Now lets get into this book specifically.

As you can tell by my rating and my little spiel above I did not like this book. The book was just lots and lots of talking about everything with very little going on. If a character needs to walk from one room to another room that will take about 20 chapters of everyone talking about it before it can actually happen. There are some action scenes but man they are very few and far between. The first big one that I can think of probably didn't happen until almost halfway through the book. Then we get to romance/characters. I'm lumping these two together as they are closely connected. I can't stand this type of romance. The whole "I like the other person but I can't tell them that or they just don't like me" thing just gets boring and frustrating. Then there was just the never ending flushed faces, tingles, butterflies in the stomach, blah, blah, blah. The constant reminders of what the MMC's mouth is doing. I don't need an update every time the guy smirks alright. Then we get to one of the scenes towards the end. It's trying to be a spicy scene but remain YA so it was a lot of metaphors about what is really happening. By this time I was deep into the realm of not liking the book but the possibility of three stars was still on the table. This one scene alone buried this book firmly into the two stars range and would never be allowed to leave. As for the characters, I'll be honest, I don't think there was a single character I actually like in this whole novel. The MMC was the stereotypical brooding, mysterious bad boy and I just could not care about his character. The FMC was completely useless. She had this cool setup and potential with this monster inside of her but then that got nerfed and basically anytime something action related happened she just cried. Alright, maybe she did more then that but it sure felt that when ever things hit the fan you count on the crying and the complaining from her. Outside of that the story was meh, the world building was meh, and I was just bored and annoyed with this novel. If you enjoyed this book, power to you, but I'm done with this series and will not be back for the second.

Murder by Lamplight -4 Stars
Now on the other side of the spectrum we have this book and man was this a treat to read. It's an adult murder mystery set in 1866 London, England. I wasn't 100% certain what I was getting myself into with this book before I started it. I wasn't sure if this was going to lean more towards a cozy mystery, an action/adventure kind of mystery, or something else. This was a slow boil murder mystery where we follow two MC's. On one side we Julia who is a female doctor taking over her grandfathers practice. It's through this that she is called out to the first murder scene and her involvement with this case started. The other MC is the inspector in charge of the case, Richard. A lot of this book is finding clues and checking them out. The thing that I like was that Julia never really fell into that trope of "I'm the main investigator on this case and will solve it all by myself". She was involved with her medical input, she passed on tips as they came to her using her position in her clinic and in the surrounding neighborhood. Most of the mystery though is solved by Scotland Yard and a lot of man hours chasing down clues. As for the killer, I legit had no idea who it was and was shocked when it was revealed. The reveal of the killer made sense and the explanation made sense. Outside of the mystery there was also a romance/friendship brewing between the two leads but it never felt like it overshadowed the main story. I am ready for the next book in this series and I'm excited to see where things go.

Ghost Roast -4 Stars
Another random comic I snagged from the library and a great fun read. This is about a teenage girl who can really see ghosts. Her father runs a ghost busting business and she is sent to work for him during the summer after she gets arrested for trespassing. It's during this time that she discovers her new abilities. This is a lot about her figuring out her abilities, the history of this ghost at a haunted site, her social standing in a high school setting, and just being a teen. One thing I am really glad this book didn't do was go the whole Mean Girls route. When her friends discover who her father was there was a lot of teasing and what not and I was really worried it was going to turn into something mean. Instead they remained her friends even after giving her a hard time and was there to support her when she needed it. Overall this was just a feel good comic that was a fun read.

As for what is next:

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England
I'm about 60% of the way into this book and it's alright. I'm liking it, I've chuckled a few times, but I'm not exactly blown away either. It's an alright book.

Outside of that I have a giant stack of manga to get back to the library for next weekend.