Gord’s Comments (group member since Sep 03, 2018)

Gord’s comments from the Readers Unbound group.

Katie❄️ wrote: "Restaurant to Another World is way better…."

Yup, that and Isekai Izakaya "Nobu"

Sorry, going to rant a bit.

Well that is probably one of the quicker drops for a seasonal anime for me. I was watching Welcome to the Outcast's Restaurant! because it looked like a cute SOL in a fantasy world with food type of anime. My expectation for shows like this are already pretty low. I'm not looking for deep story lines, I'm here for a fluffy good time to take my mind off things. Going forward I am going to spoil things and I really don't care.

Opening episode opens with the MC getting kicked from his party and opening his own restaurant. Whatever, it's tried and true, lets get to the fluffy and the food. Of course our male lead needs a female partner for the show so lets bring in slavery. Not just slavery but slavery where our MMC is bidding to buy a child and outbid a creepy shop keep. Fucking slavery, this trope is so tacky. The show needed our MC broke and with a female partner and the only thing they could think up was slavery. Don't worry though, even though our MC just bought a female child, gave the slave trade millions in gold, he is a good guy at heart and let her go. This whole slave trope thing just screams lazy writing for me and is quickly rocketing to the top of my hated tropes list. It doesn't end there though. I came back for a second episode and this is where the show sealed it's fate. We get our first guest and they are a female swordsman looking for a party. Our MC helps find her a party but he quickly gets a bad vibe about things. She of course just blindly trusts the all male party and follows them into a dungeon. Of course the all male party is a party of scum who takes young women deep into dungeons, SA's them, and then leaves them to die deep in the dungeon. The show was starting to skate on really thin ice at this point but what happened next was so ick. At any point the show could have had the MC step in and save the young woman. It would have served the purpose that it was setting up but the show doesn't do that. Oh no, they show the young woman getting taken into the dungeon, they show her fighting until tired, they show her getting stunned by the healer, they show her armor getting removed, they get a couple of "sexy shots" in, and then the MC shows up to save her. This was just gross and uncalled for. It served no purpose at all. Needless to say I'm dropping this show and not coming back for a third episode. One less thing to watch and the same day as Dan Da Dan so no real complaints there.

This has been another busy week of reading for me. Apologies in advance. I found myself in a mood while typing this up. My commentary is basically "book good, me like".

Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling (Light Novel) Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐
This is a hard one to talk about as there isn't a whole lot to say. It's a light novel fantasy. You have stat points, level ups, etc. If you've read anything like this then you know what to expect. It's a solid book and a fun read.

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After Wicked Fox last week I was in a bit of a funk when it came to audiobooks. I had no idea what I wanted to listen to next and nothing on my list was speaking to me. I had this one recommended to me and it sounded interesting. I'm really glad I picked this one up as it was a great read. It's a coming of age story involving magic and saving a kingdom. The MC is a young girl named Mona who has the magic ability to control bread. In her mind her magic is a minor ability, she doesn't have the same power as the great mages in the army that can hurl fireballs or call down lightning. Over the course of the book she learns that it's more about how you use the power then what the power itself really is. Like I said, it was a solid book with great characters and a great story.

Now for all the manga
Case Closed, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐
The series finally glanced off the overarching story, kind of, sort of, before completely ignoring it once again. This one had three cases in it and yeah it's what you would expect from this series. Mystery happens, Conan gets involved, all the adults look like buffoons, he solves the case. It was a fun read.

Yowamushi Pedal Omnibus, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's series like this that really helps me understand the "hype" around sports manga/anime. It's hard not to get sucked into the hype and the series is really good at laying stakes and setting up emotions. Without spoilers there is a race coming up and it's a rematch of the previous year. The other school is the most elite of the elite and our school is the underdog, of course. The set up doesn't end there. There are connecting story lines between some of the members on the teams. Some are friendship and the thrill of riding/competition. Then the one that is set up here is a reveal of a secret that happened during the race last year. It makes this race very personal for one of the riders and basically a grudge match. It's all tropes we recognize but the author does a great job setting them up and as the reader you are there for the excitement.

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More slice of life about monster girls doing their thing. Fun read, looking forward to the next one.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4—Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
With the fourth volume in this series I'm really getting a better feeling for this series. There is an overarching story but it's not really the main driver. This feels like more of an anthology series of loosely interconnected stories. That's what we get with these volumes, a series of different adventures that just happen to have the same characters and set in the same town. My personal favorite was the one involving Jotaro and Josuke are tracking down a rat that has developed a Stand. Yeah, that is the level of weird we are dealing with here. This entire franchise has always dabbled in body horror but this story really leaned into it I felt. Combine that with the sheer absurdity of what was happening and it was just a fun read.

Motherlover ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have to be really careful talking about this one as this is a new release and I don't want to spoil anything but I also want to gush a bit. This was a random snag from the library and it wasn't until later when my hype started to grow for it. I'll just get this out of the way, this was an amazing read and the kind of romance that I enjoy. It's sweet, it takes its time to unfold, neither character is perfect and have their own issues, it just works for me. Combine that with two interesting leads and this book just fires on all cylinders. I don't normally recommend a lot of books but this is one that I strongly recommend if you enjoy sapphic romances and graphic novels.

What is next?
Grave Wrong - My current audiobook and it's alright. I have thoughts, but I'll wait until I finish this before saying anything
Patient Zero - My next audiobook
Reincarnated as a Sword (Light Novel) Vol. 2 - My current physical book
After that I have a bunch more manga and comics to get through.

Time for another weekly update and this week is heavy on the manga and comics. It's just how things worked out.

Wicked Fox
Before I get into what I did finish this week I figured I'd touch on this one since I said I'd be listening to it this week. I dropped it. Not because of the book so much but because I just was not vibing with the narrator. Just to be clear, I don't think the narrator is bad, in fact I can see their voice working great for other books, but for this one, I just wasn't feeling it. I'm not marking this as DNF as I do want to try giving the book a try but I'll have to read it so it is getting tossed back on to the TBR mountain.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More of Yuna doing bear things in a fantasy world. Pure fluff and I love it.

Now for the comics/manga

Our Teachers are Dating! Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our Teachers are Dating! Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our Teachers Are Dating! Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our Teachers Are Dating! Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a short series and I read them all at once so I am lumping my review all together. This was a series I started a few years back but never finished. I found it my local library and wanted to give it a read. This is a light and fluffy yuri romance with a healthy dose of spice but done in a tasteful way. It's about two young women who started dating and are now working through their relationship. There is no teasing about whether they will be dating or any of that jazz. The book opens with them already dating. This book also doesn't have a lot of the tropes to add drama to a romance manga. Well, they are there but instead of them turning into this huge drama it's an opportunity for our characters to talk and improve their relationship. This series is just pure sugar and it is pumped directly into your system. As for the spice, I figure I should touch on this. There is hand holding, a lot of kissing and hugging, and each volume has a spicy bedroom scene but it doesn't feel pornographic. It's spicy but it still feels light and fluffy at the same time. I don't know if that description makes sense or not. It's more focused on the relationship and the emotions of the characters in the scene then the sex but because it's a manga, nudity.

Flying Witch, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am slowly working through a reread of this series and I just love the cozy vibes of it. It's a cozy slice of live fantasy manga about a young witch coming of age. We get little scenes from this characters life and it's just fun.

Silver Spoon, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More slice of life manga. This one is a little less cozy but still not massively high stakes. This one sees the end of summer coming around. Our MC is still working at the farm of another student and learning about life on a farm. We also see the return to the dorms and the start of the new school year. There is a big focus on the MC learning about this new life and the moral struggles that comes with it.

Acception, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another WEBTOON Unscrolled comic that I found at my library. This was from the end of my time where I was reading daily on WEBTOON but I remember liking this comic. There is a whole lot of things that are going on in this one. It's about a teenage boy going to a new school. As you can tell from the cover or MC stands out a little shall we say. It's about him trying to fit in, make friends, the usual high school stuff, and some heavier stuff as well. There is trans discussions, bad parents, cancer, etc. It was definitely fun visiting this comic again and I'll be reading these as they come out.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 21 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After all the volumes I've posted about do I really need to tell you how awesome this series is? This series is just awesome, there, done, moving on.

The Toxic Avenger ⭐⭐⭐
This is a very shaky three star and I feel weird talking about this one. I know of The Toxic Avenger but I've never watched any of the movies. Well, that's not 100% accurate. I was a very young kid, I saw the cartoon cover, and I got my mom to rent one of them. I did not watch the full thing but the scene I saw was burned into my young brain forever. Anyway, back to the book. This is a modern re-imaging of the character but I feel a bit odd. I know nothing of the character as it is so I have no idea if this is good or bad, loyal or completely off base, none of that. What I can say is that this comic felt insanely topical. To the point where it felt rather distracting. Especially because it felt like it was trying to dance this fine line between referencing stuff and mocking stuff. It just felt weird to me. As for the story itself, it was alright. Honestly this entire comic was just kind of meh for me. It's one of those ones that I'll probably forget in about a week or two as I move on to the hundreds of other things I am reading. Maybe you will get more out of it if you are a fan of the franchise but as someone new to this character it really didn't pull me in.

Now, what is next
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking My current audiobook and I am really enjoying this one so far.
Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling (Light Novel) Vol. 2 My next physical novel
Besides those two I have even more manga and comics from the library.

It has been a long week of reading and I have got a lot accomplished this week.

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a book that I had recommended to me and one that I've had sitting on hold for what feels like forever. I think this is my third book from this author and again it's a solid book. This was a story set in the late 1600's in a Puritan town in the colonies. I was a little concerned at the start of the story because I had a feeling I knew where things were going to go. The setting, the subject matter, the, what I thought, obvious villain. This book really flipped things on their head though. Yes, it touched on all the subjects that I expected but not in the way that I expected it to be done. I want to get in to details but I don't want to spoil so spoiler wall

(view spoiler)[ Very early on I figured that the head Reverend was going to be the main villain and that religious fervor was going to be main driving force behind things. The Reverend was one of the good guys actually and while religion was a driving factor behind things it was human greed using religion as a tool more then just religion by itself. It was a nice little twist on things. (hide spoiler)]

Overall it was a solid read that both surprised me and delivered on what I expected at the same time. I'm glad I picked this one up and gave it a read.

The Art Thief ⭐⭐⭐
Another nonfiction book and there was a part of me that was considering a two star rating for this book. I snagged this one for a challenge because it sounded interesting. It was a story about a modern art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole a ton of art in the late 90's and early 2000's. I am going to compare this to Secret Servants of the Crown that I recently completed not because they are similar but because of how different these two books were and we are not talking about just the subject matter. Secret Servants felt like a bit of a slog because of just how much information the book was throwing at you. It was a constant flow of names, dates, locations, events, etc. This book also felt like a slog but it felt like that because there was just so little here. Between the formatting of the book itself and the lack of content it just felt like there was a whole lot of nothing here. There were chapters that were a walk through of the heist performed by the thief, there were chapters explaining his childhood and upbringing, and there were chapters explaining his downfall and inevitable capture. This is all expected but it still felt empty. There is still so much we don't know about the story and that is because certain parties involved are not talking about what happened. The story is also padded with exploration of psychological explanations on why the thief might have acted the way he did. The way the author wrote this also makes it feel biased and like it was an effort to paint the thief in a more favorable light. Which is a problem for me because I found the man to be insufferable. Sure, it was interesting to see how he viewed a scene or how he pulled off a heist but when you got into his personal views, his actions, etc he was just an unlikable person for me. Long story short, I didn't hate the book but I really didn't like it either.

Paper Cuts ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I just love this series so much. It's a mystery novel that sits in this weird little niche. There are elements of this that feel like a cozy mystery, there are elements that feel like a normal mystery novel, there are elements that feel like it comes from a contemporary fiction novel. All these elements come together into this wonderful blend that is just a fun read. You have some drama, you have some murder, you have some romance, you have some feel good life stories, it's all here. In this one you have elements of our MC's life that she had left behind coming back into her life in a very unexpected way. Namely a low life ex-husband and all that baggage. Just a perfect audiobook for this week.

Now for the manga.

One Piece, Volume 8: I Won't Die ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After finishing my nonfiction book this felt like the perfect palette cleanser. This was the end of the Baratie Arc and the start of the Arlong Park Arc which is generally the part of the story that locked a lot of readers into becoming fans of One Piece. I'm just having fun continuing my reread of this series and visiting these old memories.

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 12: Includes vols. 34, 35 & 36 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This series never ceases to surprise me with it's abrupt tonal shits and changes in direction. That would normally be a bad thing in many series but in this one it just kind of works. The first probably two thirds of this book is the big fight with Cell. Which did not end in a way that I expected. Again, I have never watched the anime or read the manga so all of this is new to me. Going off of previous story arcs I had a idea where things were going to being heading until all of a sudden it wasn't. All of a sudden the MC just sits out and someone else takes the main stage for the final battle. That was not expected at all. There was also a death at the end that I did not expect. Not that death really carries a whole lot of weight in this series at all. Then the story cuts to Trunks story line in the future tidying up some plot threads and it feels like the series is done. All of a sudden we get a time skip, Gohan is the MC, and we are suddenly doing a high school manga. What? Where did this come from? This high school arc then turns into a tournament arc because why not. I also have to laugh how the entire world just doesn't seem to recognize any of the main cast of the story even though they have world numerous times. Also, I really, really, really feel sorry for the people participating in the tournament. Our boys have been sitting out for years and no one seems to know of them or their abilities. They are going to wipe the floor with the competition and I am here to read that.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reading this in single volumes I think is a test of my patience and sanity. In the single volume format of this story things are drip fed to you at a glacial pace. Yes, lots of things are happening and happening rather quickly but the actual story is still slowly unfolding. I really want to know where this is all going already. We are getting all these cards, there are cryptic hints at other characters and events happening, but nothing is actually being told to us and it is driving me batty.

Heroine? Saint? No, I'm an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! (Manga) Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
No, I'm not going to try to sum up the plot again because this series is madness. I feel like we just sped through the demon king arc and I'm not really sure where we are going next with things. Honestly, there is a part of me that is just waiting for an alien invasion or something at this point.

Cosmos, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a new manga that I snagged from the library and it's an interesting start. Our MC can smell when people are lying to him and is asked to look into a disappearance of a fellow classmate. That is where he discovers that his classmate is an alien and is recruited for a job by a ruthless insurance agent. Yeah, Cosmos is an intergalactic insurance agency who insure aliens who are coming to earth. Aliens are of course a big secret and all that so this agency is everywhere but also doesn't exist. We then get a couple more cases as our MC mulls over whether he actually wants to join or not. There is a lot going on in this first volume and it has caught my interest. I want to read on and see where this madness will go from here.

What is next?
Wicked Fox -My next audiobook
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 8 -My next novel
After that I have a bunch of manga to get through

It has been an odd week but a good week of reading.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen ⭐⭐⭐
This is another book series in the same vein as Before the Coffee Gets Cold and I am becoming a fan of this little weird subgenre I've stumbled into. It's not like anything else I really read but I love the vibes of the books even if they do hurt me emotionally more often then not. This is a collection of short stories all based around this little restaurant on the beach. Rumors say that if book a reservation, and things work out right, you can have one final meal with someone who has passed on. I love the concept for this one and the stories were good but I also feel that it just didn't have the polish of something like Before the Coffee Gets Cold. The process doesn't seem to have an established rule set as we see by the end of the book which leaves things very open. The stories themselves were emotional but they didn't have that emotional gut punch of other series that I have dabbled in. This was a good entry in this little niche but it needs some more polish. If my library gets more books I will definitely give them a read.

The Crawling Darkness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This volume was such a fun read for me. This book just took the formula from the first two books and gave it something extra. We get a little backstory for the characters. Not a lot, but more then we've seen so far. The ghost of the week felt like a bigger threat and there was more urgency to the hunt. The hunt itself had previous connections to our group of hunters. It felt like there was just a little bit more here. Now there was one other thing that was added that I wasn't a massive fan of and that was the romance. To be clear I didn't hate it, honestly, it was a rather inoffensive romance, and had very little spice. It just felt weirdly out of place and kind of shoehorned into the book. The first two books felt more like mysteries if you will and this felt like the author was trying to shift to more of an urban fantasy vibe which of course has to include a romance. It just felt weird to have the romance bloom while the lead was in the process of hunting down a ghost that is actively trying to hurt/kill people. Priorities is all I'm saying. This also adds to my frustration, if the series continues like this I could see this becoming a fun popcorn read that I could listen to between things or when the mood strikes. Unfortunately there are only two more books available to us out in the wild. The rest of the series, and there are a lot of books, are all locked away in Amazon jail on either Kindle or Audible. I don't blame the author for this but for a library user, this just sucks.

Demons of Eden ⭐⭐⭐
Speaking of popcorn reads that I can listen to whenever. The next installment in this series that I have been slowly plugging away at for a while now. It was another action adventure story full of guns, explosions, and sex. There is one thing that I want to touch on though. This book dealt with a lot of Native stuff and the way is was handled was a little yikes. Don't get me wrong, this is far from old cowboy movies of bad but this book pretty much leaned into every stereotype possible. Natives connected to the land and can talk to animals because of primitive religion/magic. Yeah, it went down that path pretty hard. It also leaned really hard into a lot of the psudeoscience mumbo jumbo you hear spouted a lot. Lost technology helping primitive people and all that junk. It would be easy to hate on this book but this is far from a book that should be taken seriously.

Secret Servants of the Crown: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence ⭐⭐⭐
It's taken me a couple cracks with the library but I finally got this nonfiction book done and what a read it was. I'm just going to get this out of the way early. Yes, this is the type of nonfiction book that I am not really a fan of. Not because of the subject matter but because of the endless parade of names, numbers, and dates. It makes sense in a book like this that spans decades and covers the lives of numerous women but man did it make getting through the book a slog to get through. With that aside, I found this book so fascinating. As the title states this book was about women who worked in British Intelligence. It spanned basically the first half of the 20th century with a real focus on WWI and WWII. It touched on the lives of women in all sorts of roles. Those that worked as secretaries to the women who were agents on the front lines setting up resistance networks or actively spying for their nation. These intelligence agencies ran on a back bone of women. Numerous times throughout the book it would mention typist pools going from 30-50 women prewar to hundreds of women during the height of the war. Then there were the women who were secretaries to the heads of these intelligence agencies. Women who knew all the same secrets that their bosses did and spilled none of them. These were the women who took these secrets to their graves. Another thing mentioned in this book is how many of these women would be seen burning letters and photos toward the end of their lives. It was fascinating reading about women working on offices in Moscow, Berlin, etc who were helping people escape, passing on coded messages, gathering information, etc. It's a word I've used a lot here but it was just fascinating. It was also infuriating seeing the actions of men who refused to listen to some of these women simply because they were women. How a lot of these job simply ended after the war because it's a mans world and you are no longer needed here. Even though many of these women were doing a better job than their male counterparts.

Now for the sole manga I read this week

Lady Snowblood, Vol 1: The Deep-Seated Grudge, Part 1 ⭐⭐⭐
This is a manga I've had on my radar for a very long time and is written by the same author as Lone Wolf and Cub. This originally came out in the 70's and it feels like a product of it's time. This felt like an old exploitation movie made into a manga. It borrows from things like the revenge movie and the female prisoner movie (yes, that is a movie subgenre). Our main character is an assassin known as Lady Snowblood and each arc is basically here completing one of her jobs. There is a ton of nudity and violence in the story as our female lead using her beauty and body to gain access to her target before murdering everyone. There is also a story arc about her mother and what led her to this life. To sum it up, Japanese history, rape, revenge, blood debt passed from mom to daughter while mom is in prison. This is a solid manga and I can see how it is still around to this day but at the same time I don't feel like it was mind blowing either. That's not just me looking at and judging it with modern knowledge either. It just feels like something from the 70's.

As for what is next.
Paper Cuts my next audiobook
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery an ebook I am currently working on
After that I haven't made up my mind yet.

Time for that weekly update. I won't have any novels this week as I've had a lot on the go. I've got a couple on the go currently but I have not finished any this week. That means a whole lot of comics and manga for everyone.

Tista, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐
So my opinion on this series really hasn't changed since the first book. It still has that debut vibe with a lot of everything going on. I feel that the second volume might have been a bit better then the first as it started to focus in on a single story line but this manga is far from an all time great. The second volume gave us the back story of Tista and what put her in this position and the conclusion to the story. Once again things were not really fleshed out and then it just kind of ended. I also feel that there were story elements that were just created in this second volume that was not previously established. It's a rough series for sure. That being said there is some potential here. A good idea buried under all the clutter if you will.

His Majesty the Demon King's Housekeeper Vol. 9 ⭐⭐⭐
This series has been far from amazing but it was a nice little dose of cute and cozy fantasy. I loved seeing the budding romance between the leads and it was just a chill little read. This volume though really soured things for me. I feel like the author let the curtain slip and his intentions were put on display. This is all about the blooming relationship between the two MC's. It has been teased throughout the series but I was fine the slower pace of progression. In this one it's like the leads took stupid pills. The female lead suddenly believes that all these feelings are caused by a weird food combination giving her food poisoning. The main male lead then tries to find a cure for this. Everyone else can tell that the two are falling in love but for a variety of reasons are keeping the leads in the dark about their feelings. Then just as things might get resolved (finally) there was a new story arc reveal meaning all of this is going to be tossed on the shelf for later. This book just felt so frustrating and it took me a lot longer then it should have to complete this volume. I just wasn't invested in it. I didn't want to keep reading all this stupid and the blatant delaying tactics. I'm not saying that the romance needs to happen now but this felt like a massive step backwards.

The Graveyard Club: Revenge Game ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ahhhh Mr. R.L. Stine, a bedrock for many horror enthusiast of various generations. Many of us got our introduction to horror through things like Goosebumps, Fear Street, and others. I always have an appreciation for the author for what he has done and there is a certain nostalgic vibe to reading his material. As an adult though, his stuff just doesn't land as hard as it used to. How to explain this. Reading his stuff feels safe, familiar, a visit to common ground. In this one the story is about a group of kids who grow up in a town surrounded by graveyards. Violent acts start happening to our core group of friends and of course the suspect is the town bully and the bully's father who is also a cop/bully as well. In the end it turns out to not be them it's massive spoiler for the ending (view spoiler)[ one of their own group (hide spoiler)]. This just feels like a story I've read many, many times before. There is nothing here that tries to put a twist on anything. There is no shocking reveal, just a safe journey down an already established path. The author knows the tropes, knows how to use them, but never strays from their established course. It was an alright comic but I'm not sure if I want to read on.

I Married My Female Friend Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next reread in this series as I work my way towards the final book. I really don't have a lot to say about this one. It's just a cozy little story that makes you feel good.

Batman/Elmer Fudd ⭐⭐⭐⭐
You read the title correctly. This is indeed a crossover comic starring Elmer Fudd and Batman. Yes, I gave it four stars. I snagged this one originally out of sheer curiosity. How in the hell do you do a cross over comic starring these two characters? Well, the author found a way and it went harder then it had any right to. The story is told in Noir style with Fudd being the one to narrate the story. This of course means everything is narrated in the unique Fudd kind of way. That combo alone made it pretty awesome. Then we have all the guest appearances by other characters from Looney Tunes. Not in their various cartoon formats but in a human version. You recognize them from their iconic lines that are slipped into the story. It's a super short comic so I don't want to spoil anything but basically Fudd and Batman cross paths, duke it out, and then partner up. Honestly this is more of a Fudd comic guest starring Batman but that is getting lost in the weeds. This was just a super short, quick, and overall fun read.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I had being seeing some chatter about this comic and curiosity led me to picking it up. This was a very wise decision as this comic was an amazing read. It's set in a small town with the MC being a serial killer. They had one important rule, never kill in town. The town is to small and it would raise to much suspicion. So what happens when someone else violates that basic rule and commits a violent murder in town? This is essentially a murder mystery but instead of the MC seeking justice for crimes committed it's about an MC trying to essentially protect their way of life. It's a very well written comic with a surprising amount of gore in it.

Wash It All Away 01 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a brand new cozy slice of life series for me and to no ones surprise, I really liked it. This is set in a seaside town called Atami (real place by the way) and the MC is a young woman who runs a small laundry service business. She is the owner and sole employee. She accepts drop offs at her store and does do local pick ups/drop offs if you are close enough to the store. Basically the story is about her running her business and her clients. This was originally written as a small three chapter collection for a magazine. It got so much fan love that the collection was then serialized. In my opinion this is probably the reason why the MC has amnesia and can't remember anything from before two years ago. If it is, it's a clever use of the trope and allows the author to focus on the important bits for that original short stint. Now that it is serialized that amnesia angle can be expanded and explored, or at least I hope it is. We got a small hint to something at the end of this volume and there seems to be several volumes out in Japanese already. I'm here for this series and I'm interested to see where it goes.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This volume took a series that I really like and made it into a series that I just love. There was a couple moments that really stood out for me. First, was a scene where the older male MC lead didn't really react to his birthday. This led to a discussion about birthdays lose their importance over the years in general but also how this affects men. This felt like one of those moments where the thing you are reading gets a little to real and suddenly you are relating a little to hard to what is being talked about. The other big moment was just seeing their relationship change. This book started out with them as strangers who happened to bump into each other. This brief shared moment gave them some peace each day. They are far from friends but something more then strangers. In this volume that friendship is explored and I just loved how things are expanding between these two characters. I want to see more of them and I want to see where things go.

Now, what is next.
The Crawling Darkness my current audiobook
The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen I'm starting this once I am done posting my update
Secret Servants of the Crown: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence I'm finishing this one this week

Time for that weekly update and it is a lot of of novels this week.

Tea You at the Altar ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have fallen in love with this series and this book gave me exactly what I wanted. More sweet romance between the MC's, more puns, more tea, and more adventures. This entire book takes place in the week leading up to the wedding of the MC's plus a secret event that I won't spoil. It's spoilers for the series so I don't want to give it away. This book brings in a whole lot of characters from the first two books for this big event and it felt great. The book ends on a cliffhanger that puts me in a weird spot. The next book is the last book in the series and I want to read it to see what happens next. I also don't want to read it because then that means that the adventure is over. I'm loving this series and I'm glad I gave it a try.

Once Upon a K-Prom ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I snagged this at the last minute because I needed it for a challenge I needed to complete in May. After completing this book I feel like I need to defend myself/explain myself a little bit. Especially after I DNF'd that other teen romance earlier this month. I really enjoyed this book, like, a lot. I'll be perfectly honest here, this book hit every trope that you would expect in this kind of book. The miscommunication trope, the third act misunderstanding, friends to lovers, all of it, and yes, I know, I grumble about these tropes, but it just worked here for me alright. I can't even really explain why either but I'm going to give it a crack. The teens in this one were a year or two older then the one I DNF'd and, yeah, there is a bit of melodramatics but it feels more appropriate. These are not out there concerns especially for someone of this age, and while basic, there was a decent explanation for why each of the MC's acted the way that they did. That and the romance just worked for me. I was invested in this. I wanted these two to succeed and I just had a good time reading this.

Berserk of Gluttony, Volume 2 ⭐⭐⭐
Finally getting around to this one. This book picks up the adventure pretty much right where the first one ended with our MC trying to get to Galia. This book felt like it had a lot less of the edgy feeling junk and more adventure in it. Honestly, looking back at things, this book was basically a giant training arc so that our MC could get into Galia. Each time he stopped somewhere there was some sort of lesson, some sort of spell, some sort of training he was working on. In this one he also spends a good chunk of time with Myne who briefly met in the first volume. We spend a fair bit of time traveling with her and as a result we get to know more about her. It's one of those classic things where the more we learn the more questions there are. Overall it was a alright read and I look forward to the next one.

Now for the manhwa
The Boxer, Vol. 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I devoured this one just like most of the books in this series. This one has the conclusion to the heavyweight championship fight and the second time I shed a tear or two this week. It also gets into the next fight and the set up for the final book (I think it's the final book). We have this absolute legend come out of retirement to challenge our MC. We also get to see some of our MC's backstory finally and it's about what I expected. Not going to spoil any of that. I'm now waiting patiently for the next one so we get the full back story.

As for what is next, I don't know. I need to find another audiobook and I have a stack of manga for next week.

This has been a bit of a busy week of reading but I have made a massive dent in my library pile and I'm nearly at a point where I want to start requesting books again.

Mission Manhattan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm finally done this audiobook. It wasn't that it was hard to get through it was just a time thing and being distracted by a ton of other things. As for the book, it was great. It was what I've come to expect from this series. Globe trotting adventures, spy action, personal growth, it's all here. This one starts in Venice at a climate change demonstration that goes sideways with a bomb. The Italians are looking at the wrong group of people and since the City Spies are already involved they start digging. This leads them to America and the big conclusion of the book. There were definitely a couple big stand out moments for me. Being as vague as possible the group ends up without either of the adult figures around and have to act on their own. A lot of the main action is usually the kids in the book but the adults are either in communication with them or involved with the mission somehow. Find them in a situation without any of that was a big moment and it was a good step for the series, I think at least. The other one was the continued drip feed of the overarching story line. I don't want to touch this one at all so I'm just going to say we have some more progress but as usual a ton of unanswered questions.

Secret Servants of the Crown: The Forgotten Women of British Intelligence
This book doesn't have a rating from me... yet. I ran out of time on this one and can't renew it either. I'm going to return the book today and then immediately request it again so I can finish it. I got a little over halfway into the book and it was interesting but a bit dry. This book covers, as the title says, the history of women in the British Intelligence services and not just the women that worked as spies either. This got into the unsung heroes like the secretaries, typists, the woman who ran the massive file rooms and helped find data on suspects. Woman who were sworn to secrecy and took those secrets to the grave with them. Women like Kathleen Pettigrew who served as secretary to three consecutive chiefs of the MI6 and was the inspiration for Ian Fleming's Miss Moneypenny. She served MI6 for four decades and was at the center of an empire of secrets. There was women who acted as spies both on English soil as well as abroad. Some of the stories this book covers is wild and that is why I really want to finish reading it.

Now for the manga and comics
I'm the Grim Reaper, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
I'm still rather lukewarm about this one honestly. There is a mystery there and I'm kind of invested in it enough to keep reading but it still has this feeling of trying real hard to be edgy. I doubt I could back to back these comics but this slow constant drip feed as these are released is an alright pace so I guess I'll be back for the next one.

Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another book published by Webtoon Unscrolled. I've got to say that there are more and more of these as of late and I'm not outright opposed to that. Some of these webcomics maybe don't work so well in a normal book format, looking at you slice of life daily bite sized comics, but for more story orientated ones like this, it works. This is a story about a clan of witches and their rivals a clan of vampires. Morgana is a young witch still trying to learn how to control her powers and Oz is a vampire who got changed into a cat by a rogue spell from Morgana. This first book was a great setup for things. We get a glimpse into both clans, we get some obvious mystery bait with things not all matching up properly, and we get to meet the two MC's. This was giving me some Romeo and Juliet vibes. No idea if it was intended but c'mon. The rival clans, two sworn enemies having to work together, it's not a perfect match but you catch my drift. Also, the art for this series is seriously awesome.

One Piece, Volume 7: The Crap-Geezer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More One Piece, and in this one we get part of Sanji's back story. Not a whole lot to really say here except that it was a good read.

I Married My Female Friend Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
With the fourth and final volume finally released I figured I would do a quick reread of this series. I really enjoy this author and her more mature and yet chill slice of life yuri manga so rereading this was just fun. We get the setup for this unusual relationship and seeing how both partners are trying to adapt to a new life together. There is no over the top action, no crazy plot twists, nothing like that. We just get a relaxed story about two friends who promised to marry each other in five years if they were still single.

Mansect ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I feel this is going to be one of those manga that you are going to know immediately if you want to read it or not. The cover and the title really tell you all that you need to know about this book. Either this will be a hard pass for you or you are going to be like me and immediately jump on board. This manga is supposed to be a classic in the horror manga sphere and originally came out in 1975. Like I said, you get exactly what you would expect from a manga like this, especially if you have dabbled in either Ito or older horror manga. The art style is that older, darker, more realistic style the loves the occasional foray into body horro. The story isn't really one long story but more like a collection of short stories around a central theme with the barest of threads tying them together. As the title suggests, this is about a man who turns into something that is part man and part insect. Each following story is about more and more people evolving and gaining insect like qualities. Like I said, it's exactly what you would expect, and I loved every minute of this. It's like a cheesy old sci-fi/horror movie from the 50's/60's which I feel this book was heavily inspired by. I'm not going to bother recommending this one, you'll know if you want to read it or not.

Now, what is next.
Once Upon a K-Prom my next audiobook
Tea You at the Altar I finally get to read the next book in this series.
Berserk of Gluttony, Volume 2
The Boxer, Vol. 10

Exactly, there is a sense of things taking time. With both of the MC's having their own issues before coming into the relationship it's figuring out how to make their lives work together and I rather like that.

I was going to push this out to tomorrow but I might as well keep a schedule. This has not been the greatest week of reading for. I took a couple days off where it was just my audiobook in the morning. Then the first physical book I pick up I bounced off hard. On top of all of that I was just feeling kind of off all week. Enough complaining though, here is what I read.

I Love You S'more -DNF
You're not reading that wrong. I did indeed DNF a book. Let me be clear here, I'm not going to say that this book is bad, I will say that this book was just not for me. I snagged this from the library because it looked like one of the cute romances I enjoy. It opened up with a young woman going to work at a summer camp after a breakup with her famous superstar girlfriend. She needed some time to get away from everything to process her feelings. Cool, cool, I'm on board. Then we get introduced to "The Rival" because this is a rivals to lovers story line. Here is where the first stumble happened for me. This rivalry felt kind of ham fisted and petty but alright, it's a small stumble, lets get to the cute stuff. Then we have the record scratch, pardon me, revelation of the book. The MC is 15 years old. Up to this point I was thinking very late teens or early 20's. This revelation just put the whole book in a different light and I just can't take things seriously. Just to be clear, I'm not saying that the emotions that the MC is feeling are not valid but they suddenly feel much more melodramatic to me. I tried, I really tried, I pushed through a couple more pages but I got some more of the rivalry spat and I was just done. I tapped out at about the 50 page mark, I just couldn't do it.

A Cold Dose of Murder ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My yearly dosage of this cannabis themed cozy mystery. I just like this mystery series. Yes, the second book was a slight stumble but I feel that it hit its stride in this one again. There is a certain level of self awareness within the book about cozy mysteries and just mysteries in general. This one had references to Hercule Peroit, Murder She Wrote, and Miss Marple. I like the fact that the setting, while a small town, has a way to get bodies to appear without thinning out the local population at a concerning rate. This one is about the murder of a famous podcaster/food critic who is town for a local ice cream festival. Now the first part of book was a little slower. It was setting up everything and it was setting up the first suspect who was obviously a red herring. As the reader you knew that the first suspect wasn't the actual killer so it was sitting through all the attempts to frame them as guilty while looking for actual clues and hints. Once you got through that part and suddenly there was more clues and suspects things started to pick up. Overall, a fun, easy read and I'll be back next year for the next volume when it comes out.

Now for the manga/comics

Dandadan, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I finally got the second volume of this series and the good times continue. The frantic energy, the weird humor, the awkward romance, it's all here. Now starts the long wait for the third volume.

Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The latest installment in this little slice of life yuri romance. This one had some great progress with the two leads and with some of the side characters. After bouncing off of I Love You S'more this was exactly what I needed. Just some feel good and chill vibes.

Witchlight ⭐⭐⭐
This is one of those odd books that I enjoyed but it just did blow me away. This is a story about two women who end up traveling together after a misunderstanding. Along they way they discover themselves, they discover family, and a little romance. There was something just pure and sweet about the simplicity of this story that I can't really explain. I picked this up on a whim and I don't regret reading it but it's probably not one that will stick out in my mind in about a month.

What is next?

I'm still working on my City Spies audiobook and I have a stack of manga/comic that I need to complete this week.

It has been another week of reading, where does the time go?

Greenteeth ⭐⭐⭐
This is one of those books that popped up on my radar this year and seeing the tag of cozy fantasy I figured I'd give it a try. This was an interesting book the revolves around a creature called a Jenny Greenteeth (it's a new creature from mythology for me) who saves a witch from being drowned. This kicks of a massive quest that takes the two all over the UK to get the witch's village back. This book puts me a in a weird spot. I can't really say anything negative about the book and it was a fun read but I wasn't blown away by it either and I can't really put my finger on why. It had a classic adventure setup, the MC was interesting, the quests were interesting, the twist at the end was great. I think there was just moments though that were a little meh. There was a classic third act (more middle of the book) breakup that I wasn't a fan of. The quests, while interesting, kind of felt like they took the most tame solution possible. I feel like I am nitpicking here though and the book really doesn't deserve that. If the book has caught your eye at all, I'd say give it a shot.

Cold Shadows ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The next Ellie Jordan book and a buddy read. This series is quickly becoming something I'm rather enjoying and a lot of that revolves around the spooky stuff in the book. The author does a really great job at making the ghost encounters really spooky. I'll admit that outside of the spooky encounters the books are a little lean on content. The mystery is nothing special, the characters are there but it's not a stirring character piece or anything. It's a spooky horror book and it delivers on that in my opinion.

Now for the manga/comics

Tista 1 ⭐⭐⭐
I saw this at the library and noticed it was by the same author as SpyXFamily so I decided to check it out. This was his debut series and it kind of shows. Getting this out the way early, I doubt many fans of SpyXFamily will actually like this series. It's not as polished and it has a darker tone to it. Basically the story is about an assassin working for the church who is going through a mental/spiritual breakdown. I feel like this was inspired by a bunch of other series as I see little elements from other things in this. Just to be clear, that's not a bad thing but I don't feel like this book has a clear image of what it is. There are a lot of different ideas getting thrown into the pot and I can see how they could work well together but the execution doesn't quite get there. The story felt like it needed to be tightened up a bit, maybe some elements cut out, other elements focused on more. I will read on but only because there is only one other book in this series. If it was an ongoing series, I'd probably look at dropping it.

Hirayasumi, Vol. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a series that I have a really hard time explaining why I enjoy it. This is pure, 100%, slice of life. It's just little snippets from the lives of various characters we have been introduced to so far. One story is one of the characters dealing with misogyny in her workplace, another one is about a Christmas party, or a hot water heater dying. It's very low stakes in the grand scheme of things but it's just compelling to read.

Dark Wraith of Shannara ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next stop on my Shannara journey and this one is a comic as well as another epilogue to the original trilogy. This one follows after the events of the novella epilogue that I recently read. This one felt like it gave me a lot of what I felt was missing in Indomitable. We got to meet characters from Wishsong again, we got a satisfying ending (kind of), and it just felt like a better conclusion overall. That being said the story did feel like we kind of just dropped out of it at the end. There were still things to explore or were not resolved but I also feel like I am getting lost in the weeds at this point. This were just .5 mini stories after the main story was done. These don't the same depth as the main story does. After this one I'm getting a time skip and I'm back to the massive audiobooks.

Yowamushi Pedal Omnibus, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Listen, I'm not saying that I am becoming a die hard fan of sports manga or anything but the more I read in this subgenre the more I understand the appeal. This book was basically the main group of characters biking laps at a training facility and it is somehow compelling. The track is five km and the members of the club have to ride 1,000 km in just four days. As an extra challenge, and as part of their training, the first years are also given a handicap to overcome. Basically what ever thing it is that they rely on to be so good, it's taken away from them. Shifters, a certain kind of handle bars, etc. This shouldn't be this compelling but it is and I'm having fun with this.

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am loving this series so far. I love the friendship (maybe romance) between the leads, I'm loving the artwork, I'm just loving this series and I want more. That's about all I really have to say.

What I'm reading next

Mission Manhattan -My next audiobook
Dandadan, Vol. 2
I Love You S'more
Witchlight

This has been a week, a week where IRL stuff decided I needed a good butt kicking. I still got through some books but most of that was weekend reading. As I'm typing this up I'm realizing that I don't really have a lot to say about the books I read this week.

The Devil's Chord ⭐⭐⭐
This was the audiobook for the week and the next Rogue Angel book. Not a whole lot to really say about this one really. This one had Annja in Italy looking for a da Vinci item that had been stolen from a museum and dropped in a canal. She ended up working with both Roux and Garin in this book. This was one that leaned more into the supernatural then the archeological side of things. It was another Rogue Angel book.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Again, another book that I don't have a lot to say about. This is the next book in my reread of this series and in this one Yuna heads off to the mine to deal with a pesky golem problem so she can get herself a mythril knife. It also has all the usual slice of life shenanigans you would expect from this series.

Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense., Vol. 7 (light novel) (Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
All new Bofuri for me and this one focuses solely around the big event before the seventh floor is opened. It's basically a tower of ever increasing difficulties that people can challenge in various sized teams. Maple and Sally are the only team of two that tackles the tower on the highest difficulty setting. While this book does get a bit into the various floors the main focus is the floor boss that they encounter. We get to see how our two nut balls come up with a way to beat them and we get glimpses of how other, normal, teams are attempting them. Just a fun easy read and I am now ready for the next level.

Now the manga

Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More (Manga) Vol. 7 ⭐⭐⭐
This book is a lot of politics and business but in a fantasy world and with a slice of life dash of flavoring. Not a lot to really say about this one honestly.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Each book only leaves me with more and more questions and I don't even know if they are the right questions. I mean, I'm sure I have all the usual questions that others have but I also have others. I'm really curious where this is going and how these new cards are going to be used. In the first Cardcaptor the cards had skills that made sense. Things like fire, shield, earth, etc. In this one here there are some really odd cards. Things like record. There are more normal cards like flight but there are also a lot of weirder cards. How is this going to be used in future books? How is this used in a fight? Just where is the story going? So, so many questions. All of this with the usual Clamp artwork that is just gorgeous.

The Apothecary Diaries 13 Manga ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It has been a hot minute since I've read anything in this series and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been keeping up with the current anime season. This book was amazing and seeing Maomao just being her usual self was so much fun. I feel that she is very close to being brought into Jinshi's inner circle and trust. More so then she has been already. Of course this brings with it a whole new level of threat but I have faith in Maomao.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4—Diamond is Unbreakable, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another series where it has been a hot minute since I have read anything. This volume was just a great reminder of the great artwork, the weird story lines, and how well this story dips itself into the body horror genre at times. There were more then a few scenes in this book that were just horrifying when you really pause and think about things.

Alright, what is next, another busy week of reading
Cold Shadows -My next audiobook
Dark Wraith of Shannara
Greenteeth -This was a random snag from the library. Hopefully it is good
Berserk of Gluttony, Volume 2
Hirayasumi, Vol. 4
Tista 1
Yowamushi Pedal Omnibus, Vol. 3

It has been a pretty good week of reading and I feel like I'm actually putting a dent into my stack of library books.

Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling (Light Novel) Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a random light novel I picked up when the library lost my copy of Reincarnated as a Sword which is kind of funny and you will see why in a second. For now, I'll chat about this book. This book was just a fun relaxing read that I really needed this week. It's a story about someone waking up in a fantasy world as a dragon egg and their adventure as they start leveling up. There really is not a whole lot more to say about it then that. This book just lands in the sweet spot for light novels for me. It reminds me of things like Reincarnated as a Sword or Kuma Bear. That slice of life, isekai, fantasy world, low stakes, adventure story. It's far from great literature but they're fun to read.

Reincarnated as a Sword (Light Novel) Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sooooooooo, yeah, my library found my copy and after reading the Dragon Hatchling book I wanted to read this one. This is a reread of this book. I started this series a couple years ago but it feel aside when I got wrapped up in other things. With me focusing more on light novels this year I knew this was one I had to revisit. Much like I said above this is just a fun adventure series about some guy who dies and wakes up in a fantasy world as an intelligent sword. The sword levels up like crazy before things happen and he is stuck. This is the introduction of the other MC, Fran, who becomes his wielder. This is the start of their journey together. Just a fun read and I'm looking forward to more.

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A buddy read dragged me back to this book that I first read several years ago. Now that I am listening to audiobooks it is a whole lot easier to get into this series. Or it would be if everything after book five wasn't locked in Amazon jail but I'm not getting into that here. This is an urban fantasy about a detective agency that hunts ghosts. Ellie is our MC, the main investigator, and she has an apprentice named Stacey. It's a simple set up with basically a mystery mixed with ghosts and it works well. The big reason it works well, for me, is that the ghost stuff is legit kind of spooky. The author does a really great job when it comes to the ghost scenes and if you let yourself get lost in the moment it's pretty chilling.

Now for the manga stuff

Silver Spoon, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved the anime when I watched it and I was so glad to find the manga through the library. This volume just hit a weird spot for me. Our MC doesn't want to go home for summer holidays and he can't stay in the dorms due to renovations. He ends up getting hired on a farm hand at a remote farm and some of the lessons he learned during the summer just landed different for me. It was kind of weirdly nostalgic and took me back to being a kid. I didn't grow up on a farm but I grew up rural and farm adjacent. There was something about the things that were talked about in this volume just felt weirdly familiar for me. I'm loving my read through of this series so far and I can't wait for the next one.

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Manhwa, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐
This is one of the other manhwa that I found at the library and after a very long wait I finally got to read it. I've heard some really great things about this series and it seems like there are a lot of fans of it. This commentary is just for this volume and not for the entire series as I haven't read any more, yet. As an opening volume it was alright but I haven't felt a hook yet. The start of this series feels really similar to others that I have tried in this genre. Combined with a very similar art style to others that I have read there just isn't a whole lot that is rocking my world. This first volume felt like it was just going through some very familiar paces for me. Something happens, the world ends, a new gaming style world starts, our MC gets a super unique skill that no one else has, and that is it. I don't hate this set up and I want to read more but I'm waiting for that unique twist to really hook me in.

Case Closed, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
I've dabbled in this series both as a manga and the anime but there was something weirdly familiar about the first story in this volume. I don't recall the solution to the mystery itself but all of the lead up to it felt like I've read it somewhere before. Regardless this is more Detective Conan. The volume is split into to two different mysteries. One is a murder mystery set on a ship involving a family dynasty and a will. The second mystery involved a doctor receiving mystery gifts and money from someone anonymous. Both were adequate mysteries and the second one actually involved elements of the overarching story. That just means we won't touch it again for several volumes.

Flying Witch, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another reread this week and this one is a personal favorite. This is a slice of life about a teen witch finding her place in the world. I love the chill vibes in this series plus the perfect blend between normal teen problems and the weird paranormal stuff. One bit will be about making new friends at school and the next section is about meeting the harbinger of spring. The only reason I stopped reading this before was I was caught up on the releases and had nothing more to read at the time. Now I'm back for a reread and new material later on.

Now, what is on for next week

Audiobook: Not sure at this point. I'm flip flopping between the next Ellie Jordan book or the next Rogue Angel book. I'll have to decide today at some point.
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 7
Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense., Vol. 7 (light novel) (Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.
The Apothecary Diaries 13
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 3
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 20
Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts More (Manga) 7
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4—Diamond is Unbreakable, Vol. 3

This has been a week for sure. I don't normally like intense weeks like this because it starts to move the needle on my reading from fun hobby to work but there are times where it happens. Usually when the library seems to suddenly notice me and bury me in every book I've ever requested. On a separate side note, I've now passed my first 100 books. Any way, lets get into what I read this week.

Heads Will Roll ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I started off the week with this novel and man was this a fun one. This was basically the teenage slasher summer camp story line but with adults. I'm not overly interested in watching movies of this sort but I love the idea in book format which is kind of odd. There is a camp in middle of no where upstate New York that allows adults to "unplug" from the real world for two weeks. Everything is going fine at this camp until the MC shows up and the bodies start hitting the floor. This was a quick paced summer kind of book. I would have given it five stars but there was something about the ending that just didn't really work for me. I won't spoil anything for anyone but there was a reveal at the end and it just didn't make a lot of sense. It was one of those things that the more I thought I about it the worse the problem got. Still, it was a fun slasher book that kept me reading until it was all done.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I finally finished up this monster audiobook. It took me a little longer then expected but life. This is the point where Rowling just goes all in and the books nearly double in length. There is just so much crammed into this book and it just made the reading experience so much fun. I'm really having fun with this reread of the series and I'll be back for the next book in a few months.

Aunt Tigress ⭐⭐⭐
This was the book that made me glad I had Friday off. That extra day off was needed to get through this book. This was a debut novel from the author and it was a seriously ambitious book. Maybe a bit to ambitious but I'll get into that in a bit. This is an urban fantasy novel set in Calgary and pulls from various mythologies to build its world. This is technically an urban fantasy but it doesn't feel like one. In my head I normally associate urban fantasy novels with mysteries, action, and a faster pace. While this book definitely had elements of the first two the pace was a lot slower then what I would normally expect. A big part of that was because most of this book is told through flashbacks. At least half of this book was told through flashbacks. Flashbacks to a few hours ago, to a few days ago, a few years, and even older. There was even one part that had a flashback in a flashback. It's an interesting way to tell the story and it really made you pay attention to the story. What may seem minor or irrelevant at the time can suddenly become something major later on. Now the problem with all these flashbacks is that the main story is put on hold while we go off down memory lane. I'm just not sure how else you could really tell this story though. As for the ambition of this book, well it did blend multiple mythologies into one world which is not an easy thing to do. It also touched on a lot of serious subjects. While far from a deep dive we had issues of abuse, racism, grief, LGBT issues, missing Indigenous women issues, and the list goes on. It makes for a bit of a slower and heavier read but it was such a unique experience. If you have a hole in your reading schedule and are curious about this book I'd say give it a shot. Just be prepared for a book that is a bit rough around the edges.

Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was thrust onto my radar and I knew I had to read it. Thankfully I was able to get it through the ILL system and I was able to experience this book. This book is very much in the same vein as John Dies at the End. Weird dark humor, a loser MC thrust into the middle of a bizarre situation, a very casual attitude towards all the bizarre things that are happening. Basically the book revolves around a clerk who works the night shift at a gas station on the edge of a small town. Right between the edge of town and the dark creepy woods. You have all the normal late night gas station folks and then there are the not so normal folks. The cultists, the gods, the monsters, the lawn gnomes, government agents. It's a weird book and I love it for that fact. This is not a book for everyone but if you like things like this, well, you've probably already read this. I'm a bit late to the party honestly.

Now for the manga because why not.

Tomb Raider King, Vol. 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More from this series. Not a lot to really say. More tombs, more relics, more shenanigans.

SAKAMOTO DAYS 16 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've said this before and I'll say this again. This series has some of the craziest action scenes I've ever read in any format. There is a sniper fight in this volume that just blew my mind. Yes it defies all the laws of physics but who cares. It was simply cool as hell. Outside of that the story around the assassin museum exhibit moves forward as well. Listen, the sniper fight kind of overshadows everything else that happened.

RuriDragon, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
So this is a manga series that has been floating around the edge of my awareness for a bit now. My library got a copy of the first volume and I decided to check it out. This is a story that feels like it has a ton of potential and could be just a fun read. Basically our MC, Ruri, wakes up one morning and discovers that she has horns. This leads to the revelation that she is a half dragon and half human. What follows is a slice of life comedy about a young teenage girl discovering that she is a half dragon and what traits she has inherited. Such as breathing fire which she discovers by accident. This is just wholesome and sweet. My only problem is that this is the only volume currently out in English. The next one is not out until September and there is only three volumes out in Japanese in general. This is not a good situation when you are wanting more of this good thing you just read.

Now, what is next? Another busy week of library books that I can't renew. The good news is that most of them are manga so I won't have as big of a time crunch.

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper My current audiobook and buddy read. No rush on this one
Reincarnated as a Dragon Hatchling (Light Novel) Vol. 1 The one novel I have this week
Flying Witch, Vol. 1 No... please... don't twist my arm and make me read this amazing slice of life series again... nnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooo
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Manhwa, Vol. 1 trying a new manhwa
Silver Spoon, Vol. 2
Case Closed, Vol. 3

I was going to wait until later to post my update but I figured I would just do it now. I don't have a lot this week as IRL things have been kicking my butt pretty hard this month.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, (Light Novel) Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Another book in this series and it was alright. This book was essentially the MC theory crafting ways around the one thing he can't do in this world, magic. Our MC has all sorts of skills and is leagues more powerful then anyone else but the one thing he can't do is magic and it's all because he doesn't understand the language system used for magic. In this volume he began experimenting with alchemy and crafting magic tools that did not require him to use the magic system. It was an interesting exploration of way of circumnavigating the system. It was also a very dry book and it made getting through this one a bit of a slog which is why it took me a bit to get through this book. It did all lead to a big "conclusion" where the MC got to use all the skills he developed over the course of the book but it just didn't feel worth it really. I don't know, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this series in general. It's just alright but I'm not ready to throw in the towel quite yet.

Indomitable ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The next step in my Shannara journey. This was a short little novella that acted as an epilogue to The Wishsong of Shannara. It primarily focused on Jair but you quick updates on some of the other characters from the original novel. In a hand waving excuse for a follow up a page from the evil book that was destroyed in Wishsong survived and Jair has been chosen to destroy it. It takes two years after the main book and the world has grown much more peaceful since then. Overall it was fine, a quick revisit of old friends, a new challenge for Jair, etc. If there was an issue I had with the novella it would be the ending. I'm not getting into a lot of details but I'm also not worried about spoilers. It's a 20 year old novella for a finished trilogy. At the ending Jair unlocks a new ability with his wishsong and I'm not sure how I feel about that. This ability seems to come with a lot of baggage and none of it is explored, what happens next is not explored, it just ends with him confused and injured. I don't want that from a short novella at the end of a trilogy. There is a graphic novel that continues this story but, again, why is all this getting added after everything is done. It just feels weird. Especially as the next series in this world is set some 300 years in the future. What does any of this achieve? Like I said, the novella was perfectly fine up until that part.

Videotapes From Hell: A Visual History of Cult, Collectible, and Crazy Video Covers ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have been waiting for this book for a while now. It was one of those books that I knew I had to read once I saw the cover/read the title. This is a nonfiction/art book about the history of VHS tapes and in particular the world of horror films and their covers. It was an interesting read but it also felt a bit rambley at times. The chapters would have have some sort of broad theme but then it would just kind of bump about in that theme with no real direction. It was just an excuse to show you VHS covers really. You would have the occasional commentary from someone who's career was affected by the VHS boom of the 80's and 90's and that was about it. That being said I did learn some stuff from this as well. As a kid who grew up with VHS I never really understood the importance of this medium. This was a massive change in the entertainment industry and suddenly people could watch their favorite things in their own home. You could do it before then but it was much more expensive and at the start of the VHS it was as well. Seeing advertisements for brand new tapes that were selling for over a $100 a pop was surreal. Once the prices came down though it opened up so many markets. So many small companies were created to sell older movies that had only been available on film before hand. Foreign movies that had never made their way to our shores before or if they had they had been heavily edited. It also opened up this massive market of low budget movies with this direct to video market. You had tons of creators suddenly making their own films that they could just release into the market. With that comes marketing gimmicks to make their product stand out and that was done with cover art. If this seems even remotely interesting to you I'd encourage you give this book a glance.

Now for the manga and there is not a lot.

Dragon Ball 3-in-1 Edition, Vol. 11: Includes Vols. 31, 32, 33 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alright, I'm getting the hype around Dragon Ball. This book was primarily about Cell and how to defeat him. It had all the tropes you would expect from this series at this point. People leveling up, Goku out of commission, etc and yet it is still super engaging. I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Now, what is next. I'm going to be honest here, the next week is going to be rough. Both IRL and with reading. All of these books are coming due this week and can not be renewed.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - I've got about 8 hours left and I need to have it done by Friday
Heads Will Roll - I'm hoping to finish this one today
Aunt Tigress - this is the longest of the batch with small, tiny, print
Tales from the Gas Station: Volume One -ILL book that I can't renew
SAKAMOTO DAYS 16
Tomb Raider King, Vol. 10
RuriDragon, Vol. 1

Alright, it didn't feel like the best week of reading but this week has also felt like it has lasted about 20 years. Lets get into what I read in the last week.

City of the Dead ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The next book in the City Spies series and I am really have a fun time with this series. In this one we are dealing with a massive hacker issue. Kat gets her chance to shine, and to find her confidence. We do a bit of globe trotting with the book taking place in Scotland, England, Germany, and, of course, Egypt. I'm just having so much fun with this series and I already know that when I am done with this one I am going looking for more from this author.

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com ⭐⭐⭐
This was kind of one of those books I got on a whim. I read one of the author's other books and rather enjoyed it and while "smut" isn't a go to genre for me much anymore I figured I'd give this a try. I have some pretty conflicted feelings about this one. All the stuff outside of the romance was entertaining and had me wanting more. It read like a humorous adventure story about unlikely companions coming together for a common goal. I was here for all of that and was having fun with all of that. Stuffed in amongst all of this humorous fun times was also all this romance and smut which, just, meh. There were times when it felt really out of place. For instance finding out a bunch of information, getting fired up to kick some dudes butt for revenge, getting ready to storm off to do that, immediate full stop for a super detailed threesome. I think someones flow charts got mixed up somewhere. I thought the last step in that process was the butt kicking part not the other butt stuff. Since this is a brand new book I'm going to throw this next part behind spoilers. It's about the main romance in the book so be advised. (view spoiler)[ The main romance in this book also just never clicked with me. It never felt like anyone was a willing participant especially when the book makes it clear that they were drugged and manipulated into this relationship. It just felt weird to me. It's like the chosen one trope but with the assistance of drugs to get there. (hide spoiler)] Now all of this being said I can easily see how people will enjoy this book and if you do, power to you.

Now for the manga

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More from this series. This one gets into Saki and the challenges that succubi in this world face. They are the one demi that is actually capable of manipulating those around them and it raises all sorts of ethical issues. Again, just more slice of life exploration in this world.

One Piece, Volume 6: The Oath ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another early One Piece book and our first taste of the Grand Line. This is the book where first meet Mihawk and the fight that comes with that first meeting. This was a great book that helped set up so many future story lines. Now for the long wait for the next volume.

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 16 (Volume 16) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After a crazy week at work this manga was exactly what I needed. Yes, it was more Laid-Back Camp with Japanese tourism and camping. It was just this little slice of relaxation and fun at the end of the week. The particular volume kicks of the next big camping arc which takes place in Gunma. Rin gets a hair cut, Nadeshiko plans a trip with her kouhai, and trips are started. It's simple but it was what I wanted.

My Kitten is a Picky Eater Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐
More cute cat stuff and a new owner learning the ropes. There is a touching section in the back from the author about what inspired this manga. Just a fun and quick read.

Takahashi from the Bike Shop, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐
I don't know if it was the week I had, residual feelings from I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com, a me thing, or some combination of them but this manga just did not land with me. It's a slice of life romance story. The female lead is a young woman who is very passive and has a hard time telling anyone no. The main male lead is a delinquent who runs the local bicycle shop. I'm just going to be blunt here, I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the budding romance, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the art style. For a manga of this style those are basically the core components of this manga. The female lead just didn't really leave an impression with me and I wasn't buying the bad boy with a heart of gold shctick. In many ways he didn't feel much different then the other men in her life that were taking advantage of her passiveness. The only difference was that he was doing it with "good intentions". This was a short single volume and yet it felt like such a slog to get through.

Any way, what is next
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Still working on this audiobook. I need more time for reading
Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, (Light Novel) Vol. 3 Starting this one today
Videotapes From Hell: A Visual History of Cult, Collectible, and Crazy Video Covers A nonfiction book that I've been stoked for

Outside of that I have some more manga and I'm trying to decide what novel to tackle next.

While last week was a shorter week this week is going to be the opposite of that. I was on a roll, sick, and had a sick day which some equated to a whole lot of reading time. Something about being awake at 2 AM and not being able to sleep.

Berserk of Gluttony, Volume 1 ⭐⭐⭐
This was both a spur of the moment pick and something I've had on my radar for a bit now. It popped up on my radar a while back but I wasn't in a massive rush to read. I snagged it when my plans for another light novel series fell through, and will probably come back to haunt me a few months from now. This is a Japanese fantasy light novel and the only reason it's not considered an isekai is because it doesn't have the reincarnation aspect to it. Outside of that one technicality this basically reads like any other isekai novel. Skills, levels, adventure guilds, monsters to hunt, etc. This one also tries to take a darker and edgier tone but in a very YA approach. Yes, there are darker elements then other series that are similar to this but it feels forced and clunky. Corrupt power system, people in power who are jerks, maybe human trafficking, the poof suffering because of a busted class system, etc. It's nothing new and while darker then some novels it still feels like it's got it's training wheels on. This is a novel that is great to turn off your brain and enjoy the action scenes as our MC's skill points go up, then down, then up again. This is a shorter series with only six books in it so I'm going to keep reading to see where things go.

The Wishsong of Shannara ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was the big book I have been working on for the last week with an audiobook clocking in just short of 21 hours. This book was an amazing read and takes me back to reading fantasy when I was wee lad. You had essentially two story lines on the go in this story. You had Brin's story as she traveled with the druid Allanon to use her magic to destroy the great evil plaguing the lands. The other story was from Jair's, her brothers, POV as he races across the country to save his sister. It's a story of exploring your own powers, exploring what is good and evil, and the hardships you experience along the way. There is a lot of death in this story and I'm not talking about just the hordes of enemies that our MC's have to make their way through either. There was more than a few times I got a bit choked up reading through events in this book. It felt like a great conclusion to this original trilogy. In some ways this also felt like the author getting a second crack at the original book and being able to write what he wanted instead of what his publisher dictated. There were moments that felt similar to the first book that ended up going in a completely different direction. Now that I am done with the original trilogy I have a couple in between books to get to and then I'll get started with the Heritage Saga part of this series.

The Haunting ⭐⭐⭐
After reading another book from this author earlier this month I wanted to check out more of her stuff. I ended up snagging this one and I think I am becoming a fan of this author. Once again, this book had that classic MG/YA horror vibe nailed down perfectly. A young orphan is adopted and moves into this huge mansion with her new parents. While settling into her new life she meets a young girl about her age and becomes friends with them. Of course that young girl is a ghost who is trying to hurt her and you know the rest. I think my only real nitpick with this one was just how slow the MC was on noticing all of this. Yes, she is a child, and yes, I am an adult with thousands of reading hours behind me but I really felt that she should have put things together a bit sooner. You hang out with a young kid that no one seems to notice but you, the kid wants you to keep her secret, your dog doesn't like them, oh, and every time you hang out you have a near death experience. The first time, coincidence, the second time, highly suspicious, the third time shouldn't even happen. Outside of that nitpick though this was another quick and fun read. I am definitely going to be checking out more of these horror novels from this author.

Now for the manga/comics of the week
Heroine? Saint? No, I'm an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! (Manga) Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐
This volume centered around the big ball at the start of the school year and was heavily focused on the otome game aspects of this series. Who was supposed to show up when, what path this unlocked, who was going to end up with who, etc. As a result I wasn't as heavily invested as I was in the first volume where there was a lot more shenanigans. That being said I don't think those shenanigans are over and I am going to be coming back for more in the future.

The Mammoth ⭐⭐⭐
This book gets a three star rating but only barely. The more time that has passed and the more time I've had to stew on this the more annoyed I am with this comic. First, there was a weird tonal shift that was mostly my fault. For some weird reason I thought this was a Scooby Doo style mystery with four kids solving a mystery. That was quickly dispelled in the first couple pages when someone is killed and we get to witness all the gory details. Not a knock against the book, but that was a bit of an adjustment. From there this book just seemed to suffer from a lot of the same problems I've had with similar horror style shorter comics. The story is utterly lacking. It feels like a concept or an rough idea for a story that was never really fleshed out. Why did any of this happen? Never explained. The ending, never explained. The mystery, never explained. There is just so many things that are just left unexplained in the end that it just left me feeling unfulfilled. Why did I sit through all that if you're not going to wrap up your story in any way. Are you sequel baiting? If so, don't do it like this because I have no interest in sitting through more and I don't trust that I will actually get answers.

Manhole Volume 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
On the other side of the horror card we have this manga and man I am fully invested in this now. I love the careful use of body horror in this one. It's there enough to shock you but not to the point where you are desensitized to it. The mystery is ramping up, the infections are ramping up, the tension in general is ramping up. I just love what this manga is doing and the way it is telling it's story. Now to hurry up and wait for the next volume.

The Boxer, Vol. 9 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Speaking of masterclass in tension we have this series again. The way the author is able to build up the hype, tension, and stakes for a fight is absolutely nuts. This is the fight between the current heavyweight champ and our up and coming MC for the top spot in the entire boxing world. There is more then just a belt and a title on the line in this fight and these men put their everything into this fight. You really get the feeling while reading this fight that this a clash of titans in the ring. That this is a fight that is leagues above a normal boxing match. I am also very curious where the story is going to go after this. This is the pinnacle of the boxing world and we are getting the back story of the coach in this one. About the only character that has not been really explored is the MC oddly enough. If this doesn't go totally off the rails I think this series might have one or two more books left in it before the story is over.

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Alright, this was another one of those random manga I snagged from the library and I am loving this so far. We have a young girl who is the popular girl in class, dresses in the latest fashions, etc, etc, etc, and she also likes rock music like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc. One day she discovers a small little store near the station that sells CD's and what not of her favorite music. At the counter is this "hot guy" that she develops a crush on over several visits. This "gent" has all the trappings for the scene, black nail polish, multiple piercings, band shirts, etc, etc, etc, you know the look. This "guy" also wears a mask so she never gets a clear look at his face. It turns out that this "guy" is actually one of her classmates. The boring, unassuming, blend in to the background girl who sits beside her in class. Now for what I liked about this premise. First, while it was milked for a little bit the big secret was revealed in the first volume and not just at the end. The difference in the girls appearance was also explained and not milked for several volumes. The art work in this manga is amazing and I love how the splash of lime green color that we see on the cover is used throughout the volume to highlight scenes. This feels like a great little drama series that is exploring a few different things. Each character has their own struggles and things going on that complicates their relationship. It just feels good and I can't wait for the next volume.

My Androgynous Boyfriend, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐
My last manga for the week and another one that I am dropping after only one volume. To be clear there is nothing wrong with this manga. It's a slice of life manga about this couple living their life. The young woman works as an editor at a magazine and the young man is a model. He is the hot one on the cover and the titular androgynous boyfriend. A lot of this manga revolves around fashion and the fashion industry which is just not something I am overly interested in. My biggest issue is with the main male lead, Meguru. He is just too perfect. Like, we are talking uncanny valley levels of perfect. Put aside his stupidly hot looks and he is still just perfect. He takes care of the house for the two of them, he is the perfect friend, he is stupidly charming, he knows not just the perfect thing to say but the perfect moment to say it in. It's just all to much for me. I get that this is most definitely not written for me and that there is a a certain level of self insert wish fulfillment in this manga but again, not for me. As a result, I am moving on to something else.

Now, what is next? A lot, a lot of a lot. I am getting buried by the library currently.

City of the Dead this is my current audiobook that I am hoping to have done today
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire my next audiobook and another 21 hour book
Raven of the Inner Palace (Light Novel) Vol. 2 my current physical book and I really love the cover
Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 3 my next library book that is due
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com something a little outside of my norm
Outside of that I have a giant stack of manga to get through

I would lecture you but I don't feel like I am the right person to do so. I just picked up 13 more items over the weekend, on top of the stack of things I already have at home, and I've got more coming in this week.

Just going to get this out of the way early. This is a transition week where I'm working on stuff that I not going to have completed in time for my weekly post. That and IRL was a bit busy and chaotic this week.

The Black Cauldron ⭐⭐⭐
I started the year with this lofty goal of actually reading all five books in this series as I always seemed to stall out after the second or third book. I think I'm starting to see why I never got further then this. This is not a bad book but I read this a week ago and I'm kind of hard pressed to really remember it. Now that I'm trying to write this up things are starting to come back to me but man did this fade from memory fast. Taran was tasked with helping out the Prince with a quest, things go sideways, the annoying character gets a redemption in the end, the obviously evil character turns out to be evil. It's not a bad book but I don't feel that it really did a lot that wasn't already covered by the first book. It kind of felt that Taran started, and ended, in the same place as the first book. It was just a classic tale of good versus evil and that is it. A part of me wants to read on so I can finish the series and another part of me is just not really interested.

Brewed with Love ⭐⭐⭐
Don't let the three star rating fool you, I thought this was a pretty good novel but it had some issues. This book is rocking a lot of different hats all at once. Sapphic romance, fantasy, cozy, mystery, etc but at it's core is the romance and mystery. The romance was the best part of the novel in my opinion with the mystery being rather meh. The romance in this novel felt like a bit of a blast of fresh air after some of the stuff I've read. Instaromance? Nope, these were childhood friends who started falling for each other before one of them disappeared for some reason. Now that one friend is back and they are trying to figure out where they stand with each other and of course their feelings. Third act miscommunication? Yes, but it was then instantly talked about, hashed out, and sorted. This one here by itself was mind blowing. I saw it coming and there was a part of me that was already crawling off to the corner to grumble like a crazed old man about this dreaded trope when suddenly the characters are suddenly talking things out. I was flabbergasted. The characters themselves had amazing chemistry and the romance parts in general just felt great. More novels need to take notes from this.

Now for the mystery. This is where it kind of fell flat. It wasn't a horrible mystery but it kind of felt a bit simple. Especially as this book decided to take the route of ignoring the most obvious clues until just the right moment. An obviously evil guy in the corner twirly his comically evil mustache, nope, he can't be important to the case at all. There were a couple major points in this book that were so glaringly obvious that it was almost insulting how everyone danced around the issues until just the right time in the novel.

Outside of the mystery I wish there was some more attention to the world building and just fleshing things out in general. That being said, I feel that this is an author who is now on my radar and I want to see what else they come out with.

Now for the manga
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 12 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This manga was such an amazing read that I want to talk about so much but everything in it is a massive spoiler. Like much of Frieren this was less focused on the action and more on the overall narrative. The ending, man, the ending hit like a ton of bricks and I want the next volume so bad.

That's it folks. Like I said, it was a shorter update this week. Now, what am I working on currently/next?

The Wishsong of Shannara I am over halfway through this book with about 9 hours of audio left. I am having a really hard time putting this book down honestly.
Berserk of Gluttony, Volume 1 Not isekai but a Japanese light novel that borrows a lot of the tropes. The whole video game system of level ups, skills, etc but all with an edgier edge. Not bad, but not mind blowing yet either.
Manhole Volume 2
The Boxer, Vol. 9
Heroine? Saint? No, I'm an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! (Manga) Vol. 2
The Mammoth