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

Gord’s comments from the Readers Unbound group.

That is giving me some XXXHolic kind of vibes. I might have to check this series out

63 hours!!!! That is frightening. I doubt I could finish that in three weeks, especially at normal speed. I'd have to mainline that book for three weeks straight.

Time for that weekly wrap up

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, (Light Novel) Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐
I have some very conflicted feelings about this one. On one hand this is basically just fluff. It's a mindless popcorn read that keeps my brain entertained. It's that standard Isekai fair where crazy OP MC just rolls through everything in his way. It also taps into some of the less savory tropes of the genre which I am not a fan of, namely the harem of young women. It's not so much the harem as it is the age. The novel also has that problem where a lot of the female characters are introduced by describing their bust size. That being said, there are weird moments where the novel flips things on their head in an unexpected way. For instance, in this one our MC visits a brothel for a little relief. It was off page but there was no attempts to hide it either. The next section of the booked opened with our MC walking out of the brothel and commenting on what happened. Outside of all of that though there are some interesting ideas. There are two different kind of people who can be isekai'd to this world. There are those that die and are reborn in this world. Then there are those that are summoned to this world. Oddly enough, our MC doesn't really seem to fall into either category. There are also implications of other people from our world who have traveled to this world. There are just a lot of world building questions that I have. Like I said, this is a popcorn read and I plan on continuing.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yup, still rereading this series and still liking it. Not a lot to really say here that I haven't said before.

Before Your Memory Fades ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I don't remember exactly what lead me down this rabbit hole but I am loving these slice of life novels and it seems like there are a lot of them out there for me to explore. This book was exactly what I expected, emotional damage in a small book format. This one changes the script a bit from previous books. It's in a different location with a new cast of characters, plus some familiar faces, and it is set several years in the future from the previous books. I've seen some criticisms about the repetitive nature of this book, especially with this being the third one in the series, but there is something comforting about the familiarity of this book and the formula. I would be very thrown of kilter if suddenly there was aliens in the timelines with multiple versions of the family members running around creating space time paradoxes. I'm here for emotional stories about final goodbyes, heartfelt messages to loved ones, and finding peace. I read these books expecting to ugly cry at the end of each story and it delivers on that. I just love the simplicity and beauty of it all.

Now for the manga

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 10: Includes vols. 28, 29 & 30 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I picked this up about an hour before bed expecting to just get started on this longer book. Several hours later I finished all of this thing in one sitting. I just found that I could not put this book down once I got started. Toriyama just kept throwing bombs at the reader and I just had to know what happened next. As I mentioned before I'm a new reader to this series so a lot of this is new to me. I know some stuff from pop culture osmosis but most of it is new. When this section was being released the fans must have been going nuts. I'm not going to spoil anything even though it is an older franchise but there are several new characters introduced in this one including some new villains. Those introductions were insane to say the least and a great example of how to create hype while writing.

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not a lot to really say about this one really. In this one we get a bit more of a glimpse into the everyday life of these three girls and the unique challenges that they face in life.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 19 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reading a single volume in this series is like getting one soda cracker after not eating for a week. It's great, it's tasty, but I so want more. This one dove into a lot of back story about the big guy, the first experiment, what that means for the current plans, all while getting glimpses at stuff happening in the current time. Like I said, this was a tasty snack but I want more.

Spy x Family, Vol. 13 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The latest volume in this series and we get a fair mix of stories in this one. We get the more serious spy stuff, we get some general world building, we get some more Anya being Anya, and we get some just general slice of life stuff. I felt that this was another great volume in this series. Now for the long wait for the next one.

Now, what is next.

Audiobooks
The Black Cauldron I'm nearly done this one
The Wishsong of Shannara This is the one that I am going to be starting tomorrow and focusing on heavily this week. 21 hours of audio in a little under a week is a lot to get through.

Physical
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 12 More Frieren, life is good
Brewed with Love A cute looking romance, hopefully it is good
After that I have a few other manga but I have time so I am not committing fully to anything yet

I'm completely new to the Dragonball series and man I am utterly amazed at how skilled Toriyama is at creating hype. I'm at the part of the story where we first meet Trunks and holy crap what an introduction. He utterly destroys what has been considered the greatest threat in this story so far in a matter of seconds. What? Who is this kid? Yes, I peaked at spoilers and know but still, holy crap.

I am so split on this whole conflict. Part of me is very much in favor in slapping back against what is being done to us but there is a very real cost to all of this. I don't want to see people suffer because of this but that is what is going to happen. All because of the personal motivations of a few individuals.

Personally speaking, I'm annoyed by the tariffs but I've been around along enough to know that this kind of stuff happens. We've seen bans on our beef/pork/what ever before. How it's happening and who is doing it is definitely an extra level of burn. What really pisses me off is this whole annexation talk. The first time it was "joked" about it Mar-a-Lago rubbed me the wrong way. A world leader does not crack jokes like that, period, full stop. I don't care which country or leader it is, a statement like that has to be taken seriously. The threats and disrespect to our leaders and our country since then have only grown since then.

I understand that there is a lot of trauma associated with it and that it won't be easy for her to open up about it but it's starting to feel like the author is just being a tease about it.

It has been a busy week of reading but I'm I'm finally in a position, even if only for a little while, where I'm not chasing that weekly library due date.

Carl's Doomsday Scenario ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Where to start with this chaotic ball of chaos? Like the first book I just can't shake this feeling that the book was written for me. The storytelling, the humor, the action, the characters, it's all here and it's just landing right for me. This book covered the entire events of the third floor with so much happening in this book and it felt like it dabbled in a little bit of everything. Horror, Sci-fi, Fantasy, it's all stuffed into this one book. Carl and Princess Donut cause chaos where ever they are. Sometimes it is intentional but more often than not it's entirely unscripted and the results are hilarious. I also love how this book is expanding the world without it feeling dense and thick. It can show you the events of an entire galaxy without it feeling like I need to go to university for an entire course so you can understand things. There are also some great character moments between Carl and Princess Donut when they aren't destroying everything around them. This book just hits on a lot of different levels for me and I am enjoying the ride. I can't wait for the next book.

Ghost in the Headlights ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After finishing up Hide and Seeker a few weeks back I found myself with an itch for some more MG/YA horror. I'm not sure how I ended up on this book but it's a ghost story and I figured I'd give it a try. I wasn't expecting a whole lot heading into this book but what I got was a real treat. The premise of the book is really simple. Young girl has to go live with her uncle for a couple months while her mom does some work training for a new role. Uncle lives outside of this small town in Pennsylvania and of course, like any small town, it has a local ghost story. Our MC can of course see the ghost and over the course of the book helps the ghost find peace by solving the mystery surrounding their death. This book came out in 2021 and yet there is this timeless and nostalgic feeling about this book. This felt like a ghost story I would have read when I was kid and I think that is what really makes this great. The book just had this feeling of tapping into the basic ghost story vibe that we all know. That feeling when you are young and reading a spooky story, or sitting around a campfire swapping stories. This was a standalone book but I was so impressed with it that I went out and requested another spooky book from the same author. I want to see if they have found the secret formula to a good spooky book.

Grendel's Curse ⭐⭐⭐
I had another audiobook planned for this week but I was just not in the mood for it and settled on this instead. There is really not a lot to say about this one. It has swords, archeology, action, it's what I would expect from this book. It was a little awkward at the beginning though as it started out a political rally for some really similar sounding talking points to current events. Once it got past that though it settled into the usual fare for one of these books.

Now for the manga/comics of the week

Saphie the One-Eyed Cat Volume 1 ⭐⭐⭐
This is a Webtoon comic that ended several years ago so I was surprised to see it get a physical release. I remember this comic being a regular part of my week where I would tune in twice a week to read the latest comic. This comic is about the life of four cats and the family that takes care of them. There is really not a lot more then that to say about it. I felt that this volume suffered from what a lot of these slice of life Webtoons suffer from. These comics are great to read in small doses, once or twice a week kind of idea. When that gets condensed down into a printed form it somehow loses it's charm. It's hard to explain for me but if I'm reading this weekly each comic is only a couple minutes for me to read. I get a smile, I enjoy seeing the characters, etc. With a printed form it just feels like that small dose charm is gone. Yes, you can marathon the comic online but again, it's broken down into individual comics. I can read four or five and then take a break or whatever I want to do. Maybe this is just a me problem but I am not having a lot of luck with this type Webtoon Unscrolled comic.

The Moon on a Rainy Night Vol. 6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More sweetness in the latest volume of this manga. I'm kind of wishing the series would just rip the bandage off already and address the elephant in the room. I'm not saying that they need to start dating or anything but at least discuss what is happening because right now it feels like everyone is just avoiding the super obvious elephant in the room.

The God of High School Volume Three: A WEBTOON Unscrolled Graphic Novel ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yes, another Webtoon Unscrolled, this was not planned either but man I am loving my read through of this series. This book essentially covered one fight this time. Yes, there was some other stuff leading up to that fight but this was the Seoul final and the big fight between Mori Jin and Daewi Han. This was a brutal slug fest and a showcase of both characters bringing out their biggest and best moves at this time. Now to wait several months for the next volume to be released.

WOLVERINE: MADRIPOOR KNIGHTS ⭐⭐⭐
Meh, I snagged this on a whim and it's about what I would expect from a Marvel comic. Tons of references to other comics and events that I don't really understand but sure. It's a comic about Wolverine, Captain America, and Black Widow teaming up in Madripoor to find some alien dohickey thing that is going to be auctioned off. There are tons of fights with ninja, sorry, The Hand, and a showcase of the usual Madripoor characters. It was a fun popcorn read but that's about it.

Yowamushi Pedal Omnibus, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This entire omnibus covers the Welcome race for the racing club and I never knew a race could be so exciting. This is Sakamichi Onoda's first race and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Seeing Onoda discovering his love of racing, his pure brute force attempts at trying to catch up to his new friends, the baffled reactions from his seniors as this kid comes out of no where to put up this fight. The little technical bits from the author, who also races bicycles, that filter through here and there. I know I've said that I'm not a sports guy before but I might be getting slowly converted.

Now, what is next, who knows. I'm in a position this week where I've got a couple weeks before my next due date at the library. I'm just going to read what ever I feel like this week and see where things are next weekend. I've got audiobooks, light novels, and some manga to get through. Audiobooks are probably the one I'm most concerned about. I've got a couple shorter ones but I also got the next Shannara book which is a 21 hour book. I need to plan for that a bit so I have some time to get it done.

Time for that first weekly update for a new month. It has been an odd week of reading for me. No audiobooks, more novels, etc.

The Pumpkin Spice Café ⭐⭐⭐
I've been seeing this book everywhere for a while now so when my library brought in a copy I decided to give it a try. After finishing the book I can understand the hype around it but it is simply not a romance novel for me. This book just tapped into to many of the tropes that I just don't enjoy from a romance story. Instalove, miscommunication, third act misunderstanding, etc. It's a cozy romance novel stuffed full of Fall vibes and if you enjoyed it, cool. As for me, I won't be continuing on with this one.

Red Sonja: Consumed ⭐⭐⭐
This was another book I spotted in the "on order" queue at the library and I knew I had to try it. I have a bit of a weird history with Red Sonja. I'm aware of the connections to Robert E. Howard, I've read most of the novels from the early 80's, but I've never really dived into the more modern stuff. A lot of it comes down to the usual issue I have with comics, where do I even start? Also, this is going to maybe sound weird, but I really don't like that stupid chain mail bikini thing that all the comics seem to love. I know why it's done, sexy woman on the cover and in the comic, but it just feels so out of place with the character I've experienced. I really wasn't sure what to expect heading into this novel. Did I need to have previous experience with the comics? How did my archaic knowledge of the character factor in? Stuff like that.

After finishing this book I can say that it was just alright. It was interesting to see something more sword and board related in a modern book. I loved several of the tropes that were used in the novel. I loved that it wasn't just another origin story but it also took the time to explain who the character was for new readers. This brings me to the main problem I had with the novel, Rod Sonja herself. Not so much with the character but how she was written. This book loved to hype her up. That she was this fierce warrior woman of legend. The mere mention of her name was enough to make kings shake in their boots. I loved all of that and that was what I wanted. The character that was shown to us though did not match the hype that we were being told. She is this warrior woman of legend who is then ambushed by small children. She is this fearsome devil who spends most of the book moping about and lamenting a lost love. It just created this incredibly frustrating feeling as I wanted to see these legendary exploits and we would just get more moping. We finally got to see it towards the end of the book but by then it was to late, in my opinion. Now, don't get me wrong, when the next book comes out I will be there to give it a read. I'm hoping that in the next book maybe things will hit their stride a little quicker and we get more of that epic adventure I like from a sword and board.

Now for the manga (you didn't really think I was done did you?)

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4—Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It felt good getting back to this series and just manga in general. This omnibus felt like it was much more focused on Koichi and his growth. Figuring out his stand, how to use it, etc. It also introduced a side character that was absolutely terrifying in my opinion and that character was Yukako Yamagishi. This young woman just hit all my nope buttons at the same time. Her stand is hair based like a Japanese ghost and she is like a mixture between a Yandere and Misery Chastain. She was terrifying and she made the second half of this story such a fun read. I really can't wait for the next one.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm really curious where this series is going to go. A big theme in the first book was her finding and capturing the cards. In this one it really feels like we are speed running the new cards and it's making me wonder what comes next. What are we going to do with these new cards? Where is the story going? I also had a moment where I had to pause and just soak in the art. The splash pages at the start of a chapter were simply amazing and I love the art style of Clamp.

Manhole Volume 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I saw this one at the library and figured I'd try a new manga horror series. While technically this series is a horror novel I much prefer the author's description which is biohazard thriller. It just feels like it fits this book so much better. As you can guess from my description this book is about an infection getting out into the general public and police trying to find the source of it because the release was very intentional. This book covers the very early stages of the outbreak and I'm sure it's going to only get more bleak. The manga had much more realistic art style and it just works so well with this story. I am really interested in this series and can't wait for the next volume.

The Great Cleric (Manga) Vol. 12 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My final manga of the week and it's one I don't have a lot to really say about this one. It's more of what I would expect from this series and it was just a quick fun read. I really need to get around to reading the novels at some point.

Now, what is next
Before Your Memory Fades This is my next audiobook and if I'm being honest here, I'm not sure if I'm really in the mood for it. This is a really emotional series and I just don't know if I have it in me this week.
Carl's Doomsday Scenario I am so excited for this one
The Moon on a Rainy Night Vol. 6 This is also coming due this week

I'm going to get started on this early so I can get to my new reads.

Death in D Minor -3 Stars
I recently joined a team challenge and this week was the first week. Of course nothing I had from the library worked for the first week and that is what lead to this book. I kind of remember the first one in this series and I feel that this more or less kept the same kind of beats. Small town Ireland, ghosts, fine arts, etc. The one thing that was a little odd with this one, and I think a first in my reading experience, was that the fine arts was embroidery. Specifically the collection of historical pieces of it. A lot of this mystery revolved around forgeries before the inevitable bodies start to pile up. It was another cozy mystery, it wasn't horrible but it also didn't rock my world either. This series will now go back on the shelf until the next time I need it for a challenge.

Hide and Seeker -3 Stars
A middle grade horror novel based around the game of hide and seek. This novel started out pretty strong and immediately got into establishing a strong group of friends and, of course, the spooks. I was actually surprised how quickly this escalated straight into the horror aspects of this novel. This book remained pretty good until the ending and the ending itself wasn't horrible but it left me with a lot of questions. I feel like a lot of the horror aspects just weren't really explained and it was just there to be spooky which isn't horrible but my lore loving ways wants to know more. How did this start? Why did it start? What are the rules? What about all the hints to other things? This was also a book that could have used an epilogue as there were a couple plot points that I felt never got a proper conclusion, in my opinion. Also, I'm not a fan of the "sequel baiting" kind of ending either. Where the piece of entertainment ends in such a way as to hint that it all might not actually be over. Again, there is a time and a place for it, but not in a stand alone novel on top of the unresolved plot points I mentioned before. Honestly, the more I've thought about this book since I finished it the more I've kind of soured towards the ending.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes -4 Stars
I've really come to love this weird little subgenre of books that I stumbled into. The stories are, being honest here, rather repetitive in their structure, but I love what it is doing. In this series we have a restaurant that offers a detective service for those looking to track down a particular dish. Someone comes in, they enjoy a wonderful meal, we get an explanation of what dish they are looking for and why, cut forward two weeks, customer returns for the dish they asked for, the food is served with an emotional explanation of the dish. That is the essential setup for each and every story but these stories do such a wonderful job capturing the memories and joys of food. Not the joys of food as in how a fancy five star dish can excite the senses or what not but how nostalgia and the smaller aspects of food can excite a person. This could be a local twist on the dish, how it was served, how it was prepared, the setting it was served in, etc. A lot of these stories revolve around family and nostalgia and the simplicity in how these stories are told is such a treat. You know our MC's will find the dish, you know the dish will be exactly what the client was looking forward to, but it's the explanations, the personal connections, the simple joy tied to that dish that just makes this special. This type of book is not for everyone but man I am loving my experience with them. Them being spaced out due to publishing dates and library holds also helps. This is not something like DCC where you want to marathon the books because of how exciting they are. This is the type of book that is enjoyed once in a while in smaller portions.

The Assassin's Guide to Babysitting -4 Stars
Full disclosure, I picked this book up because of title alone. Yes, I am that shallow at times but you got to admit there are times where the title is enough to just sell you on the book. Sometimes you get something good, sometimes you question your taste in titles. This one was definitely one of the good ones. It's a YA book about a secret world of talented individuals living amongst us. These talents are strength, speed, accuracy, explosion, and the super rare, and feared, defense. These are obviously not the names that the book used but that is basically what they are. Our MC is one of those with the defense talent and has been living a secret life since her parents were assassinated. Hiding her powers while training for revenge kind of idea. All of this gets flipped on its head when a babysitting gig our MC is dragged into goes sideways and she finds herself stuck with an infant and on the run. This of course had similarities to her own experiences and led to massive discoveries within this secret community. This entire book gave me strong Jennifer Estep vibes which is not a bad thing for me. I find her books to be the perfect popcorn style of books. I'm actually kind of surprised that this book was a standalone as there is enough there that you could probably make a series, or take the events and make them into a trilogy, or something. At the same time I also appreciate that it was a standalone.

Alright, that's it, no manga or anything else but it has been a busy week. I don't remember the last time I crushed out four novels in a week. As for next week, it's even crazier. I have a giant stack of things that I can't renew at the library that I need to complete. I don't think I will have time for an audiobook this week which feels kind of weird. I haven't had a week without an audiobook for years now. I'll see how the week goes and what comes in from the library. Maybe I'll grab something short to listen to while I work.

The Pumpkin Spice Café
Red Sonja: Consumed
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 2
Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 10: Includes vols. 28, 29 & 30
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4—Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 2
Manhole Volume 1

I don't have a massive amount to talk about this week as it has been a thing the last week.

The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 4: Dabit Deus His Quoque Finem -3 Stars
In this volume we finally get the start of the Eastern front and the entrance of the not-Soviet Union into the war. We got the initial shots of the war, Tanya's invasion of not-Moscow, and the fall out from that. This book was fine but I think I am done with this series, at least for now. I love the concept of the book, I love the setting, I love the characters, but the writing in this book just turns everything into a giant slog. I can even appreciate what the book is trying to do with the writing style itself. How the book is trying to be more of a journal of the conflict then an actual novel. The problem is that it really makes for a dry read and I'm not sure if the perspective matches the goal. This is supposed to be a journal of Tanya but we spend so much time looking at the perspective of everyone else. For instance, the invasion of not-Moscow, this is supposed to be this big event in this world, a game changer for the world and a slap in the face to the not-Soviet Union. We do spend some time seeing what happened from Tanya's point of view but also spend a ton of time seeing the point of view of the command headquarters, not-England, not-Soviet Union, etc, etc, etc, etc. It just makes for this really weird pacing. Tanya gets the green light to proceed with the mission and instead of immediately cutting to that we then spend several chapters getting the point of view from all this other places before the big action. We then spend a chapter or two covering the invasion and then several chapters seeing the fall out from point of views of all these other places. Outside of that this book was just jumping all over the place. We had the start of the war, the invasion of not-Moscow, another mission, then suddenly Tanya is getting court-martialed, then we are suddenly on the Western front attacking not-England, back in the rear, it just kept jumping all over the place all while maintaining the plodding pace the entire time. Like I said, I'm done for now, maybe I'll come back later but from what I've read the writing never really changes.

Forbidden City -4 Stars
The next book in the City Spies series and it's another solid book. We have a defecting North Korean nuclear scientist, chess games in Russia and China, boy bands, and of course Umbra. I'd say my only real criticism of the book was yet another conflict between Brooklyn and Sydney. It's a super minor thing and is more of sub-subplot but it just felt like covering ground the series already covered in the previous novel and just why did it have to be these two again. It's super minor and didn't take a whole lot of book space but it just felt weird. I'm looking forward to the next one as usual and can't wait for it.

Now for the manga.

Case Closed, Vol. 2 -3 Stars
After a stupidly long wait, not getting into why, I am finally back to this series and it was what I expected. Some classic mystery tropes, some classic gadgets, and some weirdly intense action scenes. I did not expect to see Ran drop kick a man in the head through the glass window of a car. That was fun. Much like old One Piece this has the Western versions of the names, Ran becomes Rachel for instance, and I wish they hadn't done that but I understand that it was a different time. Just a fun read and now that the library issues are sorted out I can continue on with this massive read through.

SAKAMOTO DAYS 15 -4 Stars
The latest issue in this series and more great assassin action adventures. It really feels like the series is finally building to a big climax which then makes me wonder what comes next. This entire series has been essentially this one long story line and what happens when it is done? Is that it for the series? Will there be a new threat revealed? Will the author be forced to keep writing it because of popularity? It's still far from done but it feels like it is being positioned for the end game. Regardless, it's still fun and it's back to waiting for the next volume to come out.

Heroine? Saint? No, I'm an All-Works Maid (And Proud of It)! (Manga) Vol. 1 -4 Stars
This, this right here is a great example of why I love manga. Some manga I read for the amazing story, some for the amazing characters, some for the amazing art, and some for a combination of those things. Then there are manga like this and I can only describe this manga as dumb. Pure dumb fun. Let me see if I can describe this manga in such a way as to to do it justice. Yes, it is another Isekai manga. Our MC is a reincarnation of a child prodigy from our world but not just any child prodigy. No, this child prodigy was also a massive maid otaku and wants to be a maid. She actual dies on a plane trip to England to start her maid training. She then wakes up in another world that is medieval in setting, because why not, and of course maids are in high demand. After several years her new mother dies, because of course, and on her death bed reveals that she is the secret love child of nobility and she has a choice. She can either track down her father and live a comfortable life or become the best maid ever. Guess what option or MC chose. This is an Isekai though and she can't be just any maid she has to be the greatest maid ever and she of course, conveniently, has super magic abilities. Not just any magic though, no, she has more magic power then anyone in this world and could crush entire kingdoms if she wanted. The things is she has no idea about any of this and just uses her new magic abilities to be a super maid. But wait, there is another twist, and you wont see this one coming, this world is also inspired by an Otome game. Why? Because their were otome game fans on her plane that crashed and that influenced this world. So she is also a path in an otome game story line now. This manga feels like the author just took a bunch of their favorite elements, tossed them in a blender, and hit blend. I love this thing, I love it so much. It's just so much dumb fun. I really, really, want to find the light novel this based on as I feel that it will be right up there with things like Kuma Bear and Bofuri for me.

Now, what is next. Honestly, the next few weeks are going to be chaotic as I try to keep on top of all my library books and participate in a team reading challenge I signed up for.

Hide and Seeker My current read
Death in D Minor My team challenge book
The Assassin's Guide to Babysitting Due date is coming soon
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes Another due date coming soon

Time for that weekly update and this has been an odd week of weirdness and exciting books.

Dungeon Crawler Carl -5 Stars
It has been a long time since I've been this hype for a book and I'm so glad that it lived up to the hype for me. This book has been on my radar for a while now but it was inaccessible for me because it was indie published. Recently this series got picked up by a traditional publisher and got a wide rerelease which means libraries could get it as well. It was about this time that the book started popping up on my radar in a really big way. The more I was seeing about this book the more hype I got. I set aside a full week to read this book as it was 450 pages and I devoured it in two days. Some sleep may have been sacrificed along the way. This is one of those books that just felt like it was written for me. I clicked with this book very early on and I was fully onboard for the ride. The humor was weird and absurd (llama meth), there was some great world building, and there was some great foreshadowing. At it's core it is a silly dumb action novel using video game logic but there is just so much more to this and I really can't wait for the next book. Also, I'm really hoping that this is the Legends&Lattes moment for the LitRPG genre and we start seeing more of these books get picked up by traditional publishers.

Skydark -3 Stars
Now we start getting into the weird. This is a series that I have been slowly picking away at for a few years now. I treat them like junk food and pick one up when I need a break from my normal reading. I really don't have a lot to say about this book in general as it is yet another book in this super long series. There are guns, explosions, mutants, adult language, and people just generally being the worst of humanity. Now what was weird about this book is that it felt really familiar. Like I read this book before levels of familiar. I'm not sure if this might have been one of those books I read as a teen or if they recycled the plot which is a possibility. The story isn't 100% what I remember and I'm not sure if that is just my faulty memory or those are just the elements they changed from another book.

Now for the manga

The Lady Knight and the Beast-Eared Child Vol. 1 -3 Stars
Brace yourself, I read one volume of this manga and I'm dropping this one. I know, I know, this is a weird thing to see happen when it comes to me but I'll explain why. This manga can be broken into three parts for me, the good, the mid, and the ick.

The good, the artwork in this manga is amazing. The armor design, the monster design, the character design, all of it was just amazing.

The mid, the story itself. This was more like a collection of little vignettes about the relationship between the master and her apprentice. After reading this though I just don't feel like I know anything about anyone or the world. We get some basic stuff but there is just so much that is just left unexplained.

The ick, oneexshota. Nope, not explaining that one for the normal folks. Listen, this book isn't explicit in anyway or do anything really bad but man does it give some really ick vibes to it. It's the power dynamic in their relationship. The master and apprentice thing, the blushed looks she gives him, etc. It's not even every chapter either. Some chapters are just wholesome training moments or what not. Then we have some chapters that just give me the icks. This alone is the biggest reason why I'm dropping this series. Not yucking anyone's yum but this is not for me.

The World After the Fall, Vol. 1 -3 Stars
Brace yourself, this is another new series that I am dropping after only one volume. After Solo Leveling and Tomb Raider King in the last year I've had a certain itch for exploring some more Korean Manhwa and stumbled across this one at the library. It kind of started with a story element I've come to expect from a Manhwa series. Mysterious towers suddenly appear all around the world and certain people are selected, with video game interfaces, to be tower walkers. People who go into these towers to fight the monsters and save humanity. At this point I was all on board. Then it felt like the story hit the fast forward button and I was just left confused and lost. We are suddenly on floor 90 something of the 100 floors in the tower. Most of humanity is gone, most of the tower walkers are gone. A few pages later it's just the MC left, then ten years blow by, then a few more, then we are at the top of tower. What is even going on? Then we get to all the talking at the top of the tower with the big boss and I'm even more lost. A lot of this conversation started to feel like it was taking on some super edge lord elements as well. If I don't belief hard enough I can break the system and awaken my own powers free from the system. What? Just, what? I don't think this is a bad idea or a bad story but the delivery was horrible. My library doesn't have any more in this series which helped me decide to drop this one but there is a chance I could return. Maybe a reread will help me understand things better?

Tomb Raider King, Vol. 9 -4 Stars
More in this series and more relics. Not a lot to really say except that there was a certain scene in this one that really stretched the suspension of disbelief. Enough for me to put the book down and go "what?". Not enough to drop the series or anything but enough to give me pause.

Don't Call it Mystery (Omnibus) Vol. 11-12 -4 Stars
This single volume really was a great slice of what this series is. We have elements that advanced the overarching mystery, we had small little self contained stories, and then we have the next big mystery arc. Of course this volume ends right in the middle of said big mystery arc leaving me hanging until the next volume comes out in June and then I am fully caught up for now. I am so invested in this series now and I just want to keep reading more. There are so many story elements that I am hooked into and want answers for. June is a long way off alright, and then I have to wait for my library to buy a copy.

As for what is next.
Forbidden City My next audiobook and the next book in the City Spies series
The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 4: Dabit Deus His Quoque Finem Finally time to tackle this beast.

I'm not sure how long Tanya will take me to get through so that is all I'm committing to for now. If I finish early then I have a few manga from the library I need to read.

Kind of, trying to juggle things with everything else I'm doing. I'm watching:

Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time (bog standard isekai)
I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I’ll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time (fantasy that is alright.
Apothecary Diaries (I'm behind and need to catch up)

I'm doing this a little earlier but I have a big read planned for next week that I can't wait to get to.

Our Wives Under the Sea ⭐⭐⭐
I was looking to explore some horror reads and this book was recommended to me. I had this on hold at the library for a long time and kind of forgot about it until it came in. It wasn't until I was about to read it that I discovered just how outside of my normal wheelhouse of reading that this was truly was. This is a slow paced literary novel and being honest here, I struggled with this book. Objectively speaking I can see that this is well written novel and I can see the appeal of it but it is not a book for me. For most of the novel, especially from the POV of one character, it felt like verbal diarrhea. There was words on the page not to serve any real function outside of just being the words on the page. I get that they were to there to set the scene, the mood, and in the theme of the book but it never felt like the book was moving forward. It just kind of wallowed. Now that being said, by the end of the book there was a couple moments where I felt a bit emotional, and I felt a slight chill from the spooky elements. I don't regret reading the book but I am glad to be done with it and moving on to something else.

Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense., Vol. 6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
More Bofuri and the last of my rereads. With the next book it is all new material for me and I am looking forward to it. As for this one, we get to the sixth level and it is a horror themed floor. Ghosts, spooks, etc galore. Probably one of my favorite scenes in this book is Maple exploring this haunted mansion full of traps. Normally a player would be avoiding these traps as much as possible but not our girl. She just strolls through them taking no damage at all due to her absolute broken build. It's also revealed that she really doesn't need armor or shields anymore for most situations. Her base defense is so high that she could stroll through most areas in her everyday clothes and take no damage at all. She is just broken and the poor devs are losing so much sleep over it.

Now for all the manga and comics

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 16 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 17 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 18 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm lumping all of these together as it just makes sense. These section of books opened with the series taking a bit of a big breath after the all the big reveals and changes. It was much needed just to process all the the big reveals before heading into the next story arc. Then we head north and the start of the Fort Briggs story arc. This story is just good and I am loving my reread of it. The world building, the suspense, the characters, it's all just so well done.

Tectiv Vol. 1: Noirtopia ⭐⭐⭐
This was yet another random snag from the library and an interesting premise. At its core it is a blend of a post apocalyptic sci-fi theme and a noir detective theme. Our MC is a scavenger with her partner where they make a living exploring the old ruins from materials to use. Our MC loves collecting old books and finds an old detective comic that was damaged hence Tectiv. Her partner disappears one night and our MC scrounges up an old fedora and trench coat before heading out to find her. It felt like the story hit a lot of the story beats you would expect from either of these themes but it was the blending the two that made them unique. This is supposed to the first book in a series and I might pick this up again in the future just to see where it goes next.

Trigun Maximum Volume 4: Bottom of the Dark ⭐⭐⭐
Giving this volume three stars hurts me but there the art work is just hard to follow. The story and the characters are so interesting in this series. In this volume we get the final dust up between Vash, Wolfwood, Milly, and the remaining members of the Gung-Ho-Guns. There are a lot of big reveals in this volume and it's a great story. The problem is that the art is just so hard to follow. There are oddly shaped characters, in a dark setting, wearing dark clothes, in a high action setting. I had to stop reading more then a few times just to try and decipher what I was looking at.

Yowamushi Pedal Omnibus, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a sports manga that I feel can only exist in a manga format. Our MMC is an otaku who bikes to Akihabara once a week to save a few bucks. The thing is, that trip is 90 km round trip, 56 miles for those that need it, and he does it on a mommy bike that unbeknownst to him has been modified to make it harder for him by his parents. They did this in an effort to keep him close to home. Basically this kid has become a prodigy on a bike and he has no idea. He is noticed by the school bicycle racing club who attempt to recruit him into the club. The thing is he hates sports and sports clubs. This first omnibus is basically them trying to recruit him, him getting a taste for racing, and by the end joining the club. Now joining the club is not a guaranteed thing. The first day of the club the club has a race for all the new members and they are only accepting a certain number of people. Of course we aren't getting the race in this one.

This was way more engaging then I ever expected and I was hooked hard. I also love the art style in this one. This manga has some amazing reaction faces and does a great job showing speed and intensity. I really can't wait for the next volume.

My Kitten is a Picky Eater Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐
This was another random snag from the library for what I would think would be obvious reasons. Cute manga about a kitty, enough said. This is a weird blend of slice of life, cute critters, and some cooking elements. I wasn't expecting that last one honestly but it oddly works. I do kind of wonder how the MC survived before finding the kitty and getting responsibilities. Honestly, if you have ever read any of these chill critter manga you know what to expect from this one. When my library gets more I will be reading on.

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I found this series when I was browsing my read shelf here on Goodreads looking for manga to recommend to someone. I realized that I never finished this series and the series is now complete so I figured it was a good time to circle back to complete it. This book basically explores the day to day life of "Demis" or demi-human characters. We have a vampire, a dullahan, a yuki onna, and a succubus. It explores their day to day life in modern society and the challenges that they face. It's a fun little slice of life and it's a quick read. I'm glad to be back and reading this again.

Now, what is next

Skydark
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Basically my week is all about Dungeon Crawler Carl with Skydark being for when I am at work and can't read my physical book. I am super excited for DCC and I hope it lives up to all the hype I've been hearing about it.

Time for another weekly recap and it has been another busy week of reading for me.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm really not sure what to say about these books anymore. It's a reread and the series is just popcorn for me. It's a fun read that I don't really need to stress out about while reading them.

In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 10 ⭐⭐⭐
This was a completely unplanned read. Things were slow at work and I was looking for something to read. Hoopla has a massive catalogue of J-Novel light novels now and I've been thinking about getting back into them. I decided to pick this on up as it has been a few minutes since I read the last one and by minutes I mean months. I was kind of concerned if I could remember where I was in the series and that was quickly laid to rest because in this series nothing matters. Joking, joking, it is a rather low stakes series and a lot of the characters will just blur together as there is a massive roster of character. As for the plot, I kind of remember it, but again it's not exactly deep or complex. In this one our MC gets his ninth and final wife, yes polyamory, he finds the final part of the flying fortress and the mad scientist behind it all, he introduces smartphones to a fantasy world, all with a few mechs thrown in for good measure. It's a lot going on and it's all silly. It's just another light and easy read.

The Mummy Case ⭐⭐⭐
I was rather excited for this one as I remember rather enjoying the first couple books. Something went off the rails though and I just kind of found myself bored with things in this one. The usual character antics are all there but there was just something about this one that just did not click with me. The book also felt really slow for me. I think I was about halfway through the book and I still wasn't sure what exactly the mystery was There was a couple of off page murders and something about stolen artifacts but it never really felt like it was the star of the show. I don't know if there was really even a star of the show honestly. It was just a whole lot of Amelia corralling her chaotic family around from one story set to the next. I'm not done with the series yet but I really hope the next one is better.

Now for the usual manga and comics

One Piece, Volume 5: For Whom the Bell Tolls ⭐⭐⭐⭐
It feels weird talking about early One Piece. Between the anime and the manga I have been gone through this material many times now and I've long since lost perspective of what this material would be like brand new. In this one we finish the Syrup Village arc, get Usopp on our crew, get a ship, and start the Baratie Arc where we meet Sanji. I know a lot of things that happen much later so a lot of this early stuff feels pretty simple. None of the characters have those massive fight skills that come later, the stakes and world building are still getting set up, It's very early One Piece. It's still good but I know things getting bigger and better with time.

Dick Tracy Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐
I saw this pop up on the new books queue at the library and was curious. I think I may have read some of the original comics as a kid and I kind of remember the movie from the 90's. This was an alright read. This was basically an older story with more modern story elements in it. Dick Tracy has PTSD for instance as he is a war vet, there is a lot more explicit violence on the page, etc. I don't know the franchise very well but there was a lot of characters I recognized like Prune Face, Flat Top, Mumbles, etc. It was alright, as an introduction to a new story line it has my interest piqued. I felt like the art was a little all over the place at times. Sometimes Dick Tracy would look all hard boiled and manly and other times he looked incredibly baby faced. I could be convinced to read the next book when it comes out.

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 9: Includes vols. 25, 26 & 27 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This volume was a great example of taking a tested trope and doing it well. I'm not even talking about tropes in general, I'm talking about tropes from within this same series. This book was basically one long fight. Goku was taken out of action so others had to fight in his place to buy time. Everyone gets power ups, sometimes multiple in the same fight, all to establish the threat of the big bad. Goku ultimately arrives at just the right time and then the real fight commences. It's all a formula that has been established in this franchise before but man it really works. We get to finally see Freeza fight and he is indeed the massive threat everyone has been making him out to be. We get to see Super Saiyan for the first time. This fight was just massively engaging and had me hooked in. Sure, I knew what story beats were going to happen, but to actually see it all unfold was just riveting.

Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat ⭐⭐⭐
I feel kind of conflicted about this one. It was another random snag from the library because it looked cute. This was a middle grade comic which I generally try to avoid and that is because of what I found with this one. For things like YA and MG there is an age range for the books. Some books will be on the younger end of the spectrum and some books are going to be more on the older side. This book was aimed for a really younger audience and I just didn't feel satisfied with the story. It wasn't really a mystery, it felt like a really long fetch quest from a video game. The thing is, this is not a bad book, it's just not a book for me. The story was cute with some really nice artwork and I can easily see younger kids really liking this book.

As for what is up next

Our Wives Under the Sea This is my next audiobook and I know nothing about it. This was a recommended to me several months ago and I remember reading the synopsis and being intrigued enough to request it. It had a really long wait list and now that it's here I don't remember anything about it. Hopefully it is good.

Tectiv Vol. 1: Noirtopia Another blind comic snag from the library
Trigun Maximum Volume 4: Bottom of the Dark More Trigun!
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 16
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 17
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 18
Yowamushi Pedal Omnibus, Vol. 1

Time for that weekly update and this will be a bit different then normal. There is going to be no comics or manga this week. I got lost in the novel sauce shall we say. That's also why this is a bit late as well. I was working on finishing up the last bit of one of these novels.

Uncanny: The Origins of Fear ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My first nonfiction book of the year and one that I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw it on the "on order" list at the library. This was the memoir (biography, what ever you want to call it) of the famous horror mangaka, Junji Ito. It should be pretty clear why I had to read this one. This was an interesting read but I think peoples mileage with this is going to vary greatly. If you have never read anything from Ito, if you have never heard of him, then this probably isn't the greatest thing to read. If you are familiar with the man or his works then I think you will get something from this. The first couple chapters deal with his early life and his after high school. The last three chapters dive into his characters, his story creation, and his artwork. For these sections you get a story or explanation from Ito followed by a shot of his rough drafts, notes, etc for that topic. The first two chapters kind of felt like bog standard memoir fair honestly. The last three chapters though were both some of my favorite parts of the book and some of the slowest parts as well. There was a bit of repetitive factor to it's presentation that kind of made it drag a bit. This is a bit of a nit pick but the text for the translated notes was also really tiny. The page layout already didn't utilize the full page as they were like panels of text over top of art work in the background. The pages with the photos of his notes were already small and then they would try to cram the translations around the image in the reduced panel. Some of these pages had a lot of notes on them so that text got really small. It's a minor thing but when you are already kind of tired it was a bit harder to read. Overall though, these notes and explanations were rather interesting as you got a glimpse into something that feels rather personal. You got to glimpse the creative process that eventually became a story that you read. In some ways it reminded me of the Eminem book I read late last year that had images of the pages he would jot lyrics on. It's the weirdly personal glimpse behind the curtain.

On a separate side note that was really cool each page has a little doodle in the bottom right corner allowing you to turn the book into a little flip book. There was something just weirdly nostalgic about that.

The Vanishing Type ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Part of what I want to work on this year is trying to finish up some of the many series that I have on the go currently. On of those series is this one and it's always such a treat to return to these books. They are tagged as a cozy mystery but I really feel that they are just so much more then that. This book had romance, mystery, drama, a little action, and all of that with this cast of just great characters. There is something about this series that has just charmed me and I just love reading each book.

The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash (Light Novel) Vol. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Another one of those series that I am trying to get caught up on. This was paused because I could only get them from one place through the interlibrary loan system. I don't really have a lot to really say about this one as not a whole lot happened. Ivy shows up at a new place, meets new people, gets involved in local problems. Like most light novels the story arc wasn't wrapped up in this volume and will be concluded in the next one.

A Pirate's Life for Tea ⭐⭐⭐⭐
And finally, the one that I was working on today. I finally got my hands on the second volume of this series and it was such a perfect book to be inside reading while avoiding the cold snap outside. This book saw the continuation of the story line that was started in the first one with the hunt for missing dragon eggs. I understand that some people might not like these books but these books are just so much fun for me. I love the adventures, the characters, the romance between the leads, and as much as they make me groan, all the puns that the one MC loves. This book is full of puns and it makes a certain degenerate side of me cackle with glee. Now to wait until March for the next one to be released.

Now, what am I reading next?

The Mummy Case - This is my next audiobook

Below are the books I want to get done this week and they are all ones I can't renew.
Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 5
One Piece, Volume 5: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 9: Includes vols. 25, 26 & 27
Dick Tracy Vol. 1
Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat

Time for another weekly update and my first full week of reading in 2025.

The Elfstones of Shannara ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The next book in a long journey of reading this series. When I first started this book I wasn't really feeling it but there came a point where I really started warming up to things and by the end I was fully invested. I think part of it was that when I started it I was still on vacation and wasn't on board with a large chunky book. That and in the beginning of the book both Wil and Amberle were a bit grating to say the least. As the book went along you got to know the characters and, more importantly, the burdens they had to bear, they became more relatable. Still flawed but more relatable. This book had a real ticking clock element as they two MC's raced to save an ancient magic tree and the Elven race. While they were racing to save the tree you had the wizard Allanon and the Elves facing down the demon horde trying to buy them time and to save the Elves. The first book had very obvious LotR influences and in this one it started to feel like the author was starting to expand and build their own world outside of those direct influences. It was also a book that could almost be read as a stand alone itself. The book was set many years after the first one and outside of a couple characters and a some references this was it's own story. It wasn't like the villain from the first book was suddenly back from the dead for round two of being evil. It was an all new threat, all new solution to the threat, all new lands to explore, etc. Overall a good start to the year and a great continuation for this series.

On a side note I decided to look into the TV show based on this series and discovered it was based off this book in particular. After looking at just one trailer I hard passed on this series again. Know which book it was based on I was very put off by what I saw. I was hearing the right words, kind of, but the visuals just did not match. That show had a real 2010's vibe to it shall we say.

Busted ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Look at me finally returning to a series and making an effort to finish something I started. I really enjoyed this little novella and it was a great way to jump back into things. It was short but it had all the characters and story elements from the series that I remember. I am really looking forward to getting back into things with this one.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, (Light Novel) Vol. 1⭐⭐⭐
Another light novel series for me to talk about. For this series it's not about revisiting and continuing a series that I know and love, it's about going back and checking out one from when I first started getting into light novels. In my head I was kind of harsh on this first book way back when I first read it and a big part of that was just me being unfamiliar with "light novels" and trying to judge them in the same way I would a regular novel. This novel was originally released in Japan in 2014 and I feel that it kind of shows its age a wee bit. This is basically a bog standard isekai series from before the time when everything had to have a unique spin to try and make it stand out from the sea of competition. The MC is yet another overworked employee who fell asleep under their desk only to wake up in a fantasy world. While they were not immediately granted god like powers it took them all of one chapter to power level into a situation where they had god like powers. This is also a series that really leans heavy into the video game logic for levels, skills, and experience. There are also the not so good tropes with this one as well. Namely that our MC has to judge every single female character on her looks and how that stacks up to his "his standards". It really feels like a formula in this book, meet new female character, get description of her looks, how does that stack up against Mr. Perfects personal goalpost of excellence. I'm not against someone have personal preferences when it comes to a partner but this is some pretty shallow and judgemental stuff. Outside of that it's some bog standard overpowered MC isekai. I do plan on continuing this series just to see where it goes. It has some issues but it's also not horrible, yet.

River of Nightmares ⭐⭐⭐
Another series that I am working on. This was my follow up audiobook after Elfstones and I was looking for something to continue. Everything suddenly has a two month waiting list at the library which is a bit frustrating to say the least. As with previous books in this series I don't have a lot to really say about this one. This is a bit more of the spiritual side of the Annja character and her relationship to Joan and the sword. Annja is traveling deep into the Amazon rain forest for an episode of Chasing Histories Monsters looking for another cryptid. There is the whole dream walking ceremony, bad guys doing bad things, a bit of action, etc. It's all pretty standard for this series really.

Now for the manga

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4—Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was very excited to finally being starting the next series in the JoJo universe. This one starts 12 years after Stardust Crusaders and focuses on a new JoJo, Josuke Higashikata, who is the illegitimate son of Joseph Joestar. The other main JoJo in this one is Jotaro Kujo who was the MC of Stardust Crusaders. I find his role as a supporting character here better suited to him, reference all my previous discussions about him being a more stoic and quiet character. As for the new JoJo, he is an odd one. I'm really not sure what to make of his character quite yet. Normally he is kind of meek until someone makes fun of his pompadour and then he suddenly has a hair trigger anger issue. Outside of the main character talk I kind of like the setup for this story so far. Jotaro is in a town called Miroh looking for his fathers illegitimate son and investigating some suspicious activity for the Speedwagon group. There is a serial killer on the loose with stand powers and they want to find him. This basically reveals that someone has a way to release peoples stand powers, if they have them, while kind of retconning Stardust Crusaders. The stand abilities that are revealed in this one are just as weird as usual while the story is a bit more then just "find Dio". Yes, I am aware that I am horribly lost in the weeds and about 90% of what I have just typed won't make a lick of sense to anyone. It's what happens when you fall down this rabbit hole, or any fandom really.

Dandadan, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yes, I am jumping on this bandwagon, sue me if you must. I got hooked on this anime in the last season and had to check out the source material. A lot of other people also had the same idea and the wait queue at the library is disgusting for this one. This is a weird blend of sci-fi, horror, fantasy, romance, action, etc all in a Shonen package. Basically two young people, Momo and Okarun (we don't use his real name) have a chance encounter at school. Okarun is a fan of all things alien and cryptid while adamantly denying anything supernatural like ghosts. Momo on the other hand has a grandmother who is a spirit medium and believes in things like spirits but not UFO's. This leads to an argument where each is dared to investigate a hot spot of activity. Turns out they are both right. Spirits and aliens are both real. What follows is this high speed action adventure full of aliens, ghosts, dick jokes, romance, friendship, and so, so, so, so much more. The anime was really faithful to the manga, so far anyway, and this first volume was a wild ride to read. The artwork was great, whether that was in the more normal panels involving the real world or in the mind bending horror/action scenes where everything is stretched out and trippy. I feel that this series deserves the hype and I am here for the ride.

Silver Spoon, Vol. 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum from the last two manga we have this series. This is a slice of life manga from the same author as Fullmetal Alchemist and is about a teenage boy suffering from burnout. He was working so hard in middle school trying to be the best of the best that he burnt out. He wanted away from everything and finds himself enrolled in a vocational high school. A high school for agriculture. It's a slice of story and a coming of age story about a city kid enrolled in a school for basically farm kids. There is a hilarious scene very early on that highlights how out of his element he is. He thinks he is on top of the world when it comes to studies because the kids around him struggle with the same subjects that he knows so well. Then he hears them talking about the things that these kids know for their life (life on the farm) and it's on a university level or higher and he realizes how out of his depth he is. I've watched the anime a few times and loved it but this is my first time getting into the manga itself. I've held off for a long time just because it's harder to find through the library because it's not as popular. I've now found a way to get all the volumes and I'm ready for this journey.

Now, what is next:
Audiobook
The Vanishing Type This is my next audiobook and me trying to work on more series I have on the go.

Not audiobook stuff
Uncanny: The Origins of Fear A biography from the master of horror himself
The Weakest Tamer Began a Journey to Pick Up Trash (Light Novel) Vol. 3 Another light novel series that I am trying to continue
A Pirate's Life for Tea I finally got my copy of this book

Time for my first update of the year and the last of the vacation reads.

The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 3: The Finest Hour -3 Stars
These books are so slow compared to everything else that I am reading. This series is also not for everyone. This book is basically the end of the anime and the start of all new content. In this one the war shifts into Northern Africa and the introduction of Rommel. Rommel has an interesting relationship with Tanya. Unlike other commanders who try to control Tanya he realizes he basically has a highly skilled hunting dog on his hands who might be a bit insane. He basically drops her "leash" and lets her do what she deems best. We also get to see, from an outside perspective, how frightening Tanya truly is. There is a moment where she has a breakdown and MP's have to step in and they are terrified of her. There is her reputation, her awards, and her sheer strength as a mage. Sure, she is a child but she has been honed on the front lines of war and her strength is boosted with her magic. She is a terrifying little package.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 4 -4 Stars
More fluffy and cute fantasy about a young girl in a bear onesie solving the worlds problem, as long as it's something she is interested in. This if far from peak writing but man I have so much fun reading this.

Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense., Vol. 5 -4 Stars
Much like the last one this is just more of that Japanese light fantasy. A low stakes popcorn read that is just fun. This one covers the fourth realm and the start of the fifth realm.

Now for the manga

Fullmetal Alchemist (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 5 -5 Stars
After some issues with the library I am finally back to this series and man does it feel good. The writing in this series is just so solid and I'm so glad to be rereading this. This series has a little bit of everything, fantasy, political intrigue, action, drama, etc. This is a solid recommendation if anyone wants to give manga a try and due to it's popularity it's easily available.

The Moon on a Rainy Night 5 -4 Stars
More drama and slow building of romance, maybe romance, friendship, something. There was a reveal in this one that I kind of saw coming, I don't want to spoil anything and we keep getting teased about Saki's secret which is pretty obvious at this point. I'm kind of caught up with this series and am waiting for the library to get me more.

As for what is next:

The Elfstones of Shannara
I'm slowly working through this series and have to get it finished this week. I've got about 10ish hours of audiobook left so I see some video games and audiobook this week.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 4—Diamond Is Unbreakable, Vol. 1
Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody, (Light Novel) Vol. 1
Busted
My other, non audiobook, things I have planned for this week. Right now I have actual plans and structure instead of flailing my hands at my giant stack of library books. Don't worry, I'll get back to that soon enough.

Let us know what you are reading this year.

Alright, time for another update and an effort by me to get back to a normal schedule, kind of. Also, apologies in advance. This is going to be a bit long. I have been reading a lot and I have things to say.

Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear (Light Novel) Vol. 3 -4 Stars
This is my favorite cozy isekai series and my reread of this has just been fun.

Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense., Vol. 4 -4 Stars
This series is another cozy fantasy kind of style. This one was focused around the first big guild versus guild PVP event and it was just a fun read. Getting to witness the worlds reaction to our main girl Maple and her broken build was just mint. We also get this incredible quote from the book.

A girl in black armor walked straight into their base, not even bothering to hide. The incarnation of broken. The symbol of death. The embodiment of madness. The one player who didn't need to defend herself. Maple.

Golden Gate -4 Stars
I finally got the next book in this series and man this was such a fun read. The action was pretty much nonstop from beginning to end as we travel around doing over the top spy stuff. This is a great example of a fun popcorn book. You just open it up and let your brain be entertained by the shiny stuff happening.

The Westing Game -3 Stars
I snagged this one to help with a challenge that I've been stalled on for a while now. Reading the synopsis for this book made me intrigued as it really sounded like something right up my alley. I don't know what happened but I pretty much bounced off this book right from the start. I just never got invested in anything. None of the characters were super great, the mystery just never grabbed me, and I was just struggling. By the end I was kind of starting to warm up to things a bit but by then it was way to late. The worst part about this whole thing, it didn't actually help me with the challenge I was stuck on.

Now for the manga/comics
Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 15 -4 Stars
This is just a fun and chill series to read. In this one we get more camping, shocking I know, and the focus of this one is long distance bike riding. Of course it's focused on how it works in Japan, again shocking, but it's still interesting to read. My one criticism of this series still stands though and that is the art work for the characters. There are a few characters that just kind of blur together, especially with the larger cast now. I still love this series and I can't wait for the next one.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3—Stardust Crusaders, Vol. 10 -4 Stars
Whooooooo! I finally finished Stardust Crusaders! This is going to be more of a commentary on the entire series instead of just this particular book. This series was an interesting entry into the franchise and the one that really changed everything with the introduction of stands. Hamon is still here but it's far from the main focus anymore. That being said the stands were kind of the main problem with this installment. These stands were so over the top that they kind of overshadowed everything else in the series. Every fight became this spectacle where the enemies stand had to be discovered. This did make for some absolutely incredible fights that were some of the most off the wall ones I think I've seen in a long while. The problem is that everything else kind of suffered. The plot was basically there to move us from spectacle fight to spectacle fight. The side characters were solid but I felt that the main JoJo, Jotaro Kujo, just kind of faded into the background. He wasn't a horrible character or anything but in a series full of over the top characters his more stoic character got overshadowed pretty fast. Overall this was a great series and a blast to read. I can't wait to start the next series which is Diamond is Unbreakable.

The Boxer, Vol. 8 -5 Stars
This is what happens when an author goes insane and loses their mind while writing the next volume. The last couple volumes have dealt with a pair of dastardly opponents and the story got rather serious and bleak. Now there was a little bit of that in this one but that quickly got shoved aside when this took a hard left into straight up comedy. The red haired gent on the cover is our next opponent and he is a bit of an odd one. He is training for the fight and he wants to spar with the toughest opponents possible. He starts out sparring things like bears and other wild animals but they don't give him much challenge. He wants to fight a dinosaur but they are extinct because of mother nature which means that nature is the stronger opponent. We then getting a montage of him running around the world fighting mountains, tornadoes, tsunamis, lightening, etc. He visits a priest and gets his fists blessed so they have holy power as well. Now this is all kind of spoilers but this is all when the book still has at least a toe or two left in the realm of sanity. Things only get crazier from there and I can't even begin to describe what I witnessed. The last half of this book was just wild and a very welcome break after the last couple books.

The Apothecary Diaries Manga, Vol. 12 -5 Stars
Stupid sexy frogs. No, I'm not going elaborate on that statement in the slightest. If you have read this volume then you know. If you haven't then you will just have to wait to get here and find out what I'm talking about. This was another great volume but that last half was mint.

Wynonna Earp: Strange Inheritance -3 Stars
I remember seeing a couple episodes of the TV show when it first came out several years ago and kind of liking it. It had that spooky weird western vibes to it. I've been curious about checking out the source material but never got around to it until now. This book was a collection of all the material that was out there before the TV show. Lets just say that this was definitely a product of it's time. There was a short that was probably a "pilot" kind of story for the series. Then we get three story arcs from the late 90's and this was pure 90's schlock. The main female character was hypersexualized with huge breast and just enough clothing to not get the comic rated as mature. Don't worry that clothing will always get ripped. As for the men, anyone who was not a background character was basically a walking mountain of muscles and a silhouette that looked more like a square then a human. If you have ever read any late 90's comics you will know what I am talking about. The series went on a hiatus for a while and then came back in the 2011's for a couple more stories. The muscles and breast got toned down while the clothing became more practical. Overall this is that cheesy kind of story that appeals to a certain corner of my brain. Basically there is a secret branch of the US Marshall's that deal with supernatural threats. The main agent is a descendant of Wyatt Earp which brings with it all sorts of vague, unspecified, supernatural abilities. Overall this was a cheesy read that was really showing its age. I'm curious to check out the comics that have come out since the TV show and are more in line with the show itself.

Don't Call it Mystery (Omnibus) Vol. 9-10 -5 Stars
Same opinion as before, great story telling but not so great art. The second story in this volume was incredible. It was a kidnapping that had that big ticking clock element to create that sense of urgency. This all lead to a conclusion full of so many twists and turns that my head was spinning by the end. We also had more story reveals for the larger overall story arc as well which I'm still trying to figure out.

Spy x Family, Vol. 12 -4 Stars
I am now caught up with this series and waiting for the next one to get published. Another solid entry into the series with some real peak Anya smugness in this one.

As for what is next:

The Elfstones of Shannara
This is my next audiobook and one that I need to get done this week. Outside of that I have a nice fresh stack of things from the library for me to work on.

Time for another update on my vacation reading.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop -3 Stars
This was one of those random snags from the library. It was an interesting sounding cozy mystery and I figured I'd give it a try. After reading this book I can definitely say it was a cozy mystery. There was nothing wrong with this one but there wasn't really anything here to elevate it out of being just another cozy mystery. Small town location, MC works in a job that has nothing to do with mysteries, sudden dead body, etc, etc, etc. It also had one of those issues that I struggle with when it comes to cozy mysteries which is trying to figure out why the MC is inserting themselves into a murder investigation. I can understand that they are the ones that found the bodies and they had an argument with the victim which makes them a suspect but there just isn't a solid reason to get involved. It's just one those weird things I struggle with when reading cozies. Also, I realized that this MC probably has one of the busiest schedules I've ever read. She runs a independent book store, participates in several community groups, organizes local events, exercises regularly, and still has an active social life. Just how? How do you have all that time?

The Maid and the Mansion -2 Stars
I snagged this one to help with another December challenge and much like Murder on The Christmas Express this was also a massive dud for me. It's a historical cozy mystery involving a young woman who was working in a factory during WWII. After the war ends she finds herself out of work and ends up taking a maid position. Of course someone ends up dead, she is blamed, inserts herself into the investigation, blah, blah, blah. The synopsis really intrigued me and I was picturing this character who was this Rosie the Riveter tougher kind of character and I just never really got that. We got reminded constantly that she was tough from working in the factory but we never really got to see it outside of one time. This book was just boring and I felt that nothing really happened. The "investigation" was basically our MC going up to a person and asking them if they did it. I just did not click with this one.

I also want to address one other thing that is related to the book but not the contents of the novel. I was originally listening to this as an audiobook but I only got about halfway through before having to switch over to an ebook. There was a few issues I was having with the audiobook version. First, and by far the worst, there was constant weird noise through out the book. Between sentences you would get partial words filtering through. Sometimes it sounded like words, sometimes it would sound like a quacking duck, sometimes it was just random noise. It was really starting to grate on me the more I was listening to the book. Another issue I had was just the narration. It just felt kind of soulless. I don't know how to explain this one properly but there moments where you would expect a certain emotional emphasis and it just wasn't there. I was also noticing words were getting mispronounced. This lead me to check the Hoopla page and that is when I discovered that there wasn't a narrator for this book. The author had used a "synthesized voice" to narrate the book. Whether that means that it's AI or TTS I'm not sure but I did not like the final product. It just felt off for me. It wasn't something I was checking for before but going forward I will be checking to see if the book uses a synthesized voice for the narrator.

Now for the manga and comics

Spy x Family, Vol. 11 -4 Stars
More fun from this series. Not a whole to really say about it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection, Volume 15 -3 Stars
This was a series that kind of fell off my radar as I waited for the library to bring in the latest edition. It wasn't until volume 16 showed up on the "on order" shelf that I remembered it. This book wasn't bad and I like the slower, cozier vibes that this has but I was hoping for something more from this. There are hints of future story points but for right now it's just about setting up this mutant zone in NYC and who is doing what.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Vol. 1 -4 Stars
I finally got around to getting the sequel to the original Cardcaptor started. This book picks up where the first series ends. Sakura and Syaoran are reunited and they are now attending middle school. Her magical adventures have been quiet and Sakura hasn't had to use the cards since the conclusion of the first series. One night she starts dreaming about the cards and she wakes up the next day the cards are not only blank they are clear. She can't access any of their powers and no one knows why. This is the start of the adventure in this new series and it felt good to start this. This is all new content for me and it felt like I was reading the original series. The artwork looks pretty much the same, the characters are all there, it just felt good and I can't wait for me.

I'm the Grim Reaper, Vol. 2 -3 Stars
Not a lot to really say about this one that I didn't already say about the first one. We get a bit more lore and a bit more story but not a whole lot. I'm more or less just reading this to see the big reveal to the mysterious past. It's entertaining but not mind blowing.

His Majesty the Demon King's Housekeeper Vol. 8 -3 Stars
Another series I don't have a whole lot to say about. This one here gets into the Demon Kings backstory, kind of, more how he became the king then his actual story. Again, it's another entertaining series that I having fun reading but it's nothing mind blowing either.

Hirayasumi, Vol. 3 -4 Stars
This was just more slice of life manga. We get to see more of the expanding roster of characters and what is happening in their life.

Off Menu: A Graphic Novel -4 Stars
This is a great example of a simple story that just does it well. Young and upcoming chef discovers that her boss is toxic and basically just a jerk to the entire community. She challenges him to a cooking duel for the restaurant. Along the way she solidifies her love of cooking while exposing how crooked her boss is to everyone. It's just a simple and wholesome story that just works.

Trigun Maximum Omnibus, Volume 1 -5 stars
This picks up two years after the end of the original series. Vash has disappeared after the events at the end of the previous series and no one knows where he went. Wolfwood tracks him down, Knives and the Gung Ho Guns start making moves, and Vash is forced out of hiding starting up this dangerous game once again. This was just a fun read and I am really glad to finally get into this series. Now there is one other thing I want to talk about that is not so much about the contents of the book. I got my book from the library and it's a well read copy. I was flipping through the pages before I started just to get a feel for what I was getting into when I noticed someone had left little notes in the book. Notes commenting on the art, the characters, the characters looks, etc. Now, normally, I would be very annoyed if someone was doodling inside a book from the library but this reader did something special. All these notes are little sticky notes sprinkled throughout the manga. It was this amazing experience reading through this book and seeing this strangers notes about we were both seeing. By the end I kind of felt this weird bond with total stranger. There are four more omnibus editions in this series and they are all older books. I'm really hoping that I get to find more of these little notes in future books. Just for the record, I left all the notes in the book. Hopefully someone else finds them and joins us on this little journey.

Now, what is next. I have been reading up a storm on my vacation and I've kind of blown through all my per-vacation stacks of books from the library. Fear not, I am not out of books yet. I went to the library over the weekend and got a resupply which should last me for maybe another week or so.