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

Gord’s comments from the Readers Unbound group.

Meels wrote: "Ahahaha! One bitter Leafs fan. *snorts*. How can you be a leafs fan IN Edmonton? That’s just wrong. I’ve been a fan of the Oilers since Bill Guerin was nice to a little girl I nannied for. He tappe..."

He is originally from Ontario and moved out here for work. Needless to say he gets teased just a little bit for being a Leafs fan.

Not a sports guy in general but it's kind of hard to not get caught up in the hype of things when your local team gets into the Stanley Cup finals. Work is going to be full of some really excited guys this morning. That and one bitter Leafs fan.

Tim for that weekly wrap up once again and where does the time go?

Trailer Park Trickster -3 Stars
The second book in this trilogy and much like the first book it is another solid three star book. This book picks up almost immediately after the end of the first book with Adam rushing home to Guthrie. What we get in this book is a lot more info on Adam's family and growth with his immediate family. This was probably the best part of book in my opinion. After what came to light in the first book and the events in this book we see a lot of change in Bobbie and we see more sides to their mom. We get to see Sue's side of the family as well and just the messy history of the Binder family. On top of this we get the B plot which is Vic making his way to Adam in Guthrie with Argent. This detours into a lot of Elf politics and power plays which to some extent involves Adam just not directly at this point. I would have liked to have seen more Vic and Adam moments but I also understand that this was the book for Adam to work through his issues with his family and to address his own internal issues. The only other minor criticism I have is that there were moments towards the end where it felt like it dragged a wee bit. Nothing horrible or even all that extended but there were a couple moments that I just wanted the story to get moving again.

Now for the manga/comics
RWBY Official Manga Anthology Vol. 1: Red Like Roses -3 Stars
RWBY -3 Stars
These two are from the same franchise but they are not really connected though. I'm going to lump them together because I have essentially the same thing to say about the both of them. The first one is a collection of random short stories from the world of RWBY all told and illustrated by different talents. The second one is essentially a condensed back story for each of the MC's. Both of these weren't bad but I would not recommend these to anyone who has not watched the show. I've only watched the first season and maybe part of the second season and I found myself lost a lot while reading these. One thing it did achieve is that it made me want to go and watch the show. Not a lot to really say about this one. If you know the show you might like this, if you don't know the show I'd recommend you pass.

Spy x Family, Vol. 4 -4 Stars
After several months I am finally back to this series and man did it feel great to be back. This series is just so much fun to read. In this one Anya get a dog and the whole events are totally on brand for the series. There are spy shenanigans going on, the dog is more than it appears, Anya is being a cute gremlin, Yor is being fierce as usual. I'm also glad that the crazy wait times are over after this book. I already have book 5 from the library and I'm looking forward to it.

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Vol. 7 -4 Stars
Another series I haven't touched in a hot moment or two. That was because I was caught up and waiting for the next book to be published. It took me a few seconds to figure out what had last happened in this series but it didn't take long and then I was off and running. This book focuses less on the cute romance of the series and more on the backstory of the MC and just what she is. There was some interesting reveals with this one that really makes me wonder just how many more Kaiju there are in the world. This was just a fun popcorn read and something I needed this week.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3—Stardust Crusaders, Vol. 4 -4 Stars
Yet another book that was held in limbo because of a queue at the library. This was another fun series to get back to. The weird fights continue, the weird story continues, and we are still slowly making our way to Egypt and Dio. Just another fun read this week.

Now, what is next next?

Murder in G Major
Another cozy mystery for another challenge or challenges specifically. I'm halfway through this book and it's alright. It's a cozy mystery with a music and paranormal theme. If you've ever read a cozy mystery then you know what you are getting yourself into.

As for the manga side of things I'm reading some more Made in Abyss and then focusing on cleaning up the last three volumes of XXXholic.

I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the series.

I love food related manga/slice of life stuff but I like it balanced. When it focuses solely on the food it can get a little boring. Let's be honest there are only so many times you can see a dish prepared before it gets a little boring. That's why I love things like Dungeon Meshi and She Loves to Cook. It's got the food element and it's got story and characters.

A lighter week for me and I waited until later than normal because there was a book that I wanted to finish before posting. I wanted to share my thoughts right away and not sit on this for a week.

Cardcaptor Sakura, Book 2 -4 Stars
More of my reread of this series and I'm really enjoying my time working through these. This was the big wrap up of the initial collection of cards and hints and what is to come next. It was full of all sorts of big moments and emotional reveals. Now for the hard part, finding the next book. The library has been rather spotty on these and I've been really lucky getting the first two.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 10 -4 Stars
Why oh why was it this volume that I had to get caught up on series with. Don't get me wrong, this volume was solid and I loved every second of it. My problem is that I now have to wait until September for the next volume to be published, I then have to wait for the library to get a copy, and then I have to wait for the 15 people ahead of me to finish with it. With the way this volume ended making anyone wait that amount of time is cruel and unusual. About the book itself, this was the end of the bad guys back story, the start of the big fight, and our MC figuring out how to win the fight. It ends with our MC basically standing up, taking off her gloves, and stating she knows all the weaknesses of the bad guy but now I have to wait four months to see it actually happen.

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 3: Includes vols. 7, 8 & 9 -4 Stars
I forgot how weird and goofy the original series was. This starts with Goku finishing off the Red Ribbon Army and then we get him tracking down the last Dragon Ball. This ends up with him fighting a vampire, an invisible man, a mummy, a devil, and then a ghost. I don't remember that weirdness at all but it was fun. Oh and something I missed the first time because I had no idea at the time. There is an entire section dedicated to the author's other popular work, Dr. Slump. There is an entire arc where Goku is in Penguin Village interacting with all these characters from a different series. That was also a bit wild.

Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 14 -5 Stars
This is the book I wanted to finish before I posted my weekly thoughts. This is the final collection of Miura's work who passed in 2021. I have been eagerly looking forward to this volume since it was all new material for me but I was filled with a sense of sadness for what it represented. If you've been following my thoughts over the last few years you will know that I have a long history with this series. For those that are new, I've been reading this series since the early 2000's and have reread it many times. The book itself was great as I've come to expect and it had some massive moments. One moment was something fans have been waiting 20+ years for. Then there was the ending that was such a twist that I haven't even begun to unpack all that it implies. The artwork was stunning as usual and really highlights Miura's skill.

I think this marks the end of my latest reread of the Berserk series unless I want to hit the fan translations again but I think this marks a good spot to take a break. I don't know when I will be back but like so many times before I do know I will be back at some point in time.

Now, what is next.

Trailer Park Trickster
I'm half way through this book so far and it's pretty good. I'm really enjoying the exploration of Adam's family and just how realistic the family feels.

As for physical books I have even more manga that I am working through this week as usual.

Last week I didn't have a whole lot to talk about. This week I've made up for last time and I have a whole lot to talk about.

Mister Monday -2 Stars
I needed a challenge book with a day of the week in the title and I found this. I've read a Garth Nix book before and I know he is a well regarded author so I figured I'd be in safe hands. Well, that was not the case. I can't really say anything bad about this book but man was it boring. The prologue started out really interesting on the surface of a dying star at the end of time with automaton guards. Then the story started and I essentially clocked out for the rest of the book. I don't really know why but nothing about the story ever hooked me in. It was like a big bowl of plain oatmeal. There is nothing wrong with it but it's far from exciting. That's why it took me so long to get through this one.

Bad as I Wanna Be -3 Stars
This book is not something I would normally read and I was rather surprised that I liked it all. I'm not the biggest fans of nonfiction let alone autobiographies and I'm definitely not a sports fan. I saw this book pop up in my libraries queue of new books coming in and I remembered Rodman from when I was teen and was curious. Now this is the first of his biographies and only covers his time up until he joined the Bulls. After reading this I realized that there is a lot more to Rodman then I ever knew. There are times in this book where he really does come off as a bitter man who feels the world is working against him but at the same time he presents some very valid points and criticisms about the NBA. The other big thing I was surprised about was his views on masculinity. This book came out in 1996 and he really challenged the idea of masculinity. He wasn't afraid to get his nails painted, or to wear women's clothing. Not for any fetish reasons but just because he wanted to. This kind of questioning of masculinity was something that really started happening in a more mainstream way until several years later. Now this book did have it's issues from a technical perspective. The first few chapters were a bit repetitive and rambling. For no real reason certain sentences would be in bold and in larger text then other sentences. Overall though it was an interesting read and rather an unexpected one as well.

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent (Light Novel) Vol. 2 -4 Stars
Another book in this series and I don't really have a whole lot to say about this one that I haven't said before. In this one Sei figures out how to unlock her powers as well as some new alchemical techniques. Just a fun read and I can't wait for the next one.

The Scourge Between Stars -3 Stars
This was a quick little audiobook from my TBR to fill a challenge and it was fun. It's about a starship full of colonist who discover they have "guests" on board. Not very friendly guests either. Basically this was Alien and I don't really care. It was a simple fun read that I could turn my brain off and enjoy. If you're looking for a simple space horror this isn't a bad choice.

Now for the manga

xxxHOLiC Omnibus 3 -5 Stars
xxxHOLiC Omnibus 4 -5 stars
Yeah....... I've been in a mood lately and have been devouring these books. Doesn't help that I couldn't renew the fourth one as there was a queue waiting for these books. I've come to the realization while reading the fourth book that my memories of this series are from the anime and the early volumes of the manga. The fourth volume was basically new content and I can see why it was never in the anime. This series is closely tied with Tsubasa Reservoir and the fourth volume had a character from Tsubasa for a good chunk of it. The latter half of the fourth volume really got existential and had a real sad feel to it. I am super curious about where things are going next. To the point that I've already requested the last three books in the series. I am also getting really curious about Tsubasa Reservoir as well.

A Cat from Our World and the Forgotten Witch Vol. 1 -5 Stars
This was another random snag from the library as I thought it looked cute. I was not prepared for this book and the emotional ride that it took me on. Yes, this is another isekai but it feels very different from everything I've ever read in the genre. Basically we have an old lady living out the forest by herself who summons a "beast". The creature that comes through is a cat from our world that died. The cat though is not a normal cat size though. For whatever reason this cat came through the portal the size of a bus which is awesome. All the normal antics of a cat in a bus sized package. Now for the emotional stuff. Both characters have a lot of unresolved pain in their past and while they don't know it now they are what the other needs to help heal I think. It also set up a lot of plot points that have made me very curious about things. Of course this is a brand new series and I'm already caught up and waiting for the next book.

What am I reading next?

Trailer Park Trickster
This is the next audiobook on the docket. It's part of a buddy read and I'm interested to see where it will go.

For physical books I have some Cardcaptor Sakura, some Frieren, and some Dragonball lined up for this week.

This will be a short one this week as I haven't finished a couple things I was working on.

The Innkeeper Chronicles: Clean Sweep The Graphic Novel -3 Stars
If you have been following my ramblings for long enough you know that I love The Innkeeper series. The world building is just some of the most unique and interesting I've seen in a while. I knew that there was a webcomic being created for this series but with everything I have to read it just fell off the radar. While browsing the new comics at the library I saw the physical copy and decided to give it a whirl. Long story short, it was alright. I've tried dabbling in comics based on novels before (Mercy Thompson, Harry Dresden) and they all just come up a little short me. They just don't feel like they have the same depth as the source material and the art just never matches what I've already pictured in my head already. This comic basically had all those same issues. No disrespect to the art but I could instantly tell that this had been a webcomic. As I've said before I'm not that smart with art but I've just seen this style so many times in so many other webcomics. I just wasn't blown away by it and it just didn't match what I had already created for this series. For instance all the men seemed small. They were muscled sure but I seem to remember the book describing them as linebackers with armor on. I just pictured guys a lot more square and bulky. There was also the big Beast reveal and I was confused. It was nothing like I had picture. Then we get to the story. It's not horrible because it's pulling from a great source but it felt like a summary of important scenes then the actual story. Then there is also the biggest sin in my eyes. For a comic based on the first book it didn't actually give me the first book. It ended before the novel did and the rest is on Tapas behind a paywall which just frustrates me. I didn't hate this book but it was frustrating. The biggest thing it achieved was that it made me want to do another reread of the series.

XXXHolic, Omnibus 1 -5 Stars
xxxHOLiC Omnibus 2 -5 Stars
Now that I have the fourth volume I'm doing a massive reread to refresh my old rusty memory and because I love this series. I don't know what to say that I haven't said before. I love the weird art style, I love the supernatural/paranormal elements, I like a certain character called Yuuko. There will be more of this series next week as I'm trying to finish the first four books by next weekend.

That's it. Like I said it's not a lot this week but here is what I am working on.

Mister Monday
This is my current audiobook and I am dragging myself through it to complete a challenge or two. I don't think it's horrid but I just don't really care. I'm not engaged in the book, I'm not engaged in the plot, the characters, etc. I'm just trudging for the end. More thoughts to follow.

Bad as I Wanna Be
This is me not just stepping out of my comfort zone, this is me leaping out of it. Yup, a sports biography. Why? I saw it a the library, remembered seeing this guy in movies as a teen, remembered him being chaotic, so I decided to check it out. I'm fourish chapters in and it's a lot of sports talk which is not really my thing but alright. It definitely feels like he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder though.

Outside of that I have two more omnibus volumes of XXXHolic that I need to get done.

Time for that weekly update and it has been an interesting week of reading. I finished my first 100 books of the year this week. I've also decided to embrace the fact that this is going to be a year heavy on manga and comics. I wasn't planning this but the way things are coming in from the library and with all the interesting series I have on the go currently I'm just leaning into things. Maybe that will peter out a bit later this year, who knows. Any way, on to the books.

Borrower of the Night -3 Stars
I snagged this audiobook for a challenge and I was a bit excited as this was from the same author who wrote the Amelia Peabody series which I enjoy. This book just didn't click with me and I think there are a few different reasons for that. Basically this book is about two historians who find clues to a previously unknown statue from the 1500's and place a wager as to who kind find it first. There are elements of a cozy mystery to it but it also has elements of a treasure hunt. That leads me to my first issue of sorts. This book just felt dated. I can't sit here and tell you what elements of this story felt dated or anything but this just felt like a book I would have read in my teens. The main characters are supposed to be historians and while they certainly had the smarts there was a lot of times where they just didn't act like it. For instance suggesting that they pop the jewels out of a 400 year old artifact because you could get more money for them. Or just smashing their way into a 400 year old crypt with common word working tools. This felt more like Indiana Jones style of archeology. Speaking of the characters I was also not a massive fan of the MC, Vicky. She was constantly comparing herself to more "slim and attractive" women while calling herself a cow. Then there was her bragging about her intelligence being higher then everyone else. She's not a horrible character but she is abrasive and not someone I'd actively root for. Overall it was an alright book and I might keep this series in my back pocket for other challenges as there is some globe trotting.

Now for the manga/comics
The Curie Society -4 Stars
The Curie Society: Eris Eternal -4 Stars
The second book just recently came out so I figured a reread of the first book was called for. This series is the weird mixture of promoting women in science and secret agents. Yes, you read that correctly. The Curie Society was originally created by Marie Curie to help women get a foothold and to study science. Over time that society has continued that endeavor while stopping people from abusing science for nefarious goals. It's this interesting blend of different ideas combined with some likeable MC's and you have this comic series that just works for me.

One Piece, Volume 1: Romance Dawn -4 Stars
I mentioned last week that I was starting a slow read through of Case Closed. This is another series that I am going to be taking the same approach to and oddly enough about he same length as Case Closed. This is far from my first foray with this series as I've started reading the manga two or three times and the anime at least a couple of times. I've basically got up to the time skip a few times and stopped there. I'm now wanting to push past that point so expect a whole of updates in the future on One Piece. As for this book it's fun to revisit this first book. Seeing the character introductions, seeing some very early clues for later things, and just starting this adventure once again.

I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 5 -3 Stars
I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 6 -3 Stars
Some more from this series and some more build up of this mysterious force behind things. Not a lot to really say with this one as it kind of feels like more of what I've read so far but not in a bad way.

SAKAMOTO DAYS 11 -4 Stars
More amazing action from this series. Again, not a lot to really say that I haven't already said before. The one thing I will reiterate though is I would really love to see this series animated. There are just some really amazing and creative fight scenes in this series and in the hands of the right animation studio it would be amazing.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection, Volume 14 -4 Stars
At long last I finally got my hands on the next volume of this series and I was a little hesitant heading into this one. Up to this point the series was in the hands of the original creator, Kevin Eastman, and with this one he was stepping back. The reigns was handed over to a new person and I wasn't sure where things were going to go. After reading this volume I am very intrigued to see what comes next. This was a giant step back from all the action and over the top story lines and more of a subtle exploration into the characters. After the events of the last book the Turtles were split up and out of the spotlight. This was about them coming back together, finding their bonds, and exploring their new place in a new social setting. It allowed for a new side of the Turtles to be explored and I'm on board with that.

As for what is next it's going to much like last week. I have no real idea at this point in time. I want to start working on some stalled challenges and see if I can't get them finished up. As for physical books my library has dumped nine omnibus editions of manga on me plus several other books so I am a very busy guy trying to get through all that.

Another one that I started but I just couldn't get into Mashle. I initially liked the concept but it just kind of got stale for me.

I haven't watched the anime but I've read a few of the manga. It wasn't bad and I should pick it up again at some point.

This hurts me. I'm starting my reread of One Piece and in the first volume they call him Zolo instead of Zoro. It all goes back to the horrid 4Kids translation and copyright issues. 4Kids called him Zolo because Zoro was to close to Zorro and Viz initially translated it as Zolo to match the anime. Of course 4Kids eventually lost the copyright to One Piece and Funimation got it but Viz wasn't going to spend the money to reprint all that manga. 4Kids was a blight on anime.

I didn't get as much reading done this week and that is mostly because I was super focused on getting my audiobook done. Alright, focused is one word for it, enraptured, hooked, etc are also good words.

The Fellowship of the Ring -5 Stars
This is it, this is the audiobook that had me hooked this week. I am actually kind of impressed with myself. I was a bit worried heading into this one, not because of the book itself, but because of the run time. This audiobook is 20 hours long and normally I have about an hour to an hour and a half each day that I set aside for listening. Basically, my morning walk to work. I finished this book in about a week which is a crazy pace for me. I didn't speed it up or anything like that. I just let myself get pulled into the world and enjoyed the ride. This is not my first time reading the book but it is my first time listening to it. I know the one I have posted says that it's the Andy Serkis version but the one I listened to was the Rob Inglis version and it was simply amazing. I could get lost so easily in this book. There was the one morning where I was listening to this book while playing Powerwash Simulator and before I knew it an hour had gone by. I didn't want to stop as I was totally hooked. The crazy thing is that what I was listening to was essentially Frodo and Gandalf taking about current events and world history. Probably the most boring subjects out there but it was engaging for some reason.

As for the book itself, what is there that I can say that hasn't been said by countless other people? That's why I think I'll share some thoughts about just general things but won't get to far into the weeds. It's been about a decade plus since I last read this book and in that time I've read a lot and learned a few things along the way. Coming back to this book as a more seasoned reader just makes me appreciate it so much more. Especially when it comes down to the world building. Tolkien put so much effort into his world building that I can't help but be a bit overwhelmed at times. It also makes me laugh when I reflect on books where the world building is "this book takes place in The Town which is near The Woods which are dark and scary". Yes, the book is slow paced and for the first half of the book or so there is not a whole lot that happens but I don't really mind that so much. It gives a chance for that that world building to happen and I like the escalation of things. Where it starts out as a simple adventure with very little threat to actively being hunted at every turn by the end of the book. I'll always appreciate this book and the influence it has had on the genre of fantasy. That's about it I guess, I loved it, will probably always love it, and can't wait for the next one.

Now for the manga because the above book basically consumed my entire week.

Case Closed, Vol. 1 -3 Stars
I'm finally getting around to this series. I've been wanting to read this series for a while but have been procrastinating a lot. A lot of the earlier books have a long wait list at the library and the series is nearly 100 books currently and still being published. It has been going since the mid 90's and has become a juggernaut in its own right. While not as popular here in the west as say something like One Piece or Naruto this series does have a pretty dedicated fan base. As for the book it's about a young boy detective, 16 years old, who crosses a shadowy organization that tries to poison him with an experimental drug. The drug fails to poison him but it does shrink his body down to that of a six year old. From there he continues to solve cases while looking for this shadowy organization. The plot is kind of irrelevant after that honestly. The overarching story never really progresses and it's merely a series of cases that he solves by using the adults around him. It's a fun mystery series and it's interesting to see him solve the cases using his observations and deductions. It's a series that I'm not in a massive rush to read. I'm just going to take my time working my way through the books so I don't get burnt out.

The Great Cleric (Manga) Vol. 8 -4 Stars
This is the latest edition that has been released in English and the story took a turn that I wasn't expecting. The last book ended with a book clue for the next big story plot point was supposed to take place. Instead of following that story line it did a bunch of administration work and then returned to the starting location for the series. I'm not really complaining though as it is wrapping up some unresolved story stuff from there and starting something new. I'm really curious where things will be going from here.

Mimi's Tales of Terror -4 Stars
This is an odd one. As you can probably tell from the cover this is another Junji Ito collection of short stories but it's not an original collection. This is Ito taking a favorite book that was a collection of urban myths and putting his on Ito spin on it in a manga form. One big difference is that every story in this collection shares the same MC which raises some questions. The main character and her boyfriend see some really weird, and spooky, things which makes it utterly baffling latter in the book when the boyfriend says he doesn't believe in all that paranormal junk. How? After everything you have been through up to this point and you still don't believe. Is your trauma that strong that you are just straight up in denial? Overall I liked this one and the stories were spooky especially with the usual Ito flair to help out.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition 4 -4 Stars
I really don't know what to say about this series anymore. It just doesn't really feel much like anything else I've read including other slice of life series. It's almost like a photo album catching these brief moments in this world. Some moments are sad, some moments are thoughtful, some moments are weird and spooky. It's more of an emotional vibe when reading this book. I know this ramble isn't the most helpful but I really don't know how to describe it.

As for what is next, I don't know. I wasn't expecting to be done LotR so soon so I don't have an audiobook picked out yet. I've got to take a look this afternoon and see what I can find for a challenge that is available for immediate download. As for physical books I just went and got a giant stack from the library so I have a lot of options currently.

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

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

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

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

Now for all the manga

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now I'm nervous. Hopefully it's as good as I think it is.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As for what I am working on next...

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

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

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

Brittany wrote: "I finished watching Apothecary Diaries! I dont want to wait until 2025 sometime for season 2!!!


Also watched the first episode of Heaven's Official Blessing. Like it so far"

Apothecary Diaries was an amazing show and I can't wait for season 2

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

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

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

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

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

As for what is next:

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

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

Yup, and that is why I'm liking it better already.

Sean wrote: "@Gord - I finished the last volume of BATF today. I won't say anything about it until you're finished. I'm curious how you will feel."

I have the final two volumes, it's just a matter of getting to them. Probably sometime in the next month.

This has not been the greatest week of reading for me. Part of it is because I'm trying to finish season one of MacGyver so I can get it back to the library. Part of it was because of my audiobook kind of killing my vibe to read.

A Tempest of Tea -3 Stars
I spotted this when flipping through the new books at the library and the cover intrigued me. After reading the synopsis I was hooked in and I ended up getting a copy a whole sooner then I expected. Basically this is a heist book set in a fantasy world based very loosely on the British Empire. The world building was rather interesting in this one as the country that this is set in is obviously supposed to be England. They had traveled the globe colonizing other countries to get supplies that they needed/wanted. There was the equivalent to the East Indian Trading company which played a part in the novel. Outside of that and some other smaller things the author really did what they wanted with this frame work and it's interesting way to do things. There was a heist, heist are always fun, enough said there. I also felt that the end of the book had a lot of really unexpected twists that I didn't see coming. That leads me into what I didn't really like though.

The ending of the book went on for a lot longer than I felt was needed. We had the heist which I expected to be the big climax of the book. Then the book just kind of kept going for a bit and it ultimately made the climax of things feel rather pointless and in some ways most of the book. I liked the ending but I think it overstayed it's welcome at the same time. I also wasn't a fan of the MC in this book. I felt like I was getting two different versions of the character. There is the character we were told about that I was really interested in and then there is what we actually got. The character we actually got only had moments where they matched what we were told about and the rest of the time they felt like someone else entirely. Then we get to the part of the book that really wore me down. The romance. I think I'm just done with this type of romance and it's something I just associate with a lot of YA books. It's the romance where nothing really happens but there are a lot of side glances, the tingly feelings, the flushed faces, oh I can't tell the other person how I really feel. It's pointless and just boring. What really wore me down with this book was that there were two different couples and we changed POV between three characters. As a result I felt like it was just a constant bombardment of the same repeated phrases and feelings every few pages. I wanted more heist stuff and instead I got side long glances, smirks, tingly feelings, and what not. Like I said this just all feels pointless as well. After a book of this stuff we might get a kiss as a payoff. This kind of stuff might be fine in smaller doses but when it starts to overtake the main story it just starts to get annoying.

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 1 (Volume 1) -4 stars
She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat, Vol. 2 -4 Stars
I have been wanting to read this series for a while and I was so glad to discover my library finally got them in. This is a slice of life based around food with a splash of romance. There will be an inevitable comparison to Beauty and the Feast and I've seen a few comparisons already. My hot take is that this series is better already. A lot of that just comes down to the fact that the series doesn't have that weird element to it that I've mentioned before. The set up for this is simple. These two women are neighbors. One loves to cook but doesn't eat a lot so she only cooks small dishes. She dreams of being able to cook larger dishes but cant justify it until she meets her neighbor who loves to eat. This woman loves to eat and as the reader I love watching her joy when eating a great dish. They start out as strangers and slowly, very slowly, start to become more. I don't want to spoil anything but there is a moment in the second volume that I don't think I've ever seen explored in a manga and it was really interesting to see. I've got the third volume as well and I can't wait to get to it.

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 2: Includes vols. 4, 5 & 6 -4 Stars
More Dragon Ball and it's fun. This sees the conclusion of the first big tournament in the series with the big fight between Goku and Jackie Chun. Yes, if you're not aware that is a play on Jackie Chan. The book then gets into the next search for the Dragon Balls and the Red Ribbon Army. It's a fun read and I can't wait for more.

What is next.

One Dark Window
Still working on this audiobook and I'm not sure why. I think it's a combination of stubbornness and spite that is keeping me going at this point. I'll get into this more next weekend after I finish this thing but I am just bored. All that romance stuff I mentioned above in the first book, this book has it by the bucket load. Then there is the fact that this is just not a style of fantasy I enjoy. I'm more about the adventure and this book is more political scheming. I'm nearly 60% of the way into this book and it has probably been 59.99% talking up to this point. Just so much talking. Everything that happens needs about 20 chapters of talking before anyone can lift a single finger.

Murder by Lamplight
I'm starting this hard cover sometime today and hopefully it's better than the my other new book attempts I've had lately.