Mar 12, 2018
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Why TokyoPop Still Disappoints

When I was young TokyoPop was one of the top publishers of manga in the US. They ate up IPs for manga. They published a huge variety of genres. They even published light novels, something that many other publishers, even those who did publish manga, largely didn’t touch. A great many TokyoPop titles still grace my shelves. My local library still has dozens of TokyoPop releases in their manga section. By all regards TokyoPop was extremely important in getting manga into the hands of my generations.

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Mar 10, 2018
From Our TBR Pile

Review – Sumo by Thien Pham

Sumo
By: Thien Pham
Release Date: December 11, 2012
Publisher: First Second
Rating:


I was completely unfamiliar with Sumo before stumbling across it when browsing shelves in the library. The cover was bold, with an amazing image of a sumo wrestler seemingly parting water, and I picked it up immediately without bothering to read any sort of synopsis. Sumo by Thien Pham is a quiet, beautiful story about a young sumo wrestler.

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Mar 06, 2018
New & Upcoming Releases

Review – The Armored Saint by Myke Cole

The Armored Saint
By: Myke Cole
Website: http://mykecole.com/
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Publisher: Tor Books
Series: The Sacred Throne #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


I’ve never read a Myke Cole novel before, but it is a name that’s somewhat familiar due, I assume, to my mother’s habit of devouring all action/adventure military novels she can get her hands on. The Armored Saint by Myke Cole is a compelling dark fantasy which follows a young woman named Heloise as she stands up for what she believes is right at the expense of her family and communities safety.

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Mar 05, 2018
From Our TBR Pile Manga & Light Novels

Review – Blame! Vol. 1 by Tsutomu Nihei

Blame! Vol 1
By: Tsutomu Nihei
Translator: Melissa Tanaka
Release Date: September 13, 2016
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Series: Blame!
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Recently, I’ve had Blame! recommended to me a few times so when I had the opportunity to read the first volume of the Master Edition, I jumped on it. Blame! Vol. 1 by Tsutomu Nihei is a manga set in a post apocalyptic world which follows a lone man on his search for the Net Terminal Gene.

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Mar 03, 2018
New & Upcoming Releases

Review – Gunpowder Moon by David Pedreira

Gunpowder Moon
By: David Pedreira
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


You’d never be able to tell from the theme of this blog, but I really love a good mystery story. When I learned about the murder mystery on the plot of Gunpowder Moon I was instantly intrigued. Gunpowder Moon by David Pedreira is a murder mystery steeped with politics and whose implications that could lead to war.

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Feb 27, 2018
From Our TBR Pile Graphic Novels

Review – Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files Welcome to the Jungle

Jim Butcher's Dresden Files Welcome to the Jungle
By: Jim Butcher
Illustrator: Ardian Syaf
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Publisher: Del Rey/Dabel Brothers
Series: The Dresden Files Graphic Novels
Award: Hugo Award Nominee for Best Graphic Story (2009)
Rating:


I’ve been a fan of the Dresden Files since the series early days. I have all the novels lovingly sitting right next to my Harry Potter collection. (Look, having all the fantasy books with protagonists named Harry together just makes sense to me). What I don’t have are any of the assorted graphic novels. Recently, I picked up a copy of The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher and Ardian Syaf.

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Feb 26, 2018
Manga & Light Novels New & Upcoming Releases

Review – Again!! Vol. 1 by Mitsuro Kubo

Again!! Vol. 1
By: Mitsuro Kubo
Translator: Adrienne Beck
Release Date: February 27, 2018
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Series: Again!!
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Does the name Mitsuro Kubo sound familiar? If you like anime it probably does. This week sees the English release of a high school sports manga from the creator of the anime Yuri on Ice.  Again!! Vol. 1 by Mitsuro Kubo is a high school slice of life sports manga that focuses on the characters and their interactions.

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Feb 24, 2018
New & Upcoming Releases

Review – Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell

Embers of War
By: Gareth L. Powell
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Publisher: Titan Books
Series: Embers of War #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Sometimes it’s the book’s synopsis that catches you. Sometimes it’s the author. Other times it’s the beautiful cover. This time it was a single concept that was introduced within the original synopsis that I read. The space ships are not run by an AI; they are fully sentient. Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell is a fantastic space opera with tight prose, fast pacing, and unforgettable characters.

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Feb 20, 2018
Graphic Novels

Review – The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

The Best We Could Do
By: Thi Bui
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Award: National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Autobiography (2017), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Graphic Novels & Comics (2017); Reading Women Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2017)
Rating:


Memoirs are not a genre I often read, even when they do happen to fall into the graphic novel genre as well. Honestly, this may have been the first memoir – not a story based off of someone’s life, or a biography – I’ve read that wasn’t assigned reading. But graphic novels! Those I most definitely read, and it was only a matter of time before I picked up this beautiful graphic novel that has been nominated for multiple awards. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. It is a story of family, war, refugee life, and starting over again, no matter how many times it takes.

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