Review – Witchmark by C. L. Polk

Witchmark
By: C. L. Polk
Release Date: June 19, 2018
Publisher: Tor.com
Series: The Kingston Cycle
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


This book has been sitting on my kindle waiting for me to read it for quite some time. Now, my only wish is that I’d gotten to it sooner. Witchmark by C. L. Polk is an absolutely fantastic novel about magic, love, family, war, and the bonds between siblings.

Review – The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

The Hazel Wood
By: Melissa Albert
Release Date: January 30, 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Series: The Hazel Wood
Rating:


I am quite far behind in reading this book, but I am certainly glad that I finally picked this up. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert is a truly fantastic novel about a teenage girl in search for mother, the mysterious Hazel Wood where her grandmother once lived, and the legacy of her great storyteller grandmother herself.

Review – Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey

Taste of Marrow
By: Sarah Gailey
Release Date: September 12, 2018
Publisher: Tor.com
Series: River of Teeth
Rating:


I haven’t had quite this much fun with a series in a very long time. There is something inherently wonderful about a cast of flawed characters traipsing about in hippo infested waters of the American South. Today we are going to take a look at Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey, the second novella in the River of Teeth series.

This story picks up two months after the conclusion of River of Teeth. The characters who survived book one are split into two – Adelia and Hero in one place and Archie and Houndstooth in another. A lot of themes are touched up on this novella. There are discussions on love and what you must give up or not give up for love. Friendship, family, companionship.

#MangaMonday Review – Again!! Vol 2 by Mitsurou Kubo

Again!! Vol 2
By: Mitsurou Kubo
Release Date: April 10, 2018 (English); November 17, 2011 (Original Japanese)
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Series: Again!!
Rating:


Earlier this year I read Again!! Vol 1. I enjoyed it, and said I was going to continue on with the series. So here I am having just finished the second volume, making good on my promise to report back you all on what I thought about Again!! Vol 2 by Mitsurou Kubo.

The story continues with Kinichirou trying to thwart the cheerleading club’s efforts to get rid of the ouendan club once and for all. The overall pacing of this volume was extremely fluid. Sections from Kinichirou and Akira’s points of view flowed together very naturally, more so than the previous volume. Several new characters are introduced with extremely varied personalities.

Review – The Graveyard Apartments by Mariko Kioke

The Graveyard Apartments
By: Mariko Kioke
Translator: Deborah Boliver Boehm
Release Date: (Original Japanese) 1986; (English) October 11, 2016
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Rating:


I tend to read a lot of horror in the summer, something which probably deserves an article on in itself. The latest scary read I delved into was the novel The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Kioke. This is a book translated from Japanese which tells the story of a young family who moves into an apartment building that overlooks an old graveyard. It is the story of past wrongs, of personal demons better off left buried, and just how far someone is willing to go in order to ignore the bad things in their life or the strange goings on around them.

#MangaMonday Review – Kase-san and Morning Glories by Hiromi Takashimi

Kase-san and Morning Glories
By: Hiromi Takashimi
Illustrator: Hiromi Takashimi
Translator: Jocelyne Allen (translator); Jenn Grunigen (adaptor)
Release Date: February 28, 2017 (English); July 28, 2012 (Japanese)
Publisher: Seven Seas
Series: Kase-san Series
Rating:


I’m not going to lie. I was completely drawn in by the cute characters on the cover and the pretty pastel colors. I picked up this manga during a BookOutlet binge. I’d never heard of it before, and am very happy I managed to stumble across a copy. Kase-san and Morning Glories is a one shot manga volume that was extremely sweet with endearing characters.

Review – Ping Pong Dash! Vol 1 by Shingo Honda

Ping Pong Dash! Vol 1
By: Shingo Honda
Illustrator: Shingo Honda
Release Date: December 12, 2017
Publisher: Akita Publishing Co., Ltd
Series: Ping Pong Dash! #1
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


So. Sports manga. It’s a genre I’ve only recently began reading in earnest, and I have to say that I’m now a fan. Ping Pong Dash! Vol 1 by Shingo Honda is part sports manga and part contemporary school manga. It’s the story of a Yankee who winds up joining the tennis club and includes great ping pong matches, memorable main characters, and fight scenes. There’s a lot packed into this volume, and a lot to enjoy, so lets take a look at the first volume in this manga series. The story is about Haruku Tendo, a Yankee who winds up joining the ping pong club.

Review – River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey

The River of Teeth
By: Sarah Gailey
Release Date: May 23, 2017
Publisher: Tor
Series: River of Teeth (#1)
Rating:


I haven’t read a book I had this much fun with in a long while. River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey is simply pure fun, filled with wonderfully memorable characters, and lots of hippos. It’s the sort of book you can get lost in, the one you can’t wait to finish but don’t want to end.

#ThrowbackThursday Review – Vampire Hunter D Vol 2: Raiser of Gales

Vampire Hunter D Vol 2
By: Hideyuki Kikuchi
Illustrator: Yoshitaka Amano
Translator: Kevin Leahy
Release Date: 1984
Publisher: Digital Manga Publishing/Dark Horse
Series: Vampire Hunter D
Rating:


The world of Vampire Hunter D is an intriguing one, an apocalyptic world where tech and the arcane mingle. It’s a place filled with vampires, monsters, and humans who will do anything to survive. It’s a fascinating world, and I enjoyed reading the second volume in this classic series. But, maybe, not as much as I enjoyed the first.