Dec 31, 2018
Manga & Light Novels

#MangaMonday Review – Blissful Land, Vol. 1 by Ichimon Izumi

Blissful Land, Vol. 1
By: Ichimon Izumi
Illustrator: Ichimon Izumi; Carl Vanstiphoutl (Lettering)
Translator: Christine Dashiell
Release Date: November 27, 2018
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Series: Blissful Land
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


The Blissful Land, Vol. 1 by Ichimon Izumi is a very slow, lovely slice of life manga centered around a 13-year-old boy, Khang Zhipa, who is apprenticed to his father, the town’s doctor. It is a sweet, slow manga that is more iyashiki than slice of life. Iyashikei, for those who are unaware, are very slow manga that focus on the everyday activities of people, the tiny, happy moments in life, and nature as a calming, healing read. The emotional and plot driven stakes are virtually nonexistent, instead presenting the reading with a very calm, mellow story.

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Dec 29, 2018
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2018 Books That Should Be Read More

There have been a lot of fantastic books this year. Some of my favorites have already been outlined in my Top 2018 Books list. Everything I enjoyed couldn’t have possibly fit in one list, though. And some books I still want to talk about weren’t necessarily full 5 star reads. But they were good nonetheless with interesting plots and themes and characters I really cared about. I noticed something in common with some of these: they didn’t have a lot of reviews on Gooodreads.

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Dec 27, 2018
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Top 2018 Books

Here it is, the long awaited Top Reads of 2018 list. I read a lot of books this year – 224 of them according to my Goodreads list. I’m not exactly stingy with 5 stars, either. If it’s a great book, then I’m going to give it a high rating. And I gave 4.5 to 5 star ratings on a whopping 50 books. I’ve managed to whittle that list down a bit since then and while still it might not be a short list, but it’s certainly more manageable than before! All of these books have been published in 2018 in the United States, though several were published prior in other countries.

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Dec 18, 2018
0 Article Manga & Light Novels

Current Shonen Jump Series to Catch Up With

It’s here! Shonen Jump has officially changed its format, and in a rather radical way. Instead of either a physical or digital magazine requiring a subscription Shonen Jump will be posting all new chapters of their ongoing series for FREE. These will be coming out the same day as Japan, which is Sunday afternoon in the US. Yesterday saw the rollout of the new platform, and while it seems the Shonen Jump team is still ironing out the kinks in the new system things are set up for a wonderful change.

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Dec 10, 2018
Manga & Light Novels

#MangaMonday Review – Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol 1 by Soraho Ina

Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol. 1
By: Soraho Ina
Illustrator: Soraho Ina (illustrator); Alexandra Gunawan (lettering and retouching)
Translator: Molly Rabbitt (translator); Cae Hawksmoor (adaptation)
Release Date: October 16, 2018
Publisher: Seven Seas
Series: Fairy Tale Battle Royal
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Fairy Tale Battle Royal Vol. 1 by Soraho Ina is a fun new series featuring another world and fairy tale characters who seem to want our protagonist dead. The story takes place in two worlds, contemporary Japan and a fantasy world where the location of one fairy tale blends into the next.

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Dec 07, 2018
From Our TBR Pile

Review – Before She Sleeps by Binah Shah

Before She Sleeps
By: Binah Shah
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Publisher: Delphinium
Rating:


Before She Sleeps by Binah Shah is a book is a dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic society where decreased fertility and disease have led to the human race declining, women being forced into marriages with multiple husbands. The story follows several women who resist this society and its rules. They do this in a very direct way – they are all part of an underground resistance – but also in their own smaller, personal ways. This is very much a story of autonomy and regaining autonomy.

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

Review – Occultic;Nine Vol. 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura

Occultic;Nine Vol. 1
By: Chiyomaru Shikura
Illustrator: pako
Translator: Adam Lensenmayer
Release Date: December 3, 2016 (ebook J-Novel Club edition); July 3, 2017 (printed Seven Seas edition); August 22, 2014 (original edition)
Publisher: J-Novel Club; Seven Seas
Series: Occultic;Nine
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


The light novel Occultic;Nine Vol. 1 by Chiyomaru Shikura is a story about the occult, urban legends, and belief versus science and cold facts. Half a dozen very different people’s lives begin to intertwine in different, unexpected ways. All the while, there is a question that begs to be answered – is the occult real, and can science prove its existence?

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