The Employees by Olga Ravn

Translated by Martin Aitken 4 stars Hauntingly strange and wonderfully composed. Board the Six Thousand Ship and join the crew on their research mission to the planet, New Discovery. After exploring the planet’s surface, they bring strange objects they’ve found back on board to study. Some of the crew becomes deeply attached to these objects….

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Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Vol. 1

by Haro Aso Illustrated by Kotaro Takata Translated by Nova Skipper 4 stars Akira Tendo plans to work hard and make it big. But when he lands a job at an exploitative corporations, his life becomes a living hell. He has no social life, can’t talk to the girl of his dreams, and moves through…

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Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books

by Hwang Bo-reum Translated by Shanna Tan Narrated by Rosa Escoda 3 stars A delightfully cozy collection of essays about the joys and comfort of books and reading. Bo-reum shares different ways to read more and connect more deeply with the books you read. Nicely written with an interesting blend of literature, memoir, and moments…

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Strange Buildings by Uketsu (Strange Houses #2)

Translated by Jim Rion 5 stars Another unsettling exploration of truths revealed through a complex web of diary entries, interviews, magazine articles, and floorplans. After the popularity of Strange Houses within the novel, the author receives a variety of additional cases related to unique floorplans, strange renovations, and odd buildings. As he explores the stories,…

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Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 5 by Suol

Original Story by Gwon Gyeoeul Translated by Ah Cho 3 stars So conflicted about this volume. I absolutely loved the trial sequence. Great tension and some fun twists as Penelope figures out how to get herself out of the main episode’s current predicament. We also finish up the royal hunting tournament. I don’t love the…

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Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 4 by Suol

Original Story by Gwon Gyeoeul Translated by Ah Cho 3 stars The Eckharts join the hunting tournament on the palace grounds. Not to be left behind, Penelope heads off into the small-game area only to lose her way and come face-to-face with a dangerous foe. An unexpected acquaintance comes to her aid, but there is…

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Cthulhu Cat by Pandania

Translated by Zack Davisson 3 stars Delightfully odd, this book combines adorable cats with a eldritch twist. A humorous slice-of-life tale of a high school student with a normal cat, Ur, and one he found in a box in an alley, Cthulhu. Strange and adorable, his cats keep him busy as he deals with odd…

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We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

Translated by E. Madison Shimoda 2 stars Through a narrow alley in Kyoto lies the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, rumored to help you with what you’re struggling with in life. All you have to do is find it and open the door. Follow a collection of people as they seek out the clinic…

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Days at the Torunka Café by Satoshi Yagisawa

Translated by Eric Ozawa 4 stars A sweet book of interconnected stories focusing on reunions, human connections, and acceptance of the past. Follow a young woman who claims to have a unique relationship with one of the café’s workers, a man coming to terms with the end of a relationship through an unexpected new one…

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