Grim Beginnings (Kim Reaper #1) by Sarah Graley

2 stars A weird little story with a fun blend of cutesy and dark style. Becka has a crush on fellow university student, Kim,. When she tries to make a move, she gets swept up in Kim’s job as a part-time grim reaper. Zombies, pirate ghouls, and buff cat dads… can a simple crush overcome…

Read More

Insomniacs After School Volume 1 by Makoto Ojiro

Translated by Andria Cheng 4 stars A sweet, low-stakes manga featuring unexpected friendship, life after dark, and an adorable cat. Ganta Nakami can’t sleep. When he discovers classmate, Isaki Magari’s secret hideout, they bond over their shared sleep issues. They form their own secret club and start fixing up the old observatory to make a…

Read More

Heartless Prince: Volume 1

Story & Illustrations by Angela De Vito Written by Leigh Dragoon 2 stars A kidnapped princess, a prince’s stollen heart, an orphan with mysterious abilities, and a witch out to ruin them all. I thought this was a standalone when I started it, but later found out it will be part of a trilogy. There…

Read More

Cat + Gamer Volume 2 by Wataru Nadatani

Translated by Zack Davisson 5 stars Another fantastic volume featuring Riko and Musubi. I love the humor in these books so much. Cat lovers will easily relate to this series. This volume of slice-of-life adventures sees Riko dealing with Musubi as he levels up, clears ideal surfaces for napping, tries new tasty treats, and gets…

Read More

Shuna’s Journey by Hayao Miyazaki

Translated by Alex Dudok de Wit 3 stars A standalone tale loosely based on the Tibetan folktale, “The Prince Who Turned into a Dog”. This book is all Miyazaki. Stunning settings, a strong woman with agency and determination, fascinating creatures, rich backgrounds, and intentional ambiguity. Slow-paced story that puts more emphasis on the visuals than…

Read More

Pearl of the Sea

by Anthony Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Willem Samuel 4 stars A heartwarming story of friendship, family, forgiveness, and moving forward. With the looming threat of not making rent and having to move away from the sea, Pearl gives in to the temptation of illegal abalone poaching. But during her dives, she makes a strange…

Read More

Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Volume 2

by Yuto Tsukuda Illustrated by Shun Saeki Translated by Adrienne Beck 3.5 stars Another entertaining volume in the Food Wars series. In this one, we learn more about how Totsuki works, specifically the shokugeki and the Council of Ten. As always, the food looks amazing. I love when they go into detail on how a…

Read More

Taproot: A Story About a Gardener and a Ghost by Keezy Young

3.5 stars A truly beautiful book. I loved the aesthetic. Ghosts, gardens, romance, and necromancy. A winning combination. The story itself was a bit disjointed. The connections in the second half weren’t very clear. Honestly, I’m not mad about it though. I was perfectly content to be along for the ride. The characters are all…

Read More

Komi Can’t Communicate by Tomohito Oda

Translated by John Werry 2 stars Tadano just wants to blend in at school. But when he meets Komi and discovers her difficulty talking to people, he resolves to help her, even when it puts unwanted attention on him. For me, this one was just okay. Based on the title, I assumed the story followed…

Read More

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me

by Mariko Tamaki Illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O’Connell 2 stars A slow-paced story about what happens when the power of love works against you and how it can overshadow other aspects of your life. Freddy loves Laura Dean. But their on-again-off-again relationship leaves her confused and wondering, is it worth staying with someone you love if…

Read More