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Showing posts with the label akane-banashi

Series I Won't (Probably Ever) Finish Part 1

Part 1 of some series that I tried in the last 2 or so years where I read the first book or the first couple of books in its series and have no interest in continuing. For various reasons. 1.  The Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers . Listen: I ADORED the first book The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet , but I felt the first book was already satisfying enough on its own. I don't feel the need to read the rest of the series.  2. The original Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene . If you've been on my blog since the beginning you'd know that I read the first 5 or so books. They were pretty interesting, but I found after a while that I wasn't really that passionate about Nancy and her adventures. I respect how influential they are on youth literature, but I won't be reading anymore of them. 3. The Moomins series by Tove Jansson . I do love the Moomins very much! But I found more enjoyment in the TV show adaptations than in the books. It's kind of like how I switched fr...

Best Books of the Year (So Far!)

Every book on this list was 5 stars! I'd love to know what your favorite books this year have been so far. Links to each book's Goodreads pages are provided if applicable. Here we go... One Piece Volumes 17,18, 20 and 21 by Eichiro Oda Avatar: The Rift Volume 1 by Gene Yang Witch Hat Atelier Volume 11 by Kamome Shirahama Akane-Banashi Volumes 2 and 3 by Yuki Suenaga They Called us Enemy by George Takei The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo Avatar North and South Volumes 1, 2, and 3 by Gene Yang Avatar Imbalance Volumes 1, 2, and 3 by Faith Erin Hicks If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego Toph's Metal Bending Academy by Faith Erin Hicks If You'll Have Me by Eunnie Unfamiliar Volumes 1 and 2 by Haley Newsome

March Wrap Up

  I read a total of 11 books this month! You might notice I did not put any One Piece manga volumes here. That is because I decided to switch to the anime! So I am still consuming the story, but in a different format. I think the anime adaption by Toei is really well done!  Anyway, how did your reading go last month? Find any new favorites? 1. Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson. A middle grade urban fantasy book of a girl named Ellie who loves superhero stories. One day, she mysteriously gets magical powers to bring dead things back to life. Ellie tries to keep her powers a secret, but it isn't easy. I unfortunately gave this book 3 stars . Interesting premise, weak execution. You can read the full review here.  2. The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech. A magical realism novella set in a small village in Switzerland narrated by an eccentric unnamed guardian angel. We get to meet and learn about the people in the town, most notably an American girl named Zola, who...

January Wrap Up

  I read a total of 13 books this month! Most were graphic novels and manga. And sequels.  I hope your month went well, too! As usual, links to full reviews if applicable. 1. One Piece Volumes 16, 17, 18 by Eichiro Oda. I gave the first one 4.5 stars, and the next two 5 stars. 2. The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett. A literary historical fiction book about family, race, and generational trauma. 4 stars. 3. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Classic children's book about a girl who faces the loveliness as well as the difficulties of an all-girls boarding school, and other surprises. 4 stars. 4. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend. Book 3 of the Morrigan Crow series. This time Morrigan must face a new threat that is affect all of the Wunimals of Nevermoor, as well as learning new things about herself. 4 stars. 5. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift Parts 1, 2, and 3 by Gene Yang. I gave the first one 5 stars, the second one 4 stars, and the l...

December Wrap Up!

All the books I read in December! I read a total of 14 books . I hope your reading month was great, too! As usual, links to full reviews will be available if applicable. 1. The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This is about Max, a rich boy who's family wanted him to grow up with the best life possible, so his parents sign a contract to send him to a whatnot school. Those are schools where all the children are actually very humanoid robots who are all nice and well-behaved. Max becomes friends with a whatnot named Josie. But Josie has her own secret: she's actually human. Max then gets a strange note from Josie one day telling him "No matter what anyone tells you--I'm real". Max doesn't understand what it means at first, but eventually he, Josie, and some new friends find out about the truth about the whatnots and their shady corporation. Very cool book! Gave it 4 stars .  2. Magical Boy 1 by The Kao . This is about Max, a trans boy who is de...

Akane-Banashi Manga Review

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  I think I found a new favorite manga series! Akane-Banashi by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue is about Akane, a teenage girl who grew up watching her father practice and perform rakugo. Rakugo is a traditional Japanese art where a sole performer tells a short story and plays all of the characters, usually while seated. While she was in elementary school, Akane's father and a bunch of other candidates took an exam to rise up in the rankings of rakugo performers, but for some reason the judge proctoring the exam decided to expel all of them. Akane's father gets a job in construction work, and Akane decides to take his place in being a rakugo performer to showcase that rakugo can be a real job. Over the years she starts taking secret lessons from her dad's old instructor, and during her teen years she slowly makes herself known among his other pupils and rakugo fans, all while trying to perfect her craft.  I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this! I saw this manga...