Book Review: Stories from Everywhere by various authors One of the joys of picking up random old books from Little Free Libraries, garage sales and discard bins is discovering rare volumes that have strayed far from their starting point. In this case, it’s a Developmental Reader from the California school system printed in 1954. A… Continue reading Book Review: Stories from Everywhere
Tag: poverty
Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2
Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2 by Kenjiro Hata Nagi Sanzenin, for all her wealth, is a lonely 13-year-old girl who must constantly be on guard against those who would harm her to gain some of her money, even her own relatives. On Christmas Eve, Nagi is saved from kidnappers by an outstandingly athletic… Continue reading Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2
Book Review: Crime and Punishment
Book Review: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is a law student, allegedly. When we meet him, Raskolnikov has not been to class in some time, nor has he worked at his part-time tutoring job. For the last few weeks he’s been just brooding in his tiny room (several months behind on… Continue reading Book Review: Crime and Punishment
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps lost spirits find their way to the afterlife. He’s part-human, and must use expensive tools to make up for his weak powers. Between these expenses and debts saddled on Rinne by his deadbeat father Sabato,… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26
Manga Review: Hunter X Hunter Volume 1
Manga Review: Hunter X Hunter Volume 1 by Yoshihiro Togashi On a world a little bit like Earth, Gon Freecs has been raised on an isolated island by his Aunt Mito. Although she told him his parents were both dead, Gon learned a while back that his father Ging Freecs was in fact still alive,… Continue reading Manga Review: Hunter X Hunter Volume 1
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volume 25
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volume 25 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who guides stray spirits to the afterlife for rebirth. But he’s part-human, so he has to use (often expensive) tools to make up for his weak powers. That, plus debts his deadbeat father Sabato saddled him with, and being… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volume 25
Comic Book Review: The Superman Chronicles Volume One
Comic Book Review: The Superman Chronicles Volume One by Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster While there were several precursors to Superman, he’s generally agreed to be the first full-fledged comic book superhero. Superhuman abilities, a distinctive costume, and a dual identity, he had them all. When Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938, the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Superman Chronicles Volume One
Book Review: Next Year in Havana
Book Review: Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton Disclaimer: I received this Advance Reading Copy from a Read It Forward giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested. The final product, due out 2/6/18, may have minor changes. In 1958, Elisa Perez is the daughter of one… Continue reading Book Review: Next Year in Havana
Book Review: Oliver Twist
Book Review: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens An anonymous woman stumbles into a village about seventy-five miles from London, heavily pregnant and with her shoes in tatters. She collapses in the street, and is taken to the parochial workhouse. There, she gives birth to a boy and then perishes, seemingly leaving no clue to who… Continue reading Book Review: Oliver Twist
Manga Review: Showa: A History of Japan 1953-1989
Manga Review: Showa: A History of Japan 1953-1989 by Shigeru Mizuki This is the final volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s history of Japan and his personal life during the Showa Era. It mixes events that affected the entire country with stories of his struggles as a man and an artist. As noted in the introduction by… Continue reading Manga Review: Showa: A History of Japan 1953-1989