Was this one of the few good things that touched my life this week? Yes,
Do I plan on ordering a copy for my pug-loving friend? Yes,

This book is incredibly relatable to most pet owners, Reading this while I was away from home made me homesick to be with them in all honesty read with fur friends present to enjoy to fullest extent.

If you like cute, funny, relatable comics about being a pet parent, this comic will meet and excede those needs.


There is a particular comic where Mochi is trying to convince a sitter that they eat strictly human food and it gave me flashback to my cats carrying whole loaves of bread and freshly backed biscuits away to be eatten in secret. But when you actually try to go to the effort of making them something nice they stick their noses up at you.

In complete honesty, what kept me reading was the side characters; while none are seen through the manga's entirety, they honestly made me smile.
Overall the main characters felt very lackluster; while there is definitely a story of growth being shown, at no point was I truly invested in it. Even once we began to see the support going both ways. Creating a more healthy relationship between the siblings.
The only point I found myself actually becoming excited was towards the end when a side character reappears and provides support to Kirika.

After finishing this manga, I went back and re-read the description because I was left so befuddled by the events of this manga.
And I have no words still. If you are looking for an Action Shonen, it definitely fits that. But I found myself having to look past a lot of things, most of which are easy to look past because it's an Action Shonen, and that means things can't be normal.
WHAT I cannot look past is that this manga never once questions Musashi's use of a GIANT Scythe for mining. Apparently quite successfully too. Then also uses techniques meant for swords with this massive AF Scythe. Like the premises transfer as if they are super similar weapons.
Because of that insanity, I honestly can't recommend it.

I wish I could say I could recommend this book this year, as it was enjoyable and while I thoroughly enjoy Gudetama's presence. In a year like this, it's hard to recommend a dose of more pessimism to people. This book left me wanting to "get back to normal" even as someone who doesn't enjoy the holiday.

But once we get back to that type of place, where we are less worried about a pandemic and more worried about our in-laws showing up at our door un-invited, I would definitely recommend this book for many smiles and at least a couple of good laughs.

To say that I was in love from the first page would in no way be an understatement Justin Osterling art kept me enraptured from the first page; watching it change and develop with the story was a joy that I can't understate. It truly made the differences apparent and, at times, striking while also showing the beauty of the melding of the worlds.

While Wiebe's writing honestly made me smile. Morgan felt so much like the type of strong-willed character that my friends play in tabletop RPGs, and the interesting use of tech and magic is amazing. I was left in aw to learn more about this world.

My only real turn-off was the depictions of sex, which, while acting to build the characters and relations, left the prudish side of me squirming in discomfort.

This book has been on My TBR for a while, and with "A Chorus Rises" coming out, I wanted to see if the Audiobook was available from my local library. (They Did!!)
And after my last misadventure in audiobooks, this was like a nice dip in a cool pool after a hot day.

Morrow does an amazing job wrapping us up in the world of "A Song Below Water," which I'm sure is helped by how the events taking place in the larger world are a Mirror Image of what we are seeing in our own lives day in and day out. While reading specifically the movement behind George Floyd and "#SayHerName."

This book honestly had its claws in me from beginning to end, so much so that I nearly didn't put it down last night to go to bed. Because I honestly wasn't sure what to expect or where this narrative was going to take me. The resolution with Effie is not what I had expected in the slightest.

I would definitely recommend it.

This book left me with FEELINGS. By Feelings, I mean complete and utter rage. Specifically, the last roughly 10% of the book, which is so spoiler-filled, cannot be spoken about without delving into it headfirst.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first (after the Prologue); it felt like a lot of telling and not a whole lot of showing and overall aligned with what I recalled from my interactions with the House of Night series. I read in Middle School (this is not something I would hand a middle schooler, though).

This book read like something I would expect from an Anime. There is no adult supervision throughout this book; there is no dad in the picture, their mother dies a tragic, gruesome death at the beginning. They EVEN have an animal companion.
It just has no beach episode or beautiful art to try and sway the viewer to enjoy it.

We do, though, get an incredibly awkward and unneeded sex scene that left me feeling extremely gross afterward.

That being said, I enjoyed the middle of this book a lot, enough so that I had forgiven it for the rocky start. But what I can't forgive is the fact that this could have been standalone, and instead of any resolution ever happening, it just gets tossed off the edge in favor of making it a series.

I am not sure; I could honestly recommend this book.

For more spoiler-filled reasonings, see below.

Spoiler

Let's first start with my problem with Hunter's choice to rip Mercy's grief out of her WITHOUT telling her. It had been less than 48 hours since your mom died. PEOPLE NEED TIME TO GRIEVE, I get that shit is going down, but that doesn't solve it.

Also, we hear time and time again this is a small town; the Goode family plays a prominent role in the town and has always lived there. NO ONE questions that another Goode shows up.

Jock boyfriend dude, (like I legit can't remember his name and don't care enough to scroll thru the audio to find out). Is an asshole, and just exists to tear the girls apart, and is probs being set up as a mirror to Sarah's Husband in the Prologue.

Tyr!
As someone who has practiced Wicca for a long time, I am finding words to express my fury at how unempathetic Mercy is towards Hunter regarding having her EVEN consider cutting ties with Tyr, a bond that meant a lot to her.
That's without even talking about how they parted ways, or the fact she the Goddess she called to work with was one she called because that is what allowed Mercy's plan to work out best. Not because she felt any connection.

I don't even want to delve into how gender and sexual orientation are presented in this book and how that ties into how Hunter is expected to reject Tyr in favor of fitting the mold.

It's GAY and IT SLAPS

This book was the piece of light that I needed in my life. I have heard about this book on repeat for most of the year 2021. So I had honestly expected it not to be worth quite this much hype. But enough so that I had put in a request to get it from my library eons ago and got it last night. So Immediately began it this morning after waking up.

Due to the hype, I DID NOT read the blurb, and that meant this book was an even greater ride; 10/10 would recommend this approach. But I'm sure most people won't get this opportunity.

This book is so GAY, and I loved the Found Family vibes. Also, there are SO MANY Drag Queens.

This book got me hyped for Pride. And I would recommend it full-heartedly for Gay's that love star-crossed lovers.

It does have a smattering of Spicy scenes to be aware of.

I actually checked this book out before I saw it on "Comedian Ali Wong's Six Summer Book Picks," but that sure did spike my interest to delve into it more.

and I honestly regret not delving in sooner because I'm hooked. (As in as soon as I finished this, I went and requested the other 5 volumes from my library)

While fairly dark, it is also fun, and the dynamic between the new friends is enjoyable to read. I'm incredibly interested in where this is going.

Content Warning for Homophobia and gun violence.