I loved revisiting my favorite show in this manga! The exact dialogue of the TV show is used along with the exact same plot line and scenery. Even the characters’ wardrobe is the same. I liked that it stayed true to the show.
The artwork is beautiful, and the characters expressions are just right. It’s the details in the artwork that make this manga so special.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

I enjoyed these books so much when I was a kid, and the nostalgia factor is strong!

I'm not particularly impressed with this first volume. It's mostly introducing a LOT of new characters, most of whom are the children of all the characters from the original Fruits Basket.
I do want to continue reading the rest of the volumes, hoping for more of a plot line and character development.
A lot of the same circumstances and personality types from the original Fruits Basket are mirrored in this sequel, and I like that! It feels nostalgic, but with a fresh new twist on the story.

This book explains many of the hidden factors to health and disease that modern medicine doesn't routinely cover: social environment, easy access to nutritious food, work satisfaction and safety, family bonds, and environmental trauma. Kindness really can heal disease and prevent infections.

I liked how the information in this book was organized. The chapters have some good examples of real-life cases and scientific studies that prove how each component in a person's life strongly affects their health.

However, the author has a very leftist viewpoint, and holds up government-controlled health care as a desirable and efficient situation, even hinting that it apparently worked out so well for the British. And yet Britain is well-known for having a terrible health-care system.

The author also spends several pages talking about how unfair the "wage gap" is between men and women, and how that stress at work could affect women's health. And yet the "wage gap" has been proven over and over to be a hoax. Women tend to work fewer hours than men, and typically choose careers in lower-paying but more emotionally-rewarding jobs like teaching and social services.
( https://youtu.be/QcDrE5YvqTs )

So right away I lost all confidence in this author. If she's ignoring proven facts to promote a political agenda full of fabricated information, then I don't feel that I can trust much of what is written here.

There are a few good ideas about reducing stress in your life and forging connections with your social group, and I enjoyed reading about those good solutions. I liked that at the end of each chapter there are practical questions you can ask yourself about your life and stress levels, with suggestions on how to change things for the better.

I appreciated the basic message about health, but I didn't need the political fakery surround it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

I picked up this book hoping for simple advice on balancing energy along the chakras, instructions on how to self-administer acupressure along the meridians, and maybe a few yoga poses or massage techniques that help to soothe or awaken different areas of the body.
And it has all of that, but I was disappointed to see a lot of nonsense about past lives, colorful auras, and pseudo-religious ideas attached to every aspect of health.

Science and medicine have proven that there are energy centers throughout the body (that some people call chakras), and meridian lines that connect energy which are proven to be effective through acupuncture and acupressure. These are scientific facts.

But there was a lot of other nonsense that made me question the veracity of the author. It sounds like she's using the truth of the body's energy and trying to attach it to her own false ideas and religious concepts.
I did not enjoy reading her examples and accounts of clients who have been "healed" by her, because of the constant references to occult practices.

Why can't authors just stick to the facts, instead of pushing their own political or religious agendas?

Dayven hates wizards, believing the rumors that they are sly and dishonest, but he is required to take the Wizard Test to find out if he has any magical ability. When Dayven passes the test and the magic inside him is revealed, he must choose where his loyalties lie, and discover the true meaning of destiny.

I enjoyed reading this book, and loved the magic system! Nothing and no one is quite what you expect, because we see the world through Dayven's eyes, and he has only known rumors and propaganda. He believes the enemies of his nation are stupid barbarians, and we are just as amazed as he is to observe that they have an elegant and vibrant culture. He believes that all wizards are selfish deceivers, and we are just as astonished as he is to realize that the wizards are compassionate champions of justice. I loved going on this journey of discovery with Dayven as he explores the truth of his world.

I loved the characters, and how they are described in just a few words that gives you a rich picture of who they are. I immediately connected with the main characters, and was pulled along in their emotional story.

I felt like the plot was a little too simple, and I wanted more of a conclusion at the end. Dayven makes his big decision about where his loyalties lie and what path his destiny will take, but there is great deal of the plot line that is left to the imagination. I like more closure at the end of a story, and it could have been neatly wrapped up in a short epilogue, but we're left hanging.

I read this book by listening to the audiobook, and really enjoyed the voice of the narrator and the structure of the book. Following a chronological and sometimes topical format, this book covers the lives of four of the most famous members of the Inklings. Starting from their childhoods and following them through both World Wars, their academic careers, and their writing, this book also includes details of their family lives and personal friendships right up until their deaths.

I already know a lot about these men, because Tolkien and Lewis are my two favorite authors, and I've already read other biographies about the Inklings. But I was really impressed with the depth of information and careful research in this book. There are some really wonderful details and anecdotes that bring these historical figures close to the reader.

And the author doesn't shy away from the less than pleasant aspects of these men's lives, their bad behavior at times, their poor choices, or their bad habits; but instead includes those things as a larger picture of who these people became, and how their lives developed, and how God worked in them and through them.

I have never liked Charles Williams or Owen Barfield. They were both "Christians" who believed some really weird things, like reincarnation and alchemy, and I never understood why Lewis and Tolkien were friends with them. This book helped me understand some of Williams and Barfield's better points, and how their intellectual prowess would attract friends like Lewis. I still don't like them, but I feel like I know a little more about the overall dynamic of the Inklings group, and why those friendships flourished despite religious differences.

The writing is excellent! Concise and forceful, each word serves a purpose, weaving a story of these imaginative writers and their little Oxford world.

These books are so fun and interesting! I wanted to be just like Encyclopedia when I was a kid.

A good retelling of the Hound of the Baskervilles in comic book form! The artwork is dark and creepy, giving deep shadows to everything, and perfectly reflecting the mysterious nature of the story.
I thought that Holmes' character is represented beautifully both through the artwork and the dialogue. His austere personality and furtive energy comes across strongly on every page!

I felt like the plot moved a little too quickly, barely having time to explain the basics of the plotlines. There's not enough time to get attached to the characters or really get immersed in the menacing moors. I wish the book were longer, so that more attention could be paid to some of the details. But of course, it's always difficult to condense a classic story into a smaller format.

I really enjoyed revisiting this favorite classic, and I loved the expressive artwork!

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Lydia, the youngest Penderwick, is now eleven years old, when the Penderwick clan go back to the beautiful Arundel estate for Rosalind's wedding. The sour Mrs. Tifton is lurking around the estate, turning up her nose and criticizing everyone, while poor Jeffrey tries to keep her away from his friends. Lydia finds a new friend in the unstoppable tomboy, Alice, and the two girls frolic through the fields and meadows while the older Penderwick sisters prepare for the wedding.

I love how quirky and strange the Penderwicks are, each with their own vibrant personality and unique interests. Lydia loves to dance, and she gathers inspiration from music, and birdsong, and the brilliance of the moon to create her own choreography.

There are a lot of emotions running high with romance in the air for the older Penderwicks, and Lydia ponders the meaning of destiny and what path they are all meant to take in life.

We get to see nearly every side character from all the books again, as the extended clan of cousins, aunts, and uncles gather for the wedding. And they ALL bring their dogs. Seriously, there are WAY too many dogs in this book. Why does every single person own a dog? It's kind of weird how so much of the narrative is taken up with describing the dogs. They interrupt every other scene.

The plot meanders around with very little actually happening, and lots of rabbit trail scenes that don't tie into the main story. The plot isn't terrible, but it could have been more polished. It's charming and funny most of the time. The real glue of the book is the fabulous characters.

I enjoyed this last book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the other books in the series. It's still good, but not as good as the first book.