I’ve been reading a lot more lately, and trying to keep up with keeping TRACK of what I read.
So here’s what I’ve been going through…
Manga:
Maid-sama 5-6: turns out I’d actually already read volume 5, but I ended up selling my extra copy to Amazon for a profit. Volume 6 was REALLY good though. I love the drama and how it’s not overplayed, but there’s definitely tension. Aoi-chan is a great character with some genuine emotional confusion – I adore characters with gender conflicts. I really do. I think I identify with them a little.
Ouran High School Host Club 12-14: oh my goodness, yes. Please give me more now. I can’t believe I got so far behind on this fantastic series – Unlike a bunch of other long-running shojo manga, this one has DEVELOPMENTS. and CONFESSIONS. and comparisons of character back to the beginning. The more I read, the more I want. This series continues to grow in both depth and hilarity.
Library Wars 3: This one’s not as deep or interesting as Ouran or Maid-Sama but I still want to read more. I don’t think the setting and the story mesh quite as well as they should – but I wonder sometimes if that’s more due to the translation/localization than something else. I’m really not sure. I still want to read it, but I haven’t decided if I want to buy more or not.
Avalon High: Coronation 1: oh dear, a Meg Cabot book that I don’t like for once. I can’t decide if it’s the somewhat-contrived plot (“but wait, there’s more – Will/Arthur must BELIEVE IN HIMSELF or else dooooom” + Big Bad comes back) or the strange art (manga-toned and formatted, but Western style of drawing) that bugs me about this series, but I’m glad I didn’t buy it. The first volume had barely any action in it, just buildup. I’m halfway through the second now.
Books:
Gallagher Girls volume 1 (I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have To Kill You) by Ally Carter: Cute! Fun! Great premise! A few issues (the “oh my gosh”es REALLY got on my nerves this re-read and I think they did the first time too) don’t stop this from being worthwhile. I doubt I’ll be buying more than the two I already own, but I look forward to reading the rest of the series. They’re fun.
Kitty, Kitty by Michele Jaffe: Um, yes. Just YES. For one, she gets the voices just right – no one sounds too ridiculous (except for the ones who are supposed to) for the world. I think it’s possibly also the only book I’ve read where I really feel bad for the protagonist when she’s in a pretty awesome situation – I mean really, Venice? for free? In high school? Sounds GREAT. Except it isn’t for her, and I get that. Jaffe really pulls off the “it would be great, but…” stuff that makes a character believable. Plus, the story is just ridiculous, and she can write some really great twist endings. LOVE it.
On my list of reading/to be read:
The rest of Avalon High: Coronation
Princess and the Snowbird
Heist Society by Ally Carter (Playaway edition!)
More Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter (as soon as I can get #2 back from my mom, that is)
Hopefully Ouran 15
