After seeing Kaze Hikaru praised by multiple people whose opinions I respect, I finally got my hands on the first two volumes, courtesy of my local library, and have reviewed them for Comics Should Be Good. You can find that review here. Kaze Hikaru is published under Viz's Shojo Beat imprint and thirteen volumes have been released here so far. The series is still ongoing in … [Read more...] about Kaze Hikaru 1-2 by Taeko Watanabe: B+
Historical Fiction
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler: A-
From the back cover: Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such … [Read more...] about Kindred by Octavia E. Butler: A-
The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa: B
Ehwa and her mother, a young widow, live in the village of Namwon. Ehwa’s mother runs a tavern and bawdy local fellows often attempt to convince her to go to bed with them. When seven-year-old Ehwa overhears a couple of villagers insinuating that her mother is loose, she begins to wonder about the differences between men and women. As the years go by, Ehwa matures. She sees … [Read more...] about The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa: B
Post Captain by Patrick O’Brian: B+
From the back cover: "We've beat them before and we'll beat them again." In 1803 Napoleon smashes the Peace of Amiens, and Captain Jack Aubrey, R. N., taking refuge in France from his creditors, is interned. He escapes from France, from debtors' prison, from a possible mutiny, and pursues his quarry straight into the mouth of a French-held harbor. Review: There were … [Read more...] about Post Captain by Patrick O’Brian: B+
Blade of the Immortal 1 by Hiroaki Samura: A
From the back cover: Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan, has been cursed with immortality. To rid himself of this curse and end his life of misery, he must slay one thousand evil men! His quest begins when a young girl seeks his help in taking revenge on her parents' killers. His quest ends only after he has spilled the blood of a thousand! Review: Wow. I had no idea … [Read more...] about Blade of the Immortal 1 by Hiroaki Samura: A