miistical's reviews
33 reviews

Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 4 by Natsuki Takaya

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 3 by Natsuki Takaya

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

We finally got some progress with the boys!!!

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Annihilation is a difficult book to talk about. Firstly, I'm sure people are more acquainted with its movie counterpart and there are enough differences between the two that you could find the book a little wanting. Secondly, a lot of this book is purely... well, vibes. VanderMeer's writing is genuinely engaging and evocative, but if you don't care much for environmental storytelling, then this novel is going to just frustrate you. This also goes into my third point: the characters are incredibly sparse, including the protagonist. If you wanted a compelling character-driven story, then this certainly not a series to start.

With all of that said, I still think this is worth the read.

If you are capable of immersing yourself in this world, then it is worth your time to read it. For me, the first thirty or so pages were very slow with dry writing. It took a little bit for me to really get settled into the world VanderMeer had created. However, when I did get comfortable, I finished the book in under three hours.

I am not a horror or science fiction person at all, but I was uniquely enthralled with this book. Once his writing clicked in my head, I found myself almost watching over the shoulder of our main character. I felt her desperation and fear and confusion. And that ending? Oh, it made me want to know more immediately. If the writing manages to get you, it sinks its teeth in for sure, and I cannot recommend it more. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Blood

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

challenging funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

This book took me about a week to read, mainly because I could only get through two chapters at a time until my brain started to ache. The information is a lot for someone who has never studied the stars at all, but it was well worth reading. Getting a better understanding of the universe on an educational level was well worth the headaches.

I also really enjoyed the humor that was sprinkled throughout the book with Tyson's usual dry flair. And, most notably, I'm glad I made it all the way through just for the last chapter—it definitely spoke to a core part of me and I'm very grateful that I took the time to finally sit down and read it.

Blue Period, Vol. 1 by Tsubasa Yamaguchi

informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I picked up Blue Period on accident, but I am glad I got it. It's definitely not what I thought it would be, it's far more informative on art and art-making than expected, and none of the usual tropes that come with manga seem to be here. I'll keep on eye out for the next volume, but I'm in no rush to get it.

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Vol. 1 by Fujita

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed it, though not as much as I thought I would. Very lovable and funny, the pacing was just a lot faster than I realized starting it. I liked each character a lot and got more invested the longer I read - I really enjoy seeing how each character became the person we meet them as. All of their quirks are great! I won't hesitate to buy the next volume while I'm out, but I'm not going to go out of my way to get it.

Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 2 by Natsuki Takaya

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 2 by Kousuke Oono

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!, Vol. 1 by Yuu Toyota

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Cherry Magic is one of the reasons I realized I'm a romantic at heart. I absolutely love the nonsense the main leads have and I squealed at basically every chapter. I'm buying the rest of the series all at once, I need more of these two!

Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 1 by Natsuki Takaya

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved Fruits Basket when the original anime aired, when its released aired, and now reading the manga after all this time, I find myself still in love with it as ever. This story holds a very, very special place in my heart and I hope everyone who likes slice-of-life loves it too.