I didn’t plan on buying anything for a book haul in April, but put me in front of discount books and it’s hard for me to walk away with nothing. These four books are all from a fairly local store in pre-owned condition. All of the books are also by the same author. She has multiple pen names. The most popular of which are Amanda Quick, Jayne Ann Krentz, and Jayne Castle. Each name represents a different time period of past, present, or future for the setting of the book.
Burning Cove, Vol. 1 by Amanda Quick
The Girl Who Knew Too Much is volume one of a series called Burning Cove. The series has a total of seven volumes, with the last book released in 2023. I’ve seen this book around, but could only find hardcover copies, and therefore didn’t buy it. I know most readers prefer hardcovers, but space gets eaten up fast if everything is hardcover. I was glad to find this in paperback. My shelves are currently overpacked as it is.
Supposedly this series is in the same universe as the Arcane Society novels. I’ll find out for sure when I get around to reading it. It’s usually pretty obvious when anything crosses over with Arcane. I don’t have any reviews for Arcane Society posted, but I do plan to get some up eventually when I reread the series from the beginning. That’s a big time sink, so it’ll likely be a good while.
What is it?
A historical mystery romance.
Dangerous by Amanda Quick
This is one of Amanda Quick’s many stand alone stories. I don’t even read what they’re about before buying. I like all of her stuff.
What is it?
A historical mystery romance.
Vanza, Vol. 1 & 2 by Amanda Quick
With This Ring and I Thee Wed are both volumes of the Vanza series. I did not know this when i grabbed them. It’s kind of lucky that they turned out to be one and two. There are a total of four volumes in the series, so I managed to find half of it.
I didn’t get enough manga to have a haul in March, so this haul is for both March and April. It’s a mix of things bought from Amazon and a local store. All of them are in new condition.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11
I highly recommend this series. It’s one of my favorites. I keep up with it pretty closely, so reviews for the volumes can be found in the index section. The review for this volume is already available.
Recently, I watched the new anime for the series. It’s accurate to the manga, except for some word choices and leaving out a few details that don’t change the story. The anime also does a better job generally expressing the emotions the characters are feeling. So, if you like the manga, or would rather watch a show than read, you can watch the anime without losing anything from the story. No adaptation is ever perfect, but this is definitely one of the better ones.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.
Blue Exorcist, Vol. 7
I’m not sure if it will be this year, but I’m hoping to build a decent buffer of these to be able to binge during spooky season. The series is pretty long and ongoing, so I’m not exactly sure how many volumes I want to have before I start. I know I’m going to like it, so I want to make sure it’s a good chunk.
What is it?
An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 4
Reviews for volumes 1-3 are already available in the index. I like this series, and I’m trying to get more friends to try it. It’s obviously still pretty new if it only has four volumes, but I think anyone who likes Fullmetal Alchemist would probably enjoy it.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring spiritual duo companions and special powers as well as a generations old feud.
Princess Jellyfish, Vol. 1
This series is a difficult to explain. I saw the anime and loved it, but it was incomplete. From what I can tell, the English release of the manga is considered an omnibus, without actually saying omnibus or special edition or anything on it. It’s at least as thick as a two-in-one. I’m looking forward to reading the series to see how similar it is to the anime and seeing what happens after the parts where the anime ended. Upon a quick flip through, the art is beautiful.
What is it?
A series about various types otaku living together and exploring a love of jellyfish and fashion.
Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol 3
I don’t get these often, because they are on the pricier side. Building a buffer of them is going to take some time. When I get a good number of them, I think they’ll make a good spooky season read. Until then, I’m looking forward to seeing how the manga differs from the anime.
What is it?
A fantasy setting where people are trained to be warriors called meisters and wield weapons, that are actually people who become the weapon. They collect tainted souls in hopes of someday turning their weapons into their ultimate form to be used by Death himself. Sometimes this task involves saving the world.
This series is said to be in the same universe as Fire Force, which I have not yet read.
I didn’t buy any books this month. The only reason I have a haul at all for March is because someone gifted me a boxed set through Amazon. I’m counting boxed sets as the number of individual books in the set. They will be listed in the post as one item, because they’re all part of the same series.
There will be no manga haul for March. I didn’t meet my minimum threshold to bother posting. There should be one for the end of April, though.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
This is the five book box set for the series A Court of Thorns and Roses. It contains volumes one through four, as well as a middle volume after three. The titles are as follows: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames.
ACOTAR, as the series is commonly referred to, has been on my to-read list for a few years. I actually think I found it before I started seeing it everywhere. At some point it started to be everywhere in stores and all over my social media feeds. I had no idea it was so popular. It was just a random thing I found while browsing book descriptions online at one point.
But anyway, one of my close friends recently discovered the series, and they absolutely love it. She’s getting as many people as possible to try it, and she’s the one who gifted me this set. I guess it’s just the kick in the pants I need to get around to trying it sooner rather than later. And I have a feeling if she hadn’t gifted this to me, it probably would have been a while, because there are over 800 people waiting for volume one at my local library.
The first book is on my list of things I’ll be reading very soon, so expect a review for volume one within the next few weeks.
Below are pictures of the sides and top of the box for anyone curious about the box art.
What is it?
A fae themed fantasy romance. That’s all I know right now. More information will be available in my reviews when they are ready.
I haven’t bought many novels over the last few months, so this post covers everything since this past September. One book is from September. After that, I didn’t get another novel until January. I figured it’d be easier to just list everything since September all together in one post.
The majority of these novels are gifts to myself, because I have a February birthday and wanted to treat myself. A friend and I went bargain book shopping, so most of these are pre-owned or discount books. Most of the paperbacks are the pre-owned ones.
I’m actually very pleased with this haul. I found several books by one of my favorite authors for cheaper than if I had ordered them somewhere. Only three books in the entire haul were online orders.
Miscellaneous
The Official Fablehaven Cookbook by Brandon Mull & Cherie Mull
I mostly got this as part of my Fablehaven collection. The recipes in it actually look pretty child friendly and delicious. I’m looking forward to trying some. There’s also a short story inside called The Missing Brownies. Brownies, as in the mythical creature, not the food. I’ll probably read that at some point during my Fablehaven reread.
What is it?
A cookbook featuring recipes for dishes mentioned in the Fablehaven series or inspired by the series.
Novels
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Vol. 2 by Kenneth Oppel
Volume one of this duology is This Dark Endeavor, which I read and reviewed for this past spooky season. I liked it enough to get the second and final book to finish the story. That would be this one, titled Such Wicked Intent. It’s on my list of things to get to.
What is it?
A historical Frankenstein prequel story.
Chronicles of the Red King, Vol. 3 by Jenny Nimmo
This book was cheap at an overstock store. It’s Leopards’ Gold, the third and final volume of the trilogy. The series description sounded interesting, so I figured buying the third volume cheaply might save me money later, if I like the series. Apparently, this trilogy is also connected to a series called Charlie Bone, or The Children of the Red King. So, if I do end up liking this series, there will be more in the same world to read.
I honestly have no idea why this book says “The Secret Kingdom” on it. As far as I can tell, that’s not what the series is called. Maybe it’s an alternate or updated name? I don’t know. It’s probably not important.
I have another series written by the same author that I can’t start, yet, called the Snow Spider trilogy. I just need to get the first volume for that one, because I have two and three from when I found them pre-owned at a sale.
What is it?
Some kind of fantasy adventure.
The Clockwork War by Adam Kline
The cover was eye-catching. That’s pretty much the only reason I grabbed this at the discount store. It looks like a short steam punk stand alone novel. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it if it caught my attention.
What is it?
Some kind of stand alone fantasy.
Dragonlance: Dragons of a New Age, Vol. 1 by Jean Rabe
This is volume one of the Dragonlance trilogy Dragons of a New Age. It’s titled The Dawning of a New Age. I have absolutely no idea where this goes in the overall recommended reading order for Dragonlance as a whole. I’m trying to collect the entirety of it, and saw a book I didn’t have, so I grabbed it without knowing anything about it.
What is it?
A high fantasy novel in a D&D-esque world.
Eclipse Bay, Vol. 1 by Jayne Ann Krentz
As the first book of the Eclipse Bay trilogy, this book itself is titled Eclipse Bay. I didn’t know it was a first volume of anything when I grabbed it. I’m glad it is, though, because that means I can read it whenever I want to start the series. This is a book I blindly grabbed, because it’s by one of my favorite authors.
What is it?
Probably a mystery romance as usual for this particular author.
Family Man by Jayne Ann Krentz
I found this novel at the same store as Eclipse Bay and the Dragonlance book. All three are good finds, in my opinion. This one has some bettering on the outer side of the spine, but is still in overall good condition.
What is it?
A stand alone, probably a mystery romance as usual for this particular author.
Michael Vey: The Final Spark by Richard Paul Evans
This is volume seven of the Michael Vey series. I already read it a few years ago. It was the final volume of the series, or so I thought. It turns out they released a couple more volumes since then to continue things. Initially, I read them all from the library, or library related resources. But, I liked the series, so I figured for a reread I’d just purchase them for myself.
This is the first volume I’ve gotten, but only because it was cheap at the store. At the very least, it checks off one of the volumes I need to get, anyway. The rest are on my list of things to get. I don’t know when I’ll get around to it, but I’ll get them eventually.
What is it?
An adventure series about kids with electrical powers.
Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz
I found this book and Sleep No More both at the same store. It was a different store than the one where I found those other three books. I don’t know anything about this one. It appears to be a stand alone.
What is it?
A stand alone, probably a mystery romance as usual for this author.
Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz
I grabbed this blindly just because of the author. It’s volume one of a more recent series called The Lost Night Files. Apparently, the series only has two books so far. Volume two came out in January.
What is it?
Probably a mystery romance of some sort.
The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
This is the only novel I got in January. I’m a little late getting this. It’s one of Riordan’s newer releases, and it features Nico Di Angelo from the Percy Jackson series. I look forward to reading it, but it’ll be a while. I’m in the process of rereading the Percy Jackson universe stuff chronologically to refresh my memory and get reviews posted.
What is it?
A modern mythology romance adventure.
Sweetwater & The Witch by Jayne Castle
This is a book well into the Arcane Society and Harmony series, and I mean WELL into them. The universe for this series is long running. I started reading these books long before I even considered making a blog. Because of that, I don’t plan on posting any reviews for them until I circle back around for a reread some day.
I did already read this book. It’s the only book I got back in September. For anyone disappointed that I don’t have a review for it, I’ll at least share a rating here. It’s a three out of five, so I liked it. It was a good comfort read when I couldn’t decide what to read.
What is it?
A paranormal romance mystery that takes place on a colonized alien planet with humans who have psychic abilities.
Terciel & Elinor by Garth Nix
I haven’t touched the Abhorsen series in a while, so I don’t exactly remember where this one goes chronologically. I’m pretty sure it’s a prequel volume about Sabriel’s parents. It’s the newest volume in the series, unless I missed something. I didn’t get it immediately upon release, so I haven’t been watching the series for updates very closely.
Eventually, I’ll reread the Abhorsen series and post reviews for it. Whenever that is, is when I’ll get around to reading this. Until then, I leave you with a strong recommendation for the series in general. It’s good.
I wasn’t actually expecting to have many manga for a haul this month. I thought I’d have maybe four. Obviously, I ended up with more than that. A pleasant surprise. Everything in this haul was purchased new from various sources or received as gifts, except for one manga.
Light Novels
Bofuri: I don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 2
This book was gifted to me by the same friend who initially recommended the series and also gave me the first volume. I have seen some of the anime since reading the first book, but not the manga. Based on what I’ve seen of the anime, I think the light novel is the better version. I couldn’t read certain information in the anime without having to pause many times, because it seems like the anime doesn’t consider the forum posting as important as the light novels do. The forum posting parts are so wholesome. I feel like that’s one of the many reasons I like the light novel as much as I do.
I plan on reading this series long term, but it’s not a high priority on my collection list. The reviews for it will likely not be frequent. This one is also twice as thick as the first book, so that’s nice.
Just a warning, the light novels for this series are bound with flimsier paper than usual. If you so much as set it down wrong or drop it on the floor from a small height, there is a strong possibility it might tear. I’m two for two on that, so far.
What is it?
A funny and interesting VRMMORPG themed series.
Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu, Vol. 1
I’m dipping my toes into the danmei genre. I read the first volume of The Scum Villain’s Self Saving System and really liked it. This series is by the same author, so I got the first book to try. If I like both series, I’ll expand more deeply into the genre. So far, I’m optimistic.
What is it?
A historical BL (danmei) of some kind.
Manga
Ai Ore, Vol. 1
This is the only pre-owned manga in my haul. I bought it in the same store as some of my pre-owned novels the same month, in one of the same stores. The manga section of the store was closed the day a friend and I were shopping. We kept checking back in to see if they’d opened it. When we were finally allowed to enter that area, I felt like it would be rude not to buy something, since we kept asking about it.
The selection was pretty small, but this manga stood out to me. It’s pretty thick, like twice the size of a regular volume, and it’s a gender queer romance. It was half cover price, so I figured why not?
What is it?
A romance with two gender queer characters and a rock band.
Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1
This book was gifted to me from my wishlist. It’s about someone who gets a cat and uses their video game knowledge to help them learn how to take care of it. It sounded super cute when I came across it, so I’m looking forward to reading it. I think it’s great how many slice of life series about cats there are these days.
What is it?
A cute series about a gamer who adopts a cat and has no idea how to take care of it.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 3
Volume one hooked me. As a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, this series does not disappoint. I’m excited to read this volume. I hope it keeps going strong. This is probably a series I’ll be collecting long term.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring spiritual duo companions and special powers as well as a generations old feud.
Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha
I was a huge Dragon Ball fan when I was growing up. I’m generally not a fan of the modern stuff for it, though. My preference was for Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and I’m one of those weird people who actually likes Dragon Ball GT. So, I don’t pay much mind to anything Dragon Ball these days.
THIS, however, is a gift I received that I am absolutely excited to read. After reading the description and flipping through the pages a little, this manga seems hilarious, and I love the concept. It’s definitely on my short list of things to read in my immediate pile of manga.
What is it?
A stand alone isekai story that, I strongly assume, is a comedy.
Fangs, Vol. 2
I like volume one of this series, but it’s definitely not for everyone. It’s not exactly a happy series. I thought this was the final volume, but I did some quick checking, and people are saying there is likely more to come, because there’s supposedly a cliff hanger. Now I have concerns, because this volume came out two years ago and I don’t see any release information anywhere about a third volume. I’ll definitely be reading this soon to find out for myself. It’s on my short list pile.
What is it?
A vampire BL romance with some depressing themes.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 6 & 7
I’m still a little behind on volumes for this series. I’m hoping to catch up before I get around to watching the anime. The other day, I saw volume ten came out, so I’m not too far behind on the English releases.
Reviews for the volumes I’ve already read can be found in the index section.
What is it?
A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.
Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1
I’m a fan of mysteries and Sherlock Holmes, so this series has been on my list of things to try for a while. This copy was gifted to me, and I’m looking forward to reading it. I don’t know anything about the contents, but I’m aware of who Moriarty is. I don’t think I’ve actually read any Sherlock Holmes stories that had Moriarty in them, though, so I don’t actually know a whole lot about the character, aside from them being Holmes’ rival. The only exposure to Moriarty I’ve had was the TV show Elementary, where if I remember right, Moriarty was a woman.
What is it?
A mystery series featuring Sherlock Holmes’ rival, Moriarty.
Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 2
I love Soul Eater, but my first exposure was the anime. I hear the manga is significantly better. Either way, I already planned on getting the manga. The perfect editions are hardcovers, and I see no reason not to get a favorite series in hardcover, so these are the ones I will be going with. It’ll likely be a while before I get around to reading them.
What is it?
A fantasy setting where people are trained to be warriors called meisters and wield weapons, that are actually people who become the weapon. They collect tainted souls in hopes of someday turning their weapons into their ultimate form to be used by Death himself. Sometimes this task involves saving the world.
This series is said to be in the same universe as Fire Force, which I have not yet read.
Miscellaneous
Fullmetal Alchemist 20th Anniversary Book
I don’t even really know what’s in this book. I just saw a 20th anniversary book was being released and I had to have it for my Fullmetal Alchemist collection. It’s approximately the same size as the hardcover editions of the manga, so it should look nice next to them on the shelf. I’ll likely read this after I get around to rereading the series.
What is it?
A collectable anniversary book with extra comics and information pertaining to the main series.
This isn’t a big haul, but I got some things I’ve been wanting for a while. There are three light novels and one manga. None of them are first volumes, so no new series, but I’m making progress on things I’ve already started.
I read volume one back in September. These are a little more on the expensive side, so I had to wait a while to get the rest. I liked the first book enough to commit to buying the rest of the series, so I got all of the remaining volumes as soon as I was able.
My plan is to reread the first one before delving into these three. I don’t often reread things so closely after reading them the first time, but want to make sure I read all of these close together for the best experience. The series is only four volumes in total, so it’s not a huge commitment. I’ll definitely be trying other danmei books after this.
A historical isekai (or transmigration for the Chinese term) BL (danmei) romance where the main character is put in the body of a novel villain.
Manga
Blue Exorcist, Vol. 6
I’m collecting these slowly. I’m hoping to have enough of them to start binging them around Halloween. From what I can tell, the series is still ongoing with the Japanese version of volume 30 just releasing this year in early January. I doubt I’ll be caught up on all the current volumes by October, but I’m hoping I’ll be in the mood to at least start reading the series around then.
What is it?
An action adventure starring demons and exorcists. The main character wants to be an exorcist even though he is the son of Satan.
