Tag: August

Light Novel & Manga Haul July-August 2024

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

About

I wasn’t going to have enough books for a haul, yet, but then I read a light novel I’d been sitting on for a while. I ended up loving it, and immediately had to get more volumes. Then, I found an out of print manga volume available for a decent price, so I had to get that, too. My expected three book pile turned into an eight book pile.

Everything in this haul, except one, is in new condition. Most of them were ordered from Amazon, but two of them came from physical stores.

Comics

Avatar: The Last Airbender: North and South

I bought this out of order, because it was on sale. I think this omnibus is sixth in the reading order. There are only two more of these that I don’t have. After that, I will probably have to move on to newer single editions or work on Korra’s comics.

What is it?

A comic omnibus of North and South that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Light Novels

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 2-5

This series is numbered a little strangely. It’s broken up into parts with their own volume numbers. These are indeed volumes two through five by the standard count. The volumes are Part 1, volumes 2 and 3, and Part 2, volumes 1 and 2.

Most of these came from Amazon, but volume three was a Barnes & Noble in-store purchase. For some reason, that volume was sold out absolutely everywhere, except for some websites that seemed sketchy. The stores near me didn’t have it either. I had to travel an hour away to get my hands on a copy. Only two Barnes & Noble locations in the entire state had it.

I’ve had volume one sitting around for a few years and only recently got around to it. It’s so good I feel like I can’t get more volumes fast enough. Thankfully, I’ve got three to work on, now, before I run out. I already read Part 1, volume 2, so reviews for that one and the first are already available.

What is it?

An isekai about a bookworm who wakes up as a five-year-old girl in a world where books are unobtainable by the general public, so she decides to make her own.

Manga

Black Cat, Vol. 18

I’m so excited to have this volume. This series is out of print, so some of them are expensive and hard to find. Now that I have this one, I’m only missing one more, and then I’ll have the whole series.

What is it?

An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 5

This book went on a little trip. I bought it from a local store, while a friend was in town, and we shared a bag. We both forgot to take it out of the bag, so it went home with her, seven hours away. It’s back now, so I’ll be able to read it.

This volume came out August sixth, so my collection is currently up to date. Reviews for volumes one through four are already available. I’ll get this one up whenever I get around to it.

What is it?

An action adventure featuring spiritual duo companions and special powers as well as a generations old feud.

Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 5

I’m still working on a buffer for these. They should make a good spooky season binge at some point, likely not this year. I want a larger volume count before I get around to it.

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.

Book Haul May-August 2024

fantasticfictionsblogLeave a comment

About

This haul encompasses the months of May through August. Obviously, I have not been buying many novels lately. Four out of five of these books are pre-owned. Three of them are from a local bookstore across town, one of them was given to me, and the fifth was ordered on sale from Amazon. Like my April book haul, most of these are by the same author with different pen names.

Miscellaneous

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Ultimate Guide

This book is multiple times pre-owned. A friend passed it along to me once they decided they no longer wanted it. It’s a bit battered and has some marker dots and smears on the cover, but the pages are clean. The design of the book itself is interesting. It has a lenticular banner image across the front, and a magnetic clip, kind of like a journal. The extra fold for the design choice will likely make it take more space on the shelf, so keep that in mind if you’re interested in getting a copy.

What is it?

The book is a companion guide for the Percy Jackson series. It’s is full of information about various characters and lore related things. There are also a few fun extra things, like Percy’s camp activity schedule. I’ve only done a quick flip through, but it seems like an interesting read to get more world building and reminders

Novels

Burning Cove, Vol. 6 by Amanda Quick

When She Dreams is the sixth volume in the Burning Cove series. Burning Cove is seven books long, and probably ongoing. The last volume released was in 2023.

I have the first book, but have not yet read it. I usually like about ninety percent of things by this author, so I grabbed this volume anyway. It saves me money in the long run, because I didn’t have to pay any shipping when buying from a local store that had it pre-owned.

What is it?

A historical romance mystery of some kind, possibly with paranormal aspects.

Eclipse Bay, Vol. 2 by Jayne Ann Krentz

Dawn in Eclipse Bay is volume two in the Eclipse Bay series. I have volume one in my TBR, and the series is only three books long. Amanda Quick and Jayne Ann Krentz are the same author, representing different time periods. This one is contemporary, while Quick is historical. It’s probably obvious by now that I tend to grab anything I see available written by this author. I found this as a pre-owned copy.

What is it?

A contemporary romance mystery of some kind.

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

Garden of Lies is a stand alone novel. I’ve only seen it around in hardcover until now. Normally hardcover would be fine, but paperback is cheaper and takes less space in the long run. Stand alone novels by this author make good comfort reads for me. As you can probably tell from the spine in the picture, this is a pre-owned copy.

What is it?

A historical romance mystery of some kind.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Vol. 6

The Chalice of the Gods is one of the newer books in the Percy Jackson universe. It’s book six in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Despite being new, it’s supposedly supposed to fit chronologically after the Heroes of Olympus series and before Trials of Apollo. I’m slowly going through a reread of all the Camp Half-Blood stuff, so I plan to incorporate this book, and Wrath of the Triple Goddess, into the chronological order.

What is it?

A modern adventure series focused around Greek mythology.

Manga Haul August 2023

fantasticfictionsblog

About

This haul is a mix of purchases from a local store, an order from Amazon, and a gift from a friend.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 9

I highly recommend this series. I can’t get enough of it. The review for this volume is already available, and you can use the index to find reviews for all of the volumes that came before it.

What is it?

A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.

Fangs, vol. 1

I stumbled across this when the release was new. It got thrown onto my wishlist and forgotten for a while. The series only has two volumes at the moment, and I’m unsure if it will be getting any more than that.

What is it?

A vampire BL romance.

Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1

A friend of mine had an extra copy, so this book was a gift. I don’t know much about it, but I’ve heard good things.

What is it?

Sounds like a sci-fi action series involving fighting off Kaiju. The description gives me Attack on Titan or Fire Force vibes.

My Hero Academia, Vol. 3

I mostly bought this to fill in a gap. My collection for this series is far behind current releases. I haven’t even started reading it. Before getting this volume, my collection only had one, two, and four. This series is not a priority for me. It’s long, and it has multiple spin-offs, so I’m not quite ready to delve into reading it. I plan on building a significant buffer before taking the plunge.

What is it?

An action manga themed around a school for super heroes, in a world where it’s normal for everyone to have a super power, except for a very minute portion of the population.

Light Novel and Manga Haul August 2022

fantasticfictionsblog

About

I went a little overboard this month. This is excessively more books than I usually obtain by the end of the month. I use books as a reward system for myself, and you can see the results. Obviously, I’ve had a productive month.

I didn’t mention it in my first haul, because there were only five books, and they were all new, but I frequently buy used. So if you see a haul with a discolored book, or volumes with stickers or damage, I likely bought it pre-owned.

Manga

Fruits Basket Collector’s Edition, Vol. 9

I’m collecting all of these so I can binge read them all at once. Back in the day, I wasn’t able to read them, so I’m collecting these editions. I’m up to volume nine. Only three left! Yes, I will also be getting Fruits Basket Another once this series is completed.

Headhunted to Another World, Vol. 1 & 2

I research new books all the time. This one sounds like it might be one of the more entertaining isekai, and the first two volumes were at my local bookstore, so I grabbed them to try. This series is not a priority for me, though, so I have no idea when I’ll actually get around to reading it.

Update: Reviews now available for these volumes, one and two.

Flame of Recca, Vol. 7

This is something I discovered in high school. It reminds me strongly of Yu Yu Hakusho, of which I am a huge fan. They seem to use the same story formulas. I haven’t read this series, yet, but I have seen the anime. These appear to be out of print, so I’m slowly obtaining used copies to complete my collection.

Skip Beat! Vol. 45 & 46

These volumes catch me up to current releases. I am still missing a gap (I think volumes 36-42), so I can’t actively read the series yet. It does, however, make it easier for me to keep up with current releases. I’ll be reading and reviewing all volumes of this series eventually.

Yagi the Bookshop Goat

I’m trying to expand on my yaoi collection, because I have virtually none. According to what people are saying, Tokyopop is doing well with their yaoi and BL releases recently. I also hear this stand alone story is good. While I have not yet read it, I have high hopes. It sounds adorable.

Update: The review is now available.

Tail of the Moon, Vol. 4-6

This is another series I started in high school and have never gotten around to finishing. I’m going to fix that. A couple more volumes and I’ll be about half way to completing the collection.

Otomen, Vol. 1 & 2

This purchase is from my local bookstore, where they occasionally get some pre-owned manga. I’ve read this before, the whole series, and I absolutely loved it. It’s a story where traditional gender roles are flipped around, and it’s absolutely sweet and hilarious. I intend to collect the whole series since I read it before but did not own it.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 2

This series sounds super good. I have the first volume, but have not yet read it. Sometimes it’s better to have two volumes to test a series, so I saw no issue in buying the second volume before reading the first. I have high hopes for this one.

Update: The review for this volume is now available, also see the review for volume one.

The Hero Life of a (Self Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon, Vol. 1

This is not high on my list of priorities, but it was at my local bookstore, so now it’s on my shelf. It sounds like it might be funny. I don’t know when I’ll get around to it.

Update: The review for this volume is now available.

Light Novels

The Invincible Shovel, Vol. 1

I see the manga for this everywhere, and I hear it’s a comedy. Typically, the light novels for things are better than the manga, so I made sure to get the light novel, which was surprisingly more difficult to locate.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Under the Faraway Sky

This is volume four of the Fullmetal Alchemist light novel series, yet another series I started in school and did not have the opportunity to finish. The second editions for the six novel series are currently releasing. The final release is around the end of September. I’m getting the second editions despite having a copy of the first edition for volume one, because they changed the spines for the second editions, and volume six only got an English release as second edition. I want mine to match.

Spice & Wolf, Vol. 4

I love this series. Unfortunately, I discovered it a bit late, so I’m about twenty volumes behind the current releases at this point. I’m sure I’ll catch up eventually.

Reviews for this series are already in progress, so feel free to check those out. I’ll include a link to volume one for people who’d like more information.

Update: The review for this volume is now available.

Log Horizon: The Beginning of Another World, Vol. 1

The anime for this is amazing. I’ve only seen the first season or two, but I loved it. I hear the light novel is a little taxing to read with all the descriptions in volume one for introducing mechanics and stuff, but I’d like to judge that for myself.

Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest, Vol. 1

This is much thicker than I expected, but that’s not a bad thing. The premise sounds interesting. Instead of a single person or small group sent to another world, it’s a whole class. I hear the recommendation is to read one through seven, then start the prequel. I hope I like it, because this implies I might have a series to last me a while. Long running series are great as long as they don’t get boring, and I love it when books have spin-offs and prequels to expand on the world.