I didn’t have enough books in October to bother doing a haul at the end of the month, so this haul combines the manga from both October and November. All of these books are in new condition. Two of the manga are Amazon purchases. The rest are from a local store. I prefer to buy locally if I’m able.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 10
I highly recommend this series. It’s become one of my favorites. I keep up with the series pretty closely, so reviews of most, if not all, of the volumes can be found in the index section. Volume eleven is scheduled for release in March of 2024.
There is an anime out now. I’m not sure how accurate to the manga it is, because I have not yet seen it. It’s on my list of things to watch.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance, mostly taking place inside the Inner Palace of the emperor’s consorts.
Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3 & 4
I’m building up a buffer for this series to hopefully read it for fall of 2024. My first exposure to the series was the anime. I’ve only seen the first season, but I absolutely loved it. I hear the manga is a little bit different, but I expect to enjoy it just as much.
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.
My Happy Marriage, Vol. 3 & 4
Volumes one and two already have reviews available.
I’m excited to read more of this series. The first two volumes are great. These two catch me up to current release. Five was supposed to be out this past October, but I think it got delayed. I think it’s slated to be released this coming January of 2024.
There is also a light novel version of the series, which I plan on getting eventually. I think that has more volumes out than the manga, so it is probably a bit farther into the story.
I haven’t seen the anime, yet, but I’m excited about it.
What is it?
A Cinderella inspired historical romance with paranormal aspects.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 8 (volumes 22-24)
I love the anime for this, but unfortunately it’s one of the many that were never finished. The manga is apparently supposed to be darker than the show, but better. I’m looking forward to reading this series. It’s just a matter of figuring out when. I’ll probably start it on a whim one of the days when I’m not sure what to read.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
I actually didn’t think I’d have enough books to bother with a haul this month. I expected to have maybe two at most, and I don’t do hauls unless I have at least four. But then, I remembered my one year milestone of learning Japanese happened this month, so I bought myself a few books to celebrate. So, anyway, on with the haul!
All books except two were purchased locally. The light novel came pre-owned from an Amazon seller, and Blue Exorcist came new.
Light Novels
Spice & Wolf, Vol. 10
I actually have two copies of this book. One of them is very damaged on the inside, because it was poorly inspected by the seller. It was not included in the haul for whichever month I got it, because I don’t count books like that as things for hauls. You can actually see the second copy in one of the piles in the background of the image. I’ve had rather bad luck with pre-owned book orders recently. I’m actually not yet sure what to do with the bad copy.
Reviews for several volumes are already available and can be easily found in the index. It has a spin-off series as well, but I’ve seen people say it’s best to wait until at least volume 17 of this before starting that. Slowly, but surely, I’ll get there.
What is it?
A commerce slow burn romance between a human and a snarky wolf girl.
Manga
Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2
At this point in time, I’ve only seen the first season of the anime, but I absolutely loved it. If I can get enough volumes, I might read this series for spooky season, 2024.
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. 1
All I really know about this is that it’s by the same person who made Fullmetal Alchemist. FMA is one of my all time favorites, so it’s a given I need to try this new series.
What is it?
Some kind of action adventure. I’ll know more when I read the volume.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 7 (volumes 19-21)
I love the anime for this, but unfortunately it’s one of the many that were never finished. The manga is apparently supposed to be darker than the show, but better. I’m looking forward to reading the manga. It’s just a matter of figuring out when.
I thought the series was finished since they have omnibus editions, but apparently it’s still going. The omnibus editions are almost caught up to the current releases of the standard print.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
Spy x Family, Vol. 5
I have not started reading this series, but I have seen the anime. From a quick flip through of the volume in the store, it looks like the anime and the manga are very similar, so I don’t feel like I need to read it any time soon. I can build up a buffer to binge later, while I enjoy season two of the anime.
What is it?
An action comedy featuring a family with a spy, an assassin, and a telepath.
I was expecting to barely have enough books to even do a manga haul this month. My self control obviously needs work.
The books in this haul are a mix of Amazon orders, new and used, and purchases from my local store.
Comics
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Rift
This is the fourth omnibus in the recommended reading order for the Avatar comics, at least as far as I know. I think this is the library edition. For most of the Avatar comics, the paperbacks seem to be the individuals, and the hardcovers tend to be the omnibus library editions.
What is it?
A comic omnibus of The Rift that continues the story from the TV show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
This book is a danmei, which is a genre that is exploding in popularity right now. Danmei is essentially the Chinese equivalent to Boys Love. I generally love stories with BL couplings, so I got this book to try some danmei.
I specifically chose this one to try, because it’s rather short as a series. It only has four volumes in total. The series is a trilogy, with a fourth book that covers content for both past and future. So, if I like the series, it won’t be a huge commitment to finish it.
What is it?
From what I can tell, it’s a historical isekai BL romance.
Manga
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 8
The Apothecary Diaries is a fantastic series and I highly recommend it. The review for this volume is already available. Volume nine will release on August, 15th.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.
Flame of Recca, Vol. 18, 19, & 22
Flame of Recca is out of print, but I started my collection in middle school, so I want to finish it. The remaining volumes are higher in price, so they likely will not be seen in my hauls very frequently. I also will be purchasing them out of order from here on out, because it’ll be entirely based on what I find at reasonable prices based on availability.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5
I love this series. I’m a little behind on the English releases, but I’m trying to catch up. My goal is to catch up to the current releases before I watch the anime. There’s still time before that airs.
At the time of this post, reviews for the first four volumes are available. Five should be up in the near future.
What is it?
A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.
Inuyasha VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 5
I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often. Reviews for this series will likely wait until I feel like doing a re-read, which will probably be a good while.
Recently, I’ve also started getting the sequel series, Yashahime. I haven’t read any of it, yet, but reviews for it will be up eventually.
What is it?
A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 6 (volumes 16-18)
I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. This series is one of the manga I’m looking forward to reading the most. I just haven’t found the right time to start it.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
Tail of the Moon, Vol. 15
This is the final volume of the Tail of the Moon series. It completes my collection, so after all these years, I can finally finish reading it. This series will be on the short list for manga I will be reading.
What is it?
A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.
All of the books in this haul are either from Amazon or my local bookstore. Two of the manga are pre-owned purchases. Everything else is new.
Don’t mind the purple dot. My camera app just has that randomly now.
Comics
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise
From what I can tell, this is the second omnibus in the recommended reading order. This is the library edition. There’s another version of the omnibus, but it looks like it is paperback only. This one is hardcover, and the description implies it has more content than the other version. After getting this one, I now have one through three.
What is it?
A comic omnibus of The Promise that continues the story from the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Manga
Black Cat, Vol. 20
These are out of print and tend to be expensive, so it’s a slow journey completing my collection. I’m grabbing whichever volumes I can find at a decent price, and in decent condition, whenever I find them. This volume puts me at three left. I almost have them all!
What is it?
An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.
Inuyasha VIZBig Edition, Vol. 4
I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often. This puts me at approximately twelve volumes out of fifty-six. Each VIZBig volume contains three standard volumes.
What is it?
A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.
My Happy marriage, Vol. 2
I read and reviewed volume one of this manga already. It appears to be releasing rather slowly compared to the norm. Both the light novel and manga currently only have a few volumes each in English, but I highly recommend trying the series in whichever format you prefer. It’s very good. I just hope volume two holds up. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to reading this volume, yet.
What is it?
A Cinderella inspired historical romance with paranormal aspects.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 5 (volumes 13-15)
I’m getting these as they release, and I have plenty to get started on whenever I feel like it. It’s just a matter of fitting them in. I have no idea when that will be, but they are on my long list of things to get to.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
Skip Beat! Vol. 48
I’m up to date on my collection for this series. It’s in my pile of things to read in the near-ish future, and I will be keeping up on purchasing the latest volumes as they come out. I’m excited to catch up on reading these. This series is one of my favorite shojo manga.
What is it?
A revenge showbiz story with comedy and romance.
Tail of the Moon, Vol. 14
One more volume after this one and my collection for the series will be complete. Once I have them all, I will add it to my read soon pile.
What is it?
A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.
This haul also contains some comics, because I figure they are similar enough to share the same post. Any time I get comics, they will be in the manga hauls. They will be in the manga section of the index as well whenever I review any.
All of these are Amazon purchases, except for Noragami and Detective Conan.
Comics
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Lost Adventures & Team Avatar Tales
This is the first comic omnibus recommended to read for this series. The Lost Adventures are stories that take place during the events of the TV show. Team Avatar Tales takes place later. A reading list I looked at implied that section should be read way way later, but I doubt it matters. My guess is they were both put in this book because they can be read close together.
This is the hardcover library edition. It looks like the library editions might be the best ones to get. Some of the comics only have the library editions as hardcovers. They seem to have more content than the paperback versions, too. At least, that’s what the descriptions seem to imply.
What is it?
A comic omnibus of The Lost Adventures & Team Avatar Tales building more onto the story from the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search
From what I gather, this is the third omnibus in the reading order. I got the third before the second because it was cheaper at the time. I think this one is the library edition. There’s another version of the omnibus, but it looked like it was paperback only. This one is hardcover, and the description implied it had more content than the other version.
What is it?
A comic omnibus of The Search that continues the story from the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Manga
Black Cat, Vol. 14
I only need four more volumes for this series: 15, 16, 18, and 20. They’re out of print, so my collection for these advances slowly with pre-owned copies.
What is it?
An action adventure starring an ex-assassin gunman turned bounty hunter, and supernatural powers.
Detective Conan, Vol. 2 (Japanese Edition)
This book is a late birthday gift. With this volume, I now have one through three of this series in Japanese. I like to look through them every so often to see which words and phrases I can pick out. It’ll be a while before I can actually read them, but they are good motivation to keep me learning the language.
What is it?
A mystery series in which a secret organization turns the protagonist into a child via medicine.
Flame of Recca, Vol. 14 & 15
I think there are about eighteen more volumes in this series. Slowly, but surely, I’m working my way to getting them all.
These are out of print, so I buy all of them pre-owned.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 4 (volumes 10-12)
I can probably start reading these any time now. As long as I don’t read them one after the other and work them into a rotation, it should be okay. I just don’t want to catch up to the release and have to wait. At this point, I’ll just add them into my rotation whenever I feel like getting around to them.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world.
Tail of the Moon, Vol. 13
This series is almost complete. There are only two more volumes left, and then I can put it on my list of things to read.
What is it?
A romance story about an incompetent ninja girl sent to woo Lord Hanzo.
I didn’t expect to have enough books for any kind of haul this month. I neglected to consider my birthday. This haul contains the usual purchases for myself, as well as birthday gifts.
Light Novels
Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 1
This is a gift from a friend. That same friend recommended this series to me initially, which led to me putting it on my wishlist. I’m aware the anime is available, but I haven’t seen it, yet.
What is it?
A funny and interesting VRMMORPG themed series.
Manga
Flame of Recca, Vol. 13
Thirty more volumes to go for this series. It’s going to be a while. This one was an Amazon order as a pre-owned copy since it’s out of print.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring supernatural powers and magic items with a similar vibe to Yu Yu Hakusho.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 3
This is a fantastic series. It does a great job portraying how elves think compared to the average person. I’m behind on volume releases, but I’ll catch up eventually. I highly recommend this if you enjoy fantasy or D&D type settings. Thankfully my local bookstore carries these, so I can get them quickly when I want them.
The reviews for volumes one and two are already available. Volume three will be up soon.
What is it?
A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.
Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 1-4
I originally found this anime on Hulu, and loved it. The anime does not have a complete ending, so of course, I added the manga to my wishlist. These volumes were gifts from two people.
What is it?
A romantic comedy about a girl who takes over a shrine as its god.
Noragami Omnibus, Vol. 3 (volumes 7-9)
I’m making steady progress on obtaining these as they release. Another volume or two and I might have enough of a buffer to work them into my reading schedule.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 4-5
These were gifted to me. I’m excited to be making progress on my collection for this series. It’s been on my list of things to finish reading for so long that I have to start over. I’m so glad I’ll have my own set eventually. Originally I read them by borrowing from a friend.
What is it?
A gender bend, slice of life, comedy, romance.
The Rising of the Shield Hero: The Manga Companion, Vol. 1
I’ve never had a manga labelled as a manga companion before, so I’m not entirely sure what that means. I THINK it means it’s just not the original source material. If that’s the case, then I’ve had a lot of manga companions that were not labelled as such. The original material in this case is the light novel version of the series. This book was a gift.
What is it?
An isekai featuring a poorly treated protagonist in a world similar to a video game.
Spice & Wolf, Vol. 1-3
This is the manga version of the popular light novel series, Spice & Wolf. Every volume is marked as explicit content, but upon flipping through a bit, it looks like that’s just because Holo is frequently naked. Nipples are included in the art, so they have to be more careful about the rating. These volumes were gifts.
Reviews for one through five of the light novel editions are already available, with six coming soon. Manga reviews will get done more slowly depending how frequently I get the books. I’m curious to see the differences.
What is it?
A commerce slow burn romance between a human merchant and a snarky wolf girl.
This haul includes the manga I received as holiday gifts, as well as what I purchased on my own through Amazon and my local book store.
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 7
I love this series. Unfortunately, volume eight doesn’t come out in English until May. I have already read this book, and you can read the review here. If you’d like to start from the beginning, the reviews for volumes one through six are also available.
What is it?
A Chinese inspired historical mystery romance.
Chi’s Sweet Home, Vol. 1 (Japanese)
This is the Japanese print of Chi’s Sweet home. It’s supposedly a good series to read for beginners of the language. I found it highly recommended from several sources, so I’m looking forward to using it for some language practice in my Japanese learning journey.
What is it?
A cute series of adorable cat adventures and shenanigans.
How to Train Your Devil, Vol. 1
I added this to my to-read list this past summer. I don’t know much about it, yet. The description implies hero surrogate mother to a perverted baby Devil King.
Update: The review for this volume is now available.
What is it?
It’s supposed to be a lewd and funny fantasy.
Inuyasha VIZBig Edition, Vol. 3
I’ve already read the Inuyasha manga, but I’ve never had my own physical copies. I’m working on that with these editions. It’s not a high priority, though, so I won’t be getting them often.
What is it?
A Japanese time travel adventure romance with demons.
My Monster Secret, Vol. 1
I added this to my list around the same time as How to Train your Devil. It appears to be about a girl who is secretly a vampire. I won’t know any more than that until I read it.
Update: The review for this volume is now available.
What is it?
It’s supposed to be a funny romance from what I can tell.
Noragami Omnibus Vol. 2 (volumes 4-6)
I’m building a bit of a buffer before I delve into reading these. The anime is great, so I’m excited to start the manga. It kind of reminds me a little of Soul Eater, because people can become weapons or objects.
What is it?
An urban fantasy focused around gods and the spirit world, but also a bit silly at times.
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 1-3
This is a great manga, and a great anime. Of course, the anime ends long before the manga and deviates a bit. A friend of mine was collecting the series back when I was in middle school when the series was still new to the U.S. I was able to read most of it back then, but not finish it. I’m looking forward to completing my own set and giving it a full read.
What is it?
A gender bend, slice of life, comedy, romance.
Skip Beat! Vol. 36-42
This fills the chunk I was missing. My collection is now up to current, and I can start reading them to review whenever. I’m looking forward to it.
I’ve been over spending the past couple months. This haul is still bigger than my usual. I’m endeavoring to get better at taking pictures, but I have shaky hands and I’m not good at composing artful arrangements.
I am aware Inuyasha is not a book, but I got him this month, and thought he should be in the picture. He is a PopUp Parade figure, and I highly recommend that brand for quality affordable figures.
Light Novels
Spice & Wolf, Vol. 5
I love this series. Unfortunately, I discovered it a bit late, so I’m about twenty volumes behind the current releases. 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.
Manga
The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 6
After having to wait a couple weeks for volume five, I’m making sure to get these as close to release day as possible. I love this series. It’s currently one of my favorites. This volume came out around September, 13th, and I already have a review done for it. I can’t wait for volume seven. Why does it have to be so far away?
If you’re new the the series, here’s a link to my review for volume one.
Black Cat, Vol. 8 & 9
I absolutely love the Black Cat anime. I saw the anime before I read any of the books. Initially, I borrowed the first few volumes from a friend, but I didn’t get very far at the time. There are about twenty volumes, and I’m currently in the process of obtaining them for myself. Most, if not all, of them have to be purchased used these days. If you’ve also seen the anime, be aware the manga is a bit different.
I can’t exactly recommend this series since I haven’t read it all myself, yet, but if you like gunfighting characters, this might be right up your alley. The main character is a former assassin turned bounty hunter who uses a pistol as his primary weapon.
If you like stories about secret organizations, super powered people, and human science experiments, this might also be for you.
Flame of Recca, Vol. 8 & 9
This is another of which I’ve seen the anime first. I love the anime because it is drastically similar to Yu Yu Hakusho. It has the same story formula, while being unique enough to capture my interest.
I have not read any of the manga, yet. Maybe volume one and two forever ago, but that’s about it. I have no idea how similar it is to the anime. My plan is to binge read all thirty three volumes once I have them. These are also generally only available used.
If you like Yu Yu Hakusho, and want a similar experience, consider checking this series out. You’ll likely have better luck finding it digitally, though.
Fullmetal Alchemist Fullmetal Edition, Vol. 18
I’ve already read the entirety of Fullmetal Alchemist years ago. I absolutely love it. It’s one of my all time favorites, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
I never got to own the whole series before now. This volume completes my collection. Before this, I think I had volumes one through four of the regular editions. I found these gorgeous hardcovers around the time I was considering purchasing more of the series, so I decided to upgrade instead.
I recommend this series to everybody. It’s absolutely amazing.
His Majesty the Demon King’s Housekeeper, Vol. 1
I already have a review for this. I grabbed it at my local bookstore because the cover caught my eye, and also because I saw the word library in the synopsis. Sometimes I choose books for purely impulsive reasons.
Maids and housekeepers have always been popular in anime and manga. I haven’t tried many with that theme, though, maybe a couple. This is definitely the first I’ve purchased. I saw a couple episodes of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, if you want to count that.
This is a rather wholesome isekai compared to the norm. Check out my review for more information.
My Happy Marriage, Vol. 1
I have a review for this typed up and ready to go for Wednesday, October, 5th. Because of that, I don’t want to say too much here.
I saw this book popping up in my social media feeds and at the bookstore, so I decided to buy it and give it a try. It released around the same time as The Apothecary Diaries volume 6, and it has a light novel version as well. Normally I would choose the light novel, but the manga was right in front of me at the store. The light novel is also fairly new, so it didn’t really matter which I started with.
Noragami Stray God Omnibus 1-3
I had heard of this series for a while, and only recently, sometime this year, got around to watching it on Hulu. I love the anime. It’s unfortunate it doesn’t have a real ending. It just kind of drops off and doesn’t get any more seasons. Regardless, it was enough to make me want to own the manga.
I did a little research on the manga before getting invested. Apparently, it’s better, but also darker, than the anime. That just further intrigues me.
The timing for this omnibus worked out great. It released the same day as The Apothecary Diaries volume six. I saw it on the shelf at my local book store and had to have it. Omnibus editions will probably make it so much easier to collect and read the series. The only downside is I have to wait for each volume to release.
SpyxFamily, Vol. 3 & 4
I have not started this series, yet. I’ve heard such good things about it, though, so I just went ahead and started buying it. My list of things to read is long, but I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually.
