This haul is a combination of books I grabbed from the store while Christmas shopping and some that I received as gifts. I don’t have as many books as last year for December, but I’m still happy with what I have.
Due to the holiday season, and the following holiday lethargy, this post is a little late. Don’t worry, January will still have a haul of its own.
Blue Exorcist, Vol. 5
My buffer for this series is slowly expanding. I hope I love it as much as I love what I have seen of the anime. Either way, the series holds sentimental value to me. I’m hoping to have enough volumes to start binge reading in October. As a series with demons, I think it’ll make a decent seasonal read.
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. 2
I haven’t gotten around to reading the first book, yet, but it’s on my shortlist. Expect a review for volume one soon. In the mean time, I’m expecting to like the series due to it being by Hiromu Arakawa, so I didn’t hesitate to get the second book.
What is it?
Some kind of action adventure.
Ouran High School Host Club, Vol. 6-8
I don’t think I need to explain anything about this series. It’s been around a long time, and most people know what it is. If you don’t, you should definitely check it out, especially if you like rom-coms. I think I only need ten more volumes after this until my collection is complete. Once I have all of the volumes, it’ll go on my list of things to binge read.
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.
