Tag: September

Light Novel & Manga Haul September-October 2024

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About

This haul contains all comics, light novels, and manga for the months of September and October. I had enough to post a haul at the end of September, but I ended up delaying long enough that I decided to just do a two month haul instead.

Everything here is purchased in new condition. Some books come from Amazon, some from Barnes & Noble, and some from local stores.

Comics

Archie: Halloween Special

The only thing Archie I’ve ever tried is the TV show, Riverdale. Archie and Sabrina are in the same universe, so they often have crossovers. I like Sabrina, but I’m new to the comics, so, Halloween Archie special crossover with Sabrina.

What is it?

One-shot Halloween comic of Archie, featuring Sabrina. People not familiar with the comics would likely recognize the characters from the Riverdale TV show.

Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Annual Spectaculars & Holiday Special

These three comics are not trade paperbacks. They are stand alone stories as single comics with the carboard backing and sleeves to keep them in good condition. Every year or so, Archie Comics releases an annual comic for Sabrina, that’s what these Annual Spectaculars are. The Holiday Special is just a separate one-shot story.

I’ve always liked everything Sabrina ever since I was a young child. These were given to me to try to encourage me to read more non-manga comics. I have not read any Sabrina comics before, except one four book series that was published in a manga style, so these are a new format of the Sabrina universe for me.

What is it?

One-shot comics of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. People not familiar with the comics would likely recognize the character from the old TV show or the more recent Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Light Novels

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 2

I love the manga for this series so much that I waited years for the light novel to get a physical release. Unfortunately, I had some bad luck with this volume. After ordering, the bubble packet was delivered empty, with a giant hole in the side, as if the book were too heavy and just fell out somewhere along the way. Customer service was contacted and a new volume was sent to replace it.

I ended up giving the replacement book a quick mold treatment upon arrival, because it had some gross black stuff on it, and I wanted to be absolutely certain it was not mold. It probably wasn’t mold, but the treatment was also the only way I could think of to get the gross stuff off of the book. Needless to say, my experience getting a copy of this was stressful and frustrating.

On the upside, the book itself is great. The light novel volumes feel durable, and decently thick. This one has twenty chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue, which is a lot for a light novel. It’s definitely a quality product.

I have not reviewed any of the light novels, yet, but if you want to read my reviews for the manga volumes, they can be found in the index section.

What is it?

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

Ascendance of a Bookworm, Vol. 6-9

This series is numbered a little strangely. It’s broken up into parts with their own volume numbers. These volumes are Part 2, volumes 3 and 4, and Part 3, volumes 1 and 2.

Most of these came from Barnes & Noble, because that’s the only place I could find Part 2, Volume 3 in stock. Part 2, Volume 4 and Part 3, Volume 2 were included in the order, because I wanted free shipping, and it doesn’t hurt to have more volumes ahead of time. I could only find Part 3, Volume 1 on Crunchyroll, so I had to order that, too, since Barnes & Noble didn’t have that one, and I didn’t want to have a gap. As I collect the series, I keep encountering volumes going out of stock in most places, so I end up panic buying multiple books at a time.

I already reviewed all of the volumes before these ones. They can be found in the index section.

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 and strive to make them more accessable.

Manga

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12

I’m late in reading this, because I haven’t been in a manga mood lately, but I’m still trying to keep up with the releases. Despite not wanting to read it right away, I did purchase this volume on the day of release. Reviews for volumes one through eleven are available, so at least I’m not too far behind.

What is it?

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

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 8 & 9

I can say for sure that I have no plans to binge read this series this year. Maybe next year I’ll have more volumes and more motivation. As it is currently, I’m not in the mood for manga, and I’d rather have more than just these nine volumes before digging into this series.

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.

Book Haul September 2024

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All books in this haul are pre-owned. None of them are directly from any websites. I obtained them from a friend’s bin of discards. Some of them were on my TBR beforehand, while others were added upon learning about them.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I’m trying to give classic novels another chance now that I’m not being told to read them as school assignments. This one probably wasn’t on my school reading list, since it’s considered a banned book in a lot of places, but I think it’s the type of classic novel I should read at least once. It’s not very long, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get through, as long as the story isn’t boring. Hopefully it’s not, because I’ve heard a lot of people say they really like it, and some even say it’s one of their favorites. This copy is only around 200 pages, so I’m hoping it’ll be a quick and interesting read.

What is it?

A classic stand alone coming of age novel frequently on the banned books list.

The Folk of the Air, Vol. 1 by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince is volume one of the Folk of the Air series. I don’t know much about it, but I keep seeing it pop up in recommendations for certain genres and based on things in which I have interest.

What is it?

Some kind of fantasy Fae romance.

Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography

I do not own any of the Series of Unfortunate Events novels, but I have read them. They are something I would like to have for my personal library at some point. This book is sort of a companion novel, and it’s on my list of things to read. It looks like it’s made up of a bunch of letters, newspaper clippings, photos, etc. I haven’t read anything in this style before, so it should be interesting.

What is it?

A companion novel to the Series of Unfortunate Events about the fictional author of the series, Lemony Snicket.

Lives of the Mayfair Witches, Vol. 3 by Anne Rice

I didn’t know Taltos was volume three of a series. I just grabbed it because it had Anne Rice’s name on it. It’ll have to sit on my shelf until I find and read volume one. So, probably not a spooky season read for this year.

What is it?

Based on the title, probably something with witches.

Pandora by Anne Rice

I only recently read my first Anne Rice novel. I want to try more of them to see if I’d be interested in looking into more of her books. The ones I’ve been grabbing, so far, have blatant supernatural aspects, like mummies and vampires. This book is not very long, so it’ll be a nice quick spooky season read to try something new.

What is it?

Some kind of Vampire novel.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

My school definitely covered this classic novel in class, but I did not read it or retain anything from the lecture. Maybe I’ll actually enjoy it now that it’s not mandatory reading.

There is a sequel novel, but I’m going to pretend it doesn’t exist. The way it got published was pretty shady, and I hear the story isn’t that great, because it invalidates things from this first book.

What is it?

A classic novel commonly covered in school curriculum.

The Vicious Deep, Vol. 1 & 2 by Zoraida Córdova

The Vicious Deep and The Savage Blue are volumes one and two of the Vicious Deep trilogy. Something said this series is recommended to people who like the Percy Jackson books, so that’s enough for me to try it.

What is it?

Some kind of YA fantasy adventure, possibly with mythological themes.

The White Rabbit Chronicles, Vol. 1 by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland is the first volume in the White Rabbit Chronicles. I know little about it, but I like zombie stuff, so I want to try it. I’d like to track down a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at some point, too. That’s not relevant to this book. I just want to try more zombie novels.

What is it?

Seems like an Alice in Wonderland story where she has to slay zombies.

Wicked Lovely, Vol. 3 by Melissa Marr

Fragile Eternity is volume three of the Wicked Lovely series. The series is on my TBR, but I don’t have the first book. This volume will save me time later, if I end up liking the series. The series appears to be approximately five volumes, plus maybe another five short stories.

What is it?

Some kind of fae themed fantasy.

Willow by Wayland Drew, Bob Dolman, George Lucas

I’ve never seen Willow before. Apparently it’s a well known movie in the fantasy nerd community, and I somehow went my whole life without ever hearing of it, until fairly recently. I read more than I watch movies, so I’m more likely to get through it if I read the novel adaptation. There will likely be some differences from the movie, but it should still be a decent version of the story.

There is a spin off trilogy from this book. It’s called Chronicles of the Shadow War. If I like Willow, I’ll look into reading that.

What is it?

A novelization of the movie Willow.

Light Novel & Manga Haul September 2023

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About

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.

Light Novel and Manga Haul September 2022

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About

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.