Knife Fight and Other Struggles (David Nickle)

Synopsis:
A young man at loose ends finds he cannot look away from his new lover's alien gaze.
A young woman out of time seeks her old lover in the cold spaces between the stars. The fleeing worshippers of an ancient and jealous deity seek solace in an unsuspecting New World congregation.
In a suburban nursery, a demon with a grudge and a lonely exorcist face off for what could be the last time.
And when a big city mayor who delineates his mandate by the slash of a blade faces an unexpected challenger, it turns into a struggle that threatens to consume everything.
In Knife Fight and Other Struggles, David Nickle follows his award-winning debut collection Monstrous Affections with a new set of dark tales that span space, time, and genre.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
If you're thinking of reading this book, just prepare for a serious roller coaster of horrifying stories.
In the beginning, there's an introduction by Peter Watts that really sets the tone for the whole book. In it, Watts explains right from the start that the short stories in this book aren't exactly straight-up horror... and he's entirely right! They would be less terrifying if they were. They are the kind of horror that crawls under your skin and just lingers, keeping you up at night thinking about them. All of them cast a new light on things and really give you another perspective to look at reality, and that terrified me most of all. They are bold and fast and rude and don't leave you indifferent. Every one of them gave me something to think about and really meditate on what I would do if I ever found myself in those situations, and let me tell you that some of them were completely insane and crazy!
My favourite stories have to be 'The Nothing Book of the Dead' and 'Drakeela Must Die', which were also the two shortest stories. I really wanted more and if the author ever writes a full book based on those two (doubtful, but one can dream) I will read them for sure!
Also, at the very end we get a prelude to 'Volk', a book that is coming out in 2016 and that I will get my hands on as soon as possible! That story, entitled 'Orlok' said everything it wanted, leaving us there believing that all of that actually happened. Again, what a fearless and thought provoking piece of literature.
I highly recommend this book if you like being shocked and provoked with every turn of a page. Just read it, but know what you're getting into, because you won't be able to forget about it anytime soon!

The Field (Ed Brisson, Simon Roy - Illustrations)

Synopsis:
An underwear-clad amnesiac; an ex-bible salesman on a meth induced murder spree; a seedy biker gang on a revenge mission; and a group of cosplayers out to save the world.
What more do you need to know?
Collects The Field #1-4, and includes never-before-seen extras, including extra comics.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
Wow... This is my next favourite thing!
First of all, this was such a badass book. It messes with your head in ways you can't even imagine, so beware when you're going into it. To be honest , it's like waking up from a horrific nightmare you never want to see become reality, but that you think is a great idea for a book: this was it!
It was just so gory and violent and I absolutely fell in love with it from the very beginning... so much blood and death and unanswered questions: right up mu alley!
I was so hooked: I couldn't figure out what story to believe in, who I could trust and by the end I still couldn't figure that out.
The art, the colors, the plot, the way it was conceived, you could tell this guys know what they are doing... such a rich story and I wanted it to go on forever, but I also desperately wanted to know how this would wrap up!
That ending left me there not knowing what to do... I need to read more by the authors, like, right now.
Then, after 'The Field' itself, we were presented with some extras, and we got to find out how this story came to be and the process of doing the actual comics, which I think it's fascinating.
After all this, I can only assure you I will definitely be buying the physical copy as soon as I get a chance to do so!

Stuff You Should Know About Stuff: How to Properly Behave in Certain Situations (Tripp Crosby, Tyler Stanton)

Release Date: November 4th 2014 

Synopsis:
Do you know how to properly conduct yourself in a public restroom? What about while in the midst of a profoundly awkward silence? Have you perfected how to get out of helping your friend move?
If you answered no to those questions, then you need Stuff You Should Know About Stuff, the book that future anthropologists will no doubt call "the Rosetta Stone of handling trivial life situations."
From the guys who created the viral videos “Sh*t Nobody Says” and “Things You Can't Do When You’re Not in a Pool," Tripp and Tyler bring you the written word in Stuff You Should Know About Stuff, a guide instructing you how to navigate the treacherous waters of life’s extremely trivial situations.
There are even photos and illustrations for people who enjoy photos and illustrations and stuff like that. You can read it from cover to cover or you can choose to educate yourself only in conjunction with your bowel movements. Totally your call there.
Stuff You Should Know About Stuff places the priority on the trivial experiences of life, because that's where we spend most of our time; trying to recover from going for the fist bump when a casual acquaintance wanted a high five.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
Who says life doesn't come with instructions? We all know how we should behave at a funeral or a wedding (maybe), but what about choosing a picture for your Facebook profile or when it is inappropriate to say 'That's what she said' (spoiler alert: never)? These guys asked the perfect questions and came up with a manual for the trivial moments in life when we find ourselves wondering what to do, and they did in the funniest way possible.
I would say I related to about 90% of this book (the urinal part is not my forte) and that really helped to read through it in a sitting. I can't remember a single moment when I wasn't smiling or laughing hysterically or nodding in agreement.
On the other side, I kind of felt sorry for poor Neil in the examples and conversations used in this, but then a funny comic would appear to illustrate the point and I would be laughing so hard I forgot all about him.
The references in this were spot on and made this something incredibly special.
All this said, this is a pretty honest and useful book, an I can think of a great deal of people who could really do with a bit of these glorious tips...
I have since then researched more into the authors and I surrendered to their youtube channel. What a great time! Some of the parts in this book are from videos they made and I found the 'You're Doing Twitter Wrong' one just perfect!
I don't think everyone would enjoy this or find it funny, but I would seriously recommend this to anyone with a good sense of humour and that understands level 56 sarcasm.

Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night (Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery)

Release Date: December 2nd 2014 

Synopsis:
Volume 4 of the award-winning series returns with a high seas tale of pirate battles, vengeance, and lost love.
Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, and Shakespeare become pawns in a deadly game of survival between the legendary masked pirate Captain Cessario, his first mate Viola, and the new terror on the water, Titus Andronicus’ forbidding war ship The Lavinia.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
Shakespeare and pirates. Who wouldn't want to read that?
I hadn't read the previous volumes, so it started quite confusing and abruptly for me, but I got hold of the story pretty quickly from then onward.
The illustrations were as they usually are: amazingly powerful and put us immediately in the right atmosphere that is necessary to a storyline like this. They were also vert graphic and violent. Very violent. I would not recommend this to everyone.
As for the story itself, I thought it was original, rude and badass. I felt like I was in a parallel universe where Shakespeare's characters were badass pirates and Juliet was in love with Hamlet and Viola was the bravest, most awesome pirate captain I have ever seen, yet they all talked in Shakespearean style!
With an explosive ending (in every sense of the word), I will get my hands on the previous volumes as soon as possible.
A retelling/adaptation well done, in my opinion.

The Boy in the Cemetery (Sebastian Gregory)

Release Date: October 29th 2014 

Synopsis: 
This is the story of a girl who didn’t want to live…
Carrie Anne is desperately unhappy. Tangled in a web of abuse, she seeks solace in the cemetery that backs onto her garden. But something creeps between the gravestones. Carrie Anne is not alone… 
…and a boy who cannot die.
The cemetery is home to a boy. He has guarded these forgotten bones since meeting a gruesome end two hundred years ago. Neither dead nor alive, he has been watching for a long time. And now, he finally has the visitor he’s been waiting for…

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
Going into this book I was expecting a funny, light hearted story about the friendship of a girl and boy who happens to live in a cemetery. Nothing like that!
This actually surprised me positively. From the first page I knew it was going to be more than I first thought it would, and that got me excited.First of all, the characters were fascinating, but that is not the same thing as likable. I found both the boy's and the girl's fathers to be detestable, but most of all, I hated Carrie Anne's mother. She knew what her husband was doing, yet she did nothing. Carrie Anne almost got killed on the first day of school and she got abused by her father, and yet her parents just kept asking where she had gone wrong, what was wrong with her. I really felt sorry for her.
And even though we only got to read one chapter of the boy's story, I felt really attached to him, especially when he makes his appearance in Carrie Anne's life.
From that moment on, this book took a turn. It became a really eerie, creepy, dark, sinister, odd, cute and sad at the same time. And that was alright, it worked really well with the way the story progressed.
The ending caught me off guard. I reckon it ended in the perfect place, making this such an incredible tale. It touched serious matters and made the situation of the people living them very understandable to someone who doesn't know them. In fact, I believe this book was quite the allegory!
I recommend this one hundred per cent, and I really hope to read more by this author in the future.

The Empath (Erica Crouch)

Synopsis:
In a Victorian society fascinated by spiritualists, something wicked sinks its claws in from the other side.
Odessa is a psychic; her mother, the Great Madame Elena, is a fraud. After a séance goes terribly wrong and a woman ends up dead, an evil force slips into the land of the living.
Though Odessa and her mother try to outpace the rumors spreading, they can't escape the danger that has taken residence within Odessa herself. When Odessa is shouldered with the responsibility of the Great Madame Elena’s business, she starts to lose control of the spirit world, and she can’t afford to make another mistake.
Asked to open the door to the other side again, Odessa witnesses a brutal murder that hints at black magic and is faced with a choice: risk her life for freedom from her mother, or go on living a life of servitude. If she goes into a trance again, will she be able to maintain control?

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
This was such a great opportunity to read a book surrounded by fantasy and occult elements at the time that I did.
It's more of short story, but it didn't feel like it. It was like reading a full novel, with so much action, adventure and misunderstood characters.
The Empath was fast-paced and sad and beautiful and kind of amazing. It puts the reader under a spell, and I can't remember a single time when I felt bored. I honestly couldn't stop reading it until I had finished.
All the eerie, occult and fantasy parts were spot-on. Everything was done perfectly, or almost perfectly.
The only problem I kind of had with it was something I thought I wouldn't see in this story, but that I wasn't surprised to find - romance. I thought the romance as a whole was good, but the way it was handled left something to be desired. It was quite angsty, but I can't really blame anyone for that. I reckon it's something most authors have a problem with, creating realistic situations when there's a cute boy in the room with the female main character. I find authors try to make their conversation quirky and flirthy, even if they don't realise it. It can work, and it can become a really good romance. This one didn't, be it because of the time period it was set in, or because the characters had just met. Now, after all that, I must say, I can't really call this a problem. I was so enthralled by the story and the atmosphere, I didn't even care about the less fortunate part of the deal.
Finally, I think Erica Crouch nailed that ending. It left me there wanting more, and I reckon that, at the end of the day, that is a real win for an author.
Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed this and I will read anything by this author that I can get my hands on.

An Hour in the Darkness (Michael Bailey)

Release Date: October 28th 2014 

Synopsis:
Michael Bailey’s new novel charts the unsettling and powerful story of one young man’s slide into a confused reality.
‘I have been hugely inspired by JD Salinger – The Catcher in the Rye,’ observes Edinburgh author Michael. ‘I enjoy using the first person narrative and this style works well with An Hour in the Darkness.’ Michael’s novel begins when his narrator, Franklin, suffers a bang on his head that jars his grasp on reality. Franklin begins his desperate journey through his home town in his search of love, forgiveness and understanding. He finds comfort in conversations with his young sister Jenny – but as he reveals himself to be a highly unreliable narrator, we must ask if Jenny exists or is merely a figment of his troubled mind?
Franklin is increasingly losing touch with reality when, against the backdrop of a local landmark he meets a man he believes to be God. This stranger tells of his own son who had similar problems and in his increasing confusion Franklin believes the man is likening him to Jesus. As Franklin’s life spirals further out of control his behaviour becomes ever more erratic, culminating in his touching, frightening attempts to win the affections of market-girl Ronnie, who is fascinated and frightened in turn by this strange, funny, ill young man.
Dealing with such universal themes as loss, love, guilt, forgiveness, relationships and mental health, this is an unsettling, but powerful, novel which will appeal to readers of books such as The Shock of the Fall.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I... I don't even know how I can give my opinion on this book. As soon as I read the synopsis on Netgalley, I knew I needed to read this, and thank God I did. For Chrissake, An Hour in the Darkness was just crazy, and emotional, and insane.
It starts of with the main character, Franklin, hitting his head really hard and, from then on, we follow him in his journey through madness and back again.
I must admit, I couldn't put it down. It just pulls you on right from the start. I reckon part of this is due to the dialogue style narrative, in which Franklin talks directly to us. As the book progresses, we get to see his quirky characteristics, as well as his view on life and everything around him.
Franklin, in my opinion, was that rare kind of character that should be a horrible person to be around in real life, but that, seeing the world though his eyes, we can't help but absolutely love and pity. He knows he's not well, and yet he still truly believes he's this type of heartbreaker. I found him to be such a fascinating character. He's just trying to find himself, his own self before he hit his head, forgiveness and love. And although he is a very unreliable narrator, you can't help but want his version of reality to be true.
We also get to meet Jenny, his sister, a man he believes to be God and Ronnie. This was one of the most emotional and heartwarming cast of characters I have read in a good time. And I must admit, a few moments made me cry. I was really upset throughout the latter half of the book, but in a very good way.
It was such a powerful and poignant book and I recommend it to everyone. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Nailbiter Volume 1: There Will Be Blood (Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson and Adam Guzowski- Illustrations)

Release Date: October 14th 2014 

Synopsis:
Where do serial killers come from? And why has Buckaroo, Oregon given birth to sixteen of the most vile serial killers in the world?
NSA Agent Nicholas Finch needs to solve that mystery in order to save his friend, and he'll have to team up with the infamous Edward "Nailbiter" Warren to do it.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
So... I had no idea what I was getting into when I requested this book, but it didn't take long to figure that out.
I think it's safe to say that this graphic novel completely beat all the other ones I read. It was the most gruesome, amazing and eerie story I read this month.
I was biting my nails (excuse my choice of words) throughout the whole thing. The art was so realistic and terrifying it gave this an extremely mysterious and spooky setting, and I guess reading it under the covers at night didn't hurt.
I couldn't stop reading this, and when it ended I was crying for more, while, at the same time, hoping I would never have to go trough that rollercoaster ride again.
As a whole, I can't find a single flaw I feel like I need to point out. The authors perfectly nailed it... sorry.
Honestly, I can't even think of anything else to say. I was so terrified at everything... it was like being in a trance, surrounded by the worst serial killers I ever heard about. For me, the perfect quick Halloween read.

Doomboy (Tony Sandoval)

Synopsis:
A lonely, metal-obsessed teen sends a heartfelt song to his missing beloved, only to find out that his
music has traveled to the beyond, and re-broadcast to the entire city.
Only his best friend knows that he is really the mysterious rock god and anonymous legend known as "Doomboy."

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
Another graphic novel to add to my collection. And this one I will definitely have to get my hands on the physical copy.
I always feel sad, because there isn't much one can say about a graphic novel of this sort, but I will do my best to convey my thoughts.
All throughout the book the atmosphere and plot line were so extraordinary and melancholic, sad and entertaining, depressing and lighthearted, all at once.
I reckon what made this work really well was the way the kind of supernatural elements were portrayed. The whole idea and mystic characters were very well done and the drawings were the most beautiful, intense ones so far, of all of the graphic novels I have read. They completely immersed me in the story and almost made me feel like I was really there, feeling the wind in my hair and the sand on my feet, listening to the pain in Doomboy's songs.
It was an amazing read for a stormy day and I completely recommend it.

Dresden Files: War Cry (Jim Butcher, Carlos Gómez - Illustrator, and others)

Release Date: November 11th 2014 

Synopsis:
A war is raging between the vampire forces of the Red Court and the White Council — a war that the
So desperate are the Council that they've dragooned the experienced and the outcast to reinforce their thinning ranks of Wardens.
One of these draftees is one Harry Dresden, Chicago's only wizard-for-hire and a guy who's long been looked upon with suspicion by the supernatural authorities.
Now, he's one of them, and his first big mission as a Warden is a doozy: take a small team of greenhorns to a frigid town in the middle of nowhere to rescue a handful of mortals who've been targeted by the Red Court.
The question is, why exactly are these particular mortals so crucial to the outcome of the war?
The answer will come only if Harry can keep them, and his team, alive for one very long night.
This graphic novel collects the critically acclaimed, five-issue series in one volume, and features a bonus section with Jim Butcher's original story outline, sketchbook artwork from Carlos Gomez, cover gallery with roughs from Stjepan Sejic, and more!
wizards are losing.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I have heard of Jim Butcher through many sources, specially Booktube, about his Codex Alera series, so when I saw his name under the title, I had to download it.
The Dresden Files seems to be an acclaimed urban fantasy series he wrote, that now gets turned into a graphic novel series. I have not read the original, but I can talk about this graphic novel as that: a graphic novel.
It was extremely enjoyable, being because of the explosive and addictive plot, the colourful action-packed illustrations or the quirkiness and badassness of the characters. Either way, it worked.
So, Harry Dresden, the main character, was absolutely fantastic. A great badass lider that kept his cool throughout a vampire atack. As for his team, each had their quirky personalities, wich made them so well portrayed.The vampires in this were so terrifying. The illustrators did an amazing job at scaring the crap outta me with all the supernatural elements.
War Cry constantly kept me on the edge of my seat, although it was kind of predictable.
Overall, a solid 4 or 4.5 out of 5 stars, and I can not wait to read the next one, as well as the original book series.

The Red Magician (Lisa Goldstein)

Synopsis:  
Winner of the 1983 American Book Award: In the shadow of the Holocaust, a young girl discovers the power of magic.
In the schoolroom of a simple European village, Kicsi spends her days dreaming of the lands beyond the mountains: Paris and New York, Arabia and Shanghai. When the local rabbi curses Kicsi’s school for teaching lessons in Hebrew, the holy tongue, the possibility of adventure seems further away than ever. But when a mysterious stranger appears telling stories of far-off lands, Kicsi feels the world within her grasp.
His name is Vörös, and he is a magician’s assistant who seems to have powers all his own. There is darkness growing at the edge of the village—a darkness far blacker than any rabbi’s curse. Vörös warns of the Nazi threat, but only Kicsi hears what he says. As evil consumes a continent, Vörös will teach Kicsi that sometimes the magician’s greatest trick is survival.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I really, really wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t.

In fact, I was honestly expecting to love it. I mean, magic during the Holocaust… right up my alley. How can you go wrong with that?

The problem was the fact that it wasn’t done as I imagined. For that same reason, I have a lot to say about this book, so sit tight.

It had such an incredible and intriguing premise. A girl meets a magician that foresees the Holocaust. I was genuinely excited.
But, as soon as I started, I realized this was not going to be the book I initially thought, at all.
Now, before I start with what I didn't like about The Red Magician, I should say that I did enjoy Lisa Goldstein's writing. It was simple but used very good descriptions. But that was it.
It took me so long to get through a 127-page story because, the entire time, I felt so disconnected from everything. I didn't get to know the characters enough to care about what happened to them and I found most of them to be particularly unlikable. Their decisions, what they said, what they though... it was all so unrealistic and two-dimensional, I felt I was watching everything happen underwater. I was outside and I felt bored while being there, to be honest.
Some parts just dragged on and on and on and on, while others suddenly stopped, and when it restarted, a year had gone by. The big laps in time, as well as the inconsistency between them let me feeling like I was reading 5 different short stories. The atmosphere, the plot, the feelings it gave me, everything felt as though it had been written by very different authors for very different books.. very confusing books.
I need to mention the main characters: Kicsi and Vörös. On one side, Vörös felt as though he was written to be that one very likable character, that we were supposed to love. The wise magician. I just disliked him, because, being a magician, he could have done so much more to help the situation, but instead he just disappeared in random and very inconvenient moments in time. And although I did dislike him, nothing compares to Kicsi. She was such an annoying character. I found myself wanting to shout at her most of the time. Not wanting to spoil anyone, I need to mention this particular case: when the Germans arrived and Kicsi's family and friends were taken, she just accepted the fact that her parents and siblings were dead... she just cared that she might never see that random older guy that appeared midway through the story (and to whom she had told her biggest secret), the one she had met the previous year for two days and fallen in love with (particularly bad case of insta-love). And whenever she tough about how so many people had died, she immediately though of him, she never mentioned the family she had lived with for 11 years.
Now, I could have lived with how unrealistic the whole thing was, how bad guys immediately turned good if you just talked to them, because you 'couldn't' have done that before everyone was dead. What I couldn't deal with was the fact that the main thing that drew me to this book, the Holocaust, was only a very small part of the book. It was barely mentioned, and when it did happen, it just went by in 20 pages.
In the end, I just thought this book was trying to be a very emotional Holocaust book and it ended up being the only Holocaust book I disliked.
The ending kind of redeemed the rest of it and kept me from giving this 2 stars, but still, I really, really didn't want to have to write this review.

Alive (Hajime Taguchi)

Synopsis:
GEN Manga is Indie Manga from the Tokyo Underground.
GEN Manga was made to give fans an exclusive look at real doujinshi, otherwise known as indie manga, that they had heard about, but until now, unable to get their hands on.
In its essence, doujinshi is manga traded among other manga artists. Manga for manga lovers!
Seemingly mundane events twist with an unusual presence of the unreal as the psyche of ordinary people is explored.
Depression, time, and thought are redefined.
Alive is a collection of melancholy love stories saturated with sadness.
Characters struggle to connect with one another but never quite succeed. They are essentially alone.
Enter a world that is dark and disturbing — suicide is constantly contemplated and feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and suppressed sexuality surface as identity itself becomes a terribly fragile thing.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
I have been having a real adventure reading graphic novels and mangas lately, and this was no exception.
This is another Gen Manga production, but I enjoyed it a lot more than Sorako. It was still about normal people, but it had an tiny something of surreal and it made of this a very good read.
The stories had no logical sequence, but in this one that was okay, because there wasn't a main character: it combined a lot of people, living their everyday lives... and discovering that life isn't always as our narrow vision imagines it.
Although it was quite weird and, I'd say, eccentric, it was still emotional at times and I felt it dealt with themes we don't often see in literature, serious themes. And because of the themes handled in Alive, as well as the way it dealt with them, I think it was an extremely bold book. Very, very graphic, I would not recommend this to younger readers, but I found it to be an extraordinarily brave way to write a manga about such matters.
Finally, I reckon there is more to this than what it looks like on the surface. It was an intense and profound story to existencial levels and I think I still have a lot to discover beyond the beautiful illustrations used in here.

Dover Graphic Novel Classics: Dracula (Bram Stoker, adapted by John Green... not that one)

Release Date: November, 19th 2014  

Synopsis:
Readers will be spellbound by this graphic novel version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The granddaddy of all the modern vampire stories, the immortal tale unfolds in a gripping journey into the past that recounts a Victorian-era struggle against ancient evil. Original illustrations add an extra allure to this easy-to-read edition. This Dover Graphic Novel Classic offers readers ages 8 and up an exciting introduction to a time-honored tale. Expertly abridged and packed with dramatic illustrations, this version offers a streamlined narrative that retains all of the storytelling essentials.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
Another graphic novel/manga adaptation of a classic tale.
I have never read the original book by Bram Stoker, but I have wanted to for years. For this same reason, I feel like I can't judge this graphic novel as an adaptation of Dracula, because I don't know it in its raw, original form, so I am going to review it based on what it is, and how much I enjoyed it as an independent graphic novel (of course I will still mention briefly how I think this was adapted, but only with what I know of the original).
This was a very (very) short adaptation, perfect to see if the story itself interests you, or to flip through if you have read the actual book.
I found the illustrations to be amazing, and very graphic, in the sense that you could almost feel the cold emanating from the vampires in the story. As a graphic novel about vampires, I believe the black and white illustrations worked really well. And even though I would have appreciated if it were a bit longer, I think that, overall, the story was conveyed quite well and the adaptation by not-the-fault-in-our-stars-John Green was successful to a certain extent.
A short review for a short book, but this definitely inspired me to go out and read the classic vampire story and see for myself how scary and gruesome vampires originally were.

Sorako (Takayuki Fujimura)

Synopsis:
GEN Manga is Indie Manga from the Tokyo Underground.
GEN Manga was made to give fans an exclusive look at real doujinshi, otherwise known as indie manga, that they had heard about, but until now, unable to get their hands on.
In its essence, doujinshi is manga traded among other manga artists. Manga for manga lovers!
Sorako lives an ordinary life. And this is an ordinary story. She has friends and family, loves her dog, thinks about life, and occasionally looks for work (kinda). These are the adventures into a typical girl's life.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
Like I have mentioned before, I am not used at all to the Manga/Comic Book style of writing and reading experience, so this was a new adventure for me.
Yet again, this isn't a big action kind of book. It is a manga about a normal girl living her life, through heartbreaks, lost dogs and part-time jobs. And I must say that made her sound very real. She was a real person.
The art gave this a very special touch: it was so perfect, almost surreal, but that, somehow, made me feel like I was actually looking at real-life situations of a selected group of people. Everything was so beautifully drawn I actually wished I could be in there.
Now, although I really enjoyed this book, it had a couple of flaws I can't overlook. First (and I believe this might be my problem, not the story's), I couldn't relate to the main character at all: yes, she felt like a real person, but not exactly a very likeable real person. I felt she was kind of naïve and I couldn't like her personality and the majority of her actions at all.
Also, most of the story was very confusing. I reckon it lacked a logical sequence of events and a little more explanation on what was going on. I guess this could be a characteristic of mangas and comic books, but I still felt it had potential to be a little bit more than it ended up being.
With all that, I still very much recommend this to manga fans and I will definitely be continuing my manga/comic book adventure.

Soppy - A Love Story (Philippa Rice)

Release Date: December, 2nd 2014  

Synopsis:
The wildly popular web comic SOPPY--with more than half a million notes on Tumblr--is the illustrated love story of author Philippa Rice and her real-life boyfriend. True love isn't always about the big romantic gestures. Sometimes it's about sympathizing with someone whose tea has gone cold or reading together and sharing a quilt. When two people move in together, it soon becomes apparent that the little things mean an awful lot. The throwaway moments in life become meaningful when you spend them in the company of someone you love.
SOPPY is Philippa Rice's collection of comics and illustrations based on real-life moments with her boyfriend. From grocery shopping to silly arguments and snuggling in front of the television, SOPPY captures the universal experience of sharing a life together, and celebrates the beauty of finding romance all around us.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
I have only read two graphic novels in my life and they were, for the most part, great experiences. Why it took me so long to read another one remains a mystery to me. But I am glad I found this one.
First of all, this isn't an adventure story, an epic quest to safe the kingdom, or even a hero's journey to find love. The characters in this book have already found love and this is their story. Their real story. With hardly any text and fantastic illustrations in white, black and red, we find here the simple story of two people that decided to share their lives with each other. That is what I really loved about this: besides being based on the author's real relationship, they show a side of romance we don't usually see in books: we never get to look at those little moments where nothing happens, yet so much occurs. I was immediately drawn by that, when I first saw this, and it fascinated me to think that a book could actually be made of pure love, nothing else, and still make us feel like we are reading something meaningful and beautiful.
And, although it was a very fast book to read and look trough, I still had the feeling that I traveled trough the years with this couple and it made me feel like I was part of an even bigger adventure than the one I mention in the beginning. The best words I can think of to summarize this review are 'cute', 'lovely', 'sweet', 'funny', 'sad'... and maybe 'soppy'.
I seriously recommend this to anyone who's feeling down and just wants a simple, quick pick-me-up to brighten their day.

A Song for Ella Grey (David Almond)

Release Date: October, 2nd 2014

Synopsis:
A lyrical teenage love story inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Set in the urban landscape and coastal headlands of the North East of England, David Almond brings his legendary storytelling to this heart-breaking tale, giving it the intoxicating urgency and absolute beauty he is so admired for.
"I'm the one who's left behind. I'm the one to tell the tale. I knew them both... knew how they lived and how they died."
Claire is Ella Grey's best friend. She's there when the whirlwind arrives on the scene: catapulted into a North East landscape of gutted shipyards; of high arched bridges and ancient collapsed mines. She witnesses a love so dramatic it is as if her best friend has been captured and taken from her. But the loss of her friend to the arms of Orpheus is nothing compared to the loss she feels when Ella is taken from the world. This is her story - as she bears witness to a love so complete; so sure, that not even death can prove final.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
I went into this book not knowing what to expect, at all. I had never heard of the author or one of his books, so I really went into it blind. For that reason, I was so pleasantly surprised with what I encountered. As soon as I started reading it, I couldn't put it down...
While I was reading it, I didn't know where I was, who I was and what people around me were saying. I felt only what the characters felt, particularly what Claire felt, and I was where they were, did what they did.
Most of the characters were so likable and it was very easy to connect with Claire and Ella and feel empathy for them. Ella and Orpheus, especially were so interesting to read about, such fascinating characters. You can't help but love them and wish you understood what they were expressing. Then, on the other side, was Claire. Her affection for Ella is almost palpable and it brought tears to my eyes how she talked about her best friend and when we could see her relationship with her evolve.
I still have so much to say about this book, and yet I feel like I can't say enough. I think the best way I can find to describe the experience of reading this book is what I think being in a dream must feel like. Nothing was real, yet everything felt as if I'd been there myself. It was youth in a book, I think. I felt young, I felt alive and, at the same time, I felt dead, paralysed at the beautiful, incredible writing still. I was wraped by the arms of David Almond's magnificent, profound words and the hidden depths of the story.
In fact, throughout the book I found a lot of quotes that I thought explained this book to perfection, but this was, I believe, the one that stuck with me the most, and completely summarizes this review: «He sang for us and played for us and made us feel... But there's no words for what he made us feel.»
I really can't get over how much I loved 'A Song for Ella Grey' and I don't think I ever will, and I really don't mind. It was exactly the book I needed and it has become one of my favourites. I honestly changed my life and my view on so many things. I will definitely be getting a physical copy of this book, so I can have it and hold it and love it and read it over and over and over.