Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God #1 by Adachitoka Mutsumi is in a bad way. Not only is she under stress studying for the high school entrance exams, but her classmates have turned against her, bullying Mutsumi and encouraging her to self-harm. She’s locked herself in a toilet stall for a good cry when suddenly… Continue reading Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God #1
Tag: bullying
Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan
Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki This is the first volume of Shigeru Mizuki’s massive history of Japan during the reign of Emperor Hirohito, the “Showa Era,” It was a long reign, covering most of the Twentieth Century, from 1926-1989. In addition to the larger story of Japan, it… Continue reading Manga Review: Showa 1926 1939 a History of Japan
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine July 2016
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine July 2016 edited by Janet Hutchings Frederick Dannay, who along with Manfred B. Lee wrote the Ellery Queen mystery stories, was asked by Mercury Press to be the editor of a new magazine that would print a higher class of detective stories than the general run of pulps, with… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine July 2016
Book Review: Lois Lane: Fallout
Book Review: Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond Getting in trouble her first day at East Metropolis High School was not Lois Lane’s plan. Keeping her head down, fitting in, allowing her family to settle in for her general father’s new long-term assignment, that was the plan. But when she witnesses a student’s report of… Continue reading Book Review: Lois Lane: Fallout
Movie Review: Tokyo Gore School
Movie Review: Tokyo Gore School Fujiwara leads a double life. He’s the leader of a gang of high school bullies, and also the teacher-trusted student president. He’s reasonably comfortable with this, having a binary view of life. There are winners and losers, and he’s determined to be a winner. Fujiwara is baffled, however, when… Continue reading Movie Review: Tokyo Gore School
Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Vol. 2
Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Vol. 2 by Kohei Horikoshi I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, or at least a nice Thursday! In keeping with the holiday spirit, let’s have a second helping. Brief recap: Izuku Midoriya always wanted to be a superhero, but was born without a “quirk”, unlike 80% of the… Continue reading Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Vol. 2
Book Review: Jewish Noir
Book Review: Jewish Noir edited by Kenneth Wishnia Many of the themes of noir fiction, alienation, hostile society, darkness and bitter endings, resonate with the experience of Jewish people. So it’s not surprising that it was easy to find submissions for an anthology of thirty-plus noir stories with Jewish themes. (Not all of the authors are… Continue reading Book Review: Jewish Noir
Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1
Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1 by Miki Yoshikawa Ryu Yamada is a delinquent. His time at Suzaku High School is marked by poor attendance, bad grades and getting into fights. His surly attitude is reflected by other students giving him a wide berth and teachers giving him hassle. One day, after being… Continue reading Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1
Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition
Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition edited by Judith Merrill This 1960 book features a selection of speculative fiction short stories published during the 1958-60 time period. Editor Judith Merrill provides an introduction about the concept of wonder, chatty introductions to each story (she doesn’t think much of Kingsley Amis as a… Continue reading Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition
Book Review: Fresh Fear
Book Review: Fresh Fear edited by William Cook Horror anthologies are like a box of chocolates. One story might be crunchy frog, another spring surprise, while a more disappointing one is just maple cream. (Seriously, maple cream?) This is because horror tends to be a balancing act between what the writer finds scary and what… Continue reading Book Review: Fresh Fear