Ink & Stone

It's been a few months since I wrote up the stuff I've been reading/watching so, uh, I'm declaring bankruptcy and just starting with what I've read this month so far. It's been too long to recall my reactions and thoughts properly.

Sensor by Junji Ito
I think I'd like to have a conversation with Ito about his love of unknowable women with stupendous, life-ruining powers.

Fist of the North Star 1 by Buronson
So VIZ is bringing us this classic in hardcover! It's the right time for it. The manga market is stable—if anything it's exploding but not catastrophic in the way of the 2000s bubble; more like so many people are just buying it that printers can't keep up—and it'll tolerate special editions of classic manga. And Fist of the North Star is a classic! Look at this post-apocalyptic Mad Max aesthetic. You know, while reading this, I realized I'd never actually read the manga? I'd only watched the anime and know the "You're already dead" memes.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I loved Daisy Jones and the Six so I had to pick up her latest. I listened to this in audiobook, which was an interesting experience LOL. For all that I devour podcasts, I am not really an audiobook person. This was decent, though? In terms of the book itself, I think I liked Daisy Jones more—but that book was AMAZING. It's not fair to compare. This one really captures the sense of summer and the beach, and I loved the family saga structure of it. I thought Nina's story was especially gripping and I cheered for her ending.

The Apothecary Diaries 1 by Natsu Hyuuga
The manga version of this has been charting really well but if given the option, I always pick up the original light novel in cases like these. (See: The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent.) It's about Maomao, who worked as an apothecary and pharmacist in the red light district before she was kidnapped off the street and sold to the imperial palace as a maid. She tries to keep her head down and finish out her tenure, but alas Maomao is too smart for her own good and can't help meddling. When she saves a favored consort and her infant daughter, Maomao attracts the attention of Jinsu, a eunuch* who oversees the rear palace (where the concubines live), who decides to make use of Maomao's skills and smarts to solve little mysteries around the palace.

(*The light novel says he's a eunuch and Maomao thinks he is, but this isn't my first time around the fantasy/light novel/manga block and I smell a rat. If Jinsu isn't an imperial prince in disguise, I'll eat my nonexistent hat!)

Trese episodes 1-6
I had the opportunity to watch screeners of this last weekend, thanks to my freelancing for Den of Geek. The show's pretty great. I like how they wove the episodic nature of the early cases into a cohesive overarching story. I can’t wait to see the general reaction to this show. I hope it does well so we get an S2. There's a tease for it in ep6's post-credits. (I'm also curious to see how many people reveal themselves to be monster fuckers courtesy of Maliksi LOL.) It drops tomorrowish on Netflix. (Time zones are confounding.)

What's Next
I picked up the next Apothecary Diaries light novel. License more female-led light novels like this, please.

All right, it's time for an update! Lots of manga this time around.

Boss Wife 1 by Mayu Sakurai
Sexy josei romance. A young woman's been saddled with her deadbeat dad's debts and it's ruining her life. She runs into her high school crush and they reconnect, but guess what? He comes from a yakuza family. Anyway, stuff happens and they come to an agreement. If she marries him, he'll take care of her debts. As for what he gets out of it--he needs a wife to become the next yakuza head.

Ridiculous premise and nothing really new here, but it's well done and the characters are likeable. Both of them are very earnest in pursuing their goals, and it's quite charming. Definitely want to continue reading this series.

Days on Fes 1 by Kanato Oka
Low-conflict slice of life. It's about going to music festivals! (Listen, indulge in those fantasies during these Trying Times™.) There are two pairs of friends: a girl who's introduced to music festivals by her best friend and the best friend's older brother and his friend, who are seasoned music festival veterans. This one's nice to read if you want something chill. It also gives you festival-going tips, LOL!

Lovesickness by Junji Ito
Junji Ito's latest anthology coming out next month. Some of the short stories are interconnected. I think I enjoyed this more than his last anthology because of that, but once again, Junji Ito stories are fucked up and these are no different.

Eniale & Dewiela 1-2 by Kamome Shirahama
This is by the mangaka of Witch Hat Atelier, so the art's beautiful. Think Crowley and Aziraphale from Good Omens but women.

Golden Japaneseque 1 by Kaho Miyasaka
This one's interesting and has a lot of potential. I need to read another volume or two before I can form a definite opinion, though.

As for what's next, it turns out Anne Bishop recently wrote a couple more novels in the Black Jewels series. Those books are super messy, idtastic fantasy, but that's what makes them easy to read. So I got the new ones LMAO. The last Black Jewels book came out a decade ago now and was a collection of short stories, the last being a novella in which the literal Mary Sue who was the focus of the entire series died and the love of her life married someone else after a one-night stand that resulted in a pregnancy. Wild authorial choices, y'all.

(Caveat: I actually really like stories where people find love again after loss and moving on or loving multiple people over a lifetime but DAMN. I think my issue with that storyline has always been 1) how do you create the most idtastic fantasy to ever id and then inject these more serious themes that, quite frankly, are beyond your range, Anne Bishop, and 2) Surreal should have ridden off into the sunset with Karla and had wild lesbian adventures with her & I'll forever be salty this never happened.)

Anyway, I'll read these two new Black Jewels books and report back. Look forward to it!

It's been a while since I've done one of these. Let's take a look at what noteworthy things I read in January.

( I read a surprising amount! )

I'm currently reading I'm in Love with the Villainess, which is another isekai light novel. This one is about a woman who transmigrates into her favorite otome but instead of romancing any of the guys, she romances the villainess who—in the original game—is the heroine's rival.

A slightly different format than usual but it's been a while since I did a media consumption post.

Books
I just finished reading Jade City by Fonda Lee, which is like a mashup of The Godfather, Hong Kong cinema, and Asian family sagas? If you like that sort of thing, you'll like this book. If you don't, you probably won't. Of course, I love criminals of all types so I was all in.

I appreciated it a lot because it is a VERY ASIAN book and wow, was that refreshing. But as a result, if you're not Asian, you might not completely get some of the dynamics at play. I don't think it'll detract from enjoying the book but in having conversations with non-Asian readers of this book, it's clear some mapping of Western ideas was happening, which was leading to some confusion and radically different interpretations.

Anime
I'm watching Ace of Diamond and Demon Slayer this season. Ace of Diamond was a no-brainer because this season adapts Act II, which I love and made me start thinking of the overall series as "a slow-burn hate-to-love story in which the relationship is between you & Eijun Sawamura and it makes me crack up just to think about it. I HATED Eijun so much in the beginning of the series, but I love him so much now.

Demon Slayer surprised me with how much I'm enjoying it because I thought I was done with Shonen Jump's formula of "boy aspires to be the best!!!" but I guess it still works for me if it's more along the lines "boy aspires to get good at something for the sake of REVENGE AND FAMILY!!"

Manga
I discovered a new manga called Spy x Family on Shueisha's Manga+ app! It's about a spy and hitwoman who fake marry each other -- him to preserve peace, her to get her brother off her back -- and raise a psychic girl. The spy and hitwoman don't know each other's true identities; the girl does because she's...psychic. It's hilarious and amazing.

Future Aspirations
Mmm, I have the next book in that Chinese restaurant cozy mystery series out from the library (hard copy) as well as Chanel Cleeton's Next Year in Havana borrowed on Libby (digital).

Oh! And I joined a Gangsta-related Discord server and they resurrected a Gangsta-themed Week, which is awesome because I missed it the first (and only) time it ran years ago because I was on vacation. LMAO Maybe I'll write some fanfic? It's been 3 years...do I still remember how, is the question.

Recently Finished
Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien: This is the first book in that cozy mystery series about a Chinese restaurant! As people have asked, there aren't recipes in the book. Sorry! I know that's a cozy mystery convention but not here. I'd consider this a light read (though I guess most cozies are) but it was refreshing to see all the cultural aspects incorporated -- not just within the family but also within the Chinese-American community. I put a library hold on the next one in the series!

Currently Reading
I'd been planning to read a couple Victoria Schwab books but I'm not in the mood. I'm currently drafting a YA fantasy right now and I'm just not wanting to read any YA or fantasy at the moment.

What's Next
I have a bunch of thrillers from BotM in my TBR pile so I'll try those, I guess. They're not YA or fantasy, so hopefully they'll stick. Even manga hasn't been doing it for me!