Your & My Secret vol. 1

Ok, the premise of this series caught and drew me in quickly: A girl who acts much too "boyish" and a boy much too shy that has a huge crush on her accidentally swap bodies! Crazy! Gonna be funny. Recipe for a cute romance.

Not sure that's what I am getting.

I liked the first volume well enough, although I wasn't thrilled with it. Nanako, the female lead, is not my favorite person and I'm not sure that can be changed with her attitude toward Akira, the male lead.

I'm going to give the series a chance, read a few more, and see how I feel about it then. I'll post another review with my later feelings and opinion.

If you've read the series before, let me know what you think. Is it worth finishing? I'd love to know what others thought of it!

The Good Neighbors: Kin

Holly Black in one of the best writers, in my opinion, when it comes to Fay. Almost as if she lived partially in their world herself! The Good Neighbors is no exception to her phenomenal story telling!

In graphic novel format, Black pairs with Naifeh to tell the dark and chilling story of Rue, a teenager whose mother had gone missing, father seems to have lost touch with reality, and whose own world seems to be turning into one crazed distortion of reality. Trying to get a grip on something Rue is thrown for a loop when she discovers her mother was a faerie.

This first volume in the series was incredible and gripping, just what I expect from Black! And it has me itching to reach for the next one!

Norse Mythology

Neil Gaiman is simply retelling stories that have been around for some time, stories that have inspired many, stories that are not new. And yet, the writing style of Gaiman changes the telling, makes these stories almost something unique to Gaiman. I found myself looking at a couple of the characters in these tales in a new light, something that usually only happens when an author chooses to re-imagine the stories.
I absolutely loved reading this one. It had me laughing so often and reading aloud large bits to my husband because they were just too wonderful not to share.
Whether you are new to Norse mythology, an old fan of Odin and fam, or just picking this up because of Gaiman, I think you will really enjoy this book!

The Sleeper And The Spindle

Picked this one up to read with my 5 yr old daughter and we were both pleasantly surprised by this unique story. Gaiman does an incredible job of reshaping the tale of sleeping beauty by firstly continuing the tale here, but also twisting the nature of the spell that has been placed upon not only a young princess but eventually on the people in the lands surrounding her kingdom. The Queen of a nearby kingdom, who once slept under a similar curse for a year in a glass coffin, travels with three dwarves to discover the origin of the spell and fix things. Such a wonderfully singular tale that speaks once more to Gaiman's gift of changing everything he touches to something better. Add in the stunning artwork of Chris Riddell and this is a book that holds its audience captive!

I loved this one, would love to add it to my own shelves in the future, and encourage everyone to give it a try. It is short, and worth the read!

The Jane Austen Project

Take two people from our current timeline, give them a crash course in 1815, and toss them back into the past to have them get close to one of the most prolific writers in history. What could possibly go wrong? Well for Rachel Katzman and Liam Finucane it starts with a climbing boy. Can they hope to alter the past as little as possible while trying to become friends with the Austens and get close enough to get their hands on some very personal letters and a manuscript always though unfinished? Or will they change things too much and alter the world they came from?

This was a very interesting read, guys! Flynn tells the story of two people getting to do what a lot of us avid readers wished we could do, go back and meet the writer of some of our favorite stories, get the chance to know her, try to understand her more. But we all know that playing with time travel is a dangerous game. Something Katzman and Finucane learn as soon as they arrive in 1815 and nearly have the whole thing blown over a surly inn keeper and their lack of luggage. Yet they persist.

What follows was a bit of a roller coaster for our characters as they try to balance themselves carefully into a world they really can't fully fit into while trying not to alter the course of history too much. After all they were only sent back to observe, get copies of a few letters and a manuscript, and make it home to tell their superiors what they learned. But Rachel in particular has a very hard time keeping to the mission plan.

I enjoyed the novel, despite how easily it all ended when things did go south for our travelers. It was fun to read of Rachel trying to hold back the fangirl when interacting with Jane. Watching events unfold at the end of Jane's life in a different way. And seeing that world from the eyes of someone from our own time. It all made for a great story told with a wonderful voice. Because while Rachel sometimes annoyed me enough to have me groaning and rolling my eyes, I did like the way Flynn wrote her. The book was fun! I would recommend it to anyone unable to get enough of Jane Austen of Regency era novels!

Attack On Titan vol. 23

So this post is not going to really be a review of the newest edition in the Attack On Titan series. I want to say that the story is getting much more in-depth, the characters are becoming more complex, and well, whose side am I supposed to be on exactly?! Because it is all a convoluted mess. And isn't that exactly what WAR is? Amazing job with the series Hajime Isayama. I am thoroughly entrenched in it and loving every minute.
But that is all I can say about this one without ruining bits of the series from before this. So go pick up the manga if you have not already, and then we can talk more about it.

Instead I want to take a minute to use this post to point out that I finished a book! Ok, so maybe it is already a week into February and my first finished book is actually a manga, and none of that is saying much. But, you know what? We went to the library and I gave up the two books that seemed so darn interesting but I haven't had the commitment to actually read them and instead picked up the next in a series I have been reading for a while and two other books that have caught my eye off and on recently. This is my jumping on the wagon! I'mma read me some books!

2018 Reading Challange

Yeah, I should be hiding my face in shame for the lack of books I have been reading lately. I ended the year 9 books short of my goal and I haven't finished a book in about two months. That being said, I have been reading a lot of stories, just nothing socially acceptable, and I did manage to kick ass with NaNoWriMo this year that had been beyond exciting. Still, seeing my failure with the challenge for 2017, I am going to set a lighter goal for the new year and I plan on really going for it this year!

I am going to meekly claim 24 books for my goal this year. And I am setting no parameters for which books I will read, although I think I will be focusing on books currently on my small shelf in my bedroom, books I have easy access to.

What are you planning to read this year? Let me know if you pick up any real good ones, so I can add them to my list! Hope you have a very bookish new year!