Book Reviews by Today, I Read…

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne

First line: Two days after my father had a massive stroke my mother shot herself in the head.

Initial thoughts: After reading the first couple of pages, I can say that this one looks like it’s going to leave me a bit breathless. The reason I wanted to read it, however, was the air of dark mystery that permeated the storyline.

Book description:

For ten years, Alexandra “Cat” Rucker has been on the run from her past. With an endless supply of bourbon and a series of meaningless jobs, Cat is struggling to forget her Ohio hometown and the rural farmhouse she once called home. But a sudden call from an old neighbor forces Cat to return to the home and family she never intended to see again. It seems that Cat’s mother is dead.

What Cat finds at the old farmhouse is disturbing and confusing: a suicide note, written on lilac stationery and neatly sealed in a ziplock bag, that reads: Cat, He isn’t who you think he is. Mom xxxooo.

One note, ten words–one for every year she has been gone–completely turns Cat’s world upside down. Seeking to unravel the mystery of her mother’s death, Cat must confront her past to discover who “he” might be: her tyrannical, abusive father, now in a coma after suffering a stroke? Her brother, Jared, named after her mother’s true love (who is also her father’s best friend)? The town coroner, Andrew Reilly, who seems to have known Cat’s mother long before she landed on a slab in his morgue? Or Addison Watkins, Cat’s first and only love?

The closer Cat gets to the truth, the harder it is for her to repress the memory and the impact of the events that sent her away so many years ago.

Book Details: 240 pages; Ballantine Books; Pub. July 28, 2009

Learn more:

• Read and excerpt
• Reviews:
  • On My Bookshelf… Review
  • Popin’s Lair Review
  • Books and Movies Review

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Utopia’s Avenger by Oh Se-Kwon

First line: Company, halt! (Volume 1)

Initial thoughts: Since the manga that I’d been soaking up lately were along the lines of laid-back comedy or supernatural suspense, I decided I should probably throw in a bit of action. Utopia’s Avenger won out because the art is awesome and the story sounded interesting.

Book description:

Once, there was a legendary kingdom called Yuldo, an ideal country in which peace and prosperity flourished for years. The heroic warrior Hong Gil-Dong created this utopian land–and then suddenly disappeared without a trace. But time passed, and a band of ruthless warriors invaded the kingdom, leaving it in utter ruins…

Now, Hong Gil-Dong has returned, determined to raise his village from the ashes. But evil forces lurk in the shadows, observing our hero’s every move–waiting for the opportunity to strike down utopia’s avenger…

Book Details: 200 pages (each volume); TokyoPop; Pub. December 2006 – April 2007

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: We Shadows by Sonny Strait

First line: I keep having these blackouts. (The words "possible alcoholic?" are written on a notepad next to the talk bubble–just to give you perspective.)

Initial thoughts: What drew me in was the cover. The artwork was adorable and very much my own personal style preference when it comes to anime. What tipped the scales was the whacked out story synopsis–a possibly delusional fairy-princess in training named Goat whose only friend is a talking mushroom? Yeah, you know I had to get it.

Book description:

He Who Pulleth the Trigger of the Big Honkin’ Gun in the Rock Shall Be Puck

There is a song–it is a key to unlocking a gateway into a world of Shadows. A dark yet magical place where faeries, ogres and hobgoblins co-exist. One such creature is Goat, a homely being considered insane by the others. Her only friend is a talking mushroom who assures her she is a "fairy princess in training." However the truth of Goat’s destiny is far more interesting…

Follow Goat as she unlocks the secret of her origins and her untapped power–a world of magic is just a song away!

Book Details: 192 pages; TokyoPop; Pub. August 14, 2007

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: Alichino by Kouyu Shurei

First line: Compassionate…yet cruel.

Initial thoughts: I knew what I was getting into when I picked up this one.

From the description, it sounded like an interesting concept–beautiful creatures granting wishes to those who need them–but from the reviews, it was clear the story was convoluted at best.

What finally made me say "yes" was the artwork. It’s quite elegant and even if I end up hating the story, at least I’ll have the beautiful pictures to look at.

Book description:

Beautiful creates called Alichino grant wishes to those in need–but at a price! A young lady searching for an Alichino wants to bring her brother back to life. She meets Tsugiri, a handsome young man who she thinks is an Alichino. Tsugiri turns out to be a mere mortal, but he does have a mysterious connection with these rare creatures–a connection that will bring danger to those around him.

Book Details: 164 pages; TokyoPop; Pub. February 8, 2005

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: DearS by Peach-Pit

First line: Move your ass, Takeya!!*

Initial thoughts: DearS looked way too cute and the story sounded way too hilarious for me to pass up. Plus, I absolutely adore the artistic style–even the buxom alien girls have that sweet dear-caught-in-headlights look.

Book description:

A Close Encounter of the Oh-So-Fine Kind

The DearS have crash-landed on Earth and are now working with humans to become part of society–by going to high school! Lucky for the loveless Takeya, he stumbles upon an alien honey who is in desperate need of an education. Lucky for her, Takeya’s neighbor is there to keep the young man’s libido in check.

Book Details: Vol. 1 200 pages, Vol. 2 & 3 208 pages; TokyoPop; Pub. January – July 2005

*I took the first actual line of dialog from the start of the story, though there are a few preface pages. For the curious, it begins: “What an incredible sight! Ladies and gentlemen, what we’re witnessing here is a real UFO!”