2017 Library Love Challenge

2017 Library Love Challenge

My first "official" reading challenge of the year! I love my library and this challenge encourages me to visit and share the love! In the "modern" age, we don't have to physically walk into the library to show our love, we can also check out books virtually and read them on our eReaders! (Audiobooks count too!)

The 2017 Library Love Challenge is hosted by Bea's Book Nook and Angel's Guilty Pleasures! Here are the Challenge Details and how YOU can join...

Runs: January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017. You can join any time.

*Put a sign up post on your blog or (dedicate a Goodreads shelf or LibraryThing) and link it at the Challenge site.  Make sure it’s public.

*The goal is to read at least twelve (12) books from the library, but you can read more. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.

*Any format will work for this challenge (print, ebook, or audio); as long as you checked it out from the library, it counts.

*Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money.

*Write a review - 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences. Not sure what to write? How about something like, "The plot was a delight, but the characters didn’t capture me."

Levels:
Dewey Decimal: read 12 books
Thrifty Reader: read 24 books
Overdrive Junkie: read 36 books

Library Card on Fire: read 50+ books

*There are also going to be Giveaways for participating! You can read more on that at...

2017 Library Love Challenge post!

My goal for this challenge is reading 12 books. I am tempted to go for Thrifty Reader, but I'm going to keep it simple with the Dewey Decimal level. Are YOU up for the challenge to Love Your Library?

Leap Year 2016... Extra Day, Extra Reading!

Extra Day, Extra Reading!

Once every 4 years we readers get an extra day. Okay, once every 4 years everyone gets an extra day, but it's so much more fun if you are a reader... because you get an extra day of reading! Over at Goodreads, there is a mini-challenge to read a book today! Yes, a whole book! Up for the challenge? I sure am! After taking a serious fall and recuperating from the injuries this week, I have a little extra reading time on my hands (and I can at least use one hand to click pages). But even if you don't have a whole day to read, the book you choose doesn't have to be the length of War and Peace! This challenge is really meant for novella length books... Under 150 pages.

SO, what book am I going to read?!

I'm going to read, Silently and Very Fast by Catherynne M. Valence, which was recommended by the moderators (Khadijah, Winter, Cassandra, Kara & Zara) of the Goodreads 2016 Reading Challenge. This book is way out of my normal reading, but the reviews say it is an amazing read, "mesmerizing, tender, emotional", and I am going to embrace the challenge. Silently and Very Fast is Science Fiction/Fantasy, it was a 2011 Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novella, a 2012 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novella and here's what the Goodreads blurb says about it...

Fantastist Catherynne M. Valente takes on the folklore of artificial intelligence in this brand new, original novella of technology, identity, and an uncertain mechanized future.

Neva is dreaming. But she is not alone. A mysterious machine entity called Elefsis haunts her and the members of her family, back through the generations to her great-great-grandmother—a gifted computer programmer who changed the world. Together Neva and Elefsis navigate their history and their future, an uneasy, unwilling symbiotic.

 But what they discover in their dreamworld might change them forever... 

Are you going to get some extra reading in today? 

What book will you be reading?

*Update... I have finished Silently and Very Fast and have no words to describe it properly yet. It was mesmerizing, like actually being in a dream, tender, confusing, beautiful. Will be working on a review for this soon.

First Book of the Year… 2016!

Happy New Year! It's another year filled with anticipation and excitement of what lies ahead! For a reader it's the start of new places to explore, people to meet and new things to discover all courtesy of someone we probably will never meet… the author.

The last two years, I joined Sheila from the Book Journey's First Book of the Year Event and have loved it so much! I joined again this year! It is so much fun decided on what book you want to start your year with! And it's fun to see what everyone else chose too!

The book I'm choosing this year is The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende. It's a story of star-crossed lovers who through WWII and many generations still keep their love a secret and alive. The Japanese Lover has gotten great reviews and I've been meaning to read it for a long time. My Secret Elf this year sent me a copy of this wonderful book (Thank you again Secret Elfster!) and I am so happy to be starting my reading year with it!

What will be YOUR first book this year?! Want to know what everyone else is reading?! Go to Book Journey and SEE for yourself! Thanks Sheila for hosting this great event another year!

2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge

I do love my library, and I try to use it as often as I can. It's a great resource! I usually can get any book that I want. It saves you money! They have books! And eBooks! And music! And this year, Bea from Bea's Book Nook is hosting the Goodreads library reading challenge that nudged me into using the library in 2015. The name of the challenge has changed (in 2015, it was Snagged @ The Library Challenge), but the purpose is the same - to encourage people to use their libraries more. And those libraries depend on you using them to keep them going! Save our libraries by walking through those doors once in a while! So, I'm officially joining the 2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge!


        Here are "The Rules"…

• The challenge runs… January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016
• Use your library to check out reading material - books, magazines, any sort of reading material that you are allowed to check out, physical or digital.
• Put a sign up post on your blog and link it on The I Love Libraries Reading Challenge post. If you don't have a blog, make a dedicated goodreads shelf (or LibraryThing), make sure it's public, and link it on the "Challenge Post". 
• Any reading material that can be checked out of your library counts - print books, audio books, digital books, magazines, etc. 
• As part of your sign up post, briefly write why you like using your library - free books, internet access, a quiet place to work, whatever draws you to the library. If you don't have a blog platform, post it in the comments below.
• Write a review - 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences. Not sure what to write? How about something like, "The characters were a delight but the story was slow and confusing. It was disappointing." 
• There will be a post each month where you can link your reviews. Each linky will run for the calendar year.
• Pick a level from the list below. You can move up as needed but you can't move down.
• Books may overlap with other reading challenges.

Levels:

          board book - 3

          picture book - 6

          early reader - 9

          chapter book - 12

          middle grades - 18

          Young adult - 24

          adult - 36

          just insert IV - 50

My Level? I'm going for "Picture Book", which is 6 books. I think I can manage that and if I can, I can move up to Early Reader! What do you think? Interested in supporting your library, sharing your book choices with other like minded readers and joining in on the reading challenge? Go to I Love Libraries Reading Challenge to get more info and sign up!
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My Challenge Books...
I signed up for "picture book" level, which means 6 books. Here they are...

1. Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
2. Our Souls at Night by Kent Haru
3. American Housewife by Helen Ellis
4. Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas
5. The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
6. The Great Danbury State Fair by Andrea Zimmerman
7. The Guise of Another by Allen Eskens
8. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
9. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
10. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
11. Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
12. The Revenant by Michael Punke

Graphic Novels Challenge 2015

You know I just love graphic novels and enjoy participating in Nicola's Graphic Novel Challenge every year! (This will be my 5th year participating!) It's a great way to discover new graphic novels too, because every month everyone lists the books they've read so you can explore what they've read and if they liked them. So, here we go again for 2015! It's officially the Graphic Novels Challenge 2015 hosted by Nicola from It's All Comic to Me.

Here's How it works…

Trying to keep things simple this year.  There will be 3 levels of play this year.  Please write a sign-up post on your blog and then sign-up below with a link to your specific sign-up post (NOT to your home page).

What counts:  graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable.  My criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts.  I'm not going to be the comic police but if you are unsure, ask me in the comments any given month.

Here is how the Challenge will play out this year:

runs from Jan.1 - Dec. 31, 2015

The Levels...

Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that's only 1 book a month)

Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)

Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)

You must sign up for a level, but once you complete that level you may move up and try for the next one.

Last year I read a total of 28 graphic novels and manga (and that's not even counting the rereads of some of the manga I have enjoyed!) But I don't want to stress out, so I'm going to keep it simple and sign up for the Modern Age Level and read and review at least 12 books during the year! I'll be listing all the graphic novels & manga I've read for this challenge right here!

  Interested in signing up? Here's The Link! Thanks Nicola for hosting this challenge again!
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Graphic Novels Read…

1. Strange Girl by Rick Remender
2. The Mind Gap by Jim McCann
3. Pablo by Julie Birmant and Clement Oubrerie
4. Tokyo Ghoul #1 by Sui Ishida

2015 Snagged @ The Library Reading Challenge

Last year I started to use my local library more. I like supporting the library and it's nice to save a bit of money by not having to buy EVERY book I want to read! My library has both eBooks and paper books. If they don't have a book, I can search all the libraries in Connecticut and usually borrow it with an inter library loan. I started listing my "Library Loot" last year too, so when thinking about reading challenges this year, the 2015 Snagged @ The Library Reading Challenge just seemed to fit. This reading challenge is hosted by Felicia from The Geeky Blogger's Book Blog .

Here are the details...

• Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015. You can join any time.

• The goal is to read at least twelve (12) books from the library. Twelve should be easy, that’s one a month. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.

• Any format will work for this challenge (print, ebook or audio) as long as you checked it out from the library it counts.

• Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
• Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money.

• To join this challenge, grab the 2015 Snagged @ The Library Reading Challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link (Here's the link!) back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads (so as long as you have a dedicated shelf and Felicia has created a Goodreads group), Shelfari (I’ve created a Shelfari group. You can join and post your progress within the group), or BookLikes, etc., for the 2015 Snagged @ The Library Reading Challenge. The point of linking up is to have a place where people can see what you’re reading.

The Levels...

1. Dewey Decimal: read 12 books
2. Thrifty Reader: read 24 books
3. Overdrive Junkie: read 36 books
4. Stalking the Bookstacks: read 50+ books

Last year I took out 12 plus books from the library and read 12, so I'm going to sign up for the Dewey Decimal Level and read at least 12 books. I think that's doable without stressing myself out. And that's what reading challenges are suppose to be - FUN! and not worrying about how many books you've got to read. 

Up for challenge of supporting your library and enjoying free books? Join me in the 2015 Snagged @ The Library Reading Challenge! I'll be listing the books I've "Snagged at the Library" AND the ones I've read and enjoyed right here and at the top of my blog under "Library Loot 2105". Thanks Felicia for hosting this reading challenge!

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Books I've Read for The Challenge…

1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

2. The Stench of Honolulu by Jack Handey

3. The Tiny Book of Stories Volume 1 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

4. Letters of Note: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience by Shaun    Usher

The Sunday Salon and... Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe: 3 Ways to Pick Your Next Book.

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's that day of the week we visit our reading friends virtually and share our thoughts on books and reading. Grab a cup of Joe and sit back and relax... Let's talk books... and mainly, how the heck do you figure out the next book you're going to read?

I'm a reader, so when I finish a book, I generally pick up another book to read. When the book I just read is totally amazing, it may take me a few days (maybe more) before I pick up another book, but eventually I'll be trying to find a book just as good. But how? Here are 4 ways to tackle that job...

Serious Reading... or Reading a Series... reading a series can be like reading a 5000 page book and if you like the writing it's a dream come true. And usually if you like the writing in the first book in the series, you'll enjoy the rest of the books.

The Dewey Decimal System is Your Friend... or being Systematic... Have a pile of books and go through them one at a time. You've bought books (how many are in your TBR shelves?) and instead of putting them aside, you read them as you buy them!(or check them out of the library). This takes discipline! But the rewards are that you won't have that HUGE TBR pile looming over you!

The More the Merrier... Reading 2 books at a time. Why do  you have to pick one book over the other?! This is like getting a sampler at the restaurant! And the good thing is, if you decide you want to stick with one over the other, you've got your next book lined up already.

Alphabet Soup... or choosing your authors or titles by their first letter. Start anywhere in the alphabet. C is for Cornwell, then choose a "D" author, etc. Or this can work with titles of books too! This is like a reading challenge all to yourself.

This week I followed "The Dewey Decimal System is Your Friend", by taking out 4 books from the library and reading them one at a time. I do like reading series, but sometimes I suffer from "series overload", depending on what I'm reading. And I have read 2 books at the same time. Alphabet Soup is something I think might be fun too!... So, what's your method of choosing your next book?

Happy reading... Suzanne

The 2014 Chunkster Challenge

ABOUT The Challenge

The Chunkster Challenge is a reading challenge for those readers who love to read the fat books - the doorstoppers that weigh you down, the books that take a commitment of time...and we require physical books for this challenge with only two exceptions.

Wondering what’s a chunkster? A chunkster is an adult or YA book, non-fiction or fiction, that’s 450 pages or more... A chunkster should be a challenge.

If you read large type books your book will need to be 525 pages or more ... The average large type book is 10-15% longer or more so I think that was a fair estimate.

The challenge is designed to give participants some flexibility by allowing them to choose between different levels of reading. Visit the sign up page by clicking this Chunkster Link to read more and join the challenge.

Additional Rules for this challenge:

Audio books and e-books are now allowed. You want to listen to a chunkster on audio? Be my guest.

Essay, short story, and poetry collections are allowed but they have to be read in their entirety to count.

Books may crossover with other challenges.

Anyone can join.

You don’t have to list your book ahead of time.

Graphic novels don’t count. Sorry guys but reading a chunkster graphic novel isn’t the same as reading a non-graphic chunkster.

The challenge runs from January 1 through December 31 each year.

This Challenge is hosted by Vasilly! Thank you Vasilly! You can find her at her wonderful reading blog: 1330v - Thoughts of an eclectic reader! You can also find suggestions on what to read and where to contact her if you have any questions.

This is my first Challenge sign-up for the year! My first book is going to be The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, which I did start, but haven't had any time to devote to it. (My first Chunkster book turned out to be Three Souls by Janie Chang!) Now I am motivated!

Chunkster Reading Challenge Books Read List…

1. Three Souls by Janie Chang… 468 pages.

2. Under The Wide And Starry Sky by Nancy Horan… 497 pages.

3. Revival by Stephen King... 405 pages.

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011

Is Historical Fiction For You? Here's the best description I've read about historical fiction from Goodreads...

Historical fiction presents readers with a story that takes place during a notable period in history, and usually during a significant event in that period. Historical fiction often presents actual events from the point of view of people living in that time period.

In some historical fiction, famous events appear from points of view not recorded in history, showing historical figures dealing with actual events while depicting them in a way that is not recorded in history. Other times, the historical event complements a story's narrative, occurring in the background while characters deal with events (personal or otherwise) wholly unrelated to recorded history. Sometimes, historical fiction can be for the most part true, but the names of people and places have been in some way altered.

As this is fiction, artistic license is permitted in regard to presentation and subject matter, so long as it does not deviate in significant ways from established history. If events should deviate significantly, the story may then fall into the genre of alternate history, which is known for speculating on what could have happened if a significant historical event had gone differently. On a similar note, events occurring in historical fiction must adhere to the laws of physics. Stories that extend into the magical or fantastic are often considered historical fantasy.

I love reading historical fiction. I love being whisked away to another time and place and immersing myself into the era. That's exactly why I've decided to join the...

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011 hosted by Historical Tapestry, that group of readers who love reading historical fiction too! Here's what the challenge is all about...

The challenge will run from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011. Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:

* Everyone can participate, even those who don't have a blog (you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section of the challenge blog if you wish)

* Add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review)

* Any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,...)

* You can choose one of the different reading levels:

• Severe Bookaholism: 20 books
• Undoubtedly Obsessed: 15 books
• Struggling the Addiction: 10 books
• Daring & Curious: 5 books
• Out of My Comfort Zone: 2 books

I'll be "Daring & Curious" with this challenge. I tend to pick out historical fiction for pleasure, so 5 books should be a reachable goal. (I just couldn't choose "2 books" because I'm totally in my comfort zone with historical fiction!) My reading group also loves historical fiction and I'm sure we'll be reading some great titles this year that will fit perfect into this genre. Up for the challenge? You can find out all the details and sign up at the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011 Blog.

Japanese Literature Challenge 4

The Japanese Literature Challenge 4

Another Reading Challenge! I've been looking forward to The Japanese Literature Challenge since last year, when I was introduced to the beautiful prose and slight supernatural elements found in the writing of such Japanese authors as Takuji Ichikawa and Taichi Yamada. Dolce Bellezza is hosting the challenge again welcoming us with open arms into the world of Japanese Literature! There is a review site to post links to the books you've read, and a list of reading suggestions to help us along!

The Challenge is simple... Read one or more works of Japanese Literature between June 1, 2010 and January 30, 2011. Are you up for the Challenge?! I am! Visit Dolce Bellezza to learn more! And in the meantime, I'll be putting the beautiful Challenge Button up on my sidebar and you can click on it to see how I'm doing on the Challenge. I'll post all links to the books I've read for the Challenge here! Want to see how I did last year? You can find out at Japanese Literature Challenge 3. The Challenge didn't nudge me hard enought to read Haruki Murakami, which I wanted to accomplish, but there's always this year!

Happy reading... Suzanne

The 2010 EW Summer Books Challenge

The 2010 EW Summer Books Challenge

It's Reading Challenge time again... How many books can one girl challenge herself to read!? Well, I just couldn't resist this one! Booking Mama created this reading challenge after reading Entertainment Weekly's 18 Books We Can't Wait to Read This Summer. There were quite a few books on the list that are on my TBR list, such as The Passage by Justin Cronin, Here's the full list...

This Body Of Death by Elizabeth George

Half Life by Roopa Farooki

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick

Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put On My Pajamas And Found Happiness by Dominique Browning

WAR by Sebastian Junger

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

The Passage by Justin Cronin

So Cold The River by Michael Koryta

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman (July 6)

Lucy by Laurence Gonzales (July 13)

Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman (July 13)

I Curse The River of Time by Per Pettersson (August 3)

You Lost Me There by Rosecrans Baldwin (August 12)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (August 24)

Here are the details on how you can sign up!

Levels:

1-3 Books: Polliwog

4-6 Books: Gupp

7-9 Books: Minnow

10-12 Books: Fish

13-15 Books: Flying Fish

16-18 Books: Shark

The 2010 EW Summer Books Challenge will run from May 1, 2010 through September 6, 2010 (Labor Day). You don't need to pick your books, just the level you're going to do. After you read a book, just write a review to share your thoughts with others! You can sign up at Booking Mama, grab the challenge button, announce your level and start reading! I'll post links to the books I've read from the challenge right here, so you can see how I did this summer!

I'm playing it safe here... I'm officially announcing my Polliwog level! (Besides, I never really learned to swim...)

Challenge Books Read... (Links to the reviews)

*The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

Manga Reading Challenge 2010

Discover Another World... Manga

If you've ever ventured into the Manga section of your local bookstore, you may feel overwhelmed... I know I did. I was confronted with colorful covers, titles that gave me no clue as to what the book was about ("Fruit Basket"?), and books that had over 27 issues in a series! The artwork is highly stylized (big eyes, small mouths, wild colorful hair), but some of it is absolutely amazing. Between the covers there is love, sex, violence, and a whole range of emotional stories. I decided that I wanted to learn a little more about this wildly popular genre, and while I was at it, I searched for a Manga reading challenge, which I found... but more about the challenge later. Right now, let me share what I found out about Manga...

First, the definition of Manga:

Manga are Japanese comic books. Manga is often made into Japanese cartoons, or Anime. The art in Manga has a very definite look to it and is often referred to as “Manga Style.”

Next, how do you Pronounce 'Manga':

(Maw – Nnnnn – Gah) In Japanese, it is actually three syllables, although the middle "N" is spoken very quick. Americans have a habit of pronouncing it "Man-Gah", but that is not actually correct.

How to Read Manga:

Traditional Manga is read from the back of the book to the front, right to left; text and images read right to left... see illustration at right... The bold numbers represent the boxes that contain the drawings, and the circled numbers represent the order of the dialogue.

Types of Manga: These are just some of the categories

Shônen – Boy’s Manga – (Pronounced Show-Nen) Usually involves action & adventure.

Shôjo – Girl’s Manga – (Pronounced Show-Joe) Usually has romance & is more lighthearted.

Seinen – Men’s Manga – (Pronounced Say-Nen) usually for a mature audience.

Josei (or redikomi) – Women’s Manga – (Pronounced Joe-Say) usually for a mature audience.

Kodomo – Children’s Manga – (Pronounced Kow-Dow-Mow)

The word Manga can be translated as, “humorous pictures.” Manga became very popular in the 20th century when laws prohibiting the publication of those kinds of items were lifted. It has since become a huge part of Japanese culture. Unlike in America, Manga is read by most people in the country. The artists and writer of Manga are well respected for their work, much like the writers of literature in America. The stories first usually appear in serial form in a Manga magazine. If they become popular, they are reprinted in book form, usually small digests.

So now that we know a little about Manga, how do you figure out what to read? Recommendations from people who read Manga are my first choice. Next I would look through the books at my local bookstore and see what artwork & story-lines capture your attention. On the website Manga Worth Reading there is a section called 'Manga starting points', which highlights some books. And of course the online bookstores all have a comic & graphic novel section, which would include Manga. Another way, is to join a challenge and find reviews and recommendations from other people who are part of the challenge! Not only does a challenge give you a goal, but it's fun to chat with other people you meet about what everyone is reading. So, I joined the Manga Challenge 2010, hosted by Rhinoa of Rhinoa's Ramblings.

Here's the Rules of the Challenge...

The Manga Challenge will be running from it's own dedicated blog, Manga Challenge Blog. You can join throughout the year at the Manga Challenge Blog (there is no cut off time to sign up) and it ends on 31st December 2010. The goal is to read a minimum of 6 mangas. There will be the odd prize throughout the year and bonus points if you manage to watch at least one anime film or 3 episodes of a series.

So, it's as easy as that! Sign up at the Manga Challenge Blog and read Manga and review what you've read. If you don't have a blog to link your review, you can email Rhiona directly about posting your reviews on the Manga blog. So, are you up for the challenge? Any of you Manga readers out there? - what are YOU reading!? I would love to hear suggestions here too!

*BTW, the beautiful Manga Challenge Button above was designed by Nymeth's boyfriend. Who's Nymeth? She has a blog called things mean a lot, and she's part of the Manga challenge too!

As I begin to read and review the Manga stories, I'll post review links here... Right now I'm reading my first one called solanin by Inio Asano. The artwork is pleasing and the story is really good! This is it's description,

"College graduates struggle to cope with the real world. Music offers refuge in this modern manga with an American attitude."

Manga is a bit of a reach for me, but it was interesting to learn more about what it is all about. Some of the suggestions I've gotten have been Emma: Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori which is a victorian story, Fruit Basket: Volume 1 by Natsuki Takaya which is a series with mysterious family curses, and Vagabond, Volume 1 by Takehiko Inoue, Nominated for an Eisner Award in the category for Best Writer/Artist, and is based on the life of a true samurai warrior. What do you think about Manga? Is it something you were ever curious about?