Timid Tadano is a total wallflower, and that’s just the way he likes it. But all that changes when he finds himself alone in a classroom on the first day of high school with the legendary Komi. He quickly realizes she isn’t aloof—she’s just super awkward. Now he’s made it his mission to help her on her quest to make 100 friends!
This manga really surprised me as I didn’t really know where it was going to go. I really appreciate the fact that more mangas are coming out which feature real life issues such as anxiety. In this manga we primarily follow Tadano as he attempts to help Komi make friends after discovering she is unable to speak to people. When she tries to speak to someone else she freezes and is unable to communicate.
Tadano doesn’t always handle things the right way, but it’s obvious he’s trying to do his best in helping Komi, even though he’s a bit of an introvert himself. It’s also been set up that their school contains a number of people who perhaps don’t quite fit in at other schools, so I could see this series tackling more issues than just Kimo’s issue with communication and anxiety.
Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there all along…
Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.
When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.
Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.
Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.
Set in the stunning coastal town of Half Moon Bay, California, Robyn Carr’s new novel examines the joys of sisterhood and the importance of embracing change.
I don’t read a ton of women’s fiction and while I’ve seen Robyn Carr’s books I’ve never picked one up. That being said the synopsis of this one interested me so I decided to pick it up and I don’t regret it. This was a really powerful story about two sisters who are trying to figure out where their lives go from where they are (though in different ways) as well as growing closer.
It really was a wonderful story and I found I really enjoyed reading Carr’s writing. She handled the issues in the story very well and really wrote eloquently. Since this was my first experience with her writing I was very pleasantly surprised. It was great to see the two sisters coming together when they had spent so much of their lives apart and being there for each other. If you’re looking for a contemporary fiction that will tug the heartstrings and really suck you in to the characters, I would recommend this.
Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends and The View From Alameda Island and the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan’s Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix Original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Visit her website at www.RobynCarr.com.
Every year, the hot, tatted biker comes into Abbie’s bar, orders whiskey and asks her out. Every year, Abbie turns him down. After all, dating a man that goes by Temper seems like a really bad idea, no matter how attracted she is to him.
But this year is different. Abbie’s different. Older, wiser and tired of being stuck behind the bar in a sleepy town. This year, she’s ready for whatever adventure the sexy but sweet biker has in store for her.
Or so she thinks…until an elegant candlelit dinner ends with a dead body.
Now Abbie finds herself on the ride of her life, whisked away to the big city in Temper’s protective custody. She should be scared, but—despite his nickname—it’s clear the last thing Temper would ever do is hurt a hair on her head. And when danger catches up with them, Abbie soon realizes that holding tight to her man while straddling a Harley may be the safest place of all.
I haven’t read a ton of motorcycle club romances, but it is a genre that I enjoy, especially when the stories are like this one. We follow Abbie who feels like she’s stuck due to her circumstances, and Temper who has been asking Abbie to go on a date with him for the last five years. She’s always said no, until this year – and things get a little crazy.
This was such a fun read! The interactions between Abbie and Temper were so enjoyable and seeing her start to open up and really find her place was great. There were definitely a few twists that kept me on my toes, but it was a wonderful story.
Chantal Fernando is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club series, the Cursed Raven Motorcycle Club series, and the Maybe series, along with several other novels. She lives in Western Australia, where she is working on her next book. Find her online at AuthorChantalFernando.com, and on Twitter and Facebook.
Marguerite feels awkward, struggling every day to stay productive at work and keep up appearances with friends. She’s sensitive, irritable at times. She makes her environment a fluffy, comforting cocoon, alienating her boyfriend. The everyday noise and stimuli assaults her senses, the constant chatter of her coworkers working her last nerve. Then, when one big fight with her boyfriend finds her frustrated and dejected, Marguerite finally investigates the root of her discomfor: after a journey of tough conversations with her loved ones, doctors, and the internet, she discovers that she has Aspergers. Her life is profoundly changed – for the better.
I think books such as this are really important, especially today. Conditions on the autism spectrum are still very stigmatized and those who are on the spectrum still get stereotyped heavily, so information that can be consumed easily is useful to those looking to learn more. It really addresses the anxiety that can be felt, how being misdiagnosed feels and how it feels when those in their lives don’t understand or accept their conditions.
I loved the color scheme of black and white with accents of red. Red was used to show things contributing to sensory overload (for lack of a better term) and really showed how overwhelming seemingly small things can be when they pile on. There was also a simplified explanation of spoon theory that would be helpful to people who know nothing about it (something that is not exclusive to those on the spectrum, but also applies to those who have anxiety, chronic illness, invisible illnesses and more).
The back section includes information regarding autism history, facts and a list of resources for more information, which would definitely be helpful to people who wanted to know more.
Invisible Differences is expected to come out on August 18th, 2020 from Oni Press. Be sure to pick up a copy if it sounds like something you would like!
After finding disturbing journal pages that suggest her late mother didn’t die in a car accident as her father had always maintained, Beth Walsh begins a search for answers to the question — what really happened to their mother? With the power and relevance of Jodi Picoult and Lisa Jewell, Rimmer pens a provocative novel told by two women a generation apart, the struggles they unwittingly shared, and a family mystery that may unravel everything they believed to be true.
With her father recently moved to a care facility because of worsening signs of dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home to prepare it for sale. Why shouldn’t she be the one, after all? Her three siblings are all busy with their families and successful careers, and Beth is on maternity leave after giving birth to Noah, their miracle baby. It took her and her husband Hunter years to get pregnant, but now that they have Noah, Beth can only feel panic. And leaving Noah with her in-laws while she pokes about in their father’s house gives her a perfect excuse not to have to deal with motherhood.
Beth is surprised to discover the door to their old attic playroom padlocked, and even more shocked to see what’s behind it – a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers, and miscellaneous junk. Her father was the most fastidious, everything-in-its-place man, and this chaos makes no sense. As she picks through the clutter, she finds a handwritten note attached to one of the paintings, in what appears to be in her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing Grace Walsh died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker may be true. A frantic search uncovers more notes, seemingly a series of loose journal entries that paint a very disturbing portrait of a woman in profound distress, and of a husband that bears very little resemblance to the father Beth and her siblings know.
A fast-paced, harrowing look at the fault in memories and the lies that can bond families together – or tear them apart.
I was really hoping this book would be an intriguing journey of discovering family secrets, but it ended up being so much more than I expected. In it we follow two timelines in the same family, with the main character, Beth, discovering what happened when her parents were younger. She does this while going through her own difficulties and emotional issues. She and her siblings have to work through a number of things related to their father’s impending death and secrets that start to surface add another layer to the story.
Definite trigger warnings for death of a parent, postpartum depression (and depression in general) and talk of dementia. I really enjoyed the writing style and the dual timelines, with more and more of the past being revealed as time went on. There’s also some good discussion about the way contraception and abortions were looked at in the 50s as well as the roles women were expected to play at that time. Both timelines and the generations of this family were full of personality, depth and secrets and while unwinding them was hard, it was worth it.
Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide and USA TODAY bestselling author of Before I Let You Go, Me Without You, and The Secret Daughter. She lives in rural Australia with her husband, two children and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil. Her novels have been translated into more than twenty languages. Please visit her at www.Kelly.Rimmer.com
SOCIAL LINKS: Facebook: @Kellymrimmer Twitter: @KelRimmerWrites Instagram: @kelrimmerwrites
New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson brings you a brand-new story in the Forged of Steele series. Perfect for fans of the popular Westmoreland series and readers of passionate contemporary romances!
A notorious heartbreaker is about to meet his match…Will a damsel in distress be his redemption?
When the “thief” caught driving his stolen vintage car turns out to be a stunning runaway heiress, Mercury Steele is conflicted. On the one hand, Sloan Donahue, penniless and on the run from her tyrannical family, triggers the billionaire playboy’s protective instincts. But she also triggers red-hot desire. Mercury refuses to think his simple seduction is becoming something deeper, especially when Sloan is keeping secrets…
This was my first introduction to the Steele family and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. I’d have to say that the family interaction was some of the best parts of the book. I did have a hard time believing how naive Sloan was (a vintage car in wonderful condition for $300? even people who don’t know cars know that they are worth quite a bit more than that), but that was a small thing that didn’t dramatically affect the story. It was obvious she was sheltered and had been strictly controlled by her parents, which I think was the author’s intent.
I’ll definitely be picked up more from Brenda Jackson, her writing was easy to read and flowed wonderfully and I loved the interactions with the family. For a quick romance that was a little formulaic it was a great read!
Brenda Jackson is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and traveling. Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
Alex Carret is a talented young Brussels chocolatier whose life takes a drastic turn when he quits his job and agrees to partner with a friend of a friend named Ben. He’s a little wary of him at first, but when Ben comes up with a business plan, a space, a brilliant branding idea, and a 100,000-euro loan, Alex can’t resist the temptation of seeing his lifelong dream come true. Soon he and his team are selecting the finest chocolate from countries around the world and throwing a launch party, which is a smash success. But will that put them in the crosshairs of other local power brokers?
I thought the premise of this graphic novel – following a chocolatier in Brussels would be a fun read, and it was. A lot of the plot was predictable for me, but it was still enjoyable. I liked some of the diversity of characters, such as Manon who is deaf and like the overall individual characters that were created. The art style is very classic and realistic, so it was easy to follow and had great detail.
You can pretty easily see a few ways the following volumes could progress as people’s roles and possible plot points were defined, but there were still enough things that were left up in the air. All in all I would say it’s a good first installment to a contemporary graphic novel series with great information about chocolate and chocolate making.
A story about Mindy, a woman living with an eating disorder who has to learn how to love herself again.
In pursuit of the perfect body, Mindy buys the low-fat diet products and the glossy magazines which promise the secret to losing weight. One night, while perusing the aisles of the neighborhood convenience store for a midnight snack, she finds a new product. A chocolate bar called “Eat and Love Yourself”. On a whim, Mindy buys the curious candy, not knowing that with every piece of chocolate she eats, she will be brought back to a specific moment of her past — helping her to look at herself honestly, learn to love her body the way it is, and accepting love. Perhaps, she will even realize that her long lost high school best friend, Elliot, was more than just a friend…
As soon as I read the synopsis of this one I knew it was something I wanted to pick up, but also that it was going to be very hard hitting. It follows Mindy, who has a very hard time with her self image, as she takes a look back at her past and the things that shaped her.
Major trigger warnings for body dysmorphia, bulimia, low self esteem, depression and slight fat shaming. While these can be hard to read about, especially for someone who relates to the main character, they are very important topics that should be talked about more. The artwork style is bright and pops with color in all the right places. Mindy’s journey is definitely multi-faceted and I love the touch of magical whimsy included in this story.
Keelee is a brave, young girl who discovers a purple, fuzzy, funny beast! Together the two must make their way across this fantastic land to return Beast to his home. This is a touching tale of friendship and fun that children will want to revisit again and again. The children’s book is the debut of painter Nick Kennedy and comics writer Josh Trujillo (Dodge City). Lost Beast, Found Friend transports readers to a lush, tropical world, and Kennedy’s unique style gives Keelee and her new friend a vivid fantasy world to play in. This book will stick with readers of all ages long after story-time is over. Lost Beast, Found Friend is a charming and vibrant adventure story for the explorer in all of us!
This is an adorable little children’s book that is a quick and colorful story about friendship. I absolutely loved it even though it is short and sweet. Not only is it a story about friendship, but has a touch about not judging based on appearances and found friends/family. The artwork is fun, colorful and dynamic.
This is a great story for children, especially those that may feel different or want to understand about making friends. It has a very sweet message as well as some humor.
Lost Beast, Found Friend comes out June 9th from Oni Press, so be sure to pick up a copy for your little ones!
For as long as men have lived, myths and legends have permeated cultures across the globe. But for every known monster, are there creatures of lore, gods of fable, and rituals of old that have been forgotten by time?
Delve into the darkness that came before and witness over 100 short drabbles resurrect the ancient world in 100 words or less.
Featuring award-winning horror and fiction authors from around the world, we dare you to remember the fear of the unknown and to dive headfirst into the beyond.
Within these pages the old gods have awoken and with them, chaos will reign again.
I thought the concept of this collection was really interesting, as I’d never heard of a collection of drabbles (100 word stories) before. It may not be the best format for me as there were so many of these that I was sucked into and left wanting more. For me I’m not sure if I can be satisfied with only 100 words. Still it was a great way to get acquainted with a number of different authors and their writing styles.
There were so many of these that were written beautiful and had a great punchline, but there were also some that just didn’t do it for me, which is something you can see with any collection. Still, I did enjoy the stories but I’m not sure if drabbles are something I’m going to read a lot in the future as I feel like I will always want more in some way.
The Wandering Wordsmith 