2024 Books Reviewed

Have 3 Reviews: Two Cat Manga and a Cat Novel

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Is the plural of manga “manga” or “mangas”? Does anyone know? I feel like “manga” is to be used as both singular and plural buy my brain is arguing with me about it. Please comment if you totally know the answer!

I’m dropping 3 Reviews in one here. Mostly to finish up my end of the year books (finally) as well as not flood anyone’s inboxes with the very short reviews that you’ll see below.

Now, it’s on to write my week late STOKED FOR THIS post 🙂

Cat + Gamer (Volume 6)
By: Wataru Nadatani
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 168
Published: October 29, 2024 (1st Published May 18, 2021)
Publisher: Dark Horse Manga
Dates Read: December 31, 2024
Format: Library Book / eBook

Musubi and Soboro continue to team up with Riko, “leveling up” in everyday life.

Oh my goodness, I so very much love this series. Especially as a (small) gamer with two cats. 

I love the small snippets from the cat’s points of view at the end of each chapter. It makes them even cuter.

Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 2)
By:Yuri Sonoda
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 168
Published: December 17, 2024
Publisher: Seven Seas
Dates Read: December 31, 2024
Format: Library Book / Paperback

When the older lady who fed the cats in the park stops coming, Maruru and Hachi must find food elsewhere. While in the search, Hachi gets gravely injured – to ensure their survival, he makes a surprising decision.

Cats.

Animal rescue.

Grumpy accepting help.

That’s all you need to know.

It was beautiful.

I gasped, “Oh no”ed, and goofy smiled about 1,000 times.

Meow
By: Sam Austen
Genre: Fiction, Humor
Number of Pages: 346
Published: June 24, 2023
Publisher: Meow Library
Dates Read: December 31, 2024
Format: Library / Paperback

A book written for your cat in their language.

My favorite part was when they said,

“Meow?”

“Meow meow meow.”

“Meow meow.”

If you can’t tell, it’s an entire book written with just the word “Meow”.

The Deep Dark / Molly Knox Ostertag

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The Deep Dark
By: Molly Knox Ostertag
Genre: Graphic Novel
Number of Pages: 480
Published: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Graphix
Dates Read: December 30, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Magdalena Herrera, or Mags, already feels like an adult even though she’s just shy of graduating high school: caring for her grandmother, working a part-time job, and taking care of her secret that lives in the basement, the one that drains her of energy. The secret could really hurt someone, even kill them, if it got out.

So, Mags keeps her head down, trying to get through the day. That is, until her childhood friend, Ness, comes back to town, bringing memories and her own secret. Mags won’t get reattached, she can’t, and she’s always been good at keeping her distance anyway.

But when darkness starts to close in on them both, Mags will have to bring her secret into the daylight.

The art of this graphic novel is fantastic and phenomenal. It goes from back and forth between black and white and full color, corresponding well with what’s happening in the story.  

The overall storyline is about accepting yourself, even the deepest, darkest bits, and allowing someone to love and care for you and all your secrets.

Overall, Molly Knox Ostertag blew it out of the park again with this story and anyone who loves bright, vivid illustrations mixed with black and white, and a storyline that will keep you turning pages, will fall in love with the characters and this story as well.

Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi, Volume 1 / Yuri Sonoda

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Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi (Volume 1)
By: Yuri Sonoda
Genre: Manga
Number of Pages: 176
Published: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Seven Seas
Dates Read: December 29, 2024
Format: Library Book / Paperback

One day, Maruru finds himself living on the streets as a stay. He encounters Hachi, a boss cat, who says he doesn’t need a spoiled house cat on his territory and chases him away. A few days later, Maruru helps Hachi out of a situation and the duo begin to tackle the struggles of Third Street together.

I can’t remember how I found this manga, possibly while looking at Cat + Gamer. But, I’m also always on the lookout for cat manga so, it could have been from a few places. Regardless – I absolutely loved this story and immediately fell in love with Maruru and Hachi. Their grump and sunshine friendship is amazing.

I appreciate how the author told the life of a street cat in the way that it is not sugar coated: their search for food, water, shelter, health, and territory is an everyday struggle.

So now, this is going to another manga series I’m going to start collecting.

Buffalo Dreamer / Violet Duncan

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Buffalo Dreamer
By: Violet Duncan
Genre: Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 128
Published: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Dates Read: December 28, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Summer and her family always spend their summers up in Alberta, Canada, on the reservation where her mom’s family lives. As soon as they cross the Canadian border, Summer begins to have vivid dreams about running away from one of the many residential schools Canada used to have. Not long after arriving at the reservation, Summer learns that unmarked children’s graves have been discovered at the school her grandpa attended as a child.

As more folks begin to speak out about their experiences in the residential school where they were torn from their families at young ages and forced to try and erase their Native identities, Summer is heartbroken to hear about everything her grandpa endured and missed out on. When the town holds a rally for the lost children in unmarked graves, she is proud to take part in the acknowledgement of the painful past and her hopes for the future. She’s also anxious to find someone who can help her better understand her unsettling dreams.

Buffalo Dreamer is a good beginning novel for middle grade readers to learn about the residential schools that were in both the United States and Canada. It talks about the residential schools but not in a way that’s super detailed but still with respect.

Overall, this is also a beautiful novel about a twelve-year-old who honors her culture and lifts up and encourages her ancestors and elders to tell their story.

*Thank you Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Unboxing of a Black Girl / Angela ShantĂ©

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The Unboxing of a Black Girl
By: Angela Shanté
Genre: Poetry, Nonfiction
Number of Pages: 160
Published: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Page Street YA
Dates Read: December 16, 2024 - December 17, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: racism, sexual assault, misogyny

In this collection of vignettes and poetry, Angela Shanté reflects on Black girlhood in New York City.

I am not a Black woman and this collection was not written for me, but there were still parts of this collection that resonated with me.

Shanté’s writing was raw and moving and shows the love she has for her friends and family while also showing how the world treats black girls throughout their lives.

This is a super quick read, but still powerful.

The Judgement of Yoyo Gold / Isaac Blum

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The Judgement of Yoyo Gold
By: Isaac Blum
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Number of Pages: 304
Published: October 15, 2024
Publisher: Philomel Books
Dates Read: December 21, 2024 - December 25, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover / Audiobook

Yoyo Gold has always been the perfect Jewish daughter of the rabbi – she keeps Kosher, watching her siblings, volunteers at the local food bank, she even respects and encourages others to observe their Orthodox faith. But when her best friend is sent far away from her community for what Yoyo feels like is a seemingly innocent transgression, Yoyo’s eyes (and ears) begin to open to her neighbor’s hypocrisies.

As Yoyo’s frustration with the secrets builds, so does the pressure to speak out. She finds release by posting anonymously on TikTok, an app forbidden for her. But when one of her videos goes viral, Yoyo’s decision to post not only affects her life, but also the relationship with the boy she is falling for, and her world is thrown into mayhem. She is forced to choose a path, not only for her community, her family, but most importantly for herself. 

I don’t know how I found myself reading about teenagers who begin questioning their relationship with religion, but I guess that’s a part of growing up isn’t it? Though this book is about an Orthodox Jewish teenager, anyone who has struggled with the pressures of doing what you’ve always been told to do and with the desire to be your own person, you’ll relate to this book.

I grew up Baptist. I can’t say if I met anyone who practiced the Jewish faith until I was well into college. I also can’t say if this book is a good representation of the modern Orthodox Jewish experience or not as I don’t know. But, I do think there’s a voice in here for many to feel seen.

*Thank you Philomel Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I’m so far behind!!

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I’ve got 8 book reviews to post from the end of the year and then I’ve got my January Stoked for this as well. The holidays put me back, and I was reading everything I could get my hands on to move my Read Total up to 130 (which I made).

I wanted to share my “List Nobody Asked for But Got Anyway” aka My 2024 Books Read List that I share to my Instagram and Facebook every year on New Years Eve. It’s nothing fancy, but I always have fun making it – I even found out how to do it on Canva this year, and Canva and I have beef because they don’t make scaling covers easy!

“The List Nobody Asked For But Got Anyway” aka My 2024 Books Read List

This year, I journeyed through 35,307 pages across 130 books (10 more over my goal this year!).

I read ACTUAL nonfiction books, one of which solidified my favorite aquatic animal 🐙. I fell in love with a bakery dragon, a wild robot, magical children (again), and so many cats
 I also found a love for audiobooks and their allowance of escapism while doing chores and errands đŸ„°

My average star rating is a 4, but I had 27 five star ratings, so I decided to share those with everyone. These are all titles that, if I don’t already own them, are books I’ll be keeping my eye out for.

Thank you everyone who followed along on my journey this year on my website, where I post all my reviews. I love talking books and I’m always happy to share them.

Now let’s see how much of a dent I can make in my TBR list this coming year!!

booksread #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #bookreader #myyearinbooks #myyearinreview #oldandnewbooksmell #books #fortheloveofbooks

Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat / Li Chen

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Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat
By: Li Chen
Genre: Graphic Novel, Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 208
Published: October 15, 2024
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Dates Read: December 21, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Detective Beans is the best kitten detective in town, dedicated to doing whatever it takes to solve the case. One morning, Detective Beans wakes to find his detective hat missing! Now, Beans must do what every good detective does – hit the streets of Cat Town and follow the clues. With every twist and turn, Detective Beans is one step closer to finding his hat – and solving a much bigger case than he could have ever imagined.

So I hadn’t heard of Detective Beans before seeing this at a librarian’s preview event. But, I love anything and everything cats so a cat detective graphic novel was a must.

This book was not only adorable, but phunny at the same time. The absolute absurdness of Detective Beans’ case made me turn the pages more and more. I may have read it in one setting, but I would die for Beans.

I cannot wait for more stories of this Detective. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go find him online.

Wild About You / Kaitlyn Hill

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Wild About You
By: Kaitlyn Hill, Amanda Stribling (Narrator)
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Number of Pages: 384
Published: May 21, 2024
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Dates Read: December 13, 2024 - December 16, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: Anxiety, grief

After losing her scholarship and gaining an anxiety diagnosis, Natalie Hart applied to Wild Adventures, a popular outdoorsy reality show. Sure, she is someone who would be defined as the opposite of outdoorsy, but that scholarship prize money is too much to pass up.

Enter Finn Markum, her randomly assigned Outdoorsy teammate who grunts and growls responses. The duo bicker more than siblings – or is it flirtation?

Turns out, falling in love may be the wildest adventure yet.

I’m not one for romance – or at least not it being the main focus of the story, but Natalie intrigued me. I’m not one for make-up or a twelve step skin care routine (I don’t think I’ve put any makeup on in over a decade), but I understood her anxiety, and her desire to be friends with everyone – especially someone you’re working with. With Finn, I knew there was more to him than meets the eye and that Natalie just needed to pull back the layers, which she did.

My only thing would be that I would not put this book into the YA category, it should be under New Adult since Natalie is in her summer between freshman and sophomore year in college. I know it’s a “newer” category/genre but I honestly would not have read it if it was a YA romance.

If you’re looking for a cute New Adult romance read with a grump and sunshine camping, this is a good book for you.

The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature / Nathan W. Pyle

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The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature
By: Nathan W. Pyle
Genre: Children’s, Humor
Number of Pages: 36
Published: June 1, 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins
Dates Read: December 16, 2024
Format: Library Book / Hardcover

Offspring and Lifegiver observe a strange creature that sneaks, hides, and vibrates around their house.

I have been following Nathan W. Pyle on Instagram for ages but has yet to read a book of his. This one came back at the front desk of the library while I was working up there and I immediately read it right then and there because it’s about cats.

I laughed out loud and shared the pages with coworkers throughout the day who had cats. Also have used the phrase “flavor muscle” to describe a tongue on multiple occasions.

I think this book will make both children and adults who have cats smile and laugh at the strange behaviors of these four legged felines described by aliens.