I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! (Manga) Volume 5

I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! (Manga) Volume 5 - 144 pages

Haru Harukawa (Artist); Reina Soratani (Original Creator)

Summary (Back Cover)

After Lady Violette committed a grave crime and was imprisoned, she lost consciousness and woke up to find herself transported one year back in time.  Determined to stay out of trouble, Violette vows to stay out of everyone's way and live a quiet life.  But to her dismay, other people just keep interfering with that dream!  Her friends and enemies are all acting nothing like how Violette remembered, and keep seeking her out!  And now that prince has something he wants to confess?!  

Review

It seems we are reaching a turning point in the narrative - one I hope is explored with depth and tact in any future publications.  I was also glad to Marin's character given more of a backstory beyond just being the devoted maid.  All in all, while the pacing is on the slower side and some of the scenarios can be a bit cheesy at times, I have been enjoying this series and am looking forward to reading any further publications.  

I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! (Manga) Volume 4

I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! (Manga) Volume 4 - 148 pages

Haru Harukawa (Artist); Reina Soratani (Original Creator)

Summary (From Goodreads)

A year ago, time rewound for Lady Violette, and after being careful to not make the same mistakes as last time, her actions have now lead her to meeting the neighboring kingdom's princess, Rosette. Violette and Rosette actually do get along, but things grow awkward when they realize that they're both candidates to be Prince Claudia's future wife. When Rosette meets the prince at a social gathering, she's shocked to see just how much Claudia is drawn to Violette. Is Violette destined for trouble even in this new timeline?!

Review

The addition of Princess Rosette's character was a much-needed breath of fresh air.  It's nice to see characters interacting in a way that doesn't focus solely on their romantic woes.  I hope we get to see more of this (and Princess Rosette) in the future!  

I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! (Manga) Volume 3

I Swear I Won't Bother You Again! (Manga) Volume 3 - 144 pages

Haru Harukawa (Artist); Reina Soratani (Original Creator)

Summary (Back Cover)

When Violette went back in time, she vowed that she'd live her life differently.  Instead of trying to break up her half sister and the prince, she'd make sure that the two of them got together!  But now it's starting to dawn on Violette that in this new timeline, Maryjune and Claudia aren't even interested in each other.  As Violette tries to figure out a new plan, she remains oblivious to the fact that the prince has fallen for her!  

Review

I can see some parallels between Violette's circumstances in the original timeline and this one.  Her near-single-minded pursuit of a goal, be it marriage to Prince Claudia or escaping to a convent, causes her to push away those closest to her.  

The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault

 The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault-240 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads Synopsis: Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships. She serves in the household of the Commander and his wife, and under the new social order she has only one purpose: once a month, she must lie on her back and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if they are fertile. But Offred remembers the years before Gilead, when she was an independent woman who had a job, a family, and a name of her own. Now, her memories and her will to survive are acts of rebellion.

Provocative, startling, prophetic, The Handmaid's Tale has long been a global phenomenon. With this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Margaret Atwood's modern classic, beautifully realized by artist Renee Nault, the terrifying reality of Gilead has been brought to vivid life like never before.

Thoughts: Provocative, startling, and prophetic are good adjectives for this book. I've heard so much about the series, especially with the HBO series of the same name. I saw this on the shelf at a local book store in New Orleans and was drawn to it. Having now read it (at least the graphic adaptation), I can see what all the talk is about. Honestly, shocking as the story is I don't think it's that outlandish. That's the thing about a lot of dystopian fiction. We may want to think something like it isn't possible, but I think it very well could be if we're not careful. This is a good, if heavy, read. 

Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood

Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood, 164 pages

A beautiful young man dies in Phryne Fisher's arms, leading her into a wild whirlwind of revolution, a missing young girl, kidnapping, and bank robbery.

I am only three books into this series and I can't quite put my finger on why I love Phryne Fisher so much. She's unapologetically sexual, clever, and brave. She isn't quite like any heroine I've read. 

Foul Rising by Mark H. Bliss

 Foul Rising by Mark H. Bliss - 201 pages

Floodwalls are meant to protect people. But what if they do just the opposite? What if they only make flooding worse for those not behind the wall? Professor Tanner Holloway thinks so. So does Harvey Winston, mayor of East Elmwood, Illinois, a small, blue-collar village across the Mississippi River from the floodwall-protected city of Elmwood in Southeast Missouri.

This fictional book is based on Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  I have been to Cape Girardeau and have seen the flood wall and its artwork.

MURDER IN A SCOTTISH SHIRE: (Scottish Shire Mystery#1) by TRACI HALL

 MURDER IN A SCOTTISH SHIRE: (Scottish Shire Mystery #1) by TRACI HALL (PGS 304)

Goodreads Review: For a twenty-eight-year-old single mum, Paislee has knit together a sensible life for herself, her ten-year-old son Brody, and Wallace, their black Scottish terrier. Having inherited a knack for knitting from her dear departed grandmother, Paislee also owns a specialty sweater shop called Cashmere Crush, where devoted local crafters gather weekly for her Knit and Sip.
 
Lately, though, Paislee feels as if her life is unraveling. She’s been served an eviction notice, and her estranged and homeless grandfather has just been brought to her door by a disconcertingly handsome detective named Mack Zeffer. As if all that wasn't enough, Paislee discovers a young woman who she recently rehired to help in the shop dead in her flat, possibly from an overdose of her heart medicine. But as details of the death and the woman’s life begin to raise suspicions for Detective Inspector Zeffer, it’s Paislee who must untangle a murderous yarn . . .