My Hero Academia, Volumes 26 - 30

My Hero Academia, Volume 26 - 200 pages

My Hero Academia, Volume 27 - 184 pages

My Hero Academia, Volume 28 - 184 pages

My Hero Academia, Volume 29 - 184 pages

My Hero Academia, Volume 30 - 200 pages

Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb D. Cook (Translator)

Series Summary (From Volume 1 on Goodreads)

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…

Review

Much of the events in these volumes are focused around one major confrontation between the Paranormal Liberation Front and the protagonists and their allies.  That said, I wouldn't say the pacing has been negatively impacted, as there's plenty of intense action.  The events of this arc make for a much darker tone going forward.  The revelations in volume 30 in particular seem set to precipitate the collapse of the current hero-centric society.  

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 4 by Suu Morishita

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 4 by Suu Morishita

Yubisaki to Renren #4, 164 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Yuki, a deaf college student who’s led a relatively sheltered life, has just taken a huge step: She’s got a boyfriend! And he seems like a keeper: Itsuomi is a multilingual globetrotter who works hard, and he’s a knockout, to boot. Yuki can still scarcely believe that Itsuomi casually dropped the question, “Wanna go out with me?” And she can’t help wondering—when will Itsuomi start to open up to her about his past, and his dreams for the future? Is this a whim, or is it real?

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 3 by Suu Morishita

A Sign of Affection, Vol. 3 by Suu Morishita

Yubisaki to Renren #3, 160 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Does he really see me as a girl? Yuki's a Deaf college student who is at first enchanted by and soon falls in love with an upperclassman in her school named Itsuomi who doesn't care about her lack of hearing but treats her like anyone else. Yuki resolves to face that love head-on and really pursue it proactively. Soon Itsuomi, who was once a riddle for Yuki, starts to really open up to her and express his truest feelings.

My Hero Academia, Volumes 24 & 25

My Hero Academia, Volume 24 - 192 pages

My Hero Academia, Volume 25 - 200 pages

Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb D. Cook (Translator)

Series Summary (From Volume 1 on Goodreads)

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…

Review

These two were a lot more villain-centric, giving us some much-needed insight into -- and development of -- the characters of this series' most recurrent antagonists.  I'm not the type to believe that every literary villain needs some kind of tragic and relatable backstory, but I think what we get here definitely fits the vibe of this series.  It falls in line with the prevalent themes of how society treats its members who fall outside what's considered the norm, who's responsible for "saving" people if/when they need it most, and the ramifications of a society built around a class of professional "heroes."  

Missouri Caves in History and Legend

 Missouri Caves in History and Legend by H. Dwight Weaver - 176 pages

Goodreads:

Missouri has been likened to a “cave factory” because its limestone bedrock can be slowly dissolved by groundwater to form caverns, and the state boasts more than six thousand caves in an unbelievable variety of sizes, lengths, and shapes. Dwight Weaver has been fascinated by Missouri’s caves since boyhood and now distills a lifetime of exploration and research in a book that will equally fascinate readers of all ages.
Missouri Caves in History and Legend records a cultural heritage stretching from the end of the ice age to the twenty-first century.  In a grand tour of the state’s darkest places, Weaver takes readers deep underground to shed light on the historical significance of caves, correct misinformation about them, and describe the ways in which people have used and abused these resources.
Weaver tells how these underground places have enriched our knowledge of extinct animals and early Native Americans. He explores the early uses of caves: for the mining of saltpeter, onyx, and guano; as sources of water; for cold storage; and as livestock shelters. And he tells how caves were used for burial sites and moonshine stills, as hideouts for Civil War soldiers and outlaws—revealing how Jesse James became associated with Missouri caves—and even as venues for underground dance parties in the late nineteenth century.
Bringing caves into the modern era, Weaver relates the history of Missouri’s “show caves” over a hundred years—from the opening of Mark Twain Cave in 1886 to that of Onyx Mountain Caverns in 1990—and tells of the men and women who played a major role in expanding the state’s tourism industry. He also tracks the hunt for the buried treasure and uranium ore that have captivated cave explorers, documents the emergence of organized caving, and explains how caves now play a role in wildlife management by providing a sanctuary for endangered bats and other creatures.
Included in the book is an overview of cave resources in twelve regions, covering all the counties that currently have recorded caves, as well as a superb selection of photos from the author’s extensive collection, depicting the history and natural features of these underground wonders. Missouri Caves in History and Legend is a riveting account that marks an important contribution to the state’s heritage and brings this world of darkness into the light of day.

The Trail of Tears Across Missouri

 The Trail of Tears Across Missouri by Joan Gilbert - 136 pages

Goodreads:

As settlers moved beyond the eastern seaboard during the early nineteenth century, the government forced thousands of American Indians from their ancestral lands. The Cherokees, the largest and most important tribe in the Southeast, fought exile with a combination of passive resistance and national publicity for their plight. Because they had successfully resisted the government's efforts to move them from their homeland, their removal was particularly brutal when it finally came. The Trail of Tears across Missouri is a moving account of the 1837-1838 removal of the Cherokees from the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). After providing an overview of the Cherokees' life in the Southeast and of the events leading up to their exile, Joan Gilbert traces the mass exodus state by state from Tennessee to Arkansas. Successive chapters highlight the experiences and the hardships endured by those forced to travel with inadequate supplies of food, clothing, and transportation. It is estimated that four thousand Cherokees, nearly a quarter of the tribe, died. In bringing the grim realities of the forced march to life, Gilbert draws from such primary sources as letters, newspaper stories, and the writings of missionaries, guides, and doctors who accompanied them. She focuses on the Cherokees' experiences as they passed through Missouri, using the journals of Dr. W. I. I. Morrow and guide B. B. Cannon. In addition to chronicling the removal of the Cherokees, Gilbert also brings the story up to date by describing how the nation lives today and how the Trail of Tears has been commemorated.

Lewis and Clark's Journey Across Missouri

 Lewis and Clark's Journey Across Missouri by Brett Dufur - 114 pages

Goodreads:

This beautifully photographed and illustrated book explores in-depth Lewis and Clark’s time in Missouri through journal excerpts, one-of-a-kind maps made by nationally known geographer James Harlan that locate the Corps of Discovery’s campsites, and an along-the-river guide for travelers who wish to explore the historic towns, state parks, and other points of interest. Individual chapters also probe the river then and now, the Native Americans then in the state, the fur trade at the time, the last European settlement on the river, and contemporary flora and fauna of Missouri. The return journey through the state, when the men were speeding homeward, is also included.