Reviews and Comments

Gifted

I'm of the firm belief that Gladwell is Not My Thing but it was gifted to me, so will give him a chance.

I'd seen this pass by other people's timelines, but hadn't been tempted myself. I got it as a holiday gift, seems worth a try.

had gotten off nf for a while but now can use a palate cleanser from holiday candy. this was sitting in booksmith asking to be read, so i'm obliging

A Japan tourism overview in comic book style, in many instances being more informative than words alone could— like showing you how to use a JR rail pass, what foods you may encounter, and what toilets you may face. As it's from 2014, some particulars may have changed, but overall much more than it may seem from the cover.

i feel like i tried this once before, but i just read a good quote…

This has to be as good as a modern reproduction gets. The colors are bright, the gold pops. Much better than newer books I've seen.

A fine witchy romance for the season, one in which the main character questions her full identity, having fled her stifling small town to be a (less powerful) City Witch, and faces a powerful attraction to someone from a rival family with darker powers.

In the manner of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the magic here is parlor tricks and the points don't matter. Serious magic-heads who grumbled when authors just ripped off literal Latin words for spell names will be disappointed here. The whole concept of the town is magic as stage show, and the town competition is magic as Family Feud. The power of the story comes from the dangerous but irresistible attraction of the main couple, from light and dark magic families, and from the sinister magical caste system of the town, which low-caste Emmy had spent her adult life trying to flee.

Not meant for me: in the introduction, author establishes that he's an old man who has no interest in the major cities and doesn't like the Shinkansen or anything touristy. Has good reviews if that's your vibe; it just isn't mine.