I spent part of my morning in the big box bookstore reading away. I figure, they wouldn't have benches if they didn't want me to hang out.
My friend Joy emailed me the names of some of the Manga that is popular with her kids at the high school library, so I decided to read a few volumes on the sly. I had never heard of Kitchen Princess, which she named so I pulled vol.1 and began to read. It's a pretty cute, fairly typical love triangle as far as Shojo goes. I did think the addition of the recipes that the heroine uses in the book was cute. I also picked up a copy of vol.2 of After School Nightmare (I got vol. 1 from the public library)and read that while I was there. Its an interesting combination of a horror novel and strange love story all in one. I'll have to keep reading that series, I'm not sure I can do it justice without reading the whole thing. I also read the first volume of Mixed Vegetables, where a girl decides to date a boy in her cooking school because his family runs a famous sushi restraunt, and she wants to be a sushi chef. Unfortunately, her parents own a bakery so she's expected to become a baker. Mayhem ensues when it's discovered the boy is using her because he wants to become a pastry chef. Convoluted anyone?
I know I read another girl oriented book while I was there, but it was so memorable I've forgotten it... and didn't write anything down. The big bookstore did make some money off me as I slunk away with vol.4 of Otomen. I can't help it, its my kryptonite.
I also happily dropped ChocoMimi back in the slot at the public library. I'd be happy never to see that travesty again in my life. It was so insipid, it hurt me to read it. At first I thought it was just me, so I gave it to one of my girls to read, she made it a few pages and said "I can't do it, it's just too stupid." Glad its not just me. The only highlight in the book is the dog who thinks he's a samurai, he's the highlight.
I also started reading Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and the graphic novel adaptation of Coraline by Neil Gaiman. I know the Coraline is an award winner, but I think it will suffer with students because of the appeal of the visuals in the recent film. I do think its a faithful and well done interpretation of the novel.
That was my Saturday in a nutshell, unless you count writing a paper for another class, dealing with intermittent power outages, grocery store trips, and cat wrestling.
