In case someone other than me is interested in this, Nozomi Entertainment has a Kickstarter up to create an English dub of the first season of Emma: A Victorian Romance (the link goes to legally streaming English subtitled episodes). No, not Jane Austen's Emma. It's the anime version of Kaoru Mori's manga about the romance between William, the eldest son of a wealthy merchant middle class family, and Emma, a maid.

I'm hoping that the Kickstarter will not only get fully funded, but that it'll reach the Season 2 stretch goal, so that I can hear the English dub for this guy (Hans, the footman, aka the guy I still kind of wish Emma had ended up with):

If I had the money for those tiers, I'd love the Emma figure, Emma doll with amazingly detailed period clothing (seriously, the doll comes with instructions explaining how to tie her corset), and even the custom cosplay outfit, although I don't cosplay. Alas, I must settle for a tier that won't make my bank account scream in agony.

If you're at all interested in manga and haven't read this series before, I highly recommend it. No Kickstarter necessary for those, they're all already published and available. The series jumps off the rails a bit near the end, with action and melodrama, but Mori's gorgeous artwork helps make up for it. I do remember one cringe-y bit - an Indian prince character, Hakim, who comes across as a giant stereotype at the beginning of the series. Mori adds a bit of depth to him and his family later on, but I could still see the character being a problem for folks.

Title:  A Season of You

Author:  Emma Douglas

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 

Series:  Cloud Bay #2

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Four

Review:

"A Season Of You" by Emma Douglas

My Thoughts....

This author gives the ready quite a interesting story in "A Season of You" [the second in this series] who dealt with Mina Harper who had lot her father and her husband. How will Will Fraser play in all of this?  Well, he had be very fond of Mina from afar for five years, however, she was married so that was that.  Now, that things were different would Mina ever be interested in Will who owned a whiskey distillery and bar with his brother and since the death of Mina's father and husband had been due to alcohol related causes. Would Mina [the widow] be able to get pass that?  However, after a accident would Mina be able to see things different and overcome this apprehension that she had regarded of Will's career?  Be ready for a little of  'drama, humor, second chances, love, spice and holiday hope.'  Will Will be able to win Mina's heart during this holiday season in this good story of 'overcoming ones fear and allowing one to love once again?' To find out all of the answers to these questions you will have to pick up "A Season of You" to see how well this author brings it out so well to the readers in this Christmas novel. 

It looks to be only for UK & Australia, among others, but it's a great book! It's been shortlisted for an Arthur C. Clarke Award.

You can find my review here, if you want to see what I thought about it.

A literary map of London, with its writers and characters charted by neighborhood. Which, this us just about the coolest. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul have nowhere near the literary relevance of London (not even close), but I would kill for a literary map of my hometown(s). Here's a start:

--Dr and Mrs Kennicot from Sinclair Lewis's Main Street honeymoon near Lake Calhoun; she's from St Paul
--Much of the action of War for the Oaks takes place in and around First Ave
--Zombie novel Fiend bops around St Paul and the St Paul suburbs, ending in the St Paul County Courthouse
--Meridel LeSeuer's The Girl takes place in the dodgy part of St Paul circa 1920s; not sure where exactly
--Franzen's Freedom takes place in Ramsey Hill in St Paul
-- Diablo Cody worked as a stripper in Sex World, Sheikh's, and other Minneapolis strip clubs, as detailed in Candy Girl
--Though much of Tim O'Brien's In the Lake of the Woods takes place in the Lake of the Woods (doi), it starts in St Paul when the protagonist's bid for governor fails
--Similarly, the (I think only pseudonymous narrator) of Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance starts in the Wedge neighborhood. Specific streets are named, something like 25th and Colfax
--For sure there's stuff by William Kent Kreuger, Garrison Keillor, Robert Bly, and Louise Erdrich I can't think of right now.