Ahhhh, the ending of this book is just super. I don't really think you need to read these books in order to enjoy them, as I feel each book in this series is super, all on their own. I do recommend that you look, I mean really look at the illustrations on each page as they really do compliment the story. In this story, two turtles come across a cowboy hat and they each try it on. Right off, you notice that these turtle look identical, so when they each slip on the hat, it looks great on both of them.

They realize they need to do something different now, as there is only one hat and two individuals who would like to own the hat. I liked how the friends tried to do different things to take their minds off the hat and how they acted towards each other after they discovered the problem they were having. Super cute story with simple text that I really enjoyed.

Following a traumatic accident in the Army, Kerr Taggart returns to Hell's Valley to come to terms with the man he’s become, so he can take the biggest chance of his life . . . asking the beautiful and forbidden Izzy Brand out on a date. But even if he achieves Mission Date Izzy Brand, Izzy’s family remains intent on destroying the Taggart family, and remains aligned with the rising supernatural creature plotting to steal Taggart land.

This was really good, right from the beginning. I really liked Kerr (although there were a few times I wanted to smack him upside the head) right off. I liked Izzy too, however for about the first half of the book I was really questioning her thought process. I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series, but it was pretty easy to catch on about the family dynamics. At this point, I plan on going back to read the first three! I highly recommend.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

by Lara Maiklem

Non-fiction

This was a rather interesting book about an activity I hadn't known about before, though it seems an obvious thing to do now. Mudlarking is searching through he shore of a river, in this case the Thames, at low tide to find valuables and artefacts the higher tide might have washed along. This can include some fascinating historical pieces from buttons to jewellery in the Thames.

I enjoyed reading about the different segments of the river and how the patterns of the tides differ from one to another, as well as the bits of London history that are revealed from the various finds. The personal connection the author expresses about the river really adds character to the narrative and makes me want to get a pair of wellies and go see what I can find myself! Though I'm not sure I would be up to the task in the end.

A fascinating narrative about a too little known activity. I just hope it doesn't result in inspiring so many mudlarking tourists that the lifelong hobbyists get crowded out!

Fuyuki Kanda is a widowed music teacher who decides to buy a homely one-year-old cat at a pet store. The cat, who he names Fukumaru, is worried that his new owner will take him back or abandon him, but luckily for him, Mr. Kanda adores him.

This series is sweet, gentle, and warm, and I absolutely love it. I found out about it via a review on The Manga Critic, and then I kept coming across it via other sources until I finally broke down and bought it. I'm so glad I did.

This had some of the usual things you'll find in cat manga: a newbie cat owner who has to learn some of the basics, shopping for supplies at the pet store, and kitty antics, like scratching on things they're not supposed to, being goofy, and inadvertently making a mess. However, this first volume was as much about Kanda as it was about Fukumaru, and watching these two lonely characters love each other, become accustomed to each other, and form a little family together was a treat.

There were flashbacks for both Fukumaru and Kanda. Fukumaru's showed him as a kitten - remembering his mother and gradually realizing that no one wanted him. Kanda's showed him and his wife, and what their lives had been like over the years. They'd intended to get a cat together but never got around to it. They had children, and readers haven't yet been given enough information to know whether they just live too far away to regularly visit or whether Kanda's estranged from them. At any rate, he lived alone, and it was apparent that both the cat and the man had become a little depressed before they came into each other's lives.

A few other character POVs popped up here and there: Kobayashi, Kanda's dog-loving childhood friend, Yoshiharu Moriyama, one of Kanda's energetic young coworkers, and Miss Sato, the pet store employee who assisted Kanda. They all provided different views of Kanda and/or Fukumaru, which I appreciated. For example, Moriyama saw Kanda as the epitome of cool elegance and idolized him, while Kobayashi knew the loneliness his friend had been going through and appreciated the joy that Fukumaru added to Kanda's life, even if he didn't personally understand what Kanda saw in Fukumaru.

I loved the artwork. Fukumaru's cartoonish looks were initially a bit odd, but I got used to it. And oof, Kanda. It was easy to believe that his younger male coworker would idolize him and younger female coworkers would crush on him a bit.

I absolutely plan on preordering the next volume. I'm looking forward to seeing Fukumaru and Kanda make each other happy, and I'm interested to see what Sakurai plans on doing with this series.

Extras:

A couple pages of full-color artwork and a full-color four-panel comic, as well as a one-page comic-style afterword by the author.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)