Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. The secondary characters take center stage in a refreshing volume of Boys Over Flowers.

Description: Tsukushi's friend Yuki is still fixated on Sojiro, a member of the F4. While struggling to understand him she immerses herself in a mysterious event from his past. Meanwhile, spies continue to track Tsukushi and Tsukasa's every move. The two of them will have to take some outlandish steps to outsmart the snoops and get some "alone time"!

Review: Volume 28 belongs to Yuki and Sojiro as Tsukushi and Tsukasa's ongoing relationship fades temporarily to the background. We witness Yuki visiting several buildings late at night in her city in search of something. While we don't know exactly what she is looking for, we can tell it is extremely important to her and Sojiro from Yuki's fierce dedication and concentration.
  The author gives us glimpses about Yuki's mission, but only Sojiro knows why and his ordinary cheery, happy-go-lucky self attitude slowly becomes serious, dark, and full of remorse. Sojiro's sudden change begins his back story as he relives his memory. Sojiro's back story is one of missed chances, regret, and the belief that one doesn't deserve love is what tugs at the heart strings. Now more than ever I really hope Yuki is able to change his mind about love, especially the emotions that involve intimacy. As we see Tsukushi and Tsukasa try and fight for their relationship, I really hope Sojiro and Yuki fight for a chance to have one. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and allusions to sexual encounters though not depicted in graphic details. Recommended to teens and up.

If you like this book try: Boys Over Flowers Vol 29 by Yoko Kamio, Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances by Masami Tsuda, Mars by Fuyumi Soryo

  It's very rare that I finish a book in one sitting due to so many commitments and distractions throughout the day, but I managed to finish Attachments in one, cloudy, wintry day. When I finished it I had a big smile on my face and if you're in the mood for an incredibly sweet and quirky romance then this book is for you. With her hilarious and heartfelt characters, Rowell has managed to give the banal office romance her own unique spin.

Description: Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
 Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke. When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories. By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself. What would he say . . . ?

Review: Attachments takes place before social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter dominated our lives and the uncertainty of an event called Y2K was starting to cause hysteria. Beth and Jennifer are news journalists and best friends who share news and trials of their lives in email exchanges at work. Beth wonders if her marriage-phobic, musician boyfriend, Chris will ever settle down and pop the question while Jennifer is terrified of the prospect of being a mother for the first time with her baby-mania-stricken husband, Mitch. What Beth and Jennifer don't know is that the newly hired Internet security officer, Lincoln, is charge of
filtering emails and watching for things like pornography and language that goes against the news company's Internet user policy, is reading their messages and unknowingly begins to fall in love with Beth.
  I loved how this novel was structured. Beth and Jennifer's communications are written out as emails, but they read as if they were sitting across from each other in a cafe. Through written communications their unique personalities and vulnerabilities shine through and make them come alive. I felt as if I knew Beth and Jennifer personally and could picture them in my head without really needing Rowell to tell me what they looked like. Interspersed with the emails are Lincoln's slices of life, but eventually both of these separate worlds meet.
 Like Beth and Jennifer, I completely adored Lincoln. Lincoln is an incredibly smart and sweet guy who is also very shy and lost. Still recovering from his first serious relationship that has bruised his ego and self confidence, Lincoln is in need of guidance. Though feeling incredibly awkward about reading people's emails at work, he reads Beth and Jennifer's emails because they make him laugh but they also make him think and reflect. From Beth's replies he connects to her own questions of self worth and self doubt. Lincoln actually transforms to a shy, awkward guy to being confident, alive, and happy by using Beth realizations and implementing them in his own life. Ordinarily in books, it's usually the female character that goes through this transformation but it was really refreshing to have a guy to have these epiphanies and watch his journey of self discovery.
   The romance in Attachments is slow burn as the characters get to know each other through written words before they actually meet. For the longest time, you don't really know what Beth, Jennifer, or even Lincoln look like but that's the beauty of this book. There are many missed opportunities where Lincoln and Beth are in the same room, but they don't know it until the moment has passed. The anticipation of these two finally meeting had me giddy and impatient. Some readers felt the book's resolution of the book's ending to be rushed but I didn't feel like that at all. Of course I would have loved more scenes of Lincoln and Beth actually together and know who they are together, but I loved the open, hopeful and happy ending. I would absolutely recommend Attachments if you are looking for a contemporary romance read that has depth, heart, and extremely likable characters. Rowell has become one of my auto-read authors and I can't wait to read more from her.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language and sexual situations implied but never discussed in detail. Recommended for teens and up.

If you like this book try: Quite a year for plums by Bailey White, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Adverbs by Daniel Handler

 As a blogger and a reader, I'm very weary of books that get a lot of hype. While my excitement for the latest hot reads grow, so do my expectations and majority of the time they don't match up. This was the primary reason why I waited until I read These Broken Stars, a book that many enjoyed and applauded. I wanted to distance myself from the hype and waited until I could judge the book my its own merit. Thankfully, These Broken Stars was just as good as the reviews I read of the book.

Description: It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
  Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.
  Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
  Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Review: These Broken Stars begins like a science-fiction romance we have heard before and then charts its own course that goes beyond the genre tropes much to the reader's satisfaction. As the passengers and crew of the Icarus cruise through hyperspace, spoiled and aloof rich-girl Lilac LaRoux drops a glove before war-hero Major Tarver Merendsen, only to rebuff him later. Yet during a horrifying accident, Lilac and Tarver escape the death-spiraling Icarus and find themselves stranded on a strange, terraformed, yet abandoned planet.
  I really enjoyed watching Lilac's and Tarver's prickly relationship grow. Despite their mutual attraction to one another, they both realize they have no future together, even if they are rescued due to their social class hierarchy. Lilac is the prized daughter of the universe’s richest man, while Tarver is a lowly soldier. It would have been every easy for the authors to create caricatures of these two characters, but thankfully both Lilac and Tarver are fully three dimensional characters with depth, personality, complexity, and strength as we watch them try to survive on their own on this estranged planet. Together, they struggle to save their lives and maintain their sanity—despite disturbing whispers, strange appearances, and disappearances of things lost and treasured—and gradually, the dire circumstances break down the barriers between them.
 These Broken Stars may take place in space but at its heart it is a love story. The book is written in alternate chapters by Lilac and Tarver with intervals from a unknown interrogator. The intervals with the interrogator heighten the suspense and sped the pace of the book for me as I wanted to know how Lilac and Tarver survived and which version of their tale is true. This was a near perfect read  for me. I only wished we got to learn more of the planet that Lilac and Tarver landed on and what happened to it a bit more than it was revealed in the story. While this book is the first of a trilogy, it can be read as a stand alone. I, for one, can't wait to see what these authors have in store for us with the second book, This Shattered World, which will be released this November. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is a scene of underage drinking and minor language. Recommended for Grade 8 and up.

If you like this book try: Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi, Across the Universe series by Beth Revis

 Manga Mondays is a meme hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read where bloggers can share their passion for reading mangas. It's a great place to get new manga titles to try and to meet new bloggers. Tsukushi and Tsukasa have reunited. Can they overcome big obstacles in order to be truly together?

Description: Tsukushi makes a shocking announcement at a party! Then her parents move into a tiny apartment, forcing Tsukushi and her brother to get their own place--next door to someone she knows. And, Tsukushi's friend Yuki is becoming increasingly infatuated with Sojiro, one of the F4. Is she willing to compromise herself for what she thinks he wants?!

Review: Tsukushi and Tsukasa are trying to make their relationship work. Instead of a third person trying to separate them, their own socioeconomic differences make the gap between them grow wider. Tsukushi is used to working and earning money to pay for the shelter over her head, tuition for school, and food to put on the table. More responsibility is placed on her shoulders when her parents decide to move to an affordable apartment, leaving Tsukushi to be responsible for her own brother and find a place of their own. Tsukushi handles the pressure with grace and finds a tiny apartment that resembles a shack. She is embarrassed to let Tsukasa know where she currently resides because it is not up to his standards, which makes Tsukushi wonder if Tsukasa will ever understand a lifestyle where luxury and money don't flow freely.
  While Tsukushi and Tsukasa work out their own issues, Tsukushi's friend Yuki steals the spotlight in this volume. Yuki is very serious about her feelings for Sojiro, a member of the F4 and a well known womanizer. Though we got clues in previous volumes of Yuki's crush, we didn't really understand the extent of them until this volume. She gathers her courage and tells Sojiro how she feels, which shocks both me and Sojiro. From the shojo mangas that I've read the female characters aren't really that aggressive and straightforward, which is why Yuki's step is quite bold and welcoming.  Sojiro isn't really sure how to deal with Yuki and tells her that he's got nothing to offer to her besides a one night stand. Yuki again shocks Sojiro and myself when she accepts his conditions. Luckily, Sojiro stops Yuki from doing something she really regrets and gives a hint to a mysterious past that has made him believe he is not worthy of love.
 I think Yuki and Sojiro would make a nice couple and I'm really curious to see if their relationship develops into anything, but I think Yuki is just too naive and sweet for someone like Sojiro. I'm also really curious as to what makes Sojiro behave the way he does and about his past, which I hope we get to find out in the next volume. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some minor language and some crude sexual humor. Recommended for teens.

If you like this book try: Boys Over Flowers Vol 27 by Yoko Kamio, Kare Kano: His and Her Circumstances by Masami Tsuda, Mars by Fuyumi Soryo

  2014 doesn't seem to be the year of good finales. I've been sad to see some of the books series that I've been looking forward to end on such a sad note. I'll have to add the last book in the Avry of Kazan/Healer series, Taste of Darkness, to the pile of disappoints. Please note that this review is based on the advanced reader's copy of the book provided by the book's publisher via Netgalley.

Description: She's fought death and won. But how can she fight her fears? Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought the plague and survived. She took on King Tohon and defeated him. But now her heart-mate, Kerrick, is missing, and Avry fears he's gone forever. But there's a more immediate threat: The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With armies in disarray and the dead not staying down, Avry's healing powers are needed now more than ever. Torn between love and loyalty, Avry must choose her path carefully. For the future of her world depends on her decision.

Review: I really hoped Taste of Darkness would end the Avry of Kazan series on a high note, but unfortunately it didn't. The book does not read like a whole novel but rather little novellas stringed along together. There are many subplots featured in this book in addition to the overall plot arc of saving the Fifteen Realms from evil rulers. Due to the episodic nature of the book, I didn't really feel invested in really any of the missions and had to put the book down because it wasn't holding my attention.
  Avry is still likable as a heroine and her relationship with Kerrick grows stronger. Both of these characters find a way to work around with their own flaws of stubbornness and putting other people's needs before their own. Since Avry and Kerrick go on separate adventures, the narrative is split in two, each of them having their own point of views. I liked Avry's point of view more than Kerrick since I was never really a fan of him, especially with how he treated Avry in the first book, and that many of the secondary characters that stole the show for me were featured in her point of view. I was surprised to find out a new villain was introduced in this book only because I didn't think the story arc featuring the earlier villain, Tohlon, was complete. Though The Skeleton King appeared menacing, I didn't think he was fully developed and didn't come across as strong in the book. Overall, the Avry of Kazan is a decent series that had the potential to be a great story.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence, fade to black sexual situations, and some language. Recommended for teens and adults who like fantasy.

If you like this book try: try: The Shifter by Janice Hardy, Study series by Maria V. Snyder, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Fire by Kristin Cashore, Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen