This is what Manga Heaven looks like

what i would give to own a digital camera right now!! then i could show my you nearly sky high stack of manga that I've purchased in the last week.

What's the one good thing about all the comic/gaming/bookstores getting way in over their heads in the manga craze? Now it's all on sale. People keep asking me why I don't go to B&N to buy all this stuff, because "of course" they have it:

1. B&N isn't so good about carrying early issues in long running series. With 87 issues of Fruit's Basket, Naruto, and Negima, that there isn't much room left for more interesting stuff.

2. I'd rather give my $$ to independently run businesses. Even if I have to drive further.

and now, for the list of new goodies:

Read or Die volumes 2 & 3, by Shutaro Yamada. They had some Read or Dream (the sisters) too, but no one seems to have volume one of that series.
Fullmetal Alchemist Vol 22 by Hiromu Arakawa. Wow she's coming out with these later issues fast! Good, because I'm kinda ready for a final showdown.
Nana, vol 3 by Ai Yazawa. I just can't get enough of Ms Yazawa. Why her earlier stuff hasn't been translated into English, I'll never know. We were about to check out at the store when husband says "look at all the Nana they have, that you don't have!" jerk.
Blade of the Immortal, vol 1, by Hiroaki Samura. I've heard good things about this series, but other than that, don't know a thing about it. The artwork is less cartoony, more artsy, which is very refreshing.
Basilisk, vol 1, by Futaro Yamada & Masaki Segawa. They ran the anime on TV a few years ago, and since I kept missing episodes, It was impossible to keep track of all the characters in the Fuedal love story. Kind of Fuedal Japan meets Romeo & Juliet? The really nice thing about Manga vs Anima - if you forget who someone is, you can always go back a few pages!
Ludwig II, by You Higuri. It has two very handsome gentlemen on the cover, and the blurb on the back promises a historic backdrop for the story of King Ludwig II of Bavaria's trials and tribulations with love and loss. After I read it, husband asks "It's got a lot of history, right?" Sure. sure it does. Rated M for Mature.

I need another manga shelf. in fact, I need an entire bookcase for just my comics.

too many books, not enough time, part 12

i should really just rename this blog too many books and not enough time


Archibald Cox – I finally, finally finished his Court & Constitution book. Some of most challenging and inspiring reading I have ever done. Next time I’m at that library, I’ll be looking for some of his earier works. Cox is quickly turning into a personal hero of mine. I hope I don’t come to discover he was actually a jerk.

Michael Chabon news – one of his lesser well known works is Gentlemen of the Road. I’m about half way through the book, and still getting used to it. In approximately the year 1000, two Jewish soldiers for hire are haunted by the deaths of family members in the Khazarian Empire. Living as mercenaries with the occasional con job, they end up as hired gaurds for Filaq, a dethroned prince looking for revenge. I’ve gotta say, the biggest culture shock for me while reading this book was the idea of Jewish kingdom. And it’s not just an idea, around this time the state religion of the Khazar Empire really was Judaism. A bit of culture shock to me. The Sunday school story I learned was one of the horse warrior kings said to the Jewish sage Hillel – tell me everything about Judaism while you stand on one foot, and perhaps I will convert. Hillel stood on one foot and said “Do as to others as you wish them to do to you”. The Warrior king was so impressed that he converted on the spot and his kingdom followed. I just never thought it really happened.



In other Michael Chabon news, I picked up a few more issues of his Dark horse comic The Escapist. Very good, and very fun. Highly recommended. sure, they are obviously contrived and more a fan "project" than an actual series, but that doesn't bother me. I’m hoping I can convince the library to buy this for their graphic novel collection.

Fullmetal Alchemist #18 is out, and I have a copy!! I’ve read it twice now, and things really are starting to come to a head. All the pieces are in the right place, if you know what I mean. Kimblee is politely holding Winry hostage, and offers Ed the philosophers stone in exchange for Ed becoming a human weapon. Kimblee is the perfect sociopath, no wonder the homunculi support him. Speaking of, how is Riza going to share her secret? Perhaps little Hayate may be of some help.

I just can't get enough manga. my house will be full of it, and i will still be aquiring more.

Revolutionary Girl Utena – the best way to describe this is pure zany. Tomboyish Utena is raised by an aunt who lets her get away with just about anything, including designing her own fuschia colored school uniform in a boys cut. Every year, Utena gets a rose scented letter from a mysterious man. Each letter is written on the back of a picture, and the final picture is of the wealthy prep school Ohtori Academy. Utena is accepted into the school, and immediately, accidentally picks a fight with a member of the school council. The fight turns into a duel, and as winner of the duel, Utena “wins” a young woman named Anthy, who is the “Rose Bride”. Anthy becomes Utena’s personal servant, and “belongs” to her. As melodramatic and somewhat sexist as this sounds, it really is a comedy, with Utena constantly questionting the sanity of everything going on around her. Determined to meet the mysterious sender of the letters and protect Anthy from abusive members of the student council, Utena stays at the academy. I’ve read two volumes, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Blame . . I'm slowing purchasing this series as I can find it. It's out of print, and i'm pretty sure i'm the only one who enjoys it. Killy is working his way up through abandoned cities, where humans have been wiped out by the machines (think the matrix meets terminator, plus insane AIs?). I really enjoy this manga for the artwork and the cyborg designs, and pretty much the design of the whole thing. Sure, there isn't much said, but it's mostly just Killy and his gun, so who is he gonna talk to anyways? he's a pretty shy, quiet guy. Not a series most people will gravitate towards, but i like it.

i have no attention span

two whole days off from work? what will i do with myself? i haven't slept in for two days in a row since. . . January, i think. Yeesh, i don't think i've slept in for one day in a row since about then. Let's see. . . time off work and money in my pocket. . if you guessed "books!" you won! i'll send you a cookie or something.

and since my attention span has withered to zero (what were we talking about?) the only thing better than books is comic books! i meant to guy buy some nice work shirts, intead i spent $25 at the comic book shop, and "impressed" the clerk with my arcane and useless knowledge of Fullmetal Alchemist (if by impressed, you mean convinced him i'm even more of a nerd than he thought. all i need now is braces and a lisp).

purchased:
Fullmetal Alchemist #14
Action Philosophers #1
Serenity #2 and #3




For those of you who like learning, but like me have zero attention span, i highly recommend Action Philosophers. it's like cliffs notes, but with pictures. and humor. i can't think of a better way to spend $8.

all those comics. . . this means the only actual "book" book i'm reading right now is "Good Omens", by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. it got mixed reviews when it came out. . . i'll let you know what i think when i get there.

finished reading a galley copy of Stephen Brust's newest, Jhegaala. review to show up. . . eventually. speaking of reviews, here's one for Jumper by Steven Gould. Yes, it's the same Jumper as that movie that came out a few months ago. i tried to give the book a neural, rather non-committal review. actually, it was pretty awful, and i don't recommend it. what was really funny was there was some screen shots from the movie on the back of the book, featuring a character who is in the movie, but not in the book. funny, or stupid?

the hubby and i watched one of our favorite films last night - The Last of The Mohicans. i think that's going to be my next serious literature read. if i can only find a copy. might be a birthday present for myself.

Yup, still a fangirl.

i have no excuse for not posting. i am lame. was working, was travelling. can't wait to upload pictures. still, no excuse.

recent fangirl purchases:

Fullmetal Alchemist Anime volumes 1-4
Tsubasa Anime volume 1

Fullmetal Alchemist Manga volume 11
Tsubasa manga volume 4

other purchases, not exactly fangirl related:

The Alchemist's Kitchen, by Guy Ogilvy (OK, maybe that was a little fangirl related) and The book of Jhereg, by Steven Brust.



alright, so that Steven Brust book is more for my other half, but i'm sure i'll read it too. Just finished reading George R R Martin's A Storm of Swords, and still plowing through Dreamsongs II. i love this man! my only beef with aSoIaF is everytime i say "that person is my favorite character!", they end up dead. Which means Jaime is next. So long as he takes Cersei with him. . .

Stay tuned for photos from my trip, photos of my bookcases, and more good reads! unfortunately, not much time for cooking lately. been travelling to the 'rents, and a visit to Mom means a few boxes of books are on the way. can't wait to see what she sends!

the comicbook addiction

Not sure how long this post will be, as I have limited internet time today, and bread rising in the oven. See below for easy French cooking.

ARCs recently received:
Pandora’s Closet, a book of short stories involving the Pandora’s box mythology. I’m looking forward to the Timothy Zahn entry. The Kevin J Anderson entry, not so much.
The Clean Tech Revolution, by Ron Pernick & Clint Wilder – Pernick runs a California sustainable energy investment firm, and this is his research into the sustainable energy industries: who is doing what, and where, and where is the money coming from. Being a tree hugger has nothing to do with being altruistic. I’ve read the solar and wind power chapters. Interesting in a dry, econ kind of way. But damn, I wish I’d gotten that engineering degree. Look at all the cool jobs I could have applied for!

Book purchased recently:
Note to self: when visiting fanfare, bring $22. (two $10 books, plus tax). Leave all other cash and credit cards at home. Otherwise this is what happens:
Fullmetal Alchemist volumes 6, 7 and 8. They started creation of the anime around volume 7. Which means the manga plotline and the anime plotline don't really match anymore. Ed and Al are still finding trouble, everywhere, and have gone to spend some time with their teacher, Izumi. I love Izumi, she's one of my favorite characters. Al hooks up with some Chimera, who are cool people, but they work for Greed, who is well, greedy. Marta could have been a good friend for Al. They have a longer relationship in the anime. Greed gets to bite the big one about 20 times (hey, whose that guy in the chair??), and Al gets his creepy memory back. Who needs a stupid circle now! Some brand spankin’ new characters from Xing show up. I don’t know how I feel about these new characters. Did Arakawa feel she had to completely depart from the Anime story line? I trust her. . . wait a minute, back to Izumi. . . i think she's my favorite character, but i'm not sre. Damn you Arakawa, why do you have to make it so hard for me to have a handful of favorite characters? I love them all! I think i am now caught up with all the books that aren't quite still in print. and have you seen the cover to volume 13?? it's kinda hot.
Girl Genius, by Phil and Kaja Foglio – steampunk/gaslight action adventure mad scientist romance with armed guards who talk like they’re in a bad Dracula flick. Did you get all that? Phil Foglio ROCKS. You know, I was just expecting dirty humor and inside jokes. Nope. This baby’s got fun art, an adorable plot, and hilarious dialogue. And supposedly the narrator at the beginning is a self portrait of Phil himself?

One more goodie on the plate:
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke – I’d heard this was “Harry Potter” for grownups. More like Victor Hugo does Harry Potter. Stodgy Britons in the early 1800s argue over servants and carriages. Occasional magic is done to beat that dastardly Napoleon. I’m about ¾ through, and still waiting for some interesting conflict. Stay tuned for a full length review. It’s the least I can do for a 800 page+ novel.


Now, on to the real plate. I love my Provincial French cookbook. Everything is way easier than it looks, I’ve heard of most of the ingredients, and it’s all so damn good.

Burgundy Chicken – serves four

2 tbsp butter
4 chicken legs
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup white Burgundy or Chardonnay wine
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper
8oz seedless green grapes, cut in half
¼ cup half n half
some parsley (garnish)

before starting, make sure all the chicken will fit in the pan. If you use chicken that has some skin on it, which I recommend, you’ll have some shrinkage.

melt butter in heavy skillet. Add chicken, and cook till browned all over (they don’t need to cook through). Remove chicken to a plate. Add shallots and cook till soft. Return chicken to pan, add wine, thyme, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes. The chicken should be tender and nearly falling off the bone. Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the grapes to the sauce, and boil the sauce till it thickens slightly. add the half and half, and simmer for a few minutes, stirring. Pour sauce over the Chicken, garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!

Excellent with garlic roasted potatoes, Gratin Savoyard, and crusty french bread to soak up all that divine sauce!

Potatoes make Eifelheim better

so i'm struggling through Michael Flynn's Eifelheim. this book is turning into a chore. but i'm nearly done, so i might as well get through it, so i can write a cranky, snarky review and bitch and complain about how Flynn can't get through a damn page without at least one untranslated phrase in German, Latin, or French. it would be nice if knew any of those languages. which i don't. grrr. knowing my luck, i'll be the only person who didn't like this book, and everyone else who reads it will rave about it!

but there is a reward in sight!! today i learned about library reciprocal borrowing! with my local library card, i can get books from the library in the next city. how different could libraries be, you ask? VERY different. and i came home with Edelman's Infoquake, Vandermeer's Shreik, and volume 1 of Cowboy Bepop, and 1 & 2 of something called Tokyo Babylon that looks cool. now if i can only find a library that owns the entire collection of Blame and Trinity Blood, i'm all set.

speaking of Manga, i got my copy of FullMetal Alchemist volume 3 today! Thank you Amazon, and thank you M for that Amazon gift card!

so many good books, i don't know where to start. the kitchen is a good place.

this dish turned out so much better than i expected, that not only will it go hand written in my cookbook, it will make reading Eifelhiem for another 2 hours much easier.

Garlicky roasted potatoes

1 1/2 lbs new potatoes, and or small heirloom potatoes
non stick cooking spray
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely (2-3 tbsp)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tbsp rosemary
1 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper

preheat oven to 450. clean and quarter potatoes. use a baking dish no smaller than 9x9. spray baking dish with nonstick spray, and put in potatoes. sprinkle potatoes with 1 tbsp of olive oil, and salt & pepper, and put them in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

meanwile, make the garlic topping. in a saucepan, put the rest of the olive oil, and the garlic. cook over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 2-3 minutes. you might need to add a little more oil, if it begins to burn. remove from the heat, and let cool. shortly before the potatoes are ready to come out of the oven, add the parsley, rosemary, and lemon juice to the garlic mixture, and mix well.

after you've taken the potatoes out of the oven, you don't want to pour the garlicky mixture onto the hot pan (you just don't. it will stick, and burn.). either pour the potatoes & garlicky mixture into a serving bowl and mix well, or pour the potatoes into the saucepan you made the garlicky mixture in, and mix well.

i love potatoes. they are good medicine for annoying books.