kbrsuperstar's reviews
878 reviews

The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
Did not finish book. Stopped at 1%.

I will try again with the print edition but the vaguely slam poetry style of reading she's doing here is absolutely not something I enjoy even slightly

The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike

dark tense medium-paced

2.5

A lot of genuinely creepy buildup that does NOT pay off in the end.

The Way of Nagomi: The Japanese Philosophy of Finding Balance and Peace in Everything You Do by Ken Mogi

informative medium-paced

3.5

I already read his other book - Awakening Your Ikigai - so I knew I shouldn't expect a self-help book but more of a broad overview of the concept of nagomi in Japan. For the most part, I enjoyed it, I found it informative and I learned quite a lot. That said, the chapter on making an effort to all get along with each other really rubbed me the wrong way, especially when it came to making nice with people who don't agree with you politically and that the Japanese way of basically only having one ruling political party (because aww people who feel left out of power won't work with you) felt ridiculous and a little infuriating to me. Like, ok, Ken, I'm sure that's great for everyone who's exactly like you but uhhhh what about everyone else? I don't know a ton about Japanese politics but I know y'all ain't got same-sex marriage there yet so idk, maybe check in with a couple of gay folks and see if they feel it's more important that everyone play nice?

Gohan: Everyday Japanese Cooking: Memories and Stories from My Family's Kitchen by Emiko Davies

informative inspiring slow-paced

4.0

First off, this book is beautiful: the photos are amazing and the overall design is spare but really lovely. The recipes are simple to follow without being boring or too basic. My only issue with this cookbook is, to be perfectly frank, I'm tired of knowing a cookbook author's entire life story. This feels like a trend that started with cooking blogs in the early 2000s and I wish it would go away. A LOT of this book is given over to the author's personal family history and it doesn't really add much to the book. 

Azumanga Daioh: The Omnibus by Kiyohiko Azuma

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I love the Yotsuba&! manga and I think I was expecting something closer to that in tone here. It was funny but more than a little of it feels kind of cringey, like the recurring gag with a gross lecherous male teacher. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Eating disorder, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

Spy x Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

For being a comic manga aimed at 12-18 yo boys, I was completely surprised by how emotionally engaging it is: so many secrets! tragic backstories! the overwhelming desire to see the two leads get together! 

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 1 by Fuse

adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This was... fine, I guess. It never felt like much was happening and the obsession with girls and getting laid was a bit cringey for me. 

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.

Finally realized this is the worst kind of self-help bullshit, just rebranded with a few naughty words to make it seem edgy, I'm kind of embarrassed I didn't see it sooner

Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day by Ken Mogi

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

Apparently the title in the UK is "The Little Book of Ikigai" which frankly would be a lot more appropriate because there's not a lot of "how to" that the title implies. It IS really informative with a lot of insight into Japan and Japanese life but how to adapt that for yourself is pretty vague.

Also a specific note about the audiobook: I had to skip basically an entire chapter that focuses on sumo because goddamn this guy mispronounced pretty much every single sumo term and rikishi's ring name and it was unbearably irritating. 

Slam Dunk, Vol. 1 by Takehiko Inoue

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Honestly a bit shocked by how much I enjoyed this one - I'm working through the 2024 Manga Genre/Demographic Challenge here and didn't think I was going to be very interested in sports manga so I kind of picked this one just because the library had it but it's so funny and the art style is immensely enjoyable!