Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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About GentleRain

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Your jack of all trades eccentric. Knows a little about a lot and a lot about a little. Tends to mainly read non-fiction (history, true crime, old gossip, etc), SF/F, horror, graphic novels, "genre" books. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: GentleRain's Quick Questions interview.)

GentleRain's Reviews:

“I wish times like this could last forever..” — some sweet high school romance manga

You and I Are Polar Opposites (Vol. 7) by Kocha Agasawa

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Another series of manga that I really enjoy, You and I Are Polar Opposites initially followed Suzuki and Tani’s developing relationship and has now branched out to have three sets of people we’re following. Suzuki is outgoing and cheerful, while Tani is shy and nerdy, and at this point they have been together a year and are in a sweet relationship. They’re probably my favorite duo just because I like their level of communication and support of each other, as well as Suzuki’s fun character. Natsumi […]

“…she couldn’t have done it and she must have done it.”

Iphigenia in Forest Hills by Janet Malcom

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I found this a frustrating read although on the face of it, it seems just up my alley; true crime about a small Jewish community in New York City is catnip for me. There was also overlap with subjects that I’m interested in, like domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and the treatment of families in crisis by the legal system. Iphigenia in Forest Hills is billed as an “anatomy of a murder trial” and the main thrust of the analysis here seems to be that […]

“If only we could all take the time to get to know ourselves.”

Spacewalking With You (Volume 2) by Inuhiko Doronoda

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Spacewalking With You is a truly special series that I can’t recommend highly enough! It deals with the friendship between Uno and Kobayashi, who are portrayed as having two different kinds of neurodivergence (Uno being Autistic and Kobayashi seeming to have some sort of ADHD/dyslexia deal going on). In the first volume, Uno is a new transfer student and is immediately clearly different and gets laughed at and made fun of. His autism is never stated explicitly, but he has social issues, gets overstimulated easily by […]

“I don’t want to have any regrets!” — Another great volume from one of my all-time favorites!

Hirayasumi Vol. 7 by Keigo Shinzo

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Hirayasumi is one of my favorite manga and every new volume is a joy! The series is slice of life (with some romance) and follows Hiroto, a 29 year old who works a relaxed job at a fishing spot, his cousin Natsumi who lives with him while she goes to art school, and their friends. Hiroto is a laid back person who used to work as an actor, but gave it up to work a quiet job and take it more easy. Natsumi is wound […]

“I’ve found a place where I can breathe.” — A lovely romance manga!

In the Twilight of Our Adolescence by Waka Hayashi

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In the Twilight of Our Adolescence is a real gem of a book, touching and thoughtful about growing up and the difficulties of adolescence, especially when you feel different to everyone else. There are three linked stories in the collection and one stand-alone. The three stories follow Tanahashi and Nakagawa, two junior high school boys, as they navigate becoming friends and potentially something more. Tanahashi has always respected Nakagawa’s ability to not care what others think. Even though Tanahashi is popular and good at sports, […]

“Back there, for one moment, I felt something electric streak through my chest.”

God of Seduction in the Bedroom by Fumi Tsuyuhisa

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God of Seduction in the Bedroom is a sweet romance manga about a Satoru, who is the world’s worst lover and thus has had every girlfriend break up with him. After his latest time being dumped, Ecchan, the god of seduction, shows up and states that it will find him a partner that he is compatible with. Because Satoru is so terrible at sex, there’s only one compatible person for him — Shinya, a popular actor. In one of many magical coincidences in this manga, […]



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