How is it 2024 already?!
I hope everyone had a great start to the new year. 2023 was definitely better than 2022 for me, that's for sure. So much had happened that it still makes my head spin. In 2023:
These were just the tip of the iceberg. While not everything was positive, I did make sure to make 2023 the year of self-love and self-care. I'm surrounded by people who care about me, and removed those who didn't. It's still a process, but I'm trusting it. Now we're in 2024 and already I've started a new venture. I had my first solo webinar with Minnesota librarians on January 9th, and it went better than I expected. I am taking bookings so if you would like me to speak at your library about curating your own manga collection, message me through Twitter (I refuse to call it X) at @libraryladynyc, and I'll send you details. I'm still reviewing manga for Good Comics for Kids (check out my latest review here), and just living day by day. Life's a continuing journey, and I'm grateful just to be here. I'll have more reviews soon and news to share, but until then, be safe and live your best life! 'Til next time.
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Fight Forever!!! Okay, I'm finally getting down to write this review after months of playing AEW: Fight Forever. Yes, it's THAT much fun! For those who don't know, I'm a huge wrestling fan, especially All Elite Wrestling. Please check out my review of AEW's first Grand Slam event here. And yes, I'll be attending the September 20th event at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Come holler at ya girl if you see me. As for the game, is it fun? Hell yes! Is it perfect? Not exactly. It does have glitches, especially when you are trying to create a move set for your customized wrestler. I mean, my character just stands there frozen after doing the sickest dropkick until my opponent smacks her out of her reverie of sorts. Overall, it is fun to play as your favorite wrestlers and have them win most of the gold. My favorite match to put the wrestlers through is, yup, the Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match. Yes, I'm sick. But man, you haven't lived unless you tried it out. With the Stadium Stampede feature and the Limitless Bunny pack (with Keith Lee and The Bunny *check out her vlog. She's wonderful*) recently released, it's more continued joy to behold. You can play online with friends, challenge you enemies, or partake on the Road to Elite storyline. And as much as I enjoy the Road to Elite story mode, my main gripe with it is that when playing a female or femme-presenting character, there are very few scenarios that fit perfectly, such as challenging for the AEW Women's Heavyweight Championship. Everything else is mostly the male-based storyline. Not much variety. However this is AEW's first video game for console users and for it's freshman effort, they did a great job overall. I still have a great time, and explore the Road to Elite with all of the wrestlers. Currently my strongest (and one of my favorite) wrestler is Jade Cargill, and seeing her return on AEW Collision added more to my excitement. My second strongest (and also fave) is Kenny Omega, who I still dream of challenging to Street Fighter someday. Yep, a gal can dream. Next wrestler for me to play is the devil himself, MJF. That should be interesting. So my lovelies, I say give AEW: Fight Forever a chance. It's a fun debut for AEW in the gaming world with so many options to explore, despite the glitches. Until next time, and maybe I'll see you at Arthur Ashe on September 20th. Fight Forever!!! It's amazing how life changes after months of healing and self-care. First, I would like to apologize for the lack of updates and reviews on this blog. I've had A LOT going on lately (understatement of my LIFE at the moment), and really need to take a break to heal all of the pain I was going through. While working on myself and my mental well-being, I adopted a stray kitty named Hikaru. Pickles, my 16-year-old tortie is not having it, as I totally understand given that we had recently lost Bella and Pickles is not one to share (ask my exes). What I didn't know was Hikaru was pregnant at the time. The sneaky little cutie had five stowaways! The two kittens featured here are Maria (named in honor of my late friend, Maria Narciso) and her brother, Deku (My Hero Academia, and awww he's sleeping). The others are Georgie (male), Josie (female), and Mayu (female). I'm keeping Maria, and considering keeping Deku since they are close (update: I kept Georgie. He REFUSED to leave us xD). The others have homes waiting for them when they're ready. I'm going to miss them, but I miss not having chaos in my apartment *lol!* Another fun challenge I had was presenting at this year's American Library Association's Annual conference. While I was originally going as a spectator, I ended up being a panelist for Manga Connects to BIPOC Teens, moderated by my good friend Jillian Rudes (mangainlibraries.com). Joined by Dr. Joe Sanchez (Queens College), Frederick Jones (Saturday AM),and Tony Weaver, Jr. (Weird Enough Productions), we spoke in front of room of librarians and professionals on why BIPOC teens connect to manga and why representation, inclusion, and acceptance matters. While at the conference, I was able to have dinner with the publishing company, Kodansha (ON MY BIRTHDAY!!! *omg!*). I feature a lot of Kodansha's works here, and love what they produce for readers. They are an amazing group of people who I hope to meet again in the near future. I got to finally meet Mark from Yen Press in-person, and what a mad cool dude and another I hope to meet with again. I also met authors and had books autographed. B. Dylan Hollis and Terry Moore will forever be icons to me. Telling B. Dylan Hollis I made the potato chips cookies and seeing his excited reaction was worth it! But meeting Terry Moore ON MY BIRTHDAY was just awesome! But the icing on the cake was watching Judy Blume speak. Her books were a part of my childhood and hearing her take on the recent book bannings were so refreshing. And let me tell you, Ms. Blume can take on Gov. De Santis any day and I'd pay to see her humble that douchebag. So with all that said, what's next for the Library Lady besides sending kitties off to their forever homes? Well, I'll be continuing my duties as member of NYPL's Best Books for Teens committee (another reason why I've been busy), catching up on my reviews for Good Comics for Kids (latest review can be found here), looking forward to NYCC and AnimeNYC, and another panel in the works that will be announced shortly. As for this blog, I'm currently working on a review for AEW Fight Forever, which I have been playing more than writing about. Gotta love being a gamer. Overall I'm still here, still standing, and continuing to do what I love. If there is anything you want me to review, please feel free to contact me on Twitter. Til then, stay healthy and please be kind to one another. My first review of 2023! And the manga I'm reviewing, in my honest opinion, is so important even though it is rated for older teen audiences, and yet I feel that our younger teens would benefit from it as well. Is Love the Answer? is a tale of self-discovery as a young woman named Chika wonders why she doesn't feel that same about love like her peers in school. While her friends tell her the same old phrase, "you haven't met the right one yet," Chika knows that she doesn't want physical intimacy or romance. When she starts college, Chika learns that there is a name for what she feels: asexual. *Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity. As Chika learns more about being asexual and aromantic, she starts to feel more comfortable with who she is. While I am not asexual (also referred to as being "ace"), I felt Chika's story was very authentic and wonderfully written. Starting from high school where Chika feels like an outsider to her first year in college, her world begins to become more open with each person she encounters. She finds a group of friends from different walks of life, and a neighbor who helps her learn more about being ace, as he is ace himself. The artwork was beautifully done to convey her feelings of isolation, confusion, and then acceptance and satisfaction. Even the cover of the manga has the colors that represent the asexual flag to drive the point home. Uta Isaki wrote an amazing story of self-acceptance that I think everyone should read. Is Love the Answer? is a story that no one should ignore. I personally give it a 4.5, and hope to know what you think of it. I consider it a learning experience for all. The door to 2022 is closed, and to be honest, THANK GOD!!!
To say 2022 sucked for me would be the biggest understatement ever. I had plenty of great moments, don't get me wrong. But when you lose four family members within two months, as well as deal with a health scare, it takes a toll on you. In my last post, I mentioned the death of my father. That sting is still there. Then in succession, I lost my second cousin, my beloved cat Bella, then my uncle before New Year's Eve. Then came the cancer scare in the middle of all of that. That sucked. However, I'm taking it all day by day. Bella's ashes are back home where she belongs. My uncle's funeral was yesterday. And I found out the mass that was discovered was benign and I'm going to be okay. I'm officially declaring today (1/12/23) my real official start to 2023. 2022 is behind me, and I'm not looking back. I miss my loved ones terribly, but I'm continuing on for them. And for you. Every day is gift and a blessing. And I'll never take each moment for granted. So here's to a new year for the Library Lady. I will have new reviews on this site soon, as well as Good Comics for Kids. My latest review on GC4K can be found here. If there is anything you would like me to review, feel free to message me through Twitter (@libraryladynyc). 'Til next time. Please be good to yourself and each other. Hi everyone!
A couple things before I get personal:
Now for the personal: Even though I had all these great things happen, it was done with a heavy heart. On October 13, I lost one of my biggest supporters, my father. Even though we had our up and downs, we still had a strong bond. This was more evident as I was by his side when he passed away. I've been though a lot of trauma and betrayal in my lifetime (you name it, I've been though it), but nothing compares to looking into the eyes of the one you love so much as they die. The holidays are upon us, and so are new firsts that are going to be the hardest to endure. I miss my father every day. I wish I could call him about all of the good things and triumphs in my life. I wish he could be here to see all of my future endeavors. But I'm also grateful. I'm grateful that we reconciled during my teen years. I'm grateful that I had his support when I came out. He had my back when others were treating me horribly. When I was doubting myself (anxiety is evil, y'all), Dad would always call me his superstar and play Prince's "Baby I'm a Star" to encourage me. To not hear him anymore hurts, but I know he's still here in spirit. I know he's proud of me. And I know I will be okay, because I'm surrounded by love and support by my family (both blood and found) and my amazing friends. So as the holiday season is upon, please be good to yourselves and each other. Love yourselves and let go of what doesn't bring you joy because... Oh baby, I'm a...(Star!) Ooh... Might not know it now Baby, but I are, I'm a star (Star!) I don't want to stop 'til I reach the top Sing it! (We are a star!) 'Til next time. In Loving Memory of Ron Scott (1941-2022) Let me get this out of the way.
*ahem* I am not a Dragon Ball fan. I have a well-known love/hate relationship with the series, stemming back to the caricatures of those who were of African descent. Now with those are being heavily considered, and with a challenge from my library teens, I took advantage of AMC Theaters' $3 deal during Labor Day weekend to see Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. In this latest installment of the series, the central focus is on the series' favorite father-son duo, Piccolo and Gohan (yes, I went THERE). Piccolo is now training Gohan's three-year-old daughter, Pan. Their relationship is just as precious as when Gohan was a child. However since the last movie, DB Super: Broly, our heroes have become very lax, with the exception of Piccolo. Gohan is more focused on his research than training and his daughter, while Goku and Vegeta have left Earth to help Broly control his emotions. Even Bulma is more focused on Capsule Corp and her looks. When the Red Ribbon Army returns under new leadership, Piccolo immediately senses the danger, and has to find a way to stop them and get Gohan ready for battle. Now, I liked how the movie shows how the rest of the group treats Piccolo. He was once their most feared adversary before becoming their ally. Now he's their glorified babysitter/grandfather, looking after Pan just like he did with Gohan. When Piccolo tries to warn the others, they really don't take it seriously. Even after his battle with new androids, Gamma 1 & 2, Piccolo sees how even the Eternal Dragon is being used that illustrates how lazy and unassuming the rest have become (cosmetic enhancement... really, Bulma?). The only one who takes Piccolo seriously is Pan, even going along with a ruse to get Gohan back into action. It's actually pretty funny. There's a lot of comedic aspects to this movie:
The action was fast-paced, and just awesome to watch. And the new power levels Gohan and Piccolo achieved were awesome. When the Eternal Dragon gave Piccolo the ability to unlock his true potential, it also gave him "a little extra." And that little extra did not disappoint. My only gripe was the new big bad they had to face. It just left me feeling underwhelmed. But the battle was great and there is a sad, but heroic, sacrifice that got me in the feels. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and give it a 4.5/5. It's by far the best Dragon Ball movie ever made, in my opinion of course. Also, make sure to stay for the post credits scene to find out who won the Goku/Vegeta match. It's absolutely stupid, which makes the movie even more fun. Now if you were a child of the 80s and 90s like myself, or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fan (again, like myself), hearing that the Turtles were back with a new game brought you feeling of nostalgia and excitement.
Available on all gaming consoles and Steam, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge is just like all the other games that preceded it. Shredder is up to his old antics and the Turtles, along with April O'Neil, Splinter, and Casey Jones (you can play as Casey if you clear the Story mode) must stop him. The game is just like the classic beat 'em up games in the 90s (Street of Rage and Final Fight, anyone?). With 16 rounds and a game design paying homage to the 80s cartoon, I couldn't get enough of this game. It made me think of playing Turtles in Time at the arcade, and to make it more special, the original voice actors of the Turtles from the 80s animated series were involved with this project. Really, talk about nostalgia! I really couldn't find any fault with this game, but then again, I'm a bit biased with my TMNT fandom. There are Easter eggs galore throughout the game with references to the show, movies, and even previous games (Donnie powering up while playing a Game Boy, c'mon now). This game gets a 5/5 from me. Shredder's Revenge is for all fans, old and new, and just an overall fun time. COWABUNGA!!! My apologies for neglecting this blog. So much has been going on lately, especially now that the school year has come to an end, and I just celebrated my birthday, which kinda got ruined courtesy of the Supreme Court. I can write a whole tirade about that, but I rather do something fun for this entry. Also if you want to know my feelings about what happened that day, go to my Twitter ^_^ Anyhoo, after a fun discussion with colleagues and my teens about what anime/manga mirrors our lives, I wanted to do an insightful post on what titles mirror my life and influenced me to become that person I am today. These titles are so close, I might have to demand royalties (kidding ^_^) Childhood: Hi-Score Girl by Rensuke Oshikiri The story of two young gamers who forge a relationship through their love of fighting games (including Street Fighter 2, which was my favorite go-to game as a 90s kid). Hi-Score Girl shows that girls can kick ass and take names when it comes to video games. Considered a 90s arcade rom-com, this story and anime was one of my favorites that took me back when I would get challenged by the guys at the arcade because how dare I play their games.?! It was an ego-boost to see them underestimate me, and has inspired me to eventually go to E3 and CEO in the near future. Teen: Komi Can't Communicate by Tomohito Oda You all should know by now how much I love this series. Komi is popular due to her beauty and her preceived aloofness, but in reality, she has social anxiety which makes it hard for her to make friends and build genuine connections. Enter Tadano, her first friend and eventual crush, who helps to make her goal of making 100 friends a reality. I have had social anxiety since my teenage years, and related to Komi and her adventures. While we don't know what caused her disorder (mine is due to childhood trauma), it shows that communication disorders can affect anyone and it takes great understanding and patience to befriend someone who is afflicted. Komi is a great story on how to build genuine friendships. Adult: Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani Here's where I'm wondering if I'm being stalked for inspiration (LOL!). A young office worker, who happens to be an avid gamer, adopts a cute tuxedo kitty despite never having a pet before. She relies on her gamer skills in an attempt to care for her new familiar. While I know better than to use RPG skills in animal care, Cat + Gamer is such a hilarious slice-of-life story that deals with real world concerns. Also the cat on the cover looks exactly like my cat, Bella. I wish I was kidding. If you would like to check out more reviews, I can be found at Good Comics for Kids. 'Til next time ^_^ Hi everyone! My apologies for not having a review on this blog lately. The Library Lady has been very busy as of late with work, travelling to visit family, landing a guest DJ spot (yep I'm a DJ ^_^), and writing reviews for Good Comics for Kids, which has been an amazing experience. You can find my latest review (and my cute chibi avatar pictured to the left) here. While I have been putting my nose to the grindstone, I do have five amazing recommendations to share with you, and I hope you enjoy them. I will have a review eventually here, but until then, you can see some of my reviews at Good Comics for Kids ^_^ Without further ado, here are my top five recommendations: 1. Kotaro Lives Alone (Netflix) - Kotaro is a four-year-old boy who moves into an apartment building on his own. He speaks like a feudal lord, carries around a plastic sword, and has a fondness for tissues. One of his neighbors, manga artist Shin Karino, becomes intrigued as to why Kotaro lives alone and behaves the way he does. As the story develops, Karino (and the viewers) discover that Kotaro is a lonely child who has been neglected by his parents. This dramedy about found families will tug at your heart as we see Kotaro and Karino bond, and the little boy finally finds the family he desperately needs. 2. Spy x Family (Crunchyroll) - We're already into episode three, and it is absolutely incredible! I had to wait a few days to watch the first episode as the Crunchyroll site crashed on its premiere, but it was well worth the wait. This anime adpatation of the popular manga about a spy who has to "build a family" to execute a mission, not realizing that the girl he adopts as a daughter and the woman he agrees to be in a marriage with are a mind reader and an assassin, respectively, is so true to the story, there's no wonder why viewers are calling it one of the best of the Spring 2022 line-up. 3. Minami Nanami Wants to Shine by Yuki Yaki (Yen Press) - Minami (or Mimimi to here friends) gets her chance to be front and center in this spin-off of Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki. When her mother asks her to model her new make-up line, Minami decides to take the chance in order to get out of the shadow of popular girl, Aoi. A relatable story about facing your insecurities and creating your own light to shine in, readers will find themselves rooting for our new lead girl. (You can read more in my recent review at Good Comics for Kids) 4. The Undead Truth of Us by Britney Lewis (Disney-Hyperion) - Zharie Young is sure that she saw her mother turn into a zombie before her death, and since that day, she's been seeing zombies everywhere. When she moves into her new apartment building, she meets Bo, who transforms into a half zombie right in front of her. But something about Bo is different (besides turning into a zombie), and Zharie decides to get to know Bo to figure out why. This story (which will be published August 2022 - Thank you Ms. Lewis for the ARC) is a surreal tale of grief and hope intertwined with the belief that love can change everything, for the good and for the dead. 5. Your Brain Needs a Hug: Life, Love, Mental Health, & Sandwiches by Rae Earl (Imprint) - Filled with funny anecdotes and self-care tips, this book is a perfect companion when life is getting you down, and all you want to do is have a sandwich and say "eff it all!" Hell, we all need a hug after everything we've been through for the past two years, amirite? I hope you enjoy these recommendations. 'Til next time! |
Who am I?The Library Lady is a Young Adult Librarian and reviewer. She's also a music, anime, and film nerd. Archives
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