September Reading: Angry Birds, Shoujo Romance and Gods

September reading is introduced to you by Fluffy Swedish Owl!

Books

G. Willow Wilson “Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal” [USA] 

Mel White “Angry Birds: ärhäkät linnut” [USA] 

N.K. Jemisin “The Kingdom of Gods” [USA] 

Kanae Hazuki “Say I Love You” vol. 1 [Japan] 

Kanae Hazuki “Say I Love You” vol. 2 [Japan] 

Kanae Hazuki “Say I Love You” vol. 3 [Japan] 

Sonali Deraniyagala “Wave” [Sri Lanka, UK] 

Short stories

Elizabeth Bear “This Chance Planet” [USA] 

☆ Urban fantasy story set in Moscow. It kept surprising me! And I approve of how Moscow metro was potrayed, seemed pretty accurate to me. Also, also an online friend from another country was mentioned, yay! It's so rare in stories when it's so common irl.

Amal El-Mohtar “The Truth About Owls” [Canada]

☆ Folklore, magic, war, immigration and owls in this beautiful story.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal

“Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey!”

☆ This was fun! A Muslim girl superhero? Yes please! Can't wait to read the next volume.

Lol those pigeons!

National Geographic Angry Birds: 50 True Stories of the Fed Up, Feathered, and Furious

“This hilariously eye-popping book showcases real-world angry birds and 50 fantastic stories peppered with tips to avoid them, as well as fascinating facts about angry bird behavior. In addition to the funny and light-hearted real-life angry bird stories, National Geographic Angry Birds: Fed up, Feathered, and Furious will tell, for the first time ever, the story of the Angry Birds we all know and love from the hit game. Angry Bird fans will finally get to learn the personality, name, and all the details of each of the iconic Angry Birds. The Angry Birds' stories have been TOP SECRET until now, and will only be revealed in this book! 

Rovio graphics and National Geographic photography are featured throughout. Structured like the game which progresses in degree of difficulty, the book progresses in degree of anger and devotes a chapter to each level of anger intensity; Annoyed, Testy, Outraged, and Furious. Readers will discover the world's angriest real bird at the end. 

As one of the most trusted authorities on animal behavior, National Geographic is the perfect source for the real truth behind real-life angry birds.”
☆ Informative and funny!

The Kingdom of Gods (Inheritance Trilogy #3)

“For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameris' ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.”

☆ Epic conclusion to an epic trilogy! N.K. Jemisin is brilliant as ever.

Say I Love You vol. 1-3 (好きっていいなよ)

“Mei Tachibana has spent her 16 years without making either boyfriend or friends. One day, she injures a popular boy in school, Yamato Kurosawa, because of a misunderstanding but for some reason it seems that he takes a liking to her and one-sidedly claims that they’re friends. Furthermore, he not only protects Mei from a stalker, he does it with a kiss…?!!”

☆ I watched the anime based on this series some years ago. It's a sweet shoujo manga story with some quirky characters and much doki-doki. Interesting to see how loner Mei slowly opens up to people and makes friends. ^^

Wave

“On the morning of December 26, 2004, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the tsunami she miraculously survived. In this brave and searingly frank memoir, she describes those first horrifying moments and her long journey since. She has written an engrossing, unsentimental, beautifully poised account: as she struggles through the first months following the tragedy, furiously clenched against a reality that she cannot face and cannot deny; and then, over the ensuing years, as she emerges reluctantly, slowly allowing her memory to take her back through the rich and joyous life she’s mourning, from her family’s home in London, to the birth of her children, to the year she met her English husband at Cambridge, to her childhood in Colombo; all the while learning the difficult balance between the almost unbearable reminders of her loss and the need to keep her family, somehow, still alive within her.”

☆ Wave is an incredibly beautiful portrayal of grief. It wasn't easy to read for sure, but I loved it.