What Camy's reading: Library Wars

I’ve been into manga lately, maybe because there’s so much emotion and storytelling that can be conveyed in a visual medium. Some of my favorite manga authors (called mangaka) are like great movie directors, setting up the scenes visually for greatest emotional impact while also writing powerful dialogue.

I recently finished reading the series, Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi (mangaka) and based off of the Japanese novels by Hiro Arikawa. I really enjoyed the series—it has action, humor, and lots of romance. The setting is slightly science fiction—it’s an alternate present day Japan—but it wasn’t futuristic or anything like that. Here’s the blurb for volume 1 in the 15 book series:

In the near future, the federal government creates a committee to rid society of books it deems unsuitable. The libraries vow to protect their collections, and with the help of local governments, form a military group to defend themselves---the Library Forces! Iku Kasahara has dreamed of joining the Library Defense Force ever since one of its soldiers stepped in to protect her favorite book from being confiscated in a bookstore when she was younger. But now that she’s finally a recruit, she’s finding her dream job to be a bit of a nightmare. Especially since her hard-hearted drill instructor seems to have it out for her!

As someone who loves books and reading, the series really struck a chord with me, and for people who love their local libraries, this series will also make them appreciate them even more. As a romance reader, this series had plenty of that with a lot of great romantic tension.

You can borrow Library Wars from you local library :) or buy it from Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

Books I'm Reading...

by
Patricia Bradley

I read a wide selection of books and thought I'd share two that I've read recently. The first is Elaine Stock's debut novel, Always With You. Be warned - it is a hard book to put down!


Seeking the love she never received from her family, Isabelle falls in love with the white knight who saves her from a gang attack. Tyler has everything she ever wanted--a "family' who seems to love and respect him, and a direct line to God's love.

But, things are not as they seem and once Isabelle discovers the truth about Tyler's family, she has to decide whether to run with her newborn baby or stay and trust Tyler to protect her. 

Elaine captures the angst of young love especially when both are vulnerable and the desire to be loved and accepted overrules the warning signs that things are not as they seem. 

I'm looking forward to more books from Elaine.

The second book I just read is Sandra Orchard's A Fool & His Monet. Sandra Orchard had me at the title on this one, and she kept me with an intriguing art theft and quirky FBI agent Serena Jones who has two men vying for her.

Serena has a passion for recovering lost and stolen art. That passion is surpassed only by her zeal to uncover the truth about who murdered her grandfather. The fly in the ointment is her mother--who wants her to do something safer--like get married and give her grandchildren. Readers who love a good mystery with a dash of romance will devour this book and want more. 

A Fool & His Monet is the first book in the Serena Jones Mysteries, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

So there you are..two books, widely different but don't start reading either of them thinking you'll easily put them down!

So what have you read lately?