BOOKLOVES

With an introductory reference to severe flooding in South Asia, Schroeder notes the increasing incidence of natural disasters across the world, including in areas with no prior history of them. She explains the impact of growing amounts of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, connecting the dots between the resulting rise […]

This compact volume filled with ample color photographs supports readers with the context they need to appreciate manga and develop deeper knowledge of it. Bolte begins by offering historical and cultural information, diving right into manga’s origins, the growth in the market, and its recent boom in popularity. She explains that reading manga engages the […]

Sanderson’s initial presentation of her subject is positive. She differentiates among types of social media, observing that online platforms have “opened up new career opportunities,” “enabled people to connect,” and allowed “people to leave reviews of products or companies.” China has its “own versions” of social media (there’s no mention of censorship). The statement that […]

This short introduction to anime, like the genre itself, diverges in many directions. Six chapters highlight aspects of the industry, beginning with “The Anime Renaissance,” a chapter establishing the contemporary context of Japanese animation. The author argues that anime is central to Japanese culture; the robot cat Doraemon holds an official government position as “anime […]

In Clydeo Takes a Bite out of Life (2024), the adorable sheepdog pup discovered his passion: whipping up delectable dishes. Now his family members, their many faces shaggily half-hidden, ask the young baker for peanut-butter cookie treats. Kitchen-confident Clydeo gets to work. Thinking it prudent to taste the new ingredient before using it, he gulps […]

Published in the U.K. earlier this year, now shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Markovits’ 12th novel establishes the unstudied and confiding voice that carries it so compellingly forward in the first sentence: “When our son was twelve years old, my wife had an affair with a guy called Zach Zirsky, whom she knew from synagogue.” […]