So, I wrote that only a little bit ago I had decided to join NetGalley so I could have access to BOOM! Studios comics, which I had signed up to review in addition to the manga I review for TOKYOPOP and other publishers.

As you might have noticed on this blog, the reviews have been flying out of me. This is because there are a lot of comics and manga that have my interest, but also, if you want a better chance of being approved for a desired work, you need to keep your ratio at 80%. Right now mine is at 75% because I still need to review like four more works, and two of them snuck their way in yesterday. So, to keep my review ratio high, I have been reading and reviewing as fast as I possibly can so I can get requests approved.

I took a little break because I traveled to Zanesville for faculty development, so I won’t be reviewing again until tomorrow, if possible. The thing is, college resumes in six days, so I will be dealing with a return to the struggle of work-life balance, and that means I will simply not have the time to read and review like I wish to. Hence me pumping stuff out ASAP.

Here’s a compilation of what I’ve reviewed on NetGalley so far (this does not count my TOKYOPOP reviews I mixed in with them):

• THE TRAVELER: COMPLETE COLLECTION. A superhero compendium from the mind of Stan Lee. Available now.
• MOUSE GUARD: DAWN OF THE BLACK AXE. A fantastical adventure from a mouse’s point of view, featuring cities beset by murderous snakes. Available January 20.
• THE REAPER AND THE WAITING. A beautiful BL about a grim reaper and the spirit who haunts him, and if love can live through reincarnation. Available May 5.
• SPEED RACER VOL. 1. An update of the classic Japanese manga-turned-anime for modern audiences with a nostalgic look back at the original. Available March 24.
• SPEAK OF THE DEVIL – a sequel to the comic OVER MY DEAD BODY, featuring dark magic, a unique take on a witchcraft school, and disturbing echoes of the past. Available March 3.
• HOLLOW MAGIC – a wholly original and diverse fantasy with a unique spin on the fey, including a sweet romance and memorable characters. Available August 11.
• TO DANCE THE MOON AND STARS – in a kingdom where the act of dancing is forbidden in order to subdue a shadowy, evil spirit, an up-and-coming priestess has visions that dance may in fact save everyone from the darkness. Available July 14.
• YOU’RE ALL MINE TONIGHT – a somewhat sad and emotional mature BL about how the past can haunt you and how trauma can affect the bloom of love. Can these two men reconcile the past with their present? Available now.
• THE CREEPING BELOW – a photographer in Norway is set up by a heavy metal band to be sacrificed to old gods in a sprawling, mysterious forest. Just wait until she comes back for her revenge! Available March 17.
• KAIJIN FUGEKI, VOL. 1 – in a world where natural disasters manifest as destructive, monstrous creatures, it takes the British and Japanese military, plus the power of the kami and the ancient Shinto dance of kagura to keep these bizarre creatures at bay. Beautifully illustrated. Available now.
• FLIP FLIP SLOWLY – two very different men–an older adjunct professor and a young librarian–find themselves growing together despite their challenges and differences. A sweet, emotional, mature BL manga. Available now.

So…that’s 11 reviews since I started! Here’s what you can look forward to in the coming days…

aka, what I still owe NetGalley and the publishers:

• Sayuri – a horror manga where a malicious spirit haunts a family in a newly moved-into house
• Pass – a more mature manga about an upcoming chef trying to balance ambition with her personal life
• Hotel Limbo (Book One) – a place where the dead need to deal with their baggage
• Kill 6 Billion Demons Book 1 – a collection of the first story arc where a girl must traverse multiverses to find her captive boyfriend, available to NetGalley readers in honor of the 5th volume being published

Additionally, I have a couple more TOKYOPOP works to review, but I can’t find my list at the moment. Just know I think I have at least two more reviews on the way.

I have a lot of writing to do in terms of reviews, but because these are comics and manga, I can get through them relatively quickly in terms of reading time. I don’t have much availability because school will be starting very soon, but I’m still going to try to get these all in before the week is over.

Please wish me luck!