New books for October ~ Part 6

Manga for the Beginner: Kawaii: How to Draw the Supercute Characters of Japanese Comics by Christopher Hart

Nonfiction 

Explains the tools and techniques for drawing endearing Kawaii-style characters and includes coverage of anthros, monsters, Goths, and the subgenre moe ladies.

Not After Everything by Michelle Levy

Contemporary Fiction 

After his mom kills herself, Tyler shuts out the world--until falling in love with Jordyn helps him find his way toward a hopeful future.

The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan by Patrick Galbraith

Nonfiction 

Otaku: Nerd; geek or fanboy. Originates from a polite second-person pronoun meaning "your home" in Japanese. Since the 1980s it's been used to refer to people who are really into Japanese pop-culture, such as anime, manga, and videogames. A whole generation, previously marginalized with labels such as geek and nerd, are now calling themselves otaku with pride. The Otaku Encyclopedia offers fascinating insight into the subculture of Cool Japan. With over 600 entries, including common expressions, people, places, and moments of otaku history, this is the essential A to Z of facts every Japanese pop-culture fan needs to know. Author Patrick W. Galbraith has spent several years researching deep into the otaku heartland and his intimate knowledge of the subject gives the reader an insider's guide to words such as moe, doujinshi, cosplay and maid cafes. In-depth interviews with such key players as Takashi Murakami, otaku expert Okada Toshio, and J-pop idol Shoko Nakagawa are interspersed with the entries, offering an even more penetrating look into the often misunderstood world of otaku. Dozens of lively, colorful images--from portraits of the interview subjects to manga illustrations, film stills and photos of places mentioned in the text--pop up throughout the book, making The Otaku Encyclopedia as entertaining to read as it is informative.

The Rise of Aurora West by Paul Pope

Graphic Novel 

The extraordinary world introduced in Paul Pope's Battling Boy is rife with monsters and short on heroes... but in this action-driven extension of the Battling Boy universe, we see it through a new pair of eyes: Aurora West, daughter of Arcopolis's last great hero, Haggard West. A prequel to Battling Boy , The Rise of Aurora West follows the young hero as she seeks to uncover the mystery of her mother's death, and to find her place in a world overrun with supernatural monsters and all-too-human corruption. 

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Science Fiction 

The teenage princess of a future-world Canadian superpower, where royal children are held hostage to keep their countries from waging war, falls in love with an American prince who rebels against the brutal rules governing their existences.

New Books ~ August 2014 ~ Part 3

The Moe Manifesto: An Insider's Look at the Worlds of Manga, Anime, and Gaming by Patrick Galbraith

MOE is a huge cultural phenomenon and one of the driving forces behind the enormous success of Japanese anime and manga-not just in Japan now, but throughout the world. In Japan, avid fans of manga comics, anime films and videogames use the term MOE to refer to the strong sense of emotional attachment they feel for their favorite characters. These fans have a powerful desire to protect and nurture the young, beautiful and innocent characters they adore-like Sagisawa Moe in Dinosaur Planet and Tomoe Hotaru in Sailor Moon . They create their own websites, characters, stories, discussion groups, toys and games based around the original manga and anime roles. Author Patrick Galbraith is the world's acknowledged expert on MOE and a journalist based in Tokyo. For this book, he interviewed twenty important figures in the world of Japanese manga and anime to gain their insights on the MOE phenomenon.

Undecided: Navigating Life and Learning After High School by Genevieve Morgan

Deciding what to do after high school is one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make. This book will help you come to grips with this often-overwhelming time of transition. It begins by helping students think seriously about who they are and what they want and then moves on to dissect the various options that are available after high school, such as enrolling in a training program, attending a community college, taking a gap year, enlisting in the military, or pursuing a traditional four-year degree, and more. It also takes an in-depth look at what you can expect to earn, the kind of lifestyle you may lead, and the possible pitfalls of all of these scenarios. Full of checklists, anecdotes, brainstorming activities, and journal exercises.

Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura (books 1 and 2)

As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west. But his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band's leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father. Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery-- the land Leif called Vinland

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Tella's brother Cody is sick and getting worse, so when she finds instructions on how to become a contender in the dangerous Brimstone Bleed race where she can win a cure for him, she jumps at the chance--but there is no guarantee that she will win, or even survive.

Heads Up Psychology by Marcus Weeks

An introduction to psychology surveys the ideas of over sixty famous psychologists, discussing topics ranging from psychoanalysis and intelligence to groundbreaking experiments and mental disorders.