Reading Diary: The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World, volumes 1-4

Here is a summary from the Seven Seas website:

Tsukina is a single, thirty-something office worker whose favorite thing is curling up with a good book. When a god tells her that she must go to another world to become its magical savior, Tsukina isn’t interested. She has zero desire to go on some grand hero’s journey. So when she arrives in this strange new land, she decides to use her magical powers to create a cozy little book café instead. Her first customer is a handsome soldier who loves reading almost as much as she does. But when a fellow “savior” starts causing trouble, Tsukina might have to play the hero after all!

I picked up the first volume in this series on a whim. I saw it at Barnes and Noble last summer, and it is such a charming story! I haven't read many manga like this. It's based on a light novel, which, from what I can gather from Wikipedia, is a fluffy serialized story aimed at teens. Maybe the equivalent would be a magical Sweet Valley High series. (Are series like this still popular in the US? I can't think of any new fluffy teen series from my time as a Youth Services library aide. Things seem to have shifted to dystopian series.) There are plot threads that run through all the volumes, but each volume also has its own story.

If light novels and manga like this are mostly fluffy romance, and if the fantasy stories have a Chosen One protagonist like much of the popular YA in the US in recent years, then this novel seems to upend some of those tropes. The romance between Tsukina and Ill is very straightforward and kind of boring. They bond over the fact that he is a total bookworm like her. After he is done with his duties as a knight of the country, he likes to just sit and read. And while it is boring, it's also very sweet and fluffy. There are some moments of drama, when Tsukina has to step up and use her magic to be a Savior, but then she goes right back to her magic bookstore-cafe-house and cooks some soup and reads a book.

The world building is what is most appealing for me. While I am a leeeeetle bit older than my mid-thirties, I would absolutely take Tsukina's deal. She very cleverly asks for a tutorial on how to use her magic from the god that gives it to her, and she makes sure right away to set herself up for practical things. And yes, she finds herself in occasional peril, but who among us hasn't? I'd much rather face one of the wolves that she faces at some point than deal with my boss, not just because I could use my magic to kill the monster. I wouldn't even mind a handsome if slightly dull husband (although I'd probably choose his best friend -- he's a bit more lively).

All in all, I will definitely keep reading this series. It's pure fluff and a nice way to pass a half hour or so.

Reading Diary: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Here is a synopsis from Scholastic:

Every year the people of the protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise swamp monster and a perfectly tiny dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey.

One year Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling an ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. But as Luna's 13th birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge, with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, a young man from the protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby. A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth's surface. And the woman with the tiger's heart is on the prowl.

I really enjoyed this book. It's been on my radar for a long time. It won the 2017 Newbery Medal. It's a lovely fantasy story about families (especially a parent's love for a child). It's about having the courage to challenge the status quo and power. It's about asking questions and the consequences of NOT asking questions.

I was expecting a more Asian-inspired fantasy because the cover has a bunch of paper cranes on it, and while paper birds to play a significant role in the story, none of them are cranes. I suspect paper cranes were just easier to illustrate. This is definitely European-inspired fantasy, with a wicked witch in the woods and all that. The story is quite poignant. I was definitely sniffling a bit at the end (no spoilers, but if you read this, you'll see what I mean as you go -- it's not a twist ending).

This book is great for middle schoolers. It's got some quite big ideas in it, but they are handled with care.

(Side note -- remember when there was a spate of books that were all The Daughter of This and The Girl Who That? Is that trend mostly over now? I'm currently reading a book called The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, which is kind of a misnomer because she totally jumped, but I'll talk more about that when I finish reading the book.