If you’ve been dipping your toes in the manga community, you might have heard of the terms shoujo and josei being tossed around alongside shounen or seinen.  For the uninitiated, shoujo and josei is a target demographic that usually refers to stories created or produced for women. Shoujo manga usually is catered for younger readers while josei stories aim for older women readers.  While the formation of romantic relationships mostly takes center stage in these stories, shoujo and josei also focus on the nature and creation of human relationships, reinvent the notions of girlhood and ..read more

The world has seen its fair share of magical girls — and to be completely honest? I think we need more. From the moment I first saw glimpses of this middle-grade novel featuring a Filipino magical girl in her trusty hand-sewn map dress setting off for an adventure in a world inspired by Filipino folkore, Marikit and the Ocean of Stars shot up to the top of my most anticipated reads for 2022. Marikit’s story found me at the right time — this was the type of book my childhood self would’ve wanted to read, and this enduring story of familial bonds, magic, and self-identity is undoubtedly a love l ..read more

When I say that my ideal profession is to become a full-time magical gremlin, tinkering with silly little spells and silly little magical artifacts, I can say with 300% certainty that I meant it with my whole heart and soul. I mean who doesn’t want to wield powers, go on an extraordinary journey of self-discovery, maybe even have a dedicated outfit transformation sequence, have a trustworthy animal companion (magical or mundane) and look cute with an added bonus of saving the world? (Though I’m still 50/50 on that last bit, I’ve got no stamina for this #adulting) Point is, the fascination for ..read more

We all need some lovin’ this month of hearts, but if you’re like me who has been romance-deprived and without company for the past few years or so, I’ve come to serve! Here are some spicy, sizzling romance manga and webtoons to read and turn up the heat this season of love.  A word of caution before scrolling down: Mind the door or your phone history, since the artwork or covers for each rec might be NSFW as each recommendation features “at least” a closed-door/fade-to-black bed scene and some are more explicit. Best to keep this for your eyes only   Honnou Switch (Kujira) What’s I ..read more

Mecha is a main staple in the anime and manga sphere and it pleases me to no end that it’s also beginning to make its way into YA trad-pubbed books, too. One such book that’s currently making waves for this particular genre is Iron Widow. As early as last year, Iron Widow already made waves for its Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale comps as well as the polyamorous relationship representation. This book has ranked high on my anticipated reads list and to my utter delight, my expectations were met (you can check out my mini-review and some mecha series recommendations right here)! So, what ..read more

Getting your reading fix has gone a long way from simply enjoying a physical copy of books in hardback or paperback, to the more compact digital readers, and now, to the production of audiobooks. While there is an endless debate on whether reading outside of physical books can be considered actual reading—because honestly, why do we even have to debate about these things?—audiobooks can be unconventional when it comes to the whole reading experience. For the uninitiated, audiobooks are simply a recording of a reading of a book, typically a novel. Think of it as a form of audio production akin ..read more

In typical Juri fashion, this January wrap-up is also…late. (I’m already failing one of my 2021 bookish resolutions, what’s new with you?) The first month of 2021 finally came to a close and contrary to my expectations, January went…sort of well. It’s also the first time I’m writing a wrap-up post since I was determined to track all activities/hobbies I’m indulging in for this year and sort of look back on a nice, summary post per month, so *gestures vaguely* here we are! Books I’ve Read January has been a productive reading month for me mainly because I’ve read 10 books! Looking back, I don ..read more

Let me preface this with a confession: I started creating book-related content on a whim. One moment I was going through a stack of books I got from a sale, the next thing I knew, I was already thinking of a domain name for my book blog. Before I knew it, 12 long months had passed and here I am, occupying my little space on the internet with a handful of book-related socials. Happy New Year everyone! The first two weeks of January finally comes to close and today, I reflect on my experiences of my first year in the online book community. Here are four things I realized as a reader and a conten ..read more

Despite the utter chicken that I am, I absolutely love to read about stories about ghosts, unknown creatures, and monsters that lurk in the dark–that is, as long as it’s daylight. But either way, there is something so fascinating about delving into narratives of the paranormal and the unknown. That’s why when Caffeine Book Tours announced this book tour, I was more than ready to get on board and let me tell you–I have never gone through a book so fast in my entire life. On that note, welcome to my stop on the #UnspeakableTour! Many thanks to the lovely, hard-working people behind Caffeine Boo ..read more

There will always be stories where you will find pieces of your soul within its pages, and I found mine in “Ang Larong Nagwakas Sa Atin.” I devoured this book in one sitting and as I turned to the last page, the story struck a chord within me. So, what’s this book all about? Mula pagkabata, buhay na ni Dennis Manansala ang paglaro ng chess. Dito lang siya siguradong magaling siya. Nang ilipat siya sa St. Louise de Marillac Academy o LdMA para sa high school, akala niya natukdukan na ito. Pero isang panibagong laro ang magsisimula nang makilala niya ang babaeng magpapaintindi sa kanya sa kaha ..read more