Blogs

This is a new Girls’ Love manga that explores the blossoming friendship between two young musicians, one Hearing and the other Hard of Hearing. It starts when Kanon offers a kind gesture to Saki after a small stumble, but when Saki attempts to apologize to Kanon, she is seemingly ignored. Flash forward to her first day of school and Saki learns her new desk mate, Kanon herself, has a hearing impairment and relies on lip reading to understand people. On her exterior, Kanon seems cold and distant, but knowing how kind she can be, Saki is determined to learn to communicate with Kanon and get to know her better.

This story is set in a realm where magic is the norm, and those blessed with the gift are left marked with a visible scar on their face. Whether one has that scar and how well they master their magical abilities determines their social status. Therefore the magicless are considered to have no value, and are punished for it. 

In Japan, white butterflies symbolize an impending death, and this week’s manga pick starts with a boy who is being followed by butterflies.

A few months ago, I went to the Pollard Memorial Library to hear Lauren Belfer talk about her most recent novel, Ashton Hall. I confess, I was not familiar with her work, but a customer stopped in to tell me about her and invited me to the event. I’m so glad I took the time to attend. Lauren spent the evening talking about her research process, and I was intrigued. 

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