Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 2

Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 2

Author: singNsong

Publisher: Ize Press 2020

Genre: Manwha

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Books to Movies

Where I Got It: Library

THE ENDLESS TRAGEDIES OF THIS WORLD ALL BEGIN WITH THIS CHARACTER.Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse is Dokja’s favorite novel, or it was...until it became reality. Thanks to his knowledge of the story, he managed to survive the first chaotic moments of the new world. But the relentless scenario waits for no one, and Dokja finds himself in yet another life-or-death struggle. Isolated from his group and surrounded by horrific creatures, his story seems all but doomed to a premature ending...That’s when an unmistakable presence makes an entrance. It’s time for Dokja, the only reader of TWSA, to meet its main character―the Regressor Junghyeok Yu!

We get to learn more! We get a fun situation in a sea serpent and the introduction of some new characters. I loved piecing together the folklore and mythology references (with the help from some notes at the end) along with speculating about the larger mystery of the worlds and especially the constellations. My son was reluctant to tell me spoilers (not that I necessarily want them), but he did give me some interesting teasers. I am excited to keep reading and see where Dokja goes next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

Title: Cold Eternity

Author: S.A. Barnes

Publisher: Tor Nightfire 2025

Genre: Thriller/Horror

Pages: 293

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Cover Lover - Something you might see in a hospital; I Read Horror - Female Author

Where I Got It: Library

Halley is on the run from an interplanetary political scandal that has put a huge target on her back. She heads for what seems like the perfect place to lay low: a gigantic space barge storing the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth’s most fortunate citizens from more than a century ago…

The cryo program, created by trillionaire tech genius Zale Winfeld, is long defunct, and the AI hologram "hosts," ghoulishly created in the likeness of Winfeld’s three adult children, are glitchy. The ship feels like a crypt, and the isolation gets to Halley almost immediately. She starts to see figures crawling in the hallways, and there’s a constant scraping, slithering, and rattling echoing in the vents.

It’s not long before Halley realizes she may have gotten herself trapped in an even more dangerous situation than the one she was running from….

If I want a thriller/lite horror novel, I turn to S.A. Barnes now. I love her space horror books so much! We get creepy settings, unreliable narrators, and some lovely body horror all wrapped up in a tightly paced, easily read package. This one is no exception. Right away, we know that there’s something wrong on the ship, but we have to slowly and creepily encounter the truth along with Halley. The little odd occurrences and sensory jump scares add to the tension. And we are guaranteed a fast-paced ending full of horror! My only quibble with this book is the overly long passages about Halley’s previous political dealings. They didn’t blend seamlessly with her current story. I even found myself wanting to know more details of exactly what happened. But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this space romp.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 1

Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 1

Author: singNsong

Publisher: Ize Press 2020

Genre: Manga

Pages: 248

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Books to Movies

Where I Got It: Library

AT THAT MOMENT, MY LIFE TOOK ON A DIFFERENT GENRE. As a struggling office worker, Dokja Kim’s sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure that he’s its only reader. Then one day the story comes to an end…and so does the world. People all around the globe suddenly find themselves being massacred by horrific monsters or pitted against each other in sadistic scenarios straight out of the novel. However, only Dokja is aware that this is merely the first chapter of what is to come. Knowing that devastating plot twists are on the horizon, he can no longer afford to sit back as a reader―it’s time for Dokja to step up and write his own destiny!

After chatting with one of my sons during our travel back to Nebraska, he mentioned this series as one that I should read. I finally slotted it into my short list TBR and read the first volume. I immediately fell into the story and found myself hanging on each page. I loved falling Dokja’s growing realization of his new reality. And we get to have some fun cultural moments embedded into the story. I am definitely hooked on the series and will continue reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 22

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 22

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media 2023

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

A mysterious cursed spirit with a grudge against Maki flies into Sakurajima Colony. It evolves with incredible speed from cursed womb to adult form and threatens to overwhelm Maki and Noritoshi. Just then, two more combatants join the battle…

Very excited to see a volume focused more on Maki. She’s become one of my favorite characters in this entire series. And after the development with her sister, I am more and more intrigued. We get a great extended action sequence showing off her revelations and new skills. I cannot wait to see how see fits back into our motley crew of heroes.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Next up on the TBR pile:

Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 20

Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 20

Author: Junji Ito

Publisher: VIZ Media 2022

Genre: Manga Horror

Pages: 192

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

Where I Got It: Library

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

Fushiguro and Reggie have nearly crushed each other to death. Reggie makes a move to break the stalemate and bring their battle to its climax! Meanwhile, Okkotsu disrupts the four-way standoff between jujutsu fighters in the Sendai colony, leading to a fierce battle involving reincarnated sorcerers and a special grade cursed spirit!

More chaos within the culling game. We finally get to see Okkotsu and Rika again amid all the chaos. I loved the sections of this volume focused on them. We get to see a bit more of the larger plot and plan to help end the game. But mostly, we focus on a ton of action.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Next up on the TBR pile: