< Otherside Picnic > vol 1 recently there was a mid-week discussion about first sentences and this one is somewhere at the top "Beneath the clear May sky, I lay in a grassy field, drowning." Establishes a scene and creates a mystery. How someone can drown in a grassy field?

Overall volume 1 was great. Can't wait to devour rest of the series. In short I would describe it as S.T.A.L.K.E.R Japan edition. We have anomalies that can be detected with bolts, armies that operate in the zone, artifacts that can be sold for profit and a lot of guns. 8/10

< Disowned but not Disheartened! > vol 1 the author doesn't know what "disowned" means. The disowned status of the MC changes depending on circumstances. Sometimes the MC has legal guardian, but sometimes she needs to navigate the politics of noble house of her bio-dad. It got boring and I dropped it in vol 2 4/10

< From Two-Bit Baddie to Total Heartthrob: This Villainess Will Cross-Dress to Impress! > vol 3 - I didn't know where it could go after strong ending of volume 2. This feels like a forced sequel than anything. We have got a bit world building and some action but that sense of unrelenting pursuit towards the goal isn't there. 6.5/10