Selections from what I read in June: digest version

Not the best manga month for me, but there were other perks, such as landing a job that pays a living wage (and then some) and finally exiting retail purgatory.  (Praise the Lord for His grace in all ways in all things in all situations.)  Also, there was some good manga.

• b Afterschool Charisma 1: Clones of famous dead people are all teenagers together at this highly-guarded school.  I am still slightly neutral about this series.  It has promise, but it could be so easily squandered, and I'm afraid to get heavily invested in case it chokes.  Very mysterious but not annoyingly so.  I like the fact that so much is made of the fact that clones are NOT copies.  I'm also rooting for it to succeed even after we figure out who the main character is a clone of . . .
• p Butterflies, Flowers 3:  As per my usual rule, three strikes, and you're out.  I really tried to give this one a chance, but it's too distasteful.  If the characters seemed real and I bought their love for each other as people, I would have put up with the creepy crap, but they're not, so I'm not even going to try.  I kid of want to wash my brain out with hydrogen peroxide after reading this.  (But how do I really feel?)  If it gets amazing and realistic later on, I hope someone lets me know when, and maybe I'll pick it up again then.  Maybe.  In retrospect, it probably wasn't a strategically good idea to read this right after the masterpiece that is Record of a Fallen Vampire . . .
• b Demon Diary 1-7: Sometimes, you just need to read that scene about the tomato dream again for the xth time.  And then, you know, it's been a while, and you don't really remember what happens next, and it's a quick read, and suddenly you read all 7 volumes.  Oops.  :)
• b Record of a Fallen Vampire 7-9:  That was awesome.  Just wow.  For more articulate musings, see these great reviews, but beware of spoilers.  Just go read the first three books.  Then the rest.  Then the reviews.  I want to read it again.
• b Shinobi Life 5: Still fun.  Still cute.  Still unexpected.  What more do you need?
• b WaqWaq 1: I really love that front cover.  I have no idea where this is going.  Maybe I should check out the author's other series, Hoshin Engi.
• b Zatch Bell! 14-15:  Okay, you have to find the DVD with the chair spinning guy on it.  Ridiculously hysterical and then WHAM serious.  So cracktastic.  Poor Zatch Bell; its real audience is 9, but I guess American 9-year-olds can't handle the idea of a 5-year-old running around without underpants even when they're painted in or the fact that people sacrifice themselves for others and sometimes die.  Anyway, I think this one is better to read if you've seen bits of the anime so you can get an idea of how hyper it is (and hear the excellent English dub). 

Yeah, that was really it.  July was better; I promise.