Selections from What I Read in December: Digest Version, Part 2 of 4

• b My Girlfriend's a Geek 2 (manga):  The following quotes really say it all.

"You buy the magazines and then the volumes later? Why not just pick one?"
"Extra material! Added details! Redrawing! Afterwards! And having a copy on hand for perpetuity! The benefits are myriad!!"

"Of course, the game itself is fun and all. But it's the main character screams that are the real treat!"

• b Nana 21:  Oh, dude.  I agree this was a "good" place for the author's health to fail because it nearly works as an ending, but it also feels like we're only a couple volumes away from the real ending, and I'd like to complete that journey.  Then again, I don't want it to end.  It might get more sad . . .   From the extra comics at volume's end: "It's more like the main story keeps crushing the readers' dreams, so no one is reading it anymore."

• b Ooku 5: This series is beautiful, tragic, political, simultaneously so Japanese and so universal.  A couple of old characters make brief, heart-breaking appearances.  I find it kind of breathtaking that in this series, often the most loving gesture is to NOT have sex.  Whoa.

• b Skip Beat! 22: I'm with Mr. Yashiro; I would pay to see how Ren Tsuruga taught Kyoko to walk like a female model.  :)  I'm told we're now caught up to Japan.  Where's my Tokyo Crazy Paradise to tide me over?

• b Suihelibe 2 of 2: I do feel that I need to point out that the title gets the periodic table out of order.  Thank you, Meg from A Wrinkle in Time.  Silly and cute with a rather unexpected and hilarious ending.