It's been a few days, but I made up for lost time today. A nasty blizzard caused schools to close, so I got to enjoy one of the benefits of working in a school - an unexpected, unplanned day off. I spent the day reading & catching up on laundry. Exciting, huh?
I started off the morning with Fruits Basket Volume 1, required reading for my class. We've had the Fruits Basket series (it's manga) for a while, but it's one I haven't read. I usually try to read the first volume in each series, just to get an idea of what they're about (and so I sound like I know what I'm talking about with the kids). Truthfully, manga isn't really my thing. Usually, I read the first volume in a series & have no desire to read any further. As you may have gathered, I really like comics, but all the manga I've read seems rather shallow - sort of like series books for teens. Fruits Baskets is the best of the ones I've read so far, however. It's about an orphan who has no where to live. She's taken in by a young man she goes to school with, but discovers he and his "cousins" are a bit unusual. Each is an animal of the Chinese zodiac, and when hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they temporarily lose their human form and turn into animals. Strange, but rather fun. The characters in this one are actually interesting. I might read a few more volumes.
Oh, I also read the first volume of Chrono-Crusade late last week for a book talk. A nun and a bound demon fight demons together. Another good series for anyone who is into manga. I liked Fruits Basket better, but Chrono-Crusade was pretty good.

Takaya, Natsuki. Fruits Basket Vol. 1. Tokyo Pop, Los Angeles, 1998. ISBN 1591826039.