Book lists  

Manga Must-Reads

Horror. Humor. Action. Adventure. Angst. Science Fiction. Fantasy. Biography. Romance. There’s something for everyone in the graphic novel collection!


SHONEN JUMP
SHONEN JUMP
This monthly American version of Japan’s most popular manga magazine features your favorite shonen (action-oriented, boys’ manga) stories, artist interviews, anime info, and more.

Fullmetal Alchemist v.1Arakawa, Hiromu
Fullmetal Alchemist v.1
Dabbling in mystical forces they didn’t understand, Edward lost his arm and his brother Alphonse became trapped in a body of living iron. Their only means to restore themselves—the legendary Philosopher’s Stone!

Child of DreamsAsamiya, Kia
Child of Dreams
Batman’s search for dopplegangers of his most fearsome foes takes the Dark Knight to Tokyo where both he and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne become increasingly involved with journalist Yuko Yagi.

X/1999 v.1: PreludeCLAMP
X/1999 v.1: Prelude
What role will Kamui and his unique powers play in the coming apocalypse—will he be an angel of salvation or a devil of destruction?

Whistle! v.1: Break ThroughHiguchi, Daisuke
Whistle! v.1: Break Through
Rather than lose his dreams of soccer stardom and too short to make the cut for his high-school team, Shô rallies other misfit players around him to take on the reigning champions.

Boys Over Flowers v.1Kamio, Yoko
Boys Over Flowers v.1
When Tsukushi Makino stands up to a gang of bullies, she finds her life inextricably intertwined with the in-crowd.

Naruto v.1: Tests of the NinjaKishimoto, Masashi
Naruto v.1: Tests of the Ninja
In a world where ninja reign supreme, Naruto dreams of graduating from the Ninja Academy and becoming his village’s champion. Unbeknownst to Naruto, he’s the unwitting host to a destructive fox spirit.

Bleach v. 1: Strawberry and the Soul ReapersKubo, Tite
Bleach v. 1: Strawberry and the Soul Reapers
Aside from seeing dead people, Ichigo Kurusaki is just like any other 15-year-old. Until that is, he becomes a Soul Reaper by accident and must protect the spirits of the living and the dead.

Descendants of Darkness v.1: Yami no MatsueiMatsushita, Yoko
Descendants of Darkness v.1: Yami no Matsuei
Being a Guardian of Death comes with a lot of paperwork. And a lot of overtime. Somebody’s got to make sure the dead reach the afterlife, don’t they?

Nausicaä of the Valley of the WindMiyazaki, Hayao
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Nausicaa, a young princess, must bring peace to warring kingdoms in a world devastated by environmental disaster.

Hikaru No Go v. 1: Descent of the Go MasterObata, Takeshi
Hikaru No Go v. 1: Descent of the Go Master
Stumbling over a haunted Go board in his attic, 6th-grader Hikaru Shindo is possessed by the spirit of an ancient Go master. Will Sai ever achieve the Divine Move and go to his eternal rest?

Neon Genesis Evangelion v.1Sadamoto, Yoshiyuki
Neon Genesis Evangelion v.1
Only a handful of teenagers and the giant robots they pilot stand between the Earth and its destruction at the hands of the alien “Angels.”

Mars v.1Soryo, Fuyumi
Mars v.1
Sparks fly when good girl artist Kira asks bad boy motorcyclist Rei to model for her.

Inu-Yasha v. 1Takahashi, Rumiko
Inu-Yasha v. 1
High-school student Kagome is transported to feudal Japan where legends come to life. Working with half-demon Inuyasha she must reunite the scattered shards of the Shikon jewel if she ever hopes to return home.

Fruits Basket v.1Takaya, Natsuki
Fruits Basket v.1
Orphaned Tohru Honda joins the Sohma household only to discover its members are hiding an amazing secret.

Shaman King v.1: A Shaman in TokyoTakei, Hiroyuki
Shaman King v.1: A Shaman in Tokyo
Every 500 years shamans compete to see who will determine mankind’s destiny. Teenage shaman Yoh is determined to win, and with the help of a samurai ghost and his fiancée, he might even stand a chance.

Death Note v.1: BoredomTsugumi, Ohba
Death Note v.1: Boredom
Light takes justice into his own hands when he finds the lost notebook of a death god and discovers the notebook has the power to kill.

SHOJO BEATViz Media
SHOJO BEAT
This monthly American magazine features your favorite shojo (emotion-oriented, girls’manga) stories, artist interviews, how to draw manga tips, and lots of articles about Japanese style and culture.

Ceres: Celestial Legend v.1: AyaWatase, Yuu
Ceres: Celestial Legend v.1: Aya
Aya’s sweet 16 is anything but. Instead of presents and party, her family sentences her to death upon discovering she’s host to a celestial being.

Planetes v. 1Yukimura, Makoto
Planetes v. 1
Everyone spaces for a reason. Yuri’s looking for his lost wife, Fee’s looking to support her family, and Hachimaki’s looking for a spot on the Jupiter mission. What they find aboard an interplanetary garbage scow is much, much more.

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STAFF FAVORITES

Cindy’s Picks
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PAST LISTS

Manga Must-Reads
Novels in Verse
First of the Year! First of the Series!
Summer Reads
Books With Bite
If you liked
Metamorphosis: Summer Reads 2008
Poetry
Got Dark? Check out these mysteries with a noir* feel:
Laugh Out Louds
Super Spies!
Mysteries in Other Times and Other Places
A Boy And His Dragon
Short Books
Creature Feature
Good Sports
Historical Fiction
Non-Fiction!
Looooooooong Books
Great Reads - A to Z
Joust Read