In February, I participated in #FFFeb, a readathon where participants read books featuring a sapphic romance. I also failed said readathon. Oops.
Looks, I meant to read at least 4 or 5 F/F romances throughout the month. Alas, I only read like one and three quarters. Why? Well, it’s all Hiromu Arakawa’s fault!
I’m going to format this post slightly differently, in that I’m not going to list each book individually. I’ll discuss the one F/F romance book I read (a classic!) and then group all the manga I read together, since it’s all from the same series. I’d hoped to be able to include at least one more F/F novel, but alas I haven’t finished it yet. Next month!
Anyway, here are some quick thoughts on everything I managed to complete in February!
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Summary: A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early twentieth-century rural Georgia. Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance and silence. Through a series of letters spanning twenty years, first from Celie to God, then the sisters to each other despite the unknown, the novel draws readers into its rich and memorable portrayals of Celie, Nettie, Shug Avery and Sofia and their experience. The Color Purple broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery. Deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, Alice Walker’s epic carries readers on a spirit-affirming journey towards redemption and love.
My Thoughts: I think I might have a new favorite classic. I grew to love all these characters so much, even the ones I hated at one point or another. This story is a beautiful celebration of Black womanhood in the early 1900s. I came for the F/F romance, but stayed for the overall camaraderie and themes. This book is absolutely incredible. And yes, the ending did make me cry.
Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1-14 by Hiromu Arakawa (Translated by Akira Watanabe)
Summary: In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother’s bodies… the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.
Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world; something between magic, art and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in this power to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and a leg…and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living steel. Now Edward is an agent of the government, a slave of the military-alchemical complex, using his unique powers to obey orders…even to kill. Except his powers aren’t unique. The world has been ravaged by the abuse of alchemy. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philosopher’s Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are.
My Thoughts: I just finished binging Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for the first time (and the second time) and needed more, so I thought I’d read the source material. I didn’t know this was possible, but Edward Elric is even more feral and unhinged in the manga than on the show. And I love it. I also loved getting to read stories that didn’t make it into FMAB. I can’t wait to continue and experience this story again in a whole new way!
What did you read in February? Tell me about it in the comments!
Strange Storyteller 
What a coincidence! I watched FMAB once and loved it so much that me and my fam are starting it a second time lol! We’re on the episode where Olivier is about to be introduced! I think I’ll look into getting the manga 😱
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I definitely recommend reading the manga! FMAB is a very faithful adaptation, but there are some little tidbits that don’t make it into the anime that are fun to see. It’s also interesting to see what scenes both anime prioritized in terms of adapting the manga.
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There is this manga scene where hohenheim and trish meet in the afterlife? Have you seen it? I’ve always wondered if it was canon or not and why they didn’t include it 🥴👍
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It is there, but tbh I prefer the way it was in FMAB because I kind of like it being unanswered as to whether there’s an afterlife. It fits better with the themes of the story IMO. It’s a bit more romantic to see Trisha and Hohenheim reunited though.
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