Hayate the Combat Butler 7
This book strung together a series of shorter events, just one and two chapters, looking at the absurd lives of the absurd characters in this absurd series. Nagi questions her life experiences, a builder of killer robots becomes a high-school teacher, Hayate gets an idea what a day in the life of Hinagiku or Isumi is like and the sharing of one's heart through chocolate gets a bit competitive.
This volume was... okay. I didn't dislike it - I don't dislike much in this series, given what it is - but when I think back on this series or try to explain it to people, there's nothing in this volume that I'd likely explain or even remember at first.
The one major thing that comes out in this book is that Nishizawa has a brother! And he's got one of the most awkward crushes in the world on Nagi. And unlike a lot of awkward crushes, this one doesn't leave me feeling somewhat uncomfortable on behalf of the young woman. So... bonus there!
Hayate the Combat Butler 8
After the hopping around of volume 7, this one focuses in on one arc that takes up a majority of the book. Due to an awkward moment at the end of the previous book, Maria asks Hayate to stay away from the mansion for three days to give Nagi some time to cool off. She gives him plenty of money for the span, but in true Hayate fashion, he manages to run through it swiftly without spending any on himself and finds himself once more on the street. People take pity on him, but that could lead to a whole lot more misunderstandings.
This book offers a bit of insight into Hinagiku, and how she and Hayate relate to one another, while also giving minor spotlights to other characters, especially Maria and Nishizawa. And it's somewhat interesting to see how Hayate impacts the people around him, as evidenced by how Maria finds out what happened. :) A really sweet, enjoyable and funny volume.