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Otona-chan. – Umiyuki Lily
High school student, “Otona-chan” is popular among both guys and girls with his cute looks. But instead of being treated like a child, he wants to be treated like an adult and really admires cool adults. And then comes a student teacher to his class, who is very much adult-like and he falls hard…
Pure innocent idiots and mature world weary jerks: a hit or miss combo.
Otona-chan: With a bit of attempted sekuhara from angelic sensei, idiot realizes his feelings for his friend. Meh on this
Dreamy Love: Book designer was saddled with a useless assistant who gets under his skin. Said assistant also succeeded on worming his way into his heart despite book designer’s valiant efforts to keep his walls up. The struggle was fun to watch. Definitely the better story.
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Otona-chan. – Umiyuki Lily
High school student, “Otona-chan” is popular among both guys and girls with his cute looks. But instead of being treated like a child, he wants to be treated like an adult and really admires cool adults. And then comes a student teacher to his class, who is very much adult-like and he falls hard…
Pure innocent idiots and mature world weary jerks: a hit or miss combo.
Otona-chan: With a bit of attempted sekuhara from angelic sensei, idiot realizes his feelings for his friend. Meh on this
Dreamy Love: Book designer was saddled with a useless assistant who gets under his skin. Said assistant also succeeded on worming his way into his heart despite book designer’s valiant efforts to keep his walls up. The struggle was fun to watch. Definitely the better story.
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A Charm of Magpies: Rag and Bone – K.J. Charles
It’s amazing what people throw away…
Crispin Tredarloe never meant to become a warlock. Freed from his treacherous master, he’s learning how to use his magical powers the right way. But it’s brutally hard work. Not everyone believes he’s a reformed character, and the strain is putting unbearable pressure on his secret relationship with waste-man Ned Hall.
Ned’s sick of magic. Sick of the trouble it brings, sick of its dangerous grip on Crispin and the miserable look it puts in his eyes, and sick of being afraid that a gentleman magician won’t want a street paper-seller forever—or even for much longer.
But something is stirring among London’s forgotten discards. An ancient evil is waking up and seeking its freedom. And when wild magic hits the rag-and-bottle shop where Ned lives, a panicking Crispin falls back onto bad habits. The embattled lovers must find a way to work together—or London could go up in flames.
Fluffiest KJC book so far!
Awesome magic system based on frequencies and resonance.
“Freckles” !!!
(๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
Crispin + Ned = adorbs!!!
✺(^▽^✺) ✺(^O^)✺ (✺^▽^)✺
Appearances by Stephen Day (please don’t leave the Justiciary, please), Mrs. Gold, Janossi, and Ben Spencer.
Jonah Pastern pops out of nowhere:
Ned looked round, startled. He hadn’t noticed anyone joining him, but there
he was, a young chap with a jagged streak of white running through his black
hair, like a lightning strike. He was good-looking, blue-eyed, smartly dressed
with a flash blue waistcoat, and if ever Ned had seen untrustworthy, it was
sitting on the bench next to him.Oh Jonah!
(-‸ლ)
The villain was kind of obvious but it didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story.
Cornell Collins’ voice for the ghost thing is creeeepy. Do not listen to it in the dark at 3 a.m.
Fighting resurrected witches with music hall sensations is a thing now?
Magic police are cool!
P.S.
I recommend reading the fantastic A Charm of Magpies series before reading Rag and Bone.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away
Soundtrack: Butterfly Caught
Artist: Massive Attack
Album: 100th Window(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34870160-rag-and-bone)
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[spotify id=”spotify%3Atrack%3A22yxR09cYIuD8aeT3TfJlu&view=coverart” width=”540″ height=”620″ /]Soundtrack to A Charm of Magpies: Rag and Bone by K.J. Charles
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A fine glass vase goes from treasure to trash, the moment it is broken. Fortunately, something else happens to you and me. Pick up your pieces. Then, help me gather mine.
Vera Nazarian -
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBVxDgK0_KI?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=500&h=281]
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Tokoya no Musuko – Maaya
A barber’s son and his number one customer.
Ohohoho…looks like the boy is the seme
(source: http://www.mangago.me)
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Candy Man: Lollipop – Amy Lane
Ezra Kellerman flew across country to see if he had another chance with the man he let slip through his fingers. He didn’t. Rico has moved on, but he doesn’t just leave his ex high and dry. Instead, Rico entrusts his family and friends with Ezra’s care. Ezra, confused, hurt, and lost, clings to Rico’s cousin and his boyfriend as the lifelines they are—but their friend Miguel is another story.
Miguel Rodriguez had great plans and ambition—but a hearty dose of real life crushed those flat. When Miguel finds himself partially in charge of the befuddled, dreamy, healing Ezra, he’s pretty resentful at first. But Ezra’s placid nature and sincere wonder at the simple life Miguel has taken for granted begin to soften Miguel’s hardened shell. Miguel starts to notice that Ezra isn’t just amazingly sweet—he’s achingly beautiful as well. Suddenly Miguel is fending off every single man on the planet to give Ezra room to get over Rico—while fighting a burning suspicion that the best thing to help Ezra get over his broken heart is Miguel.
Welcome back to sunny Sacramento, where shiny, happy people help sad, broken queers put the pieces back together.
Last we know of Ezra, he was wilting in the summer sun and crying his eyes out at seeing Rico again. Now, Rico is with Derek and Ezra is still a weepy softy but tries to keep a brave face and start a new life. Lucky for him, Miguel is there to help him every step of the way. Unfortunately for me, it’s too similar to Derek and Rico’s story so it didn’t feel fresh. I ended up reading it for the people.
The Candy Man characters are the kind of people I want to be surrounded with. There’s Adam who came in with all his walls up but is now confident and taking charge, Finn who fell out of a basket of chocolate bunnies, Rico and Derek, yuppies who want to make a difference; Darrin who might be bitchy but just had to help everyone with his clairvoyance because how could he not, and the amazing Stewart family who adopts and feeds everyone in sight.
Ezra is the youngest Kellerman whose childhood was a sorry affair. He was in the closet for a long time until his father discovered his relationship with Rico. One day he broke down and decided enough was enough. I didn’t really warm up to Ezra immediately. He cries all the time and it took a long time for him to find what he was looking for even if it was already right in his face. Also, he kept putting off his visit to his shrink. You need professional help, Ezra. Please see your doctor.
Kristof Pituk as Ezra Kellerman
Miguel, I liked better. He comes from a big happy family and like in Rico and Derek’s case, he wants Ezra to experience the happy things he missed as a child. Their trip to Disneyland was the best.
Miles Frank as Miguel Rodriguez
Lollipop is the longest book so far, clocking in at 9+ hours. I enjoyed most of it though there were parts that I found repetitive especially the moments where Miguel, his mom or somebody was comforting Ezra and then after a while, the same thing would be said again only in a different way. There were a lot of these phrasing and rephrasing scattered throughout the story. I guess Ezra needed a lot of reassurances.
On a happier note, Darrin found his protege. And he was certainly not the one Darrin expected. Still, the candy fairy knew his new mentee will go a long way. I am excited to see what the new candy fairy will do for Robbie and Cy. Their book is next.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
Soundtrack: Finding Home
Artist: Mindy Gledhill
Album: Pocketful of Poetry(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28322700-lollipop)
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[spotify id=”spotify%3Atrack%3A3I5PrQ60Y3MXBQ5EX59NLU&view=coverart” width=”540″ height=”620″ /] -
every mouth you’ve ever kissed
was just practice
all the bodies you’ve ever undressed
and ploughed in to
were preparing you for me.
i don’t mind tasting them in the
memory of your mouth
they were a long hall way
a door half open
a single suit case still on the conveyor belt
was it a long journey?
did it take you long to find me?
you’re here now,
welcome home.Warsan Shire