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Ameiro no Toge – Hayakawa Nojiko
The story of a quiet, sensitive high-school guy who enjoys painting, and his complicated feelings.
Oh no! No no no! Don’t end like that…!
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Nobody’s Butterfly – Claire Davis & Al Stewart
Cobweb ghosts are so inconvenient—especially grumpy ones with bad breath. Don’t they know silence is golden?
Johnny Strong is the expert; he hasn’t spoken in two years. Not one word to anyone except the ghost. The main purpose of life is to avoid people and not get noticed. Friends? He doesn’t need them; and certainly nobody wants him despite what the ghost says.
Until a new boy appears at Windybank—Finn Lyons, teenage wizard. He eats frogs, concocts potions, and is always hungry. Not only does Finn stand up for Johnny; he actively seeks his company and soon becomes part of life.
First love; family and words; a heady mix to go in the potion but how will it all turn out?Hubble bubble; Johnny Strong’s in trouble! Silence is not always golden in this sweet, zany story of the purest magic at Christmas
Quintessential Claire Davis & Al Stewart: an oh so fluffy mix of sweet, cute and mental disorder!
Like most CD & AS stories, Nobody’s Butterfly starts a bit cryptically, letting you wonder about the setting, why the characters are the way the are and then you have to figure out the special names, metaphors and whatever mental issues the MCs have. This could either be confusing and exasperating like in Dear Mona Lisa or poetic and magical as done brilliantly in this story.
Everything’s endearingly pure and adorably quirky despite all the bad experiences Johnny and Finn experienced. Johnny Strong has not spoken for two years for reasons not explicitly explained but he talks to the ghost in the cobweb at his window. Enter Finn Lyons, who claims to be his wizard and seems to understand what Johnny was saying silently. Finn can cast magic spells that makes Johnny’s worries disappear.
You’re the seeker,” Finn burped. “And I am your finder. But, of course, you already know that.”
Finn drags the reluctant but not really Johnny on quests and adventures. The two boys just connected so beautifully and comfortably, it was warm and fuzzy all over. But Johnny was afraid that Finn would go away soon. That explosive scene where Johnny finally let it all out because he was thought they were sending Finn away was just the definition of heart wrenching.
“NO! And if you send him back there, you might as well kill me too. No.” The rant ended as more of a cry of pain than a shout. “I’ve thrown the suitcases away and flushed the door key down the toilet. I’ll sit in front of the door and you’ll have to get a crane to move me because you’re not taking my boyfriend. NO—no—no—no—no. I’ll call the police and the BBC and tell them.”
“Johnny Strong,” Finn whispered into Johnny’s hair. He pulled back to wipe his face but more tears burst out. Johnny forgot about Greg and Anna. He nudged Finn’s nose with his own, and that led into a long, teary kiss, one he would remember for the rest of his life.This has a lot of similarities to Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! which in my opinion is the duo’s best story (and an all-time favorite of mine). It’s also magical and reads like a fairy tale of sorts, the kind where poor orphans are abandoned in the care of big bad caretakers. But here, the villains are not really bad, just human. It’s a very moving and poignant tale of friendship, coming of age, finding connections and overcoming darkness. It tells us to believe, hope and love. It leaves us a message that
People don’t have to be perfect to be lovely.
I definitely recommend this!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Amongst Butterflies
Artist: Paul Weller
Album: Paul Weller(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36631025-nobody-s-butterfly)
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Cor Leonis – Shishi no Sinzou – Kurumazaki Mayu
1) Mega You Freak
2) Mega Love Melancholy
3) Home
4) Cor Leonis – Lion’s Heart
5) Destination – The bird and the plane
6) Café Hickory House
7) [i][/i]Poetic and sometimes atypical
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Cor Leonis – Shishi no Sinzou – Kurumazaki Mayu
1) Mega You Freak
2) Mega Love Melancholy
3) Home
4) Cor Leonis – Lion’s Heart
5) Destination – The bird and the plane
6) Café Hickory House
7) [i][/i]Poetic and sometimes atypical
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REVIEW: Where Death Meets the Devil by L.J. Hayward
Death and the Devil: Where Death Meets the Devil – L.J. Hayward
Jack Reardon, former SAS soldier and current Australian Meta-State asset, has seen some messy battles. But “messy” takes on a whole new meaning when he finds himself tied to a chair in a torture shack, his cover blown wide open, all thanks to notorious killer-for-hire Ethan Blade.
Blade is everything Jack doesn’t believe in: remorseless, detached, lawless. Yet, Jack’s only chance to survive is to strike a bargain with the devil and join forces with Blade. As they trek across a hostile desert, Jack learns that Blade is much more than a dead-eyed killer—and harder to resist than he should be.
A year later, Jack is home and finally getting his life on track. Then Ethan Blade reappears and throws it all into chaos once more. It’s impossible to trust the assassin, especially when his presence casts doubts on Jack’s loyalty to his country, but Jack cannot ignore what Blade’s return means: the mess that brought them together is far from over, and Ethan might just bring back the piece of Jack’s soul he thought he’d lost forever.
This is how you do non-stop, over the top action!
This is how you take readers for a wild ride across the Australian desert!
This is how you go about a police procedural story!
This is how you write a government agent/assassin romance!
This is how you create a truly intriguing, genuinely bad-ass assassin!
This is how you build tension you can cut with knife!
This is how you keep readers at the edge of their seats!
This is how you plot twists and turns that catches the readers off guard!
This is how you produce a book made for movies!
I adore everything about Where Death Meets the Devil but for the love of everything queer and gay, please give us Ethan’s POV, L.J. Hayward!!!
P.S.
Death and the Devil: Where Death Meets the Devil: Coda – L.J. Hayward
Jack Reardon’s homecoming isn’t quite as peaceful as he hoped it would be …
Ten hours ago, Jack Reardon completed the messiest case of his career. Lucky to get through it with his life and a promotion, all he wants to do is catch up on missed sleep. Which won’t happen thanks to a bothersome house-invasion from assassin extraordinaire, Ethan Blade—who is also the reason he almost lost his life and job …
This Coda for “Where Death Meets the Devil” follows immediately after the ending of the novel and is best read afterwards as it does contain spoilers.
This is how you resolve it and leave things open for more Jack and Ethan to come.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Black Heart
Artist: Stone Temple Pilots & Chester Bennington
Album: High Rise(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37647452-where-death-meets-the-devil)
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Natsu no Omoide – Haji
A summer memory…
Sooo damn short but super super cute!
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Natsu no Omoide – Haji
A summer memory…
Sooo damn short but super super cute!
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Agents Irish and Whiskey: Blended Whiskey – Layla Reyne
You’re Invited
Aidan “Irish” Talley
and
Jameson “Whiskey” Walker
together with their family and friends
request the honor of your presence
at their wedding
Saturday, the Seventeenth of March
Two Thousand and Eighteen
at High Noon
Half Moon Bay, CaliforniaCongratulations!!!
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: This is the Life
Artist: Two Door Cinema Club
Album: Tourist History(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39308726-blended-whiskey)
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Yuri Iro Machiboke – Tsubaki Mikage
One fateful night, the doctor Hanabusa saves a dirty street urchin and patches him up, and now this filthy child is determined to thank him.
Rei waiting for days in the snow gave off Hachiko feels
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Yuri Iro Machiboke – Tsubaki Mikage
One fateful night, the doctor Hanabusa saves a dirty street urchin and patches him up, and now this filthy child is determined to thank him.
Rei waiting for days in the snow gave off Hachiko feels
