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Tokubetsu na Nichijou – Fujitobi
Two boys try to celebrate their one year anniversary, but things don’t go as planned.
LOL, they’re like an old married couple.
Here’s what David Byrne has to say, boys:
I always think the everyday is more relevant than anything too grand because we all have to deal with it.
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Psycop: Body and Soul – Jordan Castillo Price
Thanksgiving can’t end too soon for Victor Bayne, who’s finding Jacob’s family hard to swallow. Luckily, he’s called back to work to track down a high-profile missing person.
Meanwhile, Jacob tries to find a home they can move into that’s not infested–with either cockroaches, or ghosts. As if the house-hunting isn’t stressful enough, Vic’s new partner Bob Zigler doesn’t seem to think he can do anything right. A deceased junkie with a bone to pick leads Vic and Zig on a wild chase that ends in a basement full of horrors.
Took me two tries before I got Body and Soul right. In the first try, Vic’s pill popping is so off-putting and I was like, I didn’t want to read about a junkie. Second try succeeded because I had a change of perspective and told myself Vic is taking meds and everybody takes one or two to keep going. Heck, even I got my own daily maintenance. So I’m sorry, Vic.
Victor Bayne is a person with a difficult personality. He’s neurotic, socially awkward and has a lot of bad memories of psych-wards just waiting to be triggered. That’s not to say he’s not without his charm because Jacob Marks is head over heels in love with him. And I personally love Vic’s bland attitude towards most things. That and his commentaries.
Jacob is looking for a place they could both move into, someplace free of ghosts. Vic is sure there must be a place somewhere in a city as big as Chicago. Turns out it’s harder to find one than they think. Major points to Jacob for having the patience of a saint and for indulging Vic.
Also I was listening to this in the small hours of the morning, which is the prime time for anxieties and dark thoughts. I was fervently hoping my subconscious do not pick up on the images of dead people with half their heads attached or those nasty voodooed things Vic and Zig found in the basement. What my stupid brain projected in my sleep was that of a toddler with hideous features and bendy limbs. Must be that ghost baby in Vic’s laundry room. Good job creeping me out, JCP!
Despite their ,IMO, rather abrupt start, Vic and Jacob’s relationship is going extremely well. Jacob is still the image of a perfect (sometimes too perfect) boyfriend but I’m cottoning on to the idea that there are good, dependable boyfriends in the world and one of them happens to love Vic. Also, I enjoyed tagging along with Vic and Zig in their investigation and it looks like Vic is starting to like Zigler as his partner. Zig’s a good guy so I hope he sticks around.
Yay! I am finally getting the hang of Psycop and I’m in it for the long haul.
P.S.
What on earth happened to Lisa?
Nonsensical comments on book 1, Among the Living here
Blathers on book 2, Criss Cross hereRating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead
Artist: Cannibal Corpse
Album: The Bleeding(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6978605-body-and-soul)
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Futari Hyakkei: Kaze no Owari Haru no Hajimari – Mita Ori
Ryou, who is taciturn and Keisuke, who is always energetic. This is the story of the two polar opposite lovers who live together. Keisuke is down with a bad cold and lost his voice became unable to talk to to Ryou. For the first time, together in a quiet room, Ryou realized how important the words that Keisuke regularly says to him are. And that’s the words of sweet love.
It’s so rare to get an established couple in a one-shot. Double the treat that the story is very sweet and fluffy!
This is relationship goals right here, people!!!
(source: http://mangahasu.se)
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Green Creek: Ravensong – T.J. Klune
Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves.
It should have been enough.
And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack… and won.
Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them.
But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it’s crawling from within.
Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken
T.J. Klune wasn’t kidding when he said that Ravensong was “bigger, more hardcore, darker and shit blows up”.
In the first book, Wolfsong, we meet Ox and Joe, and the Bennett pack. The boys grew up together then fell apart. The book closed with the pack once again united. Now it’s Gordo’s story to tell.
Once, there was a boy.
Once, there was a wolf.
He had sat with his back against a tree.
His bare feet were in the grass.
The boy leaned forward and kissed the wolf.
And knew then that nothing would ever be the same.Ravensong is Gordo’s past, present and future. The first several chapters jumps back and forth from his childhood, growing up with his dad inking magic into his skin, running with the pack, his adventures with Rico, Chris and Tanner, and his encounters with Mark up to his life on the road with Joe, Kelly and Carter on the trail of Richard Collins.The rest of the book deals with the town’s lockdown and the war with Elijah.
The hurt. The grief that never entirely goes away. The rage. The hate. The push and the pull. The love. SO.MUCH.FEELS.
The funny thing about hate is the razor-thin line that separates it from something else entirely
Gordo has been burned time and time again and he doesn’t forgive easily.
I don’t believe your promises anymore.
He also can’t stay away.
Here, in the dark, hearing him laugh reminded me of the way things once had been. And the way things could be…
The atypical prose perfectly captures all the raw, hard-edged emotions. Nobody comes out unscathed.
There were bright spots of irreverent, self-aware humor inserted at just the right places because Team Human is gold. They say out loud the things I’m thinking.
The entire Bennett pack is precious. I live for the wolves and the humans. Protect them at all cost!
It took almost the entire book for Gordo to get his head out of his ass. All while, nobody hesitated to tell him he’s being an asshole. I love it! He and Mark deserved their home.
I know Wolfsong was epic and awesome but Ravensong was all that and more. I wholeheartedly recommend the Green Creek series even to those who are not fans of shifter stories because I am also not a fan of shifter stories but T.J. Klune had me howling with his wolves.
All my stars for the Bennett pack.
P.S.
To fully enjoy Ravensong, it’s best to read Wolfsong first. The books are not standalones.
A succinct review of Wolfsong here
T.J. Klune and narrator Kurt Graves’ interview on Jeff and Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast here.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfect
Soundtrack: Raven Chant
Artist: Of The Wand & The Moon
Album: Nighttime Nightrhymes(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35114241-ravensong)
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Dokusen Kenshiro –
Kousaka Akiho
Misaki, who’s working for an advertising agency falls in love at first sight with Masahiro’s posture when he sees him by chance on the street. He comes up and asks him to work as a model. While working together, Misaki came to love and be possessive towards Masahiro, but one day he is suddenly kissed by Masahiro…?!
He’s a model blah blah blah.
He kissed me blah blah blah.
Boooring!
(source: https://myreadingmanga.info)
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Seven of Spades: Kill Game – Cordelia Kingsbridge
Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He’s reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he’s prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo.
Dominic likes his life free of complications. That means no tangling with cops—especially prickly, uptight detectives. But when he stumbles across one of the Seven of Spades’s horrifying crime scenes, he can’t let go, despite Levi’s warnings to stay away.
The Seven of Spades is ruthless and always two moves ahead. Worst of all, they’ve taken a dangerously personal interest in Levi and Dominic. Forced to trust each other, the two men race to discover the killer’s identity, revealing hidden truths along the way and sparking a bond neither man expected. But that may not be enough to protect them.
This killer likes to play games, and the deck is not stacked in Levi and Dominic’s favor.
Pity that the narration did not do justice to how good the story is but Kill Game is a great start to the Seven of Spades series. This is a plot-driven murder mystery and a hunt for the Seven of Spades, a serial killer known for their vigilante motives.
I love the twist and turns and while I already have my suspect, Cordelia Kingsbridge did a great job keeping me guessing. There were some subtle hints and that equal opportunity comment by Levi but whether or not I’m on the money remains to be seen because at the latest count, there are already 4 books released and another one about to come out. This hunt is going to take a while and I’m here to see it through to the end.
I liked that the setting is in Las Vegas but instead of casinos and gambling which is kind of cliche, the book is mostly about the streets, the ordinary people and of course, the police. There were also strong, well-written female characters, like Martine and Natasha. Dom’s friends, Jasmine and Carlos were also very likable people and let’s not forget Rebel, Dom’s dog and loyal protector.
The romantic subplot, well…I wasn’t so gung-ho about it at first. Levi was already in a relationship and Stanton seemed like a nice guy. At least for me, he had good intentions. Levi apparently did not like how Stanton talks about Levi to his parents and makes decisions for him. Dominic has been crushing on Levi for some time now but keeps it professional. Dom won me over for being a real nice person because instead of taking advantage of Levi’s moments of weakness, he made it clear he had no intentions of being the rebound guy. He’s a gentleman through and through and he’s serious about Levi. So yeah, I’m in their corner now.
Cordelia Kingsbridge is a new-to-me author and she didn’t disappoint. Kill Game has a great cast, very well-executed mystery and nicely developed romance. The red herrings were conclusive and the resolution felt satisfying but Dom and Levi were not convinced. The cards are reshuffled and the game is still on.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Soundtrack: Arcarsenal
Artist: At the Drive-In
Album: Relationship of Command(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35138461-kill-game)
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Koi No Senryaku Management –
Hoshino was nominated to work for Osaki, a guy known to have a difficult personality and sleep with any guy he can get his hands on…
Yep, friendship is the way to do it. A very nicely done gay-for-you story.
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SPECTR: Master of Ghouls – Jordan L. Hawk
Caleb Jansen’s old life is in ruins after being possessed by the vampire spirit Gray. Now all Caleb wants is for Gray to be exorcised so he can adjust to living as a registered paranormal. Instead, District Chief Kaniyar of SPECTR offers him a new choice: be locked away for public safety, or come work for the very agency he’s spent years trying to avoid. The only good thing to come from Caleb’s possession is his relationship with federal exorcist John Starkweather, but even that seems doomed to end before it can really begin.
John’s newest case is a nightmare: someone is summoning demons and forcing them to possess women and boys snatched from the streets of Charleston. If his team can’t find the summoner soon enough, the possessions will become permanent, transforming the victims into ghouls. To make matters worse, he barely prevents Gray from feeding on their only lead.
Can John shield his heart from Caleb, who only seems interested in a temporary hook-up? Can Caleb keep Gray under control while they hunt for the summoner? Or will the cost of solving the case be higher than any of them could have guessed?
Because the master of ghouls has set his sights on a new target: Gray.
Happy first of Halloween! It’s my favorite season so here are some vampires and ghouls to kick things off.
Master of Ghouls is the second novella in the SPECTR series and I admit, my brain wasn’t fully engaged when I was listening to this, what with chores and what have you. It also went by fast but given that, I liked how Gray+Caleb+John’s relationship is progressing at a reasonable pace. Cinnamon roll Gray is still bewildered with humans in general and Caleb’s issues in particular because Gray assumes them living with John is a done deal whereas Caleb is all doubts and second guesses.
There were also ghouls that Gray is itching to hunt and now that Caleb and Gray are working for SPECTR, I am excited for them to unleash full drakul power which is something that John gets a kick out of. He’s still trying to find ways to get Gray out of Caleb but take your time, John.
Distracted as I was, I still felt the rush and the suspense at the climax. Jordan L. Hawk did a good job setting up threads for the next installments and introducing a sinister villain. At the end, some doubts were put to rest and the trio took it to the next level. Yay!
P.S.
Ok, John, so I said take your time but what I really mean is please don’t exorcise Gray! Just don’t. Ever.
Review of book 1, Hunter of Demons here
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Ghouls Night Out
Artist: Misfits
Album: Collection(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17412325-master-of-ghouls)
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Taka to Tonbi to Aburaage – Rokuro KuroHanajima is the most popular and sought-after guy in school. But he has a secret: a hidden self, who is unbearably egoistical in both words and thoughts! The only one who knows that is a fellow schoolmate, Nodate!
An enjoyable collection of stories on the theme of hidden self and secret feelings.
The Falcon. The Kite. And the Deep-Fried Tofu: No idea about the title but ‘perfect’ guy’s possessive nature and feelings for his childhood friend was revealed as another boy confesses feelings to said friend. That’s right, stick together, dorks!
Makino is Taking a Rest Today: Cute yandere boy meets shy gentle giant who calls him out on his shit. Interesting combination. Make it work, you two!
Mealtime for Two + Breakfast for Two: Childhood friends with mutual feelings. Really should have talked about it earlier. Enjoy that newly-wed atmosphere, boys!
(source: https://yaoimangaonline.com)
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Love Spell – Mia Kerick
Chance César is fabulously gay, but his gender identity—or, as he phrases it, “being stuck in the gray area between girl and boy”—remains confusing. Nonetheless, he struts his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug-in-all-the-right (wrong)-places orange tuxedo as the winner of this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon Festival. He rules supreme at the local Beans and Greens Farm’s annual fall celebration, serenaded by the enthusiastic catcalls of his BFF, Emily Benson.
Although he refuses to visually fade into the background of his rural New Hampshire town, Chance is socially invisible—except when being tormented by familiar bullies. But sparks fly when Chance, Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper (Jazz) Donahue, winner of the Pumpkin Carving King contest. Chance wants to be noticed and admired and romantically embraced by Jazz, in all of his neon-orange-haired glory.
And so at a sleepover, Chance and Emily conduct intense, late-night research, and find an online article: “Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love With You.” Along with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure, it becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.
But will this “no-fail” plan work? Can Chance and Jazz fall under the fickle spell of love?’
Chance Cezar (love the name!) is out and proud but doesn’t know which gender box to tick. He and his best friend, the quirky Emily, embark on The Plan to make Jasper “Jazz” Donahue fall in love with Chance based on an online article, “Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall In Love With You”. Such titles always gets an eye roll and should be taken with a heap ton of salt, IMHO, despite the words “scientifically proven”. Why two seemingly intelligent teenagers bother with such articles is beyond me but books featuring hapless people following how-tos has a good track record with me and Love Spell is one of those books.
Chance is sooo OTT! He sports orange hair, is capable of rocking both stilettos and chucks and isn’t afraid to wear make-up and mix his own perfume. It took a few moments but when I finally got used to his talking style, I found it funny enough to elicit a few chuckles especially combined with the epic fails his and Emily’s strategies turned out to be. Like wooing Jazz with a megawatt smile only to have gummy bears stuck in his teeth (eew!) but, if a guy voluntarily pokes his finger in your teeth to get it out, you know he’s really that into you.
Love Spell is a YA story and it’s one of those that have the YA main character worry about his sexuality or in this case, gender identity. I know some young adults might have this concerns and it is an important issue that should be addressed but I’m kinda tired of having it in almost every other YA LGBT book I encounter (looking at you, Simon). I don’t think young adults would want to read about sexuality and gender identity being an issue all the time. I know my younger self wouldn’t want to because I want my stories to treat being queer, genderfluid or ace as normal.
What kicked this story up a notch was Jazz. He is a really sweet guy and a responsible big brother to his kid sister. When he finally had enough of Chance’s BS and decided to be upfront, it was all very squee-tastic! But then, to my surprise and dismay, the story ended just when it was getting really good. Nooo! Where’s my epilogue?!
Overall, Love Spell made me laugh, cringe and root for Chance to go, get that boy! Waiting for him to get a clue at how ridiculous his maneuverings were was equal parts exasperating and funny but Jazz was worth it and more. I would have preferred Chance to worry less about his gender and focus more on other things, like getting into a good college just like how Emily is determined to get into her dream school. However, I mostly had a good time with this book and I recommend it.
P.S.
Complaints on
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
here.
I received a copy of Love Spell from NineStar Press
via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
Soundtrack: Gorgeous
Artist: The Heartbreaks
Album: Funtimes(source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41025385-love-spell)
