insaneneko

My first impressions tend to be crap so I usually don't post about books until I've reread them several times, but since sara_tanaquil asked what I'd ordered and I didn't want to just list the books...Please take all comments with a grain of salt. I revise my impressions of books quite a bit. ^^;

Ryuu no fukkatsu, Dr. no Houkou by Kifu Kaname and illustrated by Nara Chiharu

The latest book of the Ryuu and Dr series (I've summarized four of the books), still fun but not quite as fun as the last one...I might revise my opinion once I reread. Or maybe it just couldn't live up to the build up of insanity that fueled the previous books.

Aisaresugi to iukeredo by Nakahara Kazuya and illustrated by Nara Chiharu

Third book about a doctor and a laborer who used to be an amazing surgeon (I summarized the first book here). I enjoyed it, as I've enjoyed the first two. I just like the recurring characters a lot. And the really horrible lewd jokes Dr. God Hand makes. XD;

Kayashima-shi no yuuga na seikatsu novel vols 1, 2, and 3 by Tono Haruhi and illustrated by Hidaka Shouko and comic vol 1 illustrated by Mamahara Ellie

Reprinting of a series Tono Haruhi had originally done as doujinshi about the romance of a rich blue-blood (Mr. Kayashima) and his gardener. Mr. Kayashima is a great character. He's young, good-looking, rich, doesn't do any work, and has an overwhelmingly noble presence that just bowls people over. But he adores the gardener and is very honest about his feelings towards the gardener (most of the time). They are a cute couple. My favorite parts, though, are other people's reactions to Mr. Kayashima's oddness and presence. I have to admit that I like Hidaka Shoko's art more than Mamahara Ellie's, but the manga is worth having just for the short novelized portion and extra manga at the end. The first volume's novel bit is from Mr. Kayashima's dog's POV. It's adorable, as all stories written from the POV of someone's pet tends to be. I will be buying the second volume.

Hanayaka na Aijou by Sakiya Haruhi and illustrated by Hasukawa Ai

Fourth book about a detective and an artist. I adore this series, though I think I've never posted on it before. I like both characters, I like their relationship and how it develops. I like the police cases that come up in each volume. This book uses a total cliche as its premise, but I like how she handled it. Angsty, but not totally predictable. One big plus about this series: the uke loves sex and can be very aggressive in getting what he wants. No faux uke modesty here.

Futsuu gurai ni aishiteru by Kuga Ariko and illustrated by Hashimoto Aoi

This is about a salaryman who meets a dude who'd harassed him in high school. I....couldn't keep interested in the book enough to finish it. I'll have to go back and try again later.

Koboreru cream by Sakai Akeo and illustrated Shidoh Kai

I admit it, I bought it for the cover. The blurb sounded pretty interesting, so I figured why not. The book is just too short. The story doesn't suck, but it isn't meaty enough for me to love it.

Steal Your Love - Yoku by Himekawa Hotaru and illustrated by Kohji Tatsuru

Third book about a popular actor and host who'd been high school classmates. Another series I enjoy because I like the main characters and their relationship. Also, the uke also enjoys sex very much once they become established in a relationship. I'm hoping this continues, especially since I want to see what happens in their careers and their dealings with each other's families.

Tama ni wa koi demo by Wataru Minaho and illustrated by Sakura Haiji

I got this because it's illustrated by Sakura Haiji and the main character is a plain and introverted programmer being harassed by a very good looking, very out-going sales guy at his company. They become friends once the programmer realizes he shares interests with the sales guy. It turns out the sales guy is a uber-otaku. I was meh about this one. Doesn't suck, the uber-otaku-ness of the sales guy is rather hilarious, but it just didn't hit the spot.

Sore wa tsumi na anata no sei by Hagino Shiro and illustrated by Natsume Isaku

I love love love love love this book. Love. Also, love the art. I really don't want to say more, because it'll turn into a huge, long thing that I don't have the time do now and I want to do a long, looong summary of this some day. Let me just say it hits my moe points totally and completely.


I didn't realize I'd bought so many sequels until I started writing this post! I enjoyed the sequels well enough, but I think my overall disappointment with the order comes from being disappointed by most of the one-shots. I want to find shiny new stuff, not just rely on the familiar.

What is up with Nara Chiharu? I do not like her art nowadays. :(

Kuchibiru ni chou no hone by Sakiya Haruhi was another recommendation by Amazon Japan which made me snort. I love love love the reviews. Basically the story is kind of stupid, the seme is seriously messed up, and the ending is...questionable. But it has lots and lots of sex! Thus they gave many stars. Basically it's about an uke who has been at the seme's mercy for about 12 years, he's tried to run away many times but is brought back and fucked hard each time. The uke doesn't think the seme loves him, but apparently the seme does love him in his own "special" way. Which wasn't that apparent to the readers, but who cares? Lots of sex! The best line was in the second review. After explaining that when the uke is transferred elsewhere by his company he tries to use that as an excuse to *really* get away but is just locked up and fucked hard by the seme, the reader writes "I thought the description of the sex here was splendid."

...Okay, it sounds better in Japanese. But still! I doubt I'd like this book, but I kind of want to read it just to find out how "splendid" it is. And how WTF? the seme's motivations are. XD;

Chocolate mitsudo by Sakiya Haruhi and illustrated by Nekota Yonezou is a supremely conventional story that I love to pieces. It's about a young guy, not particularly sharp or especially stupid, who is thrown into a very confusing and distressing situation--a very sexy, very overpowering man swoops in and fucks up his life. There are so many things about it I'd usually hate, but somehow this author made this character so appealing to me that I just feel for him instead of picking apart the story. Also, the art is pretty! There are cute dogs! I even love reading the sex scenes! There is almost no bad in this book for me. XD

Shiroyama Kouji is a carefree college student who enjoys clubbing and having casual sex with both guys and girls. He's introduced to a part-time job dog-sitting two adorable Corgis for a sculptor, Kazami Masato. Kazami is not only talented, he's uber hot. But there's no instant attraction between the two. Kouji is a good kid and works hard. Kazami takes a shine to him. Unfortunately, things completely change thanks to a misunderstanding...

( summary and pics )

I did not think Koi ni yottemo written by Hizaki Yuu and illustrated by Kohji Tatsuru is particularly good. I just wanted to share the pretty pic from it. ^^; Basically the book is about a seme who works at a restaurant who keeps picking up from the alley behind the restaurant a customer whose tolerance to alcohol has recently changed and keeps getting rip-roaring drunk and taking him to a place where he can rest in peace. The seme at first has no romantic/sexual interest in the customer, but it wouldn't be a BL novel if things didn't change fast. Too bad it bored me to tears...I don't remember the end. Maybe I didn't finish it. *shrugs*

Other books I read not that long ago:

Sabaku no tsuki ni dakarete written by Itou Yuki and illustrated by Sera is classic Arabian "romance." This kind of story totally drove me nuts because it's not my thing, but judging from the quantity in the market it must be popular. Anyhow, uke works at the Japanese embassy in some small oil-rich Arab country. He is approached for sex by seme, a very rich and powerful prince. I think the seme's "pick-up line" was something like "Come with me." He expects uke to obey (happily) like everyone else who's willingly spread their legs for him....and is shocked when uke turns him down scornfully. He decides he's going to teach uke a lesson and make uke his. He pulls some strings and imprisons the uke. He throws luxury and comfort at uke while forcing him to have sex with him. A lot. You know, lots of sex makes a good uke docile and happy. I think it's pretty obvious where this story is going...there's a bit of a "twist" (such as it is) thrown in because our dear prince is "cursed." The uke makes a credible escape attempt but in the end succumbs to Stockholm Syndrome masking as love. Last but not least, the art's not bad.

Renai Shoumeishou written by Sakiya Haruhi and illustrated by Machiko Madoka is a much better book than the two I talk about above...Too bad it is spoiled by a bad beginning. Basically this is about a nice gay guy and the formerly straight-divorced-father he falls in love with. It's a classic angst-fest fueled by misunderstanding and a complete lack of communication...that didn't have to be this way. The author makes the mistake of starting things off with the uke deciding to end things. He thinks his relationship with seme is some rebound fuck buddy relationship and he can't take it anymore because he's actually in love. The book then goes back and shows the past, of how they met and all that happens. It's all rather sweet, especially since the seme is a devoted father of a really cute kid (I'm such a sucker for that kind of thing). If only it wasn't overshadowed by the angsty beginning of the novel that tells us where all this sweetness is headed for. In any case, uke tries to break things off. This is when seme gets a clue (he's not the most perceptive person in the world) and things work out as expected. I wouldn't even mention this book except that in the second story the seme does such a wonderful romantic declaration of love. A sincere one. It's the kind of thing girls read romance novels for. I also did like all the characters in the book (including the seme's ex-wife, in spite of the fact that she was completely unrealistic). The uke is sweet and cheerful, with a bit of an issue of really showing how he feels due to his not so good past with men. The seme is a bit dopey but well-meaning and kind. He's not stupid or completely dense, but the combination of him and an uke who tends to suppress negative feelings ends up with (at least with this author in this book) in angst-fest. I do like this artist quite a lot, even if she does draw the men a bit too thin at times. She also gets to draw the cute son! She's the same artist who illustrated Kodomo no hitomi, a book with a sweet father-son relationship I adore (and have already squealed about previously). XD