July reading recap

July was a slow month for me, as nothing really caught my interest. I started several books that I couldn’t finish. If it hadn’t been for review copies, I probably wouldn’t have read anything. In the end, I read four novels, three of them review ARCs, and 18 mangas, ten of them review copies. Twenty-two books in total.

The one novel that wasn’t a review copy was the latest Psy-Changeling UF romance, Atonement Sky by Nalini Sing. Even the spin-off series has nine books out already, and the series is going as strong as ever. Read my review here.

I had review copies of The Wizard by Shi Wu, a paranormal Chinese danmei with an interesting premise, but it wasn’t a very good romance. I read the vol. 1 novel of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint by singNsong, and it was as good as the manhwa adaptation. Lastly, I read the latest Peter Grant novel by Ben Aaronovitch, Stone and Sky, which sadly was a bit of a let-down.

Four of the review mangas I read were follow-ups to ongoing series. There was vol. 3 of Firefly Wedding by Tachibana Oreco, a series I probably would’ve given up already if it weren’t for review copies. The same goes with Tokyo Alien Bros. by Shinzo Keigo, but luckily vol. 3 is the last one. The end was good. Kill Blue vol 2 by Fujimaki Tadatoshi continues the story of a hit-man whose body turns into a teenager’s and he’s sent to a school. This is a funny series and the cliffhanger ending makes me want to read more. And then there was my favourite, Spy x Family vol. 14 by Tatsuya Endo. This series never lets you down.

Then I reviewed one stand-alone manga and a few series starters, some of which I liked and others that I won’t continue with. Cute but Not Cute by Sakishita Senmu was a stand-alone BL about two guys who probably shouldn’t have ended together. Suzuki-kun’s Mindful Life, Vol. 1 by Fujimoto Yuhki was a great start to a cute high school series and I’ll read more. Tower Dungeon 1 by Tsutomu Nihei was a more artistic dungeon series and while it was good, it wasn’t for me.

The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows vol. 1 by Sakaku Hishikawa was a fun fantasy harem series and I might read more, whereas Gushing over Magical Girls vol. 1 by Akihiro Ononaka would’ve been much better if the girls in question hadn’t been 14. And lastly, Double the Trouble, Twice as Nice, Vol. 1 by Ryō Ichino was a fun start to a cute romance series.

The manga I read for myself was fun, but not all of it was good. There was Two Guys at the Vet Clinic by sinonome, a fun start to a BL series about two vets, but unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be more volumes available. I read 23:45 Re; by Ohana, a follow-up to 23:45, which was a fairly good conclusion to the story, though there’s room for more. My Younger Knight Takes Care of Me in Another World Vol. 1 by Nekonomori Shima is such a rip-off of The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter that it wouldn’t be too much to call it plagiarised. Also, it wasn’t as cute as the original. The Feisty Omega and His Twin Mates Vol. 1 by Ryo Ayamine was so bad I gave it two stars.

Secrets of the Silent Witch vol 4 by Tobi Tana was cute, but not as interesting as the earlier story arc, but I’m sure it’ll pick up another arc soon. And an anime adaptation came out on Crunchyroll in July too and it’s great. And last but not least, like previous months, I read three volumes of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun by Izumi Tsubaki, vols. 11, 12 and 13. I’ve almost read all the volumes available on MangaUP! and I’ve been pacing myself until there’s more.

So, despite my reading slump, I managed to read quite a lot. August has a great many interesting books coming out, so it should be a good reading month.

June reading recap

Once again, I’ve read so much manga this month that writing this recap took forever. In contrast, I only managed to finish three novels of the six I meant to read, and only one of those was a review copy, leaving three review copies for next month.

The only review copy novel I read was A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons by J. Penner, which I unfortunately didn’t like at all, so much so that if it hadn’t been a review copy, I wouldn’t have finished it. Luckily, the two novels I read for myself were better. There was vol. 5 of Case File Compendium by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou, where things got heated, literally. And I read Peerless vol. 4 by Meng Xi Shi where things are heating up a little too.

In comparison, I read 15 review copies of manga. To save space, I’ll simply list them here. Links lead to my reviews on Goodreads, if you’re curious.

Kill Blue, Vol. 1 by Tadatoshi Fujimaki. An assassassin returns to school as a teenager. Great fun.

A Star Brighter than the Sun, Vol. 2 by Kazune Kawahara. Still no closer to confession.

Senpai is an Otokonoko: My Crossdressing Classmate 1 by Pom. This was great story of a boy who likes to dress up like a girl at school.

Shout Loud, My Heart by Youga Rayri. Very good BL romance.

Radio Storm, Vol. 1 by 팀S&S. Gloomy but good.

Outsiders Vol 1 by Akira Kanou. Confusing. I didn’t like it much.

The Hitman Stans, Vol. 1 by Rintarou Ohshima. Really funny story of a hitman supporting his favourite girl idol.

Otaku Vampire’s Love Bite, Vol. 4 by Julietta Suzuki. Still good and funny.

Nue’s Exorcist, Vol. 1 by Kōta Kawae. Good start to a series.

The Demon Prince of Momochi House: Succession, Vol. 1 by Aya Shouto. A spin-off that wasn't very good.

Ask and You Will Receive, Vol. 2 by Niyama. A good follow-up.

Tsumiki Ogami’s Not-So-Ordinary Life, Vol. 1 by Miyu Morishita. A good start to a series about acceptance.

Veil Volume 2: Calming Noir by Kotteri. Art is great.

Cosmic Censorship Vol. 1 by Ryuuichi Sadamatsu. Action-packed.

Therapy Game Restart, Vol. 5 by Meguru Hinohara. Gah! So frustrating, but the men are getting there.

I also read 17 manga volumes for myself, most of that taken by eight volumes of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun by Izumi Tsubaki. I didn’t review all of them, but all were at least 4 star reads. I’ll list a couple here. I also read three volumes of I’m the Catlords’ Manservant by Rat Kitaguni, which turned out to be fun. One volume to go.

Here are the manga I read this month:

I’m the Catlords’ Manservant, vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3 by Rat Kitaguni.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity 7 by Saka Mikami. My go-to good-feel manga.

On and Off: Work-Life Imbalance 01 by Shinnosuke Kanazawa. Really pretty, with a sweet story.

The Otaku Love Connection 02 by Chu Amairo. As zany as the first vol.

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint vol 7 by singNsong. I gave this 5 stars, but didn’t review it. It’s been too long since I read it for real, but the paperback came out this month so it’s in this month’s tally.

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture, Vol. 6 by Mikage Sawamura. This is the last manga, but light novels continue.

SANCTIFY, Lost Paradise by Godstation. Angsty and good.

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, vol. 3, vol. 4, vol. 5, vol. 9 by Izumi Tsubaki. The whole long series is silly and fun.

All in all, another satisfying reading month.

May reading recap

May turned out to be a surprising reading month, partly because I struggled with getting into a reading mood, and partly because I ended up reading books that weren’t on my list. I read five books and 18 manga, on the paper at least. Three of the manga/manhwa I’d read already before, but only reviewed them in May.

Of the five novels I read, only one was a review ARC, although I had a couple of others I was unable to finish for various reasons. The ARC was for The Vengeance by Emma Newman, which was an ok read that I ended up giving four stars to, though in hindsight it was maybe more of a three-star book. After that, I read Love Between Fairy and Devil by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang, which turned out to be completely different from the TV series based on it, but equally good.

On the last week of May, I medicated my reading slump with the two latest Stephanie Plum novels that I found in the library and so weren’t on my list, Dirty Thirty and Now or Never. I’m now almost caught up with the series. I’ve skipped book 29 as I was unable to finish it back when it came out. They’re easy comfort reads and suited my mood this time round.

I finished the month by a short historical queer romance Copper Script by KJ Charles, which I only learned about a couple of weeks earlier, so it wasn’t on my list for this month. I decided to read it right away, and I’m glad I did. It was a great read despite its short length. The review was written in June, but I count the book to May reads, as I finished it before the month changed.

For my own pleasure I read manga vol. 14 of The Apothecary Diaries by Nekokurage & Natsu Hyuuga. I’ve been reading it on MangaUP! the publisher’s official site and could’ve reviewed it earlier, but I kept hoping there would be more chapters published, which there hasn’t been since March. The book version won’t come out until October. Solo Leveling vol 12 by singNsong came out in May, so I reviewed it this month, though I’ve already completed the series on Tappytoon, which is the official webtoon publisher. Also published in May was I Ship My Rival x Me vol. 3 by Pepa. This manhua I’ve read in full too on an unofficial site, as the official publisher BiliBili doesn’t support English content anymore. It’s only published on paperback, and while I love the story, I’m not entirely happy with the print quality.

I read ten review copies of manga. Here they are in the order they came out. Tune In to the Midnight Heart 1 by Masakuni Igarashi was a cute high school manga about a boy on a mission to find a radio host whose voice he used to love. Pink Heart Jam beat vol. 1 by Shikke is a follow-up series of a BL romance about two college students. Palace of the Omega vol. 2 by Fumi Tsuyuhisa concluded the rather boring and a bit icky omegaverse romance. Merry Witches’ Life vol 1 by Menota was a cute and cozy story about grief. Cosmos vol. 1 by Ryuhei Tamura was a good start to a series about a high school boy who can smell lies and gets recruited to an alien insurance company.

The Villainess Is a Marionette vol. 1 by Manggle is a double transmigration fantasy manhwa of a villainess trying to change her fate. Murderous Lewellyn’s Candlelit Dinner vol. 1 by Muk_Bu is a very creepy story of a young man who realises his neighbour might be a murderer yet can’t do anything about it. String by Paul Tobin is fun and action-packed story of a young woman who can see connections between murderers and victims as strings. Spacewalking with You 1 by Inuhiko Doronoda is an absolutely wonderful story of autism and being different and making friends and being accepted as you are. Cat + Crazy vol 1 by Wataru Nadatani is a fun story about a school boy obsessed with cats and his quest to become a cat-whisperer.

For my own amusement, I read Punks Triangle by Yuho Okita, a sweet BL story of two fashion students, one of whom isn’t who he seems. My Classmate Ren-kun is Kinda Scary by Kusege is another stand-alone BL romance of two high school boys who don’t realise they’re in love. I read volumes 1 and 2 of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun by Izumi Tsubaki. It’s a fun slice of life high school comedy of a manga artist and a girl who has a crush on him, available on MangaUP!. I also read The World After the Fall vol 1 by Undead Gamja & singNsong. It’s a manhwa by the same author as Solo Leveling, but it wasn’t as interesting as SL. I probably won’t continue with it. Official version is available on Webtoon.

So, a great reading month. I read a lot of web manga beside these, mostly to medicate the reading slump. I’ll likely review all of those at some point too. June is already geared to be a busy month, so here’s hoping I don’t fall into another reading slump.

April reading recap

April wasn’t quite as hectic a reading month for me as March was. I finished five novels and ten manga. Three of the novels were review copies and of those, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennet was by far the best. The second Ana and Din mystery set in a very unique world is maybe the best novel of the year so far. (Click the book title for my review.) In comparison, I liked A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang considerably less, mostly because I found it under-developed. Saint Death’s Herald by C.S.E. Cooney was good, but not as mind-blowing as the first book in the series. Still, I’d read more.

I also read two novels for myself, both of them Chinese boylove novels. Riverbay Road Men’s Dormitory Vol. 1 by Fei Tian Ye Xiang is a contemporary romance set in an imaginary Chinese city, and it was a good start to a series. You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post Vol. 3 by Blackegg continued the historical series with a volume that was maybe the best so far.

I read eight manga review copies. Among them were three follow-ups. Worst Soulmate Ever: Proposal by Haruta is the second volume about a dysfunctional alpha-omega couple who despite their constant arguing manage to tie the knot. Tokyo Alien Bros., Vol. 2 by Keigo Shinzo is about two aliens trying unsuccessfully to assimilate among humans as they are scouting the earth for potential invasion. The second volume was better than the first. Firefly Wedding, Vol. 2 by Oreco Tachibana continues the story of a kidnapped heiress stuck on an island of prostitutes with her kidnapper. It’s still not my favourite series, but the second volume was better than the first.

Ask and You Will Receive by Niyama was a very good start of a gay romance about two men, one of whom doesn’t know he’s gay and another who can’t stand the first. I’ll definitely continue with this one. A Vampire in the Bathhouse by Niko Izuki was a sweet story of a found family. No romance yet, though that may come later. 

Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards 1 by Masamitsu Nigatsu was a bit boring and a lot violent high school romance about a secret daughter of a yakuza boss who is surrounded by a class full of bodyguards. The Dashing Zaddy and His Icy Protégé 1 by Fumito was a fun and very awkward comedy romance of an older man suffering from erectile dysfunction and a younger man who admires him. The romance didn’t really get anywhere here as the older man doesn’t know he’s gay.

I also had a review copy for an unofficial BTS biopic that was so bad I had to stop reading, so I won’t mention the maker. And I read a manhwa that I wish I’d stopped reading: Lady Devil, Vol. 1 by Choco FUKI. It’s an unapologetic romance based on incest between twins, on top of which the story is really stupid, boring and badly written. I don’t recommend it.

Luckily, I had a couple of manga that I read for myself and really loved. My favourite feel-good manga, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity by Saka Mikami, has reached sixth volume. Here, Rintaro and Kaoruko, the two sweetest protagonists, finally start dating. And I read Tanaka-kun Is Always Listless vol 1 by Nozomi Uda. It’s a fun slice of life high school comedy about a boy who has absolutely no energy and dedicates his life for finding ways to avoid everything. I’m reading it on MangaUp! and there are no English versions published yet. I’ve caught up with the story there, so I’ve probably read at least half of the 13 volumes out in Japanese so far, but I’ll only list the first one here.

I’ve caught up with The Apothecary Diaries on MagnaUp! too and will add vol 14 soon, as I didn’t have time to add it in April. I’ve read other manga there this month as well that don’t have published versions in any language yet, like the fun high school romance Otaku x Gal by 138neco and Souchu. I’ll list those if they ever get Goodreads entries.

So, a fun reading month again, despite the couple of misses. Stay tuned for more.

What I read in February

February turned out to be a good reading month, despite being short, brought about by a week-long vacation that I mostly spent reading. I read eight books and twelve mangas, and liked almost everything. Links are to my reviews on this blog or Goodreads.

My favourite book turned out to be The Orbof Caraido by Katherine Addison, a novella set in her Goblin Emperor world. It was a surprise addition to my reading list, as I hadn’t known it existed. I read it the moment I found it, and now I’m eagerly waiting for her The Tomb of Dragons which comes out later this month.

I read books 2 and 3 in Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde alt-history fantasy trilogy, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. I’d postponed reading the second book, but then I got an ARC of the last book and had to read them back-to-back. It was a good decision, in hindsight, as the last book continues where the previous one left. Both were fun and good.

Other review copy reads included Juliette Cross’s A Rebel Without Claws, which started a spin-off series in her earlier world. I didn’t like it as much as the earlier series, but it was fine. I also read The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton, a fun sci-fi romp that turned out to be one of my favourite reads last month. The reading month ended with a review copy of The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor, a YA fantasy that had potential for more, but a fine enough read.

My Chinese danmei enthusiasm was rewarded with two books, both of which came out last month. Peerless vol. 3 by Meng Xi Shi was a great addition to an interesting series about two secret service bosses in ancient China. Intrigue and heartbreak aplenty. And in Case File Compendium vol. 4 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou the complicated story of two men who hate each other for various reasons saw one of them have a change of heart. Maybe it’ll turn out to be a romance after all.

I read five review copies of mangas, but none of them stood out. There was Love on the Horizon 1 by Machi Yamashita, a cute but small gay romance; Palace of the Omega, Vol. 1 by Fumi Tsuyuhisa that I really didn’t like all that much, mostly because the love interest was a child; Fall In Love, You False Angels 1 by Coco Uzuki was a silly and a bit weak high school romance; My Stepmom's Daughter is my Ex, vol. 1 by Kyosuke Kamishiro and Rei Kusakabe was also a high school romance, but surprisingly bitter; and lastly one more high school romance, A Star Brighter than the Sun, Vol. 1 by Kazune Kawahara, which was cute but really slow.

I had better luck with mangas that I chose for myself. There was vol. 2 of I Ship My Rival x Me by Pepa, a fun, sweet, and cute series of two Chinese idols working on a same movie. I’ve read the entire series online already, but the official second volume came out last month so I re-read it. It was still perfect.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity vol 5 by Saka Mikami continues to be my feel-good high school romance manga, sweet and uncomplicated. I found a new feel-good manga too, A Man and His Cat vol 1 by Umi Sakurai of a man who gets himself a cat after his wife dies, giving a home for a cat no one else has wanted. Funniest high school manga was The Otaku Love Connection 01 by Chu Amairo of a boy who ships his class-mates’ romance.

On action front, I finished two volumes of Solo Leveling by Chugong & Dubu, vols. 9 and 10. I’ve read this online too, on Tappytoons, but I review it volume at a time. The series keeps getting better. In addition, I’ve been reading Omniscient Reader manhwa by SingNSong and Sleepy-C, but I’ll have to wait forever for official publications to catch up before I can review it. I also read Black Butler 1 by Yana Toboso, but for once I encountered a manga that I couldn’t get into at all. My other webtoons have almost all gone to hiatus, so there’s nothing to report there, except Jinx by Mingwa BL manga is getting on gear after a slow start for season 2.

Excellent reading month, if I say so myself, with all kinds of fun books and comics. March is packed full already too. I hope I have time to read it all.