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W_L

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Everything posted by W_L

  1. Yep, the couple is cute and pure, love the concept and daydream sequences; though I think Adachi would have picked up on a few more erotic gay daydreams than what is shown in the Manga or TV show (just saying a few x-rated day dreams may come up if you're near your crush ).
  2. Are there any gay Manga/Anime followers around GA readership? Just wondering, I have had a passion for Manga and Anime, since I was much younger, but my declining vision had forced me to conserve my vision. After my Cornea transplant at the end of last year, I have begun to catch up on a decade of Manga and Anime that I've missed out on. My last gay Manga was Junjo Romantica and Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi series, so I know I have a lot of catching up to do. Wondering if there's fans here who want to point at some new stuff. Right now, I am binging on Cherry Magic, love Adachi and Kurosawa relationship. Any other suggestions?
  3. Also the name of a Star Trek Voyager episode and a Greek myth involving Jason of the Argo. In the episode, Voyager stumbles on a subspace corridor network that traverses the entire Delta Quadrant, maybe another faster way home. However, they offend the current overseers of this transit system, and are forced to land on an unassuming planet. There they find cryogenic frozen soldiers of the former alien civilization that had overseen the transit system, who laid claim to a vast galactic empire and may once seek to do it again as they spring back up. In the myth, when the teeth of these dragons are planted, then warriors would grow up from the ground. It became Jason's test to sow these teeth without dying to gain the Golden Fleece, Medea (Jason's lover and daughter of King Aeetes, who possessed the Golden Fleece) advised him to throw a stone in-between the planted teeth, thus ensuring the dragon warriors would be divided and fight each other.
  4. W_L

    Chapter 14

    Thanks for the points. I will try to improve upon it in the sequel, where Chip is one of the protagonists. He's already been though enough and the next book will hopefully be lighter. I gave each character in this story an unique real-world equivalence: Min, Paki, and Warren each were characters ripped from the headlines of news stories over the years, so their backgrounds are almost like episodes of Law and Order SVU, sometimes there's no good options and the real world is messy, where perfect answers don't exist for every issue. In terms of reasoning for the characters arcs: I am channeling fairy tale concepts without fantasy, modern social issues around the world, and 19th century realist authors Hugo and Dickens. These are essentially ideas and facts within our world. For example, stuff like modernization and reformation of the transportation industry that I detailed in the story as a subplot had not taken place yet in September and October 2021, nor did the trucker boycotts and protests we're seeing today in February 2022. I was thinking forward in a realist perspective for the short term on how something like that could be resolved, essentially ending a little known and little cared about oligopoly that has hindered society.
  5. W_L

    Chapter 14

    Thanks for following this far, no hard feelings. I wanted to remove the fantasy elements of the original fairy tale, so when it comes down to it, some aspects of the character movements has to stretch believably threshold in order for a plot to work. Wondering though what content is too far out for credible reading? One thing I was really happy exploring was the Library, which is based off an actual library I volunteered at. You'll be surprised at what is kept in University libraries or how disorganized certain areas are, especially when it comes to odd items. Many people assume libraries are well kept, but quite honestly, libraries are not the highest funded priorities in an University setting and certain areas really are what would be like your home "garage" filled with outdated materials.
  6. I'm satisfied with Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli Here's to Us, the sequel to their book What if It's Us. There's something satisfying to know Ben and Arthur have a proper send-off. Neither of them cheat on their current lovers, but I honestly would not have blamed them if they did. They dealt with adult relationship issues and handled things pretty well with all things considered. I'll write a full review of this book at some point. I also finished If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzalez, a book about the love affair between two members of a boy band, which is interesting. -------- Currently reading: Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick, will it be as good as Red, White, and Royal Blue?
  7. Yeah, if it makes you feel better, I was torn whether or not to publish this review as it's such a loaded book with a lot of loaded topics. It's worth reading and worth the time commitment, but it's a very ugly portrait of the United States and Western Civilization. Robert Jones Jr.'s detractor will cite his bias as a reason to avoid this book, but even with the bias, there's a lot of telling truths about humanity and society worth reading from his story. These people aren't cartoon heroes and villains or stereotypical racists as some may imagine based on the subject matter, there's a cruelty built on self-delusion and perceptions that Robert Jones nailed perfectly in this book. No one is out to be evil or to act with malice, which is tragic. I read a lot of fluffy gay romances, but there are times when my interest in gay literature ventures further out to places that I did not foresee, this book happened to be one of them. This was the longest book review I have written since University.
  8. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52576333-the-prophets I intended to read this book early in January, then publish the review on Martin Luther King Day as a tribute piece for black history month in the US. What I found while reading it and re-reading it has made me ponder restlessly whether I should offer an opinion at all on this novel. My words cannot do this historical fiction novel justice, nor will they offer scorn as its detractors would desire. It’s worth noting that LGBT literat
  9. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55200663-the-darkness-outside-us Happy Science Fiction Day, which falls on January 2nd. In celebration of the genre that got me into reading and writing, I spent time reading a mainstream gay science fiction book during my recovery from surgery. Published in June 2021, it had reviews comparing it to Adam Silvera’s masterful gay story, They Both Die in The End, I had to investigate this book. Personally, the book reminded me more of Arthur C. Clarke’s bril
  10. I agree it's a very good book for its characters, they feel real despite the romantic tropes. I think I'll save Cronin's Key, since it's a Vampire romance, for Halloween/October. I like NR, but she's better at modern romance than urban fantasy, in my opinion.
  11. Thanks, it was a very interesting book. I wish more people will explore it and can find enjoyment from it just we did.
  12. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31997446-the-weight-of-it-all So, for the new year, I am going to read a gay romance book about losing weight! Seriously, I can’t imagine a more fitting book for early January as many people are getting over the holiday weight gain and indulgent happily-ever-after Christmas literature. N.R. Walker is not a new author in my reading lists, I’ve read a few of her books in the past such as Galaxies and Oceans, which I reviewed, and Cronin Key, which I have n
  13. Happy belated Sci-Fi Day! I hope other folks enjoyed this book as much as I did.
  14. As a fellow gay nerd, I am glad I hit those buttons. As to your question: Ryle and a bit from the Manga/Anime "Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow I can imagine an EV stations offering, "Lubrication service for your android" Glad you picked up on the nerdy stuff, too.
  15. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46019064-the-understatement-of-the-year I’ve been pretty hard on Sarina Bowen, but she is much better as a sports romance fiction author than she has been in other genres. The HIM series, published in August 2015, was her opus with Elle Kennedy and cemented her among the best of the gay romance authors of the 2010s. However, even before HIM, we can see elements of her great storytelling involving hockey players as far back as September 2014 with this stor
  16. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56152409 Sarina Bowen’s entry into Vino et Veritas universe as a side story was interesting. I know not everyone will enjoy certain aspects of the main character Kieran Shipley or the story’s meandering plot in Vermont. Personally, I actually enjoyed parts of the story, I thought some of the characters were very New England-like. New Englanders from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are generally decent people
  17. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57481725 Football and politics make a very interesting statement in this story, where modern relationships, perceptions, and ideals clash with traditions. Riley Hart is an author, I believe is at her best, when she is invested in her characters. It’s a trait of authors I enjoy, because while plots of many stories may be reused by other authors, how characters react and actually exist in a story and, in this case, due to successful reception of this fir
  18. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17861678 Contemporary gay fiction stories, especially romance stories, exist in all facets and locations. B.G. Thomas is not a wildly known gay male author from the American Heartland of Missouri, but I feel a need to showcase interesting stories and warm concept stories. Most of the gay fiction stories that I have read with US-based setting occur in well-known urban centers, so a story centered in Kansas City, Missouri drew my attention for its unique
  19. W_L

    Chapter 14

    Indeed
  20. W_L

    Chapter 9

    Brad can be a nice guy, under the right circumstances. He just needed to find the right boy, who he can empathically connect with
  21. W_L

    Chapter 8

    Great love and romance requires an intense emotional response.
  22. W_L

    Chapter 7

    Very true, I think Gary's intimidation factor is very menacing, controlling so many aspects to get his way.
  23. W_L

    Epilogue

    Thanks, Chris, you are my most steadfast fan I know some of you guys like the story a lot and I do want to keep it going for that alone, but I don't know if the desire for a sequel is that strong among most readers. I have surgery next week and about a month of recovery time. I hope by New Year, the story might hit the halfway point of readers asking for a sequel based on likes and recommendations. I can only hope people want to know what happens to Chip.
  24. W_L

    Epilogue

    Gary and his sister, Melinda (Mel) Sikes, are both loose threads I'd continue in a sequel if I write one. (8 likes and 7 recommendations so far for this story, thanks guys. I know there are around 49 readers, so I'll see if the counts could exceed the halfway mark in either category) Gary is a sadistic sociopath, who gains enjoyment with others' torture. He's intelligent and makes grand plans, but if we see him again, I do agree he will be scarred by Mrs. Potter wound. However, he'd likely seek revenge on Chip in every possible manner he could. His sister Mel, what you as the reader know of her so far is that she is dangerous. I've hinted at her hand in manipulating the trials of her brother and Mrs. Potter, possibly creating the environmental factors or introduced the carrier of the disease that killed Mrs. Potter, and absolutely was involved in shipping Chip off with his Paternal aunt, who happens to be one of her employees. Where Gary is grand and seemingly bigger than life in his schemes and desires, Mel is the ground level girl whose plots and intrigues are far more nuanced and cannot be seen until the results. Female villains in gay fiction need a refresh, I do have a direction for her, inspired by her novel counterpart. Thanks for following this story to this point, if it is the end, then I am grateful you joined me for it.
  25. W_L

    Prologue

    Thanks
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