2008-05-22

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 10:08 am

Maybe I'm Your Steppin' Stone by Shiuko Kano

Sequel to "I'm not your steppin stone", it is setting in the same world of construction workers (I wonder if that particular trousers they wear it's the standard "uniform" for construction workers...).

Three story, the first two deeply linked and instead the third is a story of its own.

First: Kousei is a 27 yd old divorced father. He only has the chance to meet his son early on the morning, when he brings him at school, and late in the afternoon, when he takes the boy from school to home to his mother. On the way he always stops to a deli where he buys a single pre-cooked meal and Kenji, the store clerk, fancies this single dad and his cute son. More when Kenji discovers that his nephew goes to the same school of Kousei's son. And when Kenji has a light accident and Kousei brings him home, Kenji takes advantage of the chance to be alone with Kousei. It starts a funny relationship where the stocky and muscular Kousei treats Kenji almost like a girlfriend.

Second: Kousei asks Nakano to work with him to his new found construction firm. With Nakano and Kousei works Yasu, a reclusive and brooding guy, whispers say ex con and gay: Yasu is a childhood friend of Kousei and so Kousei is a bit protective of the guy and also seems to comprehend his problems. When Nakano finds that Yasu harbors romantic feelings for Kousei, and both of them think that Kousei will not be interested in a gay relationship, Nakano blackmails Yasu in a strange relationship, ones where, if they aren't having sex, they continuously argue and fight.

Yasu's character is my favourite in all the novel, even if I have some perplexity on what it was his past and his reasons. I think to have understood, but it's not clearly explained. In spite of this, for me it's the story worthy to buy the graphic novel.

Third: A high school boy is sexual harassed by a female teacher, and when one of his schoolmate sees them, he doesn't understand that the boy is forced to do it. So also him blackmails the boy, but when he understands that the boy is more innocent of what expected, he takes his defense in front of the teacher.

Interesting story but really too short to fully comprehend and enjoy all the plot.

http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Your-Steppin-Stone-Yaoi/dp/1934129135/

Waiting Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=waiting+reading+list&view=elisa.rolle
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 10:08 am

Maybe I'm Your Steppin' Stone by Shiuko Kano

Sequel to "I'm not your steppin stone", it is setting in the same world of construction workers (I wonder if that particular trousers they wear it's the standard "uniform" for construction workers...).

Three story, the first two deeply linked and instead the third is a story of its own.

First: Kousei is a 27 yd old divorced father. He only has the chance to meet his son early on the morning, when he brings him at school, and late in the afternoon, when he takes the boy from school to home to his mother. On the way he always stops to a deli where he buys a single pre-cooked meal and Kenji, the store clerk, fancies this single dad and his cute son. More when Kenji discovers that his nephew goes to the same school of Kousei's son. And when Kenji has a light accident and Kousei brings him home, Kenji takes advantage of the chance to be alone with Kousei. It starts a funny relationship where the stocky and muscular Kousei treats Kenji almost like a girlfriend.

Second: Kousei asks Nakano to work with him to his new found construction firm. With Nakano and Kousei works Yasu, a reclusive and brooding guy, whispers say ex con and gay: Yasu is a childhood friend of Kousei and so Kousei is a bit protective of the guy and also seems to comprehend his problems. When Nakano finds that Yasu harbors romantic feelings for Kousei, and both of them think that Kousei will not be interested in a gay relationship, Nakano blackmails Yasu in a strange relationship, ones where, if they aren't having sex, they continuously argue and fight.

Yasu's character is my favourite in all the novel, even if I have some perplexity on what it was his past and his reasons. I think to have understood, but it's not clearly explained. In spite of this, for me it's the story worthy to buy the graphic novel.

Third: A high school boy is sexual harassed by a female teacher, and when one of his schoolmate sees them, he doesn't understand that the boy is forced to do it. So also him blackmails the boy, but when he understands that the boy is more innocent of what expected, he takes his defense in front of the teacher.

Interesting story but really too short to fully comprehend and enjoy all the plot.

http://www.amazon.com/Maybe-Your-Steppin-Stone-Yaoi/dp/1934129135/

Waiting Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=waiting+reading+list&view=elisa.rolle
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 03:06 pm

The Look of Love

What happened between this


Cover Art by Gerald Gregg

and this:


Cover Art by Robert McGinnis

My post Look of Love (inspired by the wonderful book of Jennifer McKnight-Trontz) shows you how romance covers are changed the from the '20 to the end of the twenty century. Wonderful covers (and many of them so you are warned the post is heavy!) by the biggest names of Graphic Design like Geralg Gregg, Barye Phillips, Bob Stanley, Robert Maguire, Lou Marchetti, Robert McGinnis and many others. Enjoy!

http://rosaromance.splinder.com/post/17201638/

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 03:06 pm

The Look of Love

What happened between this


Cover Art by Gerald Gregg

and this:


Cover Art by Robert McGinnis

My post Look of Love (inspired by the wonderful book of Jennifer McKnight-Trontz) shows you how romance covers are changed the from the '20 to the end of the twenty century. Wonderful covers (and many of them so you are warned the post is heavy!) by the biggest names of Graphic Design like Geralg Gregg, Barye Phillips, Bob Stanley, Robert Maguire, Lou Marchetti, Robert McGinnis and many others. Enjoy!

http://rosaromance.splinder.com/post/17201638/

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 09:51 pm

New kid on the... blog

I'm not a kid fan, kids call me Erode, but this night I'm waiting for a new kid on the block, my brother's daughter, Giulia, is on her way to this world. She is in hurry, she is only 35 weeks out of the normal 40, and so they are monitoring her mother in hospital, at least for another day. Finger crossed and maybe tomorrow I will be "aunt" Erode!

Elisa

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 09:51 pm

New kid on the... blog

I'm not a kid fan, kids call me Erode, but this night I'm waiting for a new kid on the block, my brother's daughter, Giulia, is on her way to this world. She is in hurry, she is only 35 weeks out of the normal 40, and so they are monitoring her mother in hospital, at least for another day. Finger crossed and maybe tomorrow I will be "aunt" Erode!

Elisa

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 11:50 pm

The Sweet Flag by Jeanne Barrack

Jeanne Barrack first attempt to M/M romance has a nostalgic taste. It's a mix of contemporary-historical-paranormal.

Brandon is a journalist specialized in paranormal activity. Since he is gay, he is also very interested in a legend, The Vigilant Soldier. Every twenty years a soldier, Aaron, appears to vigil over the grave of a fellow soldier, Matthew, died during the Civil War. From small pieces of news, Brandon believes that the two men were lovers, and he wants to discover the truth about this apparent "ghost". To gain information, Brandon has no problem to use his "body" as bargain, actually Brandon is a very sexually easy man.

The night in which the ghost should appear, he was rescue by a sudden storm from a stranger man. Ron claims to be the guardian of Matthew's grave and when he takes Brandon to his home, Brandon finds that Ron lives like an hermit in a beautiful home that seems to be out from the nineteen century. Ron seems to know many things about the two lovers, Aaron and Matthew, and he makes a bargain with Brandon: in exchange of a week of Brandon's life as his lover, Ron will reveal all the truth about Aaron and Matthew. But more the time passes and more Brandon seems to be enthralled no more by the old lovers, but by his new lover Ron.

The book is written if first point of view and follows Brandon's thoughts. Like Brandon, also Ron seems to be a very "easy" man regarding sex, and so their relationship is from the start down and dirty. Ron has not a simple behavior, he sometime acts like a domineering man, and wants to be the Alpha of the moment, and soon after he seems to need the strenght and the reassurance of Brandon. Brandon instead is simpler, he has his scope in mind and he will do anything to reach it.

The story is not very long, little more than 100 pages, but it flows smoothly and enjoyable. Maybe a bit of an hurry in the last part, after spending so many time to entertain us with Aaron and Matthew's story, I'd like to know a little more on Ron and Brandon's ones. But one of the strenght of the book is also to have perfectly mixed present and past, making enjoyable both stories.

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=712

Amazon Kindle: The Sweet Flag
Publisher: Loose Id LLC (May 20, 2008)

Reading List: http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading+list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Marci Gass
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
2008-05-22 11:50 pm

The Sweet Flag by Jeanne Barrack

Jeanne Barrack first attempt to M/M romance has a nostalgic taste. It's a mix of contemporary-historical-paranormal.

Brandon is a journalist specialized in paranormal activity. Since he is gay, he is also very interested in a legend, The Vigilant Soldier. Every twenty years a soldier, Aaron, appears to vigil over the grave of a fellow soldier, Matthew, died during the Civil War. From small pieces of news, Brandon believes that the two men were lovers, and he wants to discover the truth about this apparent "ghost". To gain information, Brandon has no problem to use his "body" as bargain, actually Brandon is a very sexually easy man.

The night in which the ghost should appear, he was rescue by a sudden storm from a stranger man. Ron claims to be the guardian of Matthew's grave and when he takes Brandon to his home, Brandon finds that Ron lives like an hermit in a beautiful home that seems to be out from the nineteen century. Ron seems to know many things about the two lovers, Aaron and Matthew, and he makes a bargain with Brandon: in exchange of a week of Brandon's life as his lover, Ron will reveal all the truth about Aaron and Matthew. But more the time passes and more Brandon seems to be enthralled no more by the old lovers, but by his new lover Ron.

The book is written if first point of view and follows Brandon's thoughts. Like Brandon, also Ron seems to be a very "easy" man regarding sex, and so their relationship is from the start down and dirty. Ron has not a simple behavior, he sometime acts like a domineering man, and wants to be the Alpha of the moment, and soon after he seems to need the strenght and the reassurance of Brandon. Brandon instead is simpler, he has his scope in mind and he will do anything to reach it.

The story is not very long, little more than 100 pages, but it flows smoothly and enjoyable. Maybe a bit of an hurry in the last part, after spending so many time to entertain us with Aaron and Matthew's story, I'd like to know a little more on Ron and Brandon's ones. But one of the strenght of the book is also to have perfectly mixed present and past, making enjoyable both stories.

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=712

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading+list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Marci Gass