Book Review: (he)art

I read this book when I needed it. I was in a dark place, a dangerous, unstable state of mind, but I was able to get lost in these pages, savor each line, and feel I got the words to describe many things. I felt seen, understood, and at peace. If it sounds more like a praise, it's because (he)art, by Zane Frederick, deserves it.

• Print Length: 150 pages.
• Publisher: Self-Published (January 28, 2018).
• Publication Date: January 28, 2018.
• Topics: Homosexuality, Romance, Depression, Mental Health.
• Rating: 5 / 5 stars.

Coated in petty heartache, (he)art. is a reflection on the what ifs, the almosts, and every blown dandelion wish. This work confesses the words never said; the naiveté of a first love, the echoing absence of what could have been, and the awareness of self-significance. Written from a LGBTQ perspective, this collection is pertinent for any member to confide in. It also explores the self-discovery in sexuality and the bravery of coming out, even in fear. Divided into three separate parts, each chapter displaying how the heart acts during different emotional moments in life. This book is best read in a bookstore, cafe, or in the comfort of your home.

This is a book that doesn't hold back. There's a simplicity in how Frederick writes that isn't always seen, so organic and natural that it feels as if he's there talking with you, baring his heart and soul open without fear of judgement. However, it's impossible to judge or give him any hatred because of the beauty in all of his lines.

There are different stiles in his book, but for me the best poems were the short ones. In just a few lines, I got the words to describe what I was feeling in that moment. I saw myself in all of the pages, going deeper and deeper into myself as I also got to understand the author in an intimate way. Ironically, it never felt as if he shared too much, but just the right amount of honesty.

I do feel that there were some ups and downs in some poems. Being a debut, some of the lines weren't as polished as I think they could have been. While in some cases that rawness to them served the purpose, sometimes it broke the fluency of the reading. I think that would be my only complain.

In general, this is a book to savor, to feel, with ink that goes inside your veins to make your heart beat one more time after being comatose for so long. For me, it was a healing experience, similar to daydreaming and remembering what once was and what could never be. As a queer man, I could relate to it all, but I would expect a straight person to also react to this book.

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Manga: UNDEAD Series

Would it be weird if I say that I've wanted to read a zombie love story? Because I've been wanting that kind of story, with blood, guts, and love. Enter UNDEAD: Finding Love in the Zombie Apocalypse, by Fumi Tsuyuhisa. Not only it's what I wanted, but also very entertaining! Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Mangaka: Fumi Tsuyuhisa.
• Publication: 2023
• Publisher: TokyoPop.
• Print Length: 2 volumes.
• Genres: Drama, Gay, Horror, Romance, Yaoi.
• 4 / 5 stars.
• Synopsis of the first volume:

Which will you find in this devastated world — love or despair?

Nineteen-year-old Hikaru Asahina lost everything the day the world ended. Everything, that is, except his childhood friend Ai Kosaka, who has always taken care of him. Now the two of them, along with other survivors, struggle to stay alive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with man-eating zombies.

And when Ai confesses to feeling something more for Hikaru, it changes everything. After all, the more precious someone is to you, the harder it is to lose them. In a world like theirs, is something like love even possible?

Although the story is not the most original one, there are several tropes of the Z genre that the creator knew how to use in favor of the world-building, which is still simple, not too elaborate, but attractive. The characters, while also following a traditional structure in the yaoi genre, are more than what meets the surface.

What I liked the most about this series is the script. The story evolves in no time, showing the characters in different, complicated situations, taking them out of their comfort zone so they can grow as someone would do in that scenario (or so I think). There's a lot of emotion, inner turmoil, and conflicting feelings, that make the reading even better, faster, and immersive.

I would say that the second was a bit problematic for me, mostly due to a very specific rape scene that made me feel uneasy. I feel it could have been better worked, not so graphic, or at least with more realistic consequences. It was just another element in a love story that didn't impact it in a real way besides the shock value.

However, it's easy to enjoy. Times passed me by as I devoured page after page. The art is great as well, not as delicate as I usually enjoy, but because the story needs it to be so, so it's fitting, very well-done. I would recommend it to those who want a different love story, enjoy elements of horror, and, of course, like a dose those of good ol' zombies.

Kinky regards, K!

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Manga: Bergamot & Sunny Day

There's a manga that you guys need to read as soon as possible. It's one that I didn't expect to like THIS  much, and it's because of many things, many factors, and many pages that made me smile over and over and over again. Yes, I'm hyped. And yes, it deserves it! I'm just gonna say that we need more stories like Bergamot & Sunny Day, by Lyee Kitahala. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!

• Print Length: 210 pages.
• Publisher: TOKYOPOP (March 28, 2022)
• Expected Publication Date: March 28, 2022.
• Genres: Romance, Drama, Gay.
• Rating: 5 / 5 stars.

Café worker Riku has just been dumped... again. Despite always giving relationships his all, Riku can't seem to ever make it past the three-month milestone in any relationship. And then there's Josh, the handsome, wealthy owner of the café who seems to have it all together. When Riku wakes up in Josh's bed after what he can only assume is a consolation rebound, Josh shockingly suggests continuing a no-strings-attached fling. 

Fooling around with a rich man... will they drink champagne in a jacuzzi? Riku has no idea, but he's not going to turn it down!

This therapeutic BL features the ideal man who will pamper and spoil his love!

Where do I begin? This manga was everything! It's wholesome as you can't imagine, so sweet and beautiful with two well-done characters that get into your heart in no time. I liked how things developed, so simply and naturally, Riku's and Josh's feelings for each other developed into something solid and realistic. It was great!

I can't complain about the art, either. It is so clean, smooth, and versatile that it's impossible not to enjoy it and get lost staring at some of the panels. The script was already solid and worked on its own, but the art took it to a different level to make it more atmospheric and immersive. It was an experience, in short.

Now, my favorite part of it was how they addressed the age gap between both characters. There were some conversations and some scenes, obviously, but there wasn't any major, memorable difference regarding, which was a key element for me. There's such a huge sexualization and fetishism about these kind of relationships that I loved how this one was portrayed.

Basically, do yourselves a favor and read this thing. It's sweet, it's cute, it's wholesome, and will keep you smiling from beginning to end. Contrary to my usual complaints, this manga works amazingly good as a strand-alone, it's part of its charm that it's a single volume, and I think anything remotely different would have been unnecessary. Just... #ChefKiss

Kinky regards, K!

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Book Review: Boyslut

This year has tried to kill me over and over again. And I've survived with one book at a time. I've been curious about this one for a long time, and I've wanted to prioritize books with bisexual representation for just as long. Boyslut, by Zachary Zane, has one hell of a journey with several topics, different experiences, and a lot of healing. A must-read for bi+ readers!

• 
  Print Length: 240 pages.
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (May 9, 2023)
• Expected Publication Date: May 9, 2023.
• Topics: Sexuality, Bisexuality, Mental Health, Polyamory.
• Rating: 4 / 5 stars.

“Zachary Zane is one of the best sex writers working today.” —Dan Savage, New York Times bestselling author

Named a Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book of the Year by Buzzfeed

A sex and relationship columnist bares it all in a series of essays—part memoir, part manifesto—that explore the author’s coming-of-age and coming out as a bisexual man and move toward embracing and celebrating sex unencumbered by shame.

As a boy, Zachary Zane sensed that all was not right when images of his therapist naked popped into his head. Without an explanation as to why, a deep sense of shame pervaded these thoughts. Though his therapist assured him a little imagination was nothing to be ashamed of, over the years, society told him otherwise.

Boyslut is a series of personal and tantalizing essays that articulate how our society still shames people for the sex that they have and the sexualities that they inhabit. Through the lens of his bisexuality and much self-described sluttiness, Zane breaks down exactly how this sexual shame negatively impacts the sex and relationships in our lives, and through personal experience, shares how we can unlearn the harmful, entrenched messages that society imparts to us.

From stories of drug-fueled threesomes and risqué Grindr hookups to insights on dealing with rejection and living with his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s wife, Boyslut is reassuring and often painfully funny—but is most potently a testimony that we can all learn to live healthier lives unburdened by stigma.

This book was a big surprise for me. I admit that I was a bit biased and didn't expect it to be so educational. Of course there was going to be a lot of sex, steamy details, kinks, first-time experiences, and so on. I expected all those emotions, the trauma, the identity issues... But didn't think I'd consider this a good resource for others to learn about bisexuality.

Although Zachary doesn't hold back while telling his experiences and ideas, he never, not even once, pushes them into the reader. He's always careful about this, making the observation that the reader doesn't have to think or behave or like the same things as he does, but that he shares in order to help others see what he learned from each experience.

I also admit all the sexual content started to have the opposite effect on me. I wanted to know more about the author's feelings, thoughts, his experiences outside of the bed, and while it is true that one of his points is to combat sexual shame, I personally would have preferred the sex to be a bit secondary in one or two chapters because I lost a bit of interest at some point.

All in all, however, it was a great reading that speaks openly about the struggles surrounding bisexuality, mental health issues, misconceptions, and the process of coming into terms with who you are and who you want to be (with). I can say that it was healing, powerful, and entertaining. I laughed several times at the authors comments, but also found the words for things I couldn't explain. Just wonderful.

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