Book Review: Dream Boy

I have previously mentioned that I am not an avid reader. However, recently I have been enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee. I have actually read more books already this month than I had last year in its entirety. I currently have a stack of books on my bedroom floor about a mile high. I wanted to read a light and easy love story; so I decided Dream Boy would be my next read as I assumed it was more of a contemporary romance. It is not. I promise. This book is definitely not a contemporary story and it will definitely break your heart. 

Grimsley created characters that are so difficult to dislike. While reading, I just wanted to hold Nathan close and tell him everything would be okay. Most of the time Roy was likable too, and it seemed like he really did care for Nathan. The story follows a 15 year old Nathan as he moves to a new town. He meets his neighbor, Roy, and an intimate relationship blooms. The boys are drawn to each other for some unannounced reason. Yet problems arise when Roy finds Nathan living in the woods. Hes on the run from his father. It is clearly hinted that Nathans father has raped and molested him in the past. This story is a very special one. Nathan struggles realizing he is homosexual, realizing that he enjoys the intimacy with Roy. Sex was scary and painful with his father, yet it is completely different with Roy, thus causing Nathans inner struggle. Nathans struggle is less obvious than Roy's. Living in a small Christian town, with the perfect girlfriend, Roy is crushed under the weight of his affections for Nathan. 

The first half of this novel was beautiful. It was a gorgeous and important story to tell. I felt so warm and fuzzy reading the growing feelings between these two boys. Then the story changes and it is all of a sudden a ghost story. A confusing one at that. This sub plot seemed very out of place and unnecessary. I don't believe any of it helped to develop the story. This leads us to the end, the sad sad sad ending. (SPOILERS) Nathan is brutally raped and murdered by a friend of Roy. He was seemingly jealous of the relationship between Nathan and Roy. So he does what any jealous person does, he rapes Nathan and beats his head in until his skull cracks open, naturally. This was a necessary part of the story to show homophobia, however did sweet Nathan need to die? Really? The ending is actually very ambiguous and its not entirely clear whether Nathan is dead or not. I didn't really like this. Obviously I want to believe he is alive and Nathan and Roy will spend the rest of their lives together. The movie interpretation makes it cannon that Nathan is a ghost. Which isn't how I wanted this book to end. So, I'll choose to believe otherwise. 

Read the first half of this book, you will love it. Read the second half too if you want to be confused and heartbroken. In all honestly, this book has a really interesting message on the effect of child molestation on future intimacy and romance while also dealing with homophobia and self acceptance. 

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts ??

Indiana Grace

Snail Mail 101: A Guide to Pen-Pals!

Snail mail and pen-pals seem to be a lost art in our digital age. However, sending letter is a great way to get creative and make new friends from across the country or even across the world. Through pen-paling, you can learn so many new things about new people and places! So, how do you start?

HOW TO FIND A PEN-PAL:

There are a few ways to find a pen-pal over the internet. My go-to has been findteenpenpals.com for a number of reasons. This site categorizes eligable pen-pals by age, country, or interests. This is the easiest way to find a pen-pal in my opinion. You can submit an "ad" for yourself, including your name, age, interests, your perfect pen-pal, and a photo of yourself. People who are interested in the same things can send you a message or you can scroll though others "ads" to find someone you might like to exchange letters with. I have found many pen-pals through this website, one of which I have been exchanging with for two years! 

Another way to find  a pen-pal is through Twitter or Instagram. Through a hashtag like #penpalswanted you can find a few people looking for someone to exchange with. There is a large community of k-pop fans on both of these apps who exchange snail mail. I have a new pen-pal who I love receiving letters from because we have different bias groups! It's fun to have a pen-pal with different interests, because It is a chance to learn about something new; I teach my pen-pal about VIXX and Day 6, and she tells me all about BTS.

If you don't trust finding a pen-pal online, there is a chance your school has a language club who may do a pen-pal project (or start a club and a pen-pal project!!). My college has a Japanese club that is planning on exchanging letters with our sister school in Japan. This is a really great opportunity for someone who likes traveling or learning about new places and cultures!

SUPPLIES YOU'LL NEED:

You can make your letter extremely simple or super extravagant. Your basic supplies include a pen, a paper, and an envelope. Your pen-pal shouldn't expect an overly exciting letter full of colorful tape and shiny stickers. You can write the most mundane letter in the world and it will still be fun to receive. However, a bright, enthusiastic letter is always amazing to open. To create a fun letter you might want to use the following:

• Memo pads
• Washi tape
• Stickers
• Doilies
• Cute letter sets
• Scrapbook paper

WHAT TO INCLUDE:

The obvious thing to include is a letter. This letter could say anything, but a good place to start is an introduction. Tell them where your from and what it's like there, what you like to do for fun, what your favorite things are, about your family or pets. As you continue to exchange letters, you can tell them about your day almost like a diary entry, about new shows you have watched, or movies you've seen recently, you can tell the anything you see fit! 

In addition to a letter, you can include a sheet of questions. These can be basic questions like "coffee or tea?" or they can be serious questions like "what is the meaning of you life?" just make sure you don't forget to answer their questions! Playlists are always a great idea for a pen-pal letter. Include 5 or so of your favorite songs at the moment, or make up a themed list like "rainy day tunes" that you think your pen-pal will enjoy. If music isn't your common interest, you can make a list of any recommendations: books, movies, restaurants, etc. 

My favorite part of a snail-mail letter are the little extras you can include. These are just little things your pen-pal might like. These are definitely not necessary but it makes everything a lot more fun:

• Stickers
• Washi tape samples
• Memo pads
• Polaroids or photocards
• Stationary
• Tea
• Face masks
• Key chains or jewelry 
• Artwork

You can buy a lot of these cute extras for super cheap. Try Aliexpress, Wish, or Ebay if you're shopping online, or try the dollar store, Target, or michaels (with coupons!) if you actually want to go shopping in person. 

HAVE FUN!

Sending letters is really a lot of fun. Try picking a theme for your letter, like Harry Potter or a color theme like all yellow. Remember that handmaid is always more heartfelt! And most importantly enjoy yourself! 

I hope you can find your perfect pen-pal match! 

Indiana Grace

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Book Review: Call Me By Your Name

“I suddenly realized that we were on borrowed time, that time is always borrowed, and that the lending agency exacts its premium precisely when we are least prepared to pay and need to borrow more...”

André  Aciman does his absolute best to piece together this gorgeous tale of first love and the reality of time in his novel, Call Me By Your Name.

I am not an avid reader. I work at a library yet I have continuously reread the same book for years. I hear praises for the worlds current great authors, yet none of them spark me. When I picked up this book it was only because I had heard great things about the film. I never expected to be found in a whirlwind of emotions and feelings I'd never felt. This book stirs such dreadful excitement towards love and a depressing empathy for inevitable change.

Does this book start out slow-moving or do I lack the experience of truly falling for another person so much so that it leads to worship; do I not understand the agonizing phenomenon that is slowly falling in love? While reading I found many descriptions and dialogue pertaining to my own thoughts and emotions. However, as I continued to read I found that the desire and despair I feel cannot compare to that of Elios for Oliver or vice versa. I have not experienced much of what this book incites and so it was difficult for me to finish without completely altering my view on romance and relationships. I was left feeling empty, hopeless, lifeless even. I felt as though I was missing a necessary maturity to rightly interpret the sentiments of this novel.

“Twenty years was yesterday, and yesterday was just earlier this morning, and morning seemed light-years away.” 

Elio is just 17 yet carries more exposure to life than me. He falls so deeply for his father's house guest, a 24-year-old Oliver. Oliver's nonchalant attitude came off unpleasant and his disregard for the outcome of his actions left me discouraged, though his bright side shines through his development.  He was sly but nonetheless apprehensive as the novel reads. Elio expresses his desire for the older man in illuminating means, painting a vibrant picture of how we view those we hold close. Elio longs to caress the pure skin of Oliver's arms; he longs for intimacy on a different level from what he has known. This forceful desire fuels his unexpected and bold actions to turn his fantasies into existence. Once Elio gets what he is craving, he is flooded in a wave of regret for destroying what beautiful and sustained longing he once had; everything had changed from here. He struggles to understand this transition in their relationship; deciding whether or not and how to step back from his hastily made decision to fulfill his ever growing appetite. Despite their newfound intimate relationship they make it a point to let their friendship continue growing. They conceive beautiful memories that each would hold onto long into their lives. Knowing their intimate relationship would remain ephemeral, the men soon realized the reality of fleeting time. Time continues to move forward, the present will soon be in the past. Nothing is truly permanent in our unforgiving world despite how deeply we deny it. Be that as it may, these moments from parallel lives can be relived through memories of past youth.

Amidst the homoerotic plot line underlies an unavoidable truth. Despite the glimmer of hope that memories forever hold a portal to the past, the overall conclusion that time is forever slipping beneath us is a scary one. To put it simply, this book made me depressed. I want to avoid engrossing myself in the idea that one day I will no longer live the life I do now. I fear the future when I fall so hard in love only to have it torn from me by the wrath of time itself.

“Over the years I'd lodged him in the permanent past, my pluperfect lover, put him on ice, stuffed him with memories and mothballs like a hunted ornament confabulating with the ghost of all my evenings. I'd dust him off from time to time and then put him back on the mantelpiece. He no longer belonged to earth or to life. All I was likely to discover at this point wasn't just how distant were the paths we'd taken, it was the measure of loss that was going to strike me--a loss I didn't mind thinking about in abstract terms but which would hurt when stared at in the face, the way nostalgia hurts long after we've stopped thinking of things we lost and may never have cared for.” 

The depression I felt from this book was not a bad emotion to experience. I gained a better understanding and outlook on life and love. Though most of the book was full of unrequited yearning or instant regret from unraveling a familiar emotion, it was a great look at understanding youth and momentary joy while scratching the surface on the importance of friendship within an intimate relationship, and diving into the uneasiness of the past and future.

"Time makes us sentimental. Perhaps, in the end, it is because of time that we suffer."

I'd love to hear any other opinions or reviews on this book!

Indiana Grace

NYC Haul (kpop and manga!)

I live about an hour and a half outside of New York City and so I visit often. Every time I go, I splurge on Japanese manga and Korean CD's. My two favorite stores are Koryo Books, a Korean bookstore with a large K-pop section, located on 32nd between Broadway and 5th; and Kinokuniya, a three story Japanese bookstore, located on the corner of 6th and 41st. Kinokuniya does have an online store as well if you are interested. I would also recommend getting a membership if you purchase a lot of manga like me! I could spend a solid four hours in both of these stores (mainly because Kino has a bomb caramel latte). Needless to say, I spent a lot of money on this trip. I'll share with you what I purchased in case you need some manga recommendations or new groups to stan!

I figured I should go to the Koryo first since I already knew what I wanted to purchase. I am a K-pop fan, however there are only two groups that I really follow. VIXX is my all time number one group and Day 6 is a close second in my heart. These are the only two groups that I listen to regularly. Not to mention my bedroom is plastered in posters of the two. I have been waiting to purchase the newest VIXX LR album, Whisper. VIXX LR is the sub-unit of VIXX featuring rapper Ravi and singer Leo (and what do you know, my two favorites in the group). In August of 2017 they released their 2nd album including four new songs and an instrumental. My personal favorite song on this album would probably be Chocolatier, but they're all great songs. The album came with a photo book, Leo and Ravi stickers, a transparent Leo photo card, and two transparent cards (one red, and one blue). The red and blue cards are to be used on a few of the photos in the book. I think this is a really neat and new feature to an albums photo book! Though It would've been cool if there were a few more red and blue photos. I kind of wish the photo card wasn't transparent as well because you can only really see it up against a solid background, but Leo looks adorable as always. If you're interested in getting a VIXX album or VIXX LR album, I would recommend VIXX LR's first album, Beautiful Liar, and VIXX's most recent album, Shangri-La.

The second album I bought was the newest Day 6 album, Moon Rise. Day 6 released a new song every month in 2017 and put each song onto two separate albums. Sun Rise was the first album released in June, and Moon Rise was the second half released in December. This album has eighteen songs, of which Hi Hello and All Alone are my favorites. Day 6 has four albums all together since their debut in 2015. I own three out of four albums and they're definitely some of my favorite CD's that I own. This specific album came with a poster of Young K, a photo book, two bookmark style cards of Jae and Dowoon, several transparent cards featuring each member, and a large fold out of all five members. I really love all of the effort that is put into Day 6 albums. The boys truly do work so hard for their fans and put out so much creative content. I was very happy to see all the goodies included with the album, though I wish I got a Sungjin poster! I always like the transparent cards of each individual member that come together to form one image when overlapped. They had similar cards in their Daydream album. You could buy any Day 6 album and you would not be disappointed at all I promise.  Though my favorite of theirs might be this one! I hope this band grows an even stronger fan base as they deserve the world for all they do. I also heard they will be doing a lot more this year and releasing even more music! 

I have been reading a lot of manga lately (other than yaoi). I also recently got a membership at Kinokuniya which is $25 a year. This membership gets me 10% off most items (which isn't a lot but it lets me justify buying 10+ manga at a time) and a $10 gift card for every $300 you spend (which is essentially like a free manga). I purchased eight manga volumes for myself and decided it wasn't enough so I went back the next day and bought five more. I bought some sequels to series I have started collecting and also some new series that I've heard good things about or that looked interesting. This is my biggest manga haul ever, and I'm super excited to read them all!

My number one priority was to complete my collection of Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto. This manga is one of my favorites and I'm glad I own all four volumes now. I recommend this manga to literally everyone: young, old, male, female. I think this is a manga that anyone would enjoy. It is effortlessly hilarious. It is also a super quick read with only four volumes in the entire series (though I wish there was more). There is also an anime based on this series, If you're not a manga fan. If you are going to read any of the manga I mention here, please let it be this one because I know you will enjoy it! 

I also purchased nichijou volumes 5 and 6. I need three more volumes to complete the series and I thought about purchasing them but I figured 13 manga volumes was enough for one trip. nichijou also has an anime which is how I found out about this series. The comedy in this manga is very different from Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto. It is very random humor and it often doesn't make sense to me. This isn't one of my favorites but I still enjoy reading it. I think the anime is more enjoyable as it makes it easier to understand some of the jokes. And so I would probably recommend the anime before I recommend the manga.  

I have a few random volumes of Boku No Hero Academia in Japanese. I read this series online and so I haven't purchased any English volumes, however, I have purchased some in Japanese with my favorite scenes. I've been waiting for Volume 11 to come out in English but I couldn't wait any longer and just decided to purchase the Japanese version. This volume includes the scene when all the students are displaying their new dorm rooms. This is such a cute scene; I love it so much I wanted it on my shelf!

Now onto the new manga! I have heard a lot about Bungo Stray Dogs and so I decided to purchase volume one and see what all the hype was about. Supposedly, it is about an orphan who stops someone from committing suicide. Other than what is on the back of the book, I have no idea what this series is about but I am excited to give it a try. I also found A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, which I thought might be good as it reminded me a bit of Hoozuki no Reitetsu. This manga is the first volume as it only just started being released in English in December. I am a big fan of comedy around hell and demons. I haven't heard anything about this manga but I have a feeling I will enjoy it! 

Kiss Him, Not Me! is a manga that I've been wanting to read for a while now. As a serious fujoshi, I know I will enjoy this series. I have also just learned there is an anime following the manga! This series is about a girl who wishes the boys surrounding her would form relationships with each other instead of crushing on her. I bought the first two volumes because I knew I would enjoy it. I have read a few different yaoi manga's by the same author, Junko. Some of my favorites include Conveni-Kun, Kimi Note, Kasa no Shita, Futari, and Recipe no Ouji-sama. Junko's art style is very cute and unique as I remembered seeing it before. I have high hopes for this manga!

Now onto the yaoi! My favorite genre of manga! I have shamelessly purchased four different yaoi volumes. The English yaoi section at Kinokuniya is actually very small and disappointing as there is probably less than 20 different series within the genre. With not much to choose from I purchased three different series. I wanted to try something new so I went with Awkward Silence. The plot to this yaoi seems like it will be very cute so I bought volumes 1 and 2, I almost bought volume 3 as well but once again I figured 13 manga might be enough. If I enjoy this manga enough I could always read the rest online. A lot of the yaoi at Kinokuniya is somewhat older looking in terms of art, but this one looked like a more recent one so I decided to give it a shot. (I just looked this yaoi up on myanimelist.net and apparently I have read it before, so much for trying something new! However, I did rate it a 9 out of 10 so that's good at least).

I also purchased Jackass! which is a yaoi I have seen a lot of recently and have been meaning to read. I was excited to see it at the store but disappointed that they only had one volume. I have read this volume already and will definitely be reading the rest online. It follows two best friends who fall for eachother due to a secret kink for legs in black tights. It also features their friend and his relationship with the school nurse. I really enjoyed this volume! Plus, the art style is very clean and nice to read. I also purchased Hidoku Shinaide: Akira Takanashi's Story. This completes my set of currently published volumes of Hidoku Shinaide (my favorite yaoi on earth).  This includes six volumes of the main story, and two volumes of bonus chapters and Akira's side story. I love this yaoi so much and I was so happy to see this one on the shelf. Akira is such a cute character and although I have already read every published chapter (currently up to Volume 7) I love having my favorite series in my collection!

Have you purchase/read any manga recently? Which would you recommend? What K-pop groups do you stan and what albums do you own?

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and found a new K-pop group you'd like to listen to or found a new manga you're looking forward to reading!

Indiana Grace

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2018 Yaoi Challenge! (+Review)

I have been reading yaoi for years now and it brings me so much joy its crazy. I have read a large share of yaoi/BL manga as I read one or two every day. Recently, in an attempt to explore different subgenres within the yaoi genre, I have been asking friends to pick one at random for me to read. This way, I avoid judging the story by its cover or its art. By doing this, I have found so much manga that I truly enjoyed reading but probably would not have read otherwise. However, I did find myself leaving many unfinished, which I don't necessarily want to do. So, I have decided to read every yaoi in numerical/alphabetical order. My go-to yaoi reader is mangago.me; On this site, there are almost 6,000 listed yaoi manga, so I have a lot of reading ahead of me. I started reading from the top of the list last week, and have completed 7 out of 5,918 yaoi manga; I have finished the numerical series of yaoi where I found some pretty bad stories and one beautiful gem.

That beautiful gem would be 1999 Shanghai. I was hesitant to start this manga as the art looked older and there were so many chapters. The comments/ratings for this manga were pretty high yet everyone said it was extremely sad; which isn't necessarily my favorite. Setona Mizushiro has illustrated this tragic love story in four volumes. The story follows two men who meet by chance one night in Shanghai. They later learn they are from opposing gangs, Xianglongji gang and Toulon gang. The men begin to share feelings for eachother developing a romantic relationship that must be kept secret from their gangs. Dawu, of Toulon gang, is a younger boy with an innocent aura, however, as the son of a drug lord he does possessive an aggressive and murderous side to himself which reveals itself as the story progresses. Dawu is surrounded by the struggles of others, including an unrequited love from another Toulon member which ultimately tears the gang apart. Xiaoxue, of Xianglongji gang, is strong but hesitant of everything as he was orphaned as a child and raped by his adoptive father. Xiaoxue struggles to deal with his loneliness and uses his childhood friend to fill the empty space in his life. Personally, I am not a fan of gang stories, yet this one had a more prominent forbidden love and didn't focus so much on the gangs themselves, though the parts that did focus on the gang rivalry were interesting and well executed. This story is so beautiful yet tragic as it is a twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet tale.

If anyone has been reading this genre for a while, I recommend doing this challenge as well. However, if you are new to yaoi, it might be best to avoid the horrible manga's like 01 Monkey. I would definitely recommend 1999 Shanghai for new and old yaoi readers, and please don't be put off by the older art style!

Indiana Grace

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BL Web-Comics You Should Read!

As a long time BL manga reader, I was surprised to see the growing popularity of web-comics or manhwa. However, it wasn't difficult to jump on the bandwagon and throw every paycheck away on Lezhin. That's right, I spend real life money on yaoi, pretty sad. I have read my fair share of web-comics so I'd like to share some of my favorites! If you like one of these you might not necessarily like another, they're all very different; featuring different art styles and genres. Yet I encourage you to give at least one a chance! 

FOOLS Let's start out strong with this amazingly adorable story. Fools follows the blossoming romance of Eungi and Jeongwoo. Although the story may seem to be progressing slowly, it makes the plot seem more realistic. It is refreshing to see ordinary characters and the natural progression in their relationship. This manhwa is not at all heavily sexual and focuses mainly on the romantic relationship. Jeongwoo and Eungi are dealing with their own backstories including exes and self acceptance, while realizing they have feelings for one another. My favorite part of this manhwa is the unique art style. Eungi is always seen wearing something turquoise while Jeongwoo wears yellow. This little detail makes this manhwa so much more unique! This web-comic will bring you so much happiness. You can read this Fools by Young Ha and Park Dam on Comica!

CURIOUS RECIPE Curious Recipe pursues the story of Junghyuk reuniting with his (secret) childhood love, Taesu.  Taesu is shocked to find his childhood friend has moved next door and claims to be in love with him. Junghyuk does his best to make Taesu fall for him through his baked sweets and kind heart. As the story continues, more obstacles separate the two yet inevitably bring them closer together. There is one psychotic character, yet I wouldn't classify the comic as psychological, It is more of a slice of life/romance story in my opinion. The art in this manhwa isn't overly exciting and I feel like the story is very fast paced, however, it is still a cute comic with well developed characters. This is a good read if you're in between a larger/more dramatic manga or comic. You can read Curious Recipe by Com on TappyToon!

ROOMMATES I'm sure your looking at this like, "What, Indiana? This comic looks like shit." BUT! trust me when I say this is one of my favorite web-comics on this list. The characters in this story are beyond adorable. There is one main story line: Jinwoo and Kisub. There is also a side story that is more relevant later in the comic: Inho and Ray. If you look past the simple art style, you will find a heartwarming story of self acceptance and courage. Jinwoo loves Kisub and Kisub loves Jinwoo, though it is a secret from one another. They struggle to find a balance between their friendship and their feelings. Inho and Ray have a past and after reuniting five years since they last saw one another, Ray has to deal with accepting himself and his feelings. The stories are heartfelt and the art truly grows on you as you keep reading. You can read Roommates by Young Seok on Spottoon!

A MAN LIKE YOU This is one of the more well known comics on this list. A Man Like You starts with Kang Jinha and Go Siwon, long lost childhood friends, meeting in their dreams. The memories of their past start to flood back and Kang Jinha admits his longing for Siwon. The story follows Siwon falling for Kang Jinha. Many troublesome things occur in this story; kidnapping, bullying, and unrequited love. This comic also has a bit of a supernatural side as Kang Jinha and Siwon are able to control and meet in their dreams using a magical stone. The overall story is a romantic one although it is continuing to get more dramatic as new chapters come out. The art in this web-comic is cute, nothing too special in my opinion but it is nice to look at, and you can see the improvement and change in the art as the story continues. You can read A Man Like You by Waje on Lezhin!

STAR X FANBOY This is another comic with a simple art style that might turn you away at first. However, this web-comic is a lighthearted shounen ai with a sweet story line. Fanboy is a theater major who is looking for a C-bot (basically like role playing on twitter?) of his favorite actor, Star. What Fanboy doesn't know is that his C-bot of Star is actually the real Star! Star is a cool and confident character while Fanboy is a shy and loving boy. Together, these two encourage each other and make good memories. From here blossoms the friendship and possible romance between an actor and his number one fan. New chapters of this comic come out twice a week so hopefully the story will progress quickly, as I cant wait to see these two act all lovey dovey. You can read Star x Fanboy by Kim Cheomji on Lezhin!

RAISING A BAT Ask me which comic I enjoyed reading the most and I'd say this one. Raising A Bat is the most heartwarming and loving story I have ever read. ChunSam is a vampire who needs blood  and MinGyum has too much blood so when their paths cross it is a perfect match. This story deals with serious subjects of abuse, neglect, suicide, and self harm. MinGyum had a difficult upbringing but finds solace in ChunSam and his family. So much happens as this story progresses, there's like seven different sub-stories within ChunSam and MinGyums relationship. The art is so beautiful and the story is so dramatic that I think anyone who reads this comic will fall in love with its complex characters and well developed plots. Don't be put off if you're not a fan of vampire stories as it's not a huge part of the story. You can read Raising A Bat by Jade on Foxtoon! 

HEAVEN & HELL ROMAN COMPANY Talk about a pretty comic. The art is beautiful, the colors are vibrant, the story is unique, and the characters are dynamic. H&HRC takes place in the offices between Heaven and Hell and follows the romance of Rum and Ginger, childhood friends. Yet my favorite story is the growing relationship between Mananan and Mr. Monday, an angel and a demon from two completely different worlds, falling in love. Their chemistry is obvious and they're both great characters dealing with their own issues. Both sets of relationships are very well developed and are displayed so beautifully in this clean art style. I recommend this to readers who enjoy supernatural sort of stories. You can read H&HRC by Mum on Lezhin!

MAKE ME BARK First of all, this is the most NSFW comic I've mentioned so far. This is also one of the most recently released comics. Sungjoon's life is crumbling before his eyes as his new apartment burns to the ground. He calls the only person he knows who lives in the city, Lee HyoIn. He moves in with HyoIn only to learn that he is not only Gay but into pet play. Sungjoon becomes HyoIn's dog and unexpectedly falls for him. The story also features another couple who intertwine as the semes of each couple and ukes of each are friends. The art style has too many shapes and too many textures; everything looks shiny and everyone has curvy bodies but the sharpest jaws. Though the art isn't the most appealing to me, I think the story itself can peak your interests. You can read Make Me Bark by Sagold on Lezhin!

THE BAKER ON THE FIRST FLOOR An underrated comic in my opinion is this one, The Baker on The First Floor. This comic follows Sun Hwa, a BL artist, and his new neighbor, the handsome blonde baker downstairs. Sun Hwa deals with self acceptance as he struggles to get over past relationships of his own and his partner. The only downside to this comic is the endless amount of flashbacks. I almost wanted to give up on this one because I was so tired of flashbacks. However, hold out and finish reading because the side stories are the cutest! I believe the art is unique and easy to look at as well. You can read The Baker on the First Floor by GyaGa on Lezhin!

19 DAYS Woah, talk about a beautiful art style. I love this comic and Old Xian with all my heart. Childhood friends falling in love mixed with stories of youth and friendships all wrapped up in a comedic bow. This web-comic features two couples, Jian Yi/Zheng Xi and  He Tian/Mo Guanshan. My personal favorite is the slowly developing romance between Mo and He Tian. Mo is a somewhat rebellious and misunderstood guy who happens to meet He Tian, the tough guy with a soft side. The interactions between these two are so funny and enjoyable to read. In more recent chapters, we can see more serious backstories, helping to further develop each unique character. The chapters are extremely short and so waiting for the next is excruciating, but I will wait for Momo and He Tian if I really have to. I would honestly recommend this web-comic to anyone and everyone, I truly love it so much. If you like this one try Mosspaca Advertising Department as well! You can read 19 Days on Old Xian's Weibo!

KILLING STALKING Trigger warning right off the bat. This story is a psychological thriller with a bit of BL. Yoonbum is in love with Sangwoo, who doesn't even know he exists. After stalking Sangwoo, Bum finally breaks into his home to learn that Sangwoo is a murderer. Despite his murderous intent, Sangwoo keeps Bum around as he reminds him of his mother. Bum is forever in love with Sangwoo despite how he is treated. I'm sure if you've heard of any of these I have mentioned, Killing Stalking was one of them. This comic gets better and better as it updates, and I am so excited to see how the plot progresses. I am not a fan of horror in any way, shape, or form. However, I thoroughly enjoy reading this story and discussing theories for each chapter. This comic does feature some BL but it should not be the main focus of the story, so I think anyone will enjoy this web-comic; though, don't read if you don't want to see stories of murder, self-harm, or rape. You can read Killing Stalking by Koogi on Lezhin!




These were some of my favorite BL web-comics, or just some comics I think everyone should give a try! I'm excited to read more web-comics and branch a bit further outside my Japanese manga comfort zone. If you have any comics to recommend, or if you have read any of these, please let me know! I love discussing manga and comics! Please, give some of these a try and I am sure you will find something you love.

Indiana Grace 

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My Favorite Korean Artists

With BTS performing at the AMA's, K-pop has taken the world over by storm. Although BTS is far from one of my favorites, I do listen to a few Korean artists. By far, my favorite K-pop group is VIXX! Runner up is Day 6 who have been on the rise in 2017 (I'm so proud!!). I also listen to a lot of R&B sort of music. My absolute favorite Korean rapper is Mad Clown, I could listen to his songs on repeat for the rest of my life. More recently, I have been listening to the producer Code Kunst. He is another amazingly talented artist. I figured I would share a few things about these artists and some of my favorite songs in hopes that they might find some new fans! ꒰˘̩̩̩⌣˘̩̩̩๑꒱♡

VIXX
VIXX is a six member group consisting of Ken, Ravi, N, Leo, Hongbin, and Hyuk. Each member is extremely talented with very unique personalities. You will fall in love with each and every one of them, constantly questioning who is your real bias. My personal favorite members are Ravi and Leo who also form the subgroup VIXX LR. Ravi is an amazing producer and rapper while Leo has a very unique voice and sultry way of moving. VIXX was my first and forever love from the moment I saw shy Leo showing off the crown of his head during their Star Show 360 episode. VIXX honestly deserves all the love in the world; They are some of the most caring and talented men in the world of K-pop, I hope you can learn to love them as well.

Here are some songs I recommend: 
Memory (Hyuk and Ravi)
Whisper (VIXX LR)
Only U
Milky Way
Dynamite



Day 6
Day 6 is a 5 member group, although they are considered a K-pop group, they have more of a rock sound. This groups members include Wonpil, Jae, Dowoon, Young K, and Sungjin. These men are all very talented and adorable; they're so much fun to watch. Throughout 2017, Day 6 released a new music video every month. They worked so incredibly hard this year and I appreciate all they do. You can find many covers they have done of other Korean idols songs or English songs (as two members speak English fluently). These are some of my favorite songs to listen to; each member has such a unique and interesting voice, I love them all so much. TToTT

Some songs and covers to listen to:
OOH-AHH (Cover)
Well Done Again My Friend (Cover)
All Alone
Hi Hello
I Smile

Mad Clown
Mad Clown is a really cool rapper with a unique style. My favorite album of his is Piece of Mine. Every song on this album is a serious bop. Honestly. Even if you're not really a huge rap fan, Mad Clowns music is so fun. He recently released a new album called Love is a Dog From Hell. This album is also so great, yet in my opinion, not as great as Piece of Mine. He has worked with several other artists including San E and Jinsil. I think Mad Clown is super underrated and deserves way more fans. His music is great if you're willing to branch away from cookie cutter K-pop music and listen to something new.

Songs to enjoy:
Sour Grapes (W/ San E)
Coffee Copy Girl
Going Home (from Show Me The Money 5)
Mugunghwa
Flowers

Code Kunst
What a blessing it was when I found Code Kunst's music. His music is so chill and calming. At the beginning of this year he released his album Muggles Mansion which is honestly so full of jams. He is such a talented producer and he works with so many other talented artists to put out some awesome tracks. Dave, from "The World of Dave" on YouTube, released an interview with Code Kunst that shows how laid back and humble he really is. If I were to recommend an artist to anyone, it would be Code Kunst; I think he has music for everyone to enjoy.

Songs to jam to:
This Is (W/ C Jamm)
X (w/ Lee Hi)
Born From The Blue (W/ JUSTHIS)
Don't Shoot Me MAMA (W/ Car, The Garden)
Up (W/ C Jamm)

I hope these talented men can find some new fans because they truly deserve it! Please share with me your favorite artists or songs, I'd love to listen to some of your favorites! And let me know what you think of my favorites!!

Indiana Grace (♥ω♥ ) ~♪