Weekly reads round-up 19th June

I wish I could say I had more to post about this week, but since my daily commute has been disrupted and I have been working later some days, I haven’t had much time to read lately.

What I have done this week is take a first look at the ‘Sarazanmai’ fanfiction that’s started to hit AO3 since last week’s episode. I admire fic writers who can take the plunge while a series is still ongoing, and there have been some pleasant little one-shots added to the archive. My favourite so far has to be ‘Warmth’ by tieria, which explores Reo’s tenuous grasp on which reality is real, laying the episodes against the manga and taking the reader on a short-but-wild ride, questioning how much Reo, and we, can believe.

Luckily, I have been able to squeeze in a couple of slots to sit down and read ‘Men+Monsters’, which I mentioned in last week’s read round-up.

It was a pleasure to read a graphic novel which is clearly a labour of love, unlike some of the BL stories I’ve read which feel more like rehashing the same old tropes with the same old characters. The book has more smut than I’d usually read*, but there’s a plot amongst the monster cocks, and the sex is both deliberately consensual and surprisingly full of affection, which is also something that doesn’t often crop up in m/m stories.

I love the artist’s use of colour, and it’s refreshing to see a story about macho male characters which doesn’t shy away from bright or pastel colours in its palette, instead of dark brooding tones. Every single page is vibrant, and the landscapes, while fairly simple, uphold the fantasy setting well.

The store is based in the US so shipping to other countries is a little pricey, but I believe you can view content online by supporting the author on Patreon. Personally, I like having a physical copy of the book rather than reading comics on a screen, so when funds allow I may be treating myself to another book!

Also this week, I’ve spotted some interesting-looking yuri titles either just released or scheduled for release in coming months. I’m waiting for my copy of ‘Whenever Our Eyes Meet’, a manga anthology featuring stories of women finding love in the workplace – hopefully I’ll have that in time for next week’s read round-up. I’m also keeping an eye out for ‘I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up’ which is due out in the UK next month.

Do let me know in the comments (or find me on Twitter) if you’ve seen a title you think I ought to be reading. I enjoy fantasy, sci-fi and comedy-drama that’s queer-friendly and focuses on adults.

Also remember that if, like me, you’re a fan-artist, fic writer or original content creator of a certain age (30+) or create work that focuses on older characters, you can link me to your work and I may feature it in a future post.

*I’m planning a longer post in the near future about what it means to read smut and erotica as an asexual person, so for anyone who may be confused as to why I’d pick this story when I’ve previously written about the struggles of being asexual in fandom, please watch this space!