👨‍❤️‍👨 BL Book Club 🎓 BL University 📚

Finally, an exam worth studying for! :triumph:

7 Likes

I found a novel that I’m buying that looks like a food/cooking BL (the cover drew me in immediately; I have a weakness for food/cooking BLs), but I’m not sure it actually is one since Amazon has it under “Literature and Criticism,” but it definitely has those vibes, just from the concept and the preview (early-30s ophthalmologist suddenly has his archery club kouhai from high school who’s now an author move in because he’s in a slump, and I guess it’s about them leading a comfortable domestic life and eating various foods throughout the year). Am I allowed to nominate it, or are we sticking to Actual BLs only?

7 Likes

I think anything that includes male main characters that have a romantic and/or sexual relationship is fine for now, even if it’s not specifically marketed as “BL”. :slightly_smiling_face:

If anyone has any thoughts about my (vague :sweat_smile:) guidelines above or the type of content acceptable as nominations, free to share - I’m sure I can make a poll or two if need be! :laughing:

7 Likes

One review I found starts off with “主人公たちが恋愛を意識してすらいないのでBL未満で感じですね。かといって非BLとも言い切れない近すぎる二人の空気感.” So they don’t have a romantic relationship, it just gives off BL vibes.

3 Likes

There are a few nominations already that are not marketed as BL, so that was my understanding of the club definition anyway :rofl:

5 Likes

Perhaps a quick straw poll, then:

Which type of nominations would you prefer be accepted?
  • Anything that has BL vibes (bromance, suggestive)
  • Only content that is unambiguously BL
0 voters
1 Like

I don’t mind something not giving me complete on page BL (i.e. kissing/sex) but I do think it’s worth noting in the nomination, because people might go in with the wrong expectations. (Looking at you 宝石商リチャード氏の謎鑑定 | L34 :eyes:)

5 Likes

What is this novel? It sounds really nice!

1 Like

I am guessing:

2 Likes

Close, it’s the first in the series, 男ふたりで12ヶ月ごはん

3 Likes

I think from now on I’ll set the general polls about the club (not the polls to vote on nominations) to automatically close after 2 weeks. I’m keeping the first post updated with the current polls ordered from those closing soonest, and the ones that have already ended are linked under miscellaneous. I’ll post the results after each poll closes, and the guidelines in the first post will also be updated.

Results of recently closed polls:

  • Should nominations be limited to a certain type of book (LNs, manga, etc)? No, everything should be accepted
  • How many nominations should each person be allowed? Unlimited
  • Should there be a waiting period between nominations? Yes
  • How long should the waiting period be? 1 week
Screenshots




3 Likes

Alrighty, it’s been a week since my last nomination. I don’t want to take up all the nomination slots or anything, but since nomming has been pretty slow, I’ll use this as a threat: get in your own noms before I do!

(I say that; I had some difficulty picking another book, simple because a whole bunch of potential nominees from me fall into the “trust me guys they’re definitely just friends” kind of sidestepping from the author/publisher, and I’m waiting to see the results of the poll on that.)

キットとパーシー ロンドンの小悪党シリーズ 1

Title: キットとパーシー | L30??
Book type: novel
Available formats: physical / ebook

Summary - Japanese

かつてイングランドを股にかける大強盗として名を馳せていたキット・ウェブ。今はしがないコーヒーハウスの店主として平凡な日々を過ごすキットの元に、ある日、パーシーと名乗る美しい紳士が訪ねてくる。

「仕事を依頼したい」

退屈で物足りないキットの毎日に突如舞い込んだ強盗計画。待ち望んでいたスリルと平和な日常との間で葛藤するキットに、パーシーはあきらめることなく何度も誘惑を繰り返す。逢瀬を重ねるうち、二人は互いに惹かれ始め……。

美しくも奔放な貴族と元強盗のコーヒーハウス店主。別世界を生きていた二人が織り成す、ヒストリカルボーイズラブロマンス。

Summary - English

(DeepL) Kit Webb was once a famous robber who traveled all over England. One day, a beautiful gentleman named Percy comes to Kit, who now spends his days as an ordinary coffeehouse owner.

“I’d like to offer you a job.”

Kit’s boring and unsatisfying days are suddenly interrupted by a robbery scheme. Kit is torn between the thrill he has longed for and the peace and quiet of his daily life, but Percy continues to seduce him time and again. As they continue to meet, they begin to fall for each other. …

A beautiful and uninhibited aristocrat and a former robber coffeehouse owner. A historical boy’s love romance between two people who have lived in different worlds.

Content warnings

None known

Reason(s) for nominating: I’ve wanted to read this for a while and the premise sounds interesting. Only downside is that this is a comparatively expensive book; no idea why. The Kindle version is almost ¥1800. :frowning:

Update: This is apparently a translation of an English book (might be the reason for the high price.) Let that be factor in your decision if it needs to be. (JP cover is way better, I gotta say.)

10 Likes

(Also, I just want everyone to know it’s going to be insanely difficult to only vote for 3 choices out of all our lovely nominations so far. D:)

5 Likes

I am also going to make a nomination since we still have slots and time :blush:

Title: 不能共 (not on natively yet)
Book type: Seems like it’s marketed as a light novel? From the publisher KADOKAWA
Available formats: physical / ebook

Summary - Japanese

目の前で彼女に死なれた男×その彼女の旦那だった男。二人の「不能」の行末

「貴方のことが大嫌いなんですよ」
目の前で彼女に死なれた男×その彼女の旦那だった男
ふたりの「不能」な男が、最悪の関係性から、かけがえのない存在になる。
愛憎入り乱れ修羅場系&感動BL!!

交際していた恋人・加奈子が既婚者と知った朝陽大輝。
関係を清算しようとしたが、加奈子は朝陽の目の前で自死してしまう。
葬儀後、加奈子の夫・清瀬隆が朝陽の家を訪れる。二人の関係を知っており、「貴方しか加奈子の話が出来る相手がいない」と言い張り、なぜか日々料理を提供する。
清瀬に嫌悪感を抱き彼の作る食事も拒否する朝陽だったが、自分に執着する彼と接するうち、新たに複雑な感情が生まれていく。
ある時、嗜虐心の赴くままに清瀬と接した朝陽は、彼が「不能」であること、その背景にある加奈子との凄絶な関係性を知り――。

Summary - English

From deepL

A man whose girlfriend died in front of him x A man who used to be her husband. The end of their "impossibility

I hate you so much.
A man whose girlfriend died in front of him x A man who used to be her husband
Two “impossible” men go from the worst kind of relationship to an irreplaceable existence.
A love-hate relationship and an emotional BL!

Daiki Asayo discovers that his girlfriend, Kanako, is married.
He tries to end the relationship, but Kanako commits suicide in front of Asayo’s eyes.
After the funeral, Kanako’s husband, Takashi Kiyose, visits Asayo’s house. He knows of their relationship and insists that “you are the only one Kanako can talk to,” and for some reason he offers to cook for her every day.
Asa-yo is disgusted by Kiyose and refuses to eat the food he prepares, but as she comes into contact with his obsession with her, she begins to develop new and complicated feelings.
One day, when Asayo’s own taste for food leads her to confront Kiyose, she discovers that he is “incapable” and that behind his incapacity lies a terrible relationship with Kanako.

Content warnings

Suicide, potentially light violence?

Reason(s) for nominating: The plot sounds wild and like the ultimate enemies to lovers story, so I’m really curious to see how the author is able to pull off the pairing!

Unfortunately it hasn’t been turned into a 文庫本 yet so the price is still a bit high at ¥1,815. :face_holding_back_tears::pray:t2:

7 Likes

Very true, deciding what to vote for will be tough! I’ve already bought the ones I’m particularly interested in, but I won’t have enough votes to cover all of them… :laughing:


On the other hand, pretty sure I’ll be happy whatever the outcome, because… BL! :rofl:

3 Likes

Omg that summary sounds like a mess. :rofl: I hope the contents are as entertaining as what I’m imagining.

3 Likes

It’s also a 単行本. I just bought a couple that were ¥1700-1800 (not translations), so it doesn’t seem unusual for them to get that high

2 Likes

Ah, you’re right; my eyes glossed right over that.

2 Likes

Everyone else: Suggesting mostly 癒し系 stuff
Me: Chaos please! I love chaos couples :joy:

3 Likes

Is this a formal nomination?

2 Likes