The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish Volume 1

Finished April 13

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish, Volume 1 (Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong) written by Xue Shan Fei Hu, translated by Yuka Mimi, illustrated by Ryoplica, Bonus Illustration by Kura, Cover illustration by Changle

This book came to my attention through one of my students, opening my reading world to a new subgenre, danmei, a Chinese romance between male characters. Here, the novel also employs an intriguing format where the narrator, Li Yu is a modern young man who wakes to find himself a fish, a carp, in the world of a book he'd recently read. (The Chinese pronunciation of the name sounds the same as the word for carp.) After a few terrifying adventures, he finds himself himself rescued by Prince Jing. 

Following that he makes two additional discoveries, the first of which is that he appears to be inside some sort of game. He learns this when he hears an announcement in his head that says that he has completed the first part of the 'Moe Pet System' main quest, and that he won't turn back into a human unless he completes the entire quest. The second discovery is that he is inside a recent webnovel that he'd read and he learns that the purpose of his existence here is to improve the tyrannical male lead's personality. 

As he learns how to be a fish, how to connect to his new owner, and how to navigate his way through the Moe Pet System, he also learns that there are side quests that he can take, that he can store things in his inventory, and that he can earn rewards, all of which are part of his expectations of a game system. 

He grows closer to Prince Jing and undergoes many more adventures, some of which change him, and some which give him different abilities. 

There is romance, but no descriptions of sex here, and the story is only the first part of a longer work, so it leaves you at a place where you want more. 

A very interesting and intriguing read that grew on me as I read it. Apparently the majority of readers of this type of book in China are heterosexual women, which is interesting. 

Bedlam

Finished August 22
Bedlam by Christopher Brookmyre

I picked this up when I saw it in a bookstore as I'd really enjoyed his A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil a few years ago. Since that was a mystery, I'd assumed this was too, and I suppose it is in a sense, but really it is much more science fiction.
Ross Baker works as a scientist developing medical technology for the large corporation Neurosphere at their Stirling offices. He works hard, but doesn't feel appreciated, and his work drive has put a strain on his relationship with his girlfriend Carol. This particular Monday, he is feeling down in the dumps, and when he overhears a conversation that tells him his girlfriend is pregnant, he feels even worse. Why would they know before him, and what does that mean for his relationship? He decides to accept an invitation from a fellow scientist to be a test candidate for a new scanner to get out of his office.
But when he emerges from the scanner, he finds himself apparently in a video game, one he eventually recognizes as a favourite from his youth, Starfire. As he struggles to find a way, he gradually learns more about this place where he is trapped. When he is asked his name, his mind reverts to that young boy, and he gives his childhood gamer name, Bedlam.
With his emotions reaching back to his life with Carol, he follows any trail he can to find his way through various video game worlds, hoping to find an escape.
As this book progressed I was drawn into it more and more, and the ethical message that Brookmyre embeds here is one that doesn't seem that futuristic. Rooting for Ross, I found myself in a pageturner that I had trouble putting down. Very different from the other book of his I've read, this book is just as good if not better. A new favourite.