Currently learning Japanese from Rosetta stone, and so far, whenever a verb is acting on something, I've always seen the particle を used - eg:
彼{かれ}は本{ほん}を読{よ}んでいます。
Now the program has thrown に into the mix - eg:
彼{かれ}は奥{おく}さんにキスしています。
So my question: is the particle を only for inanimate objects? In the sentence above, could I use を after 奥{おく}さん since she's the direct object of the action, or is に the only answer because the direct object is an animate being? Would I ever use に in the other sentence, like 彼{かれ}は本{ほん}に読{よ}んでいます?
Or is this just one of those "That's just the way it is, just roll with it" kind of quirks with the language?