It’s such a beautiful title for a sci-fi-ish story (because Martin never writes just one genre.) It’s essentially about a planet that got settled because it had a comet-like path that would pass this beautiful star collection once and after that disappear into the endless darkness hence the title. But the setting on that planet and the history and the melancholic and opeless feel of the story are just great. Also there is some romance in there but it’s not the main draw.
And I’m cheating again because this is my post and I make the rules here… ^^’ sort of:
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The title itself isn’t all that but that bookcover… Just look at it. I was obsessed with the cover for a good while after I bought it.
THe book is the first book in the prequell series to Clare’s The Mortal INstruments series and has a steampunk setting in ye olde London. If you are familiar with Clare’s style you will know what you get.
Thanks to @yongsital for sugesting A Beautiful Mind to me.
I really enjoyed the drama. It was an interesting take on the nature vs nurture discussion of APD. It was a bit heavy on the hospital stuff but it was character-driven enough for me to finish and actually enjoy it. I have tried quite a few hospital kdrama and have finished almost none. (I only finished the mess that was Doctor Stranger for Lee Jong Suk.)
I liked the character exploration and the interactions with other people and how APD can be a limitation but also a strength in certain moments.
It was only 14 eoisodes which was enough but I wonder if the normal episode count of 16 was cut down due to ratings or something?
Yes due to low ratings, I think they were between 2 to 4 percent but it was a rarity to get that low ratings at that time. But that’s also where it all started because after Beautiful Mind, public channels kept getting low ratings and they may have realized that it wasn’t a certain drama’s fault rather overall cable had started scoring more because of their high production and good stories.
Yay! I’m glad you watched it and enjoyed it. I agree, the character exploration was its strength. Some of the dialogues have stuck with me since I watched it because I absolutely loved them and how perceptive they were.
KBS said the episode cut was because of the Olympics starting the finale week, if it had been 16 episodes. But it was a general consensus by viewers that it was due to the ratings. KBS just never owned up to the true reason. They had the date for the Olympics for ages prior so they would have know it would overlap. Of course, that’s why it made no sense and unfortunately the ending unraveled at lighting speed. As an avid fan of the drama I still wonder sometimes what was lost in those two hours.
Glad you enjoyed BEAUTIFUL MIND and yes like the others I am still annoyed about the episode cut.
If I can go down memory lane. One of my favorite scenes is where Nurse Jang Moon-kyung (Ha Jae-sook) does a spot on imitation of Dr. Lee Young-oh (he of no emotions) right to his face and his response: “Don’t push your luck”.
I loved it.
I actually threw the book across the room because I was so heartbroken and angry and in denial. (I’m actually getting flash-backs to ‘The Smile Has Left Your Eyes’ if you know what I mean.)
In the following books the ‘situation’ got resolved but I’ll never forget that desperate thump the book made when it landed on the floor.
Day 26: A Book That Changed Your Opinion About Something
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
It’s not actually the book that changed anything for me but rather the publics reaction that did.
When the backlash against Twilight started I was bewildered to put it mildly. I couldn’t understand it and not just because I was a fan. Even back then fandoms were celebrated or at worst ignored but never before have I seen so much hate towards a book and worse its fans. They were labeled as stupid teen-girls who didn’t know better and were met with an alien-like fear. It then became a trend to distance yourself from these ‘stupid teen-girls’ by proudly and loudly proclaiming that you were not on of those. And even today being a Twilight-hater is a badge of honor. But why? Do we as a society hate teen-girls that much? Weren’t we all/most of us teen-girls at some point? Tastes are different and not everybody has to like the same thing, that would be really boring, but hating on something this maliciously is unique in fan-culture. And the only difference from this franchise to others is its primary target audience.
So what I learned from the Twilight backlash is the following: As a girl you need to have more courage to like what you do especially if its made for you without feeling the need to explain yourself to the world. Giving in to peer-pressure is easy but it won’t make you happy and to find joy in the discomfort of others by unashamedly enjoying the books I want even if its a stupid teen romance.
I agree! I’m one of those who were criticized for being a fan. I’ve never pushed this book to anyone but the hatred I got (in person and online) was so bad that I stopped reading the book openly.
I read all of the books and I enjoyed them (except for the ending of the fourth) and I watched all the films. There is a youtuber who made a great video on the Twilight books and the hate/criticism that they received as well as Stephanie Meyer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O06tMbIKh0
Oh, I understand this completely. Even this week my manager mocked me for wanting to read Midnight Sun but not being at all interested in the Hinger Games Prequel. Ive been wanting to read Midnight Sun for a full decade now. And I have 0 interest in president snow. Why would I read that book?
I will say Ive never seen actors treat fans the way Kirsten Stewart and Rob Pattinson did. When the movies came out/ right after there were so many interviews and clips of them saying how much they hated the books, the movies, the fans, the fandom all of it. To this day I will not watch or support a single thing with either od them in it. I went on opening night with my bookclub girls to watch the first one. All the other movies Ive picked up at library booksales. I want NONE of my little bit of money going to those jerks.
It was rumored that Rob Pattinson is the onr who leaked the first chapters of Midnight Sun back in the day. Stephenie had given copies of the chapters to him and to I believe the director of the first or second movie to help them understand Edward better and RPat was reading it while getting his hair done, called it trash and threw it away. The person doing his hair picked it ouy of the garbage and put it online. So the rumor goes.
Sansa Stark of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (not Sansa Stark from the tv show, they are very different)
In the beginning of the book series Sansa is the epitome of a fangirl. She likes stories of strong handsome knights rescuing the princess from danger and sees the world through rose coloured lenses just waiting to be swept of her feet by some handsome oppa… uhm. Yes, this.
As the story goes on she learns that reality is not like the stories she loves and she has to figure out how to manoeuvre the dangerous adult world around her. While my world is not quite as dangerous as Sansas the change from childhood to adulthood is every bit as non-glamorous as depicted in her POV. And thus I, as does Sonasa, often find myself escaping to a dream world be it books, dramas or dreams.
Day 24: A Book You Wish More People Would Have Read
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
This one is the first book of her Age of X series which to date only has two books published. The main reason being that it didn’t sell well enough so the publisher decided to not go ahaed with the rest of the series.
But I really like this series. It’s a little more adult than her hugely popular Vampire Accademy series but the style is otherwise the same. Why wasn’t this more popular? I. Need. The. Next. Book.
But after so many years its futile to keep waiting… Even though Richelle insists that if time allows she will self-publish the rest of the series… It’s just that she has to write her contracted books first… It’s been over 5 years now. Do you think its time to give up?
The story and setting of this series is quite interesting: It’s set in a rather futuristc world that nevertheless has some dystopian story elements to it (virus nearly destroyed all of menkind). There is some destructive religious extremism in the past that let the RUNA to strongly monitor all religions in its territory. Justin used to be an investigator of religious groups but got exiled when he claimed something supernatural was going on. He is given a second chance when Mae comes to fetch him back for the RUNA because his skillset is required. Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. Together they investigate a serial murder case that may or may not have a religious background.
I like the world that Mead created. Most of her other series are set more or less in our world with a supernatural element hidden. But with this series she created something new. Maybe it was that the market was over-satiated with dystopian novels at the time but worse books than this became really popular. And I can’t emphasize how much I’m craving the next book because book 2 ends on a cliffhanger of sorts.
So yeah, I really wish more people had read this for purely selfish reasons. ^^’
Goodness, finally, someone else who agrees with me! This was SUCH a unique series and had ALL my favorite elements (fantasy, good worldbuilding, flawed characters, and GODS!) and I just don’t understand WHY it didn’t sell well!
She says she’s written the third book, but who knows when she’ll publish! My soul feels tortured!
I’m not familiar with this author’s works but as a young adult, I have to admit that our generation’s reading habits follow trends and as a whole we are very likely to ignore good stuff
Is that what the therapist said? Did I miss something?
I also really like LJG’s subtle emotes during his wifes speech. ‘Is this really what you think of him?’
Day 23: A Book You Wanted To Read But Still Haven’t
Oh boy, my to-read list is more than 50 books long… but the one I regret most not having read yet is
Successors Promise by Trudy Canavan
Mainly because its the last in the Trilogy and I have mostly forgotten what the other two books were about. :/
I love Trudy Canavans books and have read all of her prior series but the long wait between books pushed this one further and further back on my priority list because there was always some book that was more shiny.
I even own a hardcopy of the book. It sits on my bookshelf staring me dead in the eye every day. Judging me. I can feel it.
(Dis-)Honorable mentions go to Winds of Winter (George R.R. Martin) and The Doors of Stone (Patrick Rothfuss). I can’t believe it’s close to 10 years and I’m still waiting for these books to be published.
A drama that stuck its landing and wrapped everything up nicely without any of it feeling forced or unnatural.
I really liked the tone of the drama. It didn’t reinvent the wheel with its corruption plot but I liked that there where mercifully few scenes of politicians scheming with each other. The case itself was multilayered and felt big enough for the 16 episodes. I don’t think I ever felt that something was just filler. The three leads were likable and had good chemistry with each other. Even the villains were three-dimensional for a change, well except for the cousin but I somehow liked his presence anyways. (Maybe it’s because I still have Oh Jung Se’s heartmelting portayal of Moon Sang Tae in the back of my mind.)
The side characters were great aswell and their stories were woven into the main plot very organically. I tip my invisible hat to the writer of this drama. Very well done!
My only nitpick is that the death penalty discussion didn’t really go anywhere and we never found out who was advocating what side, so that in the end it felt more like a plot device than an actual discussion.
Overall this is one of my favorite crime dramas I have watched and is up there with the likes of Signal, Children of Nobody, Nobody Knows and Forest of Secrets.
Sirius’ death hit me really hard and I mourned along with Harry for the could have and should have beens. Sirius was one of my favorite characters in the entire book series and his demise hit me way harder than Dumbledores in the following. Dumbledore was always a bit more unaproachable but Sirius really wanted to be there for Harry. That scene between the two at Grimauld Place where they dream of their future as a family brings tears to my eyes upon rereads because I know that it was never to be.
These books were written for young girls with a fairly simple romance plot with the main characters being girls around 16 years old. Every book was one story or a one-shot if you will. I had a few (probably most) of these and back then I couldn’t get enough. But they were fairly short and it took me barely a day to finish one so my mother decided that I needed to read longer books so she got me the first Harry Potter book and then during the wait for the third one I read them in English which took me ages because at that point I was in my first schoolyear learning English. But with the help of a dictionary and the memory of the plot from the German editions I soldiered on. This actually taught me about English sentence structure and which words I really needed to look up to understand the sentence as a whole if not in detail. So I would credit Harry Potter as my true English teacher.
But I digress. Herzfieber are the first novels I remember reading and because I fell in love with each new story I became a total book lover. My love of books (especially physical ones where you turn pages) is rather strong to this day although I have got to admit that my average number of books read in a year has declined drastically ever since I graduated school.
These look good. Everyone of them is in good shape, that means you’re a real book lover. I stopped reading for years after a graduated school, but now I’m back at reading again.
Uff, sooooo many. But for the sake of this post I wiggeled it down to just one series.
Chloe and Cheftu Series by Suzanne Frank
My favorite of the series being the very first one ‘Reflections in the Nile’ or in German ‘Die Prophetin von Luxor’.
Soooo, my grandmother gave them to me to read when I was 13 or so. I have loved them ever since. Some might question my grandmother for this because there are rather explicit and very steamy scenes in there, but I think this is a rather German approach to life of which sex is most defenitly a part.
The books revolve around Chloe who as a modern day woman visiting Egypt gets hurled through time into ancient Egypt where she lands in the body of one high-priestess. She meets Cheftu, the doctor treating her, there who seems to have a strong hate against her (or rather the original owner of the body).
While the plot seems faily stock standart for a romance, the writing is were this series shines. The writing is so colorful and descrptive that you feel like you are actually there seeing what Chloe sees and experiencing the strangeness of this ancient world. These books made me fall in love with ancient Egypt more even though much of this book is the authors imagination but it fits in with what science has discovered to date so well that it’s hard to tell whats true and whats imagination.
If you love romance books you shouldn’t miss out on this series because once you start it’s unputdownable.
I really like this manga series and the movie adatation is just marvelous. Takeru Satoh is perfectly cast in the title role and whereas live-action adaptation of manga/anime often struggle with straddling the line between cartoonish and realistic this movie trilogie is striking the perfect balance especially during the many action scenes.
If you are in the mood to watch an action movie with swords AND a storyline, then I really recommend the Ruroni Kenshin Trilogy.
I read this because the main character in Jane Austens ‘Northanger Abbey’ was obessed with reading gothic horror novels and this one was her favorite. So I went in with high hopes because I like me some gothic horror but I did’t account for the different time periods that Catherine and I live in. What was riveting for her was boring and meandering and the much anticipated gothic horror only took up less than 30 pages of a reaaaaalllllly long book. Most of the book is more like a melancholic travel log with the main character being utterly passive for the most part.
It took me literal years to finish it because I could’t read more than 2 pages at the same time in this bible sized font of a 670 page book. I’m still proud of myself for soldiering on and finishing it, but it also taught me that if I don’t like something to just quit reading or watching it and not just keep suffering because of me being such a completist.
That reminds me of trying to read Les Miserables in high school. I still haven’t finished it. I did however plod through all of The Hunchback of Notre Dame just to find out that Disney lied to me about everything. 😂
Cheating here. I have two. One that speaks to me and one that I want to use in real life but, alas, an opportunity hasn’t presented itself, yet.
‘A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies’ said Jojen. ‘The man who never reads only lives one.’ – A Dance with Dragons by Geaorg R.R. Martin (Book 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire)
‘Jesus!’, Luke exclaimed.
‘Actually, it’s just me’, said Simon. ‘Although I’ve been told the resemblance is striking.’ – City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Day 15: Favorite Male Character
Day 16: Favorite Female Charcter
I’m putting these together because my pick is both and neither at the same time.
The Gestalt (The Rook by Daniel O’Malley)
I first saw Gestalt in the tv show adaptation of the same name and Gestalt was so different from any other character I have ever encountered anywhere that I was immediatly mesmerized and had to read the book.
Gestalt is one mind in four bodies (3 male, 1 female) that can work independently but see and experience everything all of the bodies experience at the same time. It’s quite mind boggling and hard to explain. No wonder Gestalt is a useful spy and enforcer for the agency he works for. Sadly the book isn’t written from its POV so we only get glimpses of Gestalt.
It is so weird seeing Gestalt (in the tv show) with all four bodies at home getting ready and having to remind yourself that Gestalt is still alone there. I’ve attached the video with this scene for beanies viewing pleasure.
As a side note Gestalt is German for shape/figure or guise. I find this name quite fitting for such a unique character.
Day 14: A Book Turned Into A Movie And Completly Desecrated
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin turned into Game of Thrones
I don’t think this one is controversial and you don’t even need to read the books to understand what an epic fustercluck the show was.
It hurts double for me because I just love the books and they are masterpieces… and the show (apart from season 1-3) is just garbage to be polite about it.
I love these two for very different reasons because they write different genres and in a vastly different style.
George R.R. Martin writing is sometimes meandering and the world building takes up more pages but it’s very polished and the language is just beautiful. He discribes his writing style as him being a gardener. He sows this and that seed and sometimes it bears fruit later on which he can then harnest into a new subplot or a new main charcter. It’s thrilling if you discover one of these little seedlings in a reread and it adds so much to whatever book he is writing. His Opus Magnum A Song of Ice and Fire is full of these moments and call-backs and it’s just fun reading and rereading and re-rereading his books because there is always something new to discover if you care to look for it.
J.R. Ward writes really good (paranormal) romance that is heartpumpingly intense and won’t let you put down the book. Until. You. Know. Her world building is not in your face but still important to the stories. The stories itself are mostly character driven. I just like her no-nonsense style. As opposed to Martin she falls under the category of writers that are planners. She knows from the beginning of each book how the story is going to end and she plans out each chapter aswell.
I’ll add that this is probably the reason the Warden pumps out 2 books per year whereas we have been waiting for close to 10 years for a new A Song of Ice and Fire book.
peachnita
August 29, 2020 at 11:11 AM
Day 28: Favorite Title Of A Book
Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin
It’s such a beautiful title for a sci-fi-ish story (because Martin never writes just one genre.) It’s essentially about a planet that got settled because it had a comet-like path that would pass this beautiful star collection once and after that disappear into the endless darkness hence the title. But the setting on that planet and the history and the melancholic and opeless feel of the story are just great. Also there is some romance in there but it’s not the main draw.
And I’m cheating again because this is my post and I make the rules here… ^^’ sort of:
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The title itself isn’t all that but that bookcover… Just look at it. I was obsessed with the cover for a good while after I bought it.
THe book is the first book in the prequell series to Clare’s The Mortal INstruments series and has a steampunk setting in ye olde London. If you are familiar with Clare’s style you will know what you get.
And now get back to staring at that cover!
peachnita
August 29, 2020 at 8:00 AM
Thanks to @yongsital for sugesting A Beautiful Mind to me.
I really enjoyed the drama. It was an interesting take on the nature vs nurture discussion of APD. It was a bit heavy on the hospital stuff but it was character-driven enough for me to finish and actually enjoy it. I have tried quite a few hospital kdrama and have finished almost none. (I only finished the mess that was Doctor Stranger for Lee Jong Suk.)
I liked the character exploration and the interactions with other people and how APD can be a limitation but also a strength in certain moments.
It was only 14 eoisodes which was enough but I wonder if the normal episode count of 16 was cut down due to ratings or something?
wapz
August 29, 2020 at 8:29 AM
Yes due to low ratings, I think they were between 2 to 4 percent but it was a rarity to get that low ratings at that time. But that’s also where it all started because after Beautiful Mind, public channels kept getting low ratings and they may have realized that it wasn’t a certain drama’s fault rather overall cable had started scoring more because of their high production and good stories.
FlyingTool
August 29, 2020 at 8:31 AM
They did lose two episodes. I don’t recall exactly why, but remember thinking the ending lost something…
yongsital 🐧 ❄️
August 29, 2020 at 11:45 AM
Yay! I’m glad you watched it and enjoyed it. I agree, the character exploration was its strength. Some of the dialogues have stuck with me since I watched it because I absolutely loved them and how perceptive they were.
KBS said the episode cut was because of the Olympics starting the finale week, if it had been 16 episodes. But it was a general consensus by viewers that it was due to the ratings. KBS just never owned up to the true reason. They had the date for the Olympics for ages prior so they would have know it would overlap. Of course, that’s why it made no sense and unfortunately the ending unraveled at lighting speed. As an avid fan of the drama I still wonder sometimes what was lost in those two hours.
bong-soo
August 29, 2020 at 12:45 PM
Glad you enjoyed BEAUTIFUL MIND and yes like the others I am still annoyed about the episode cut.
If I can go down memory lane. One of my favorite scenes is where Nurse Jang Moon-kyung (Ha Jae-sook) does a spot on imitation of Dr. Lee Young-oh (he of no emotions) right to his face and his response: “Don’t push your luck”.
I loved it.
peachnita
August 28, 2020 at 10:56 PM
Day 27: The Most Surprising Plot Twist Or Ending
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
I actually threw the book across the room because I was so heartbroken and angry and in denial. (I’m actually getting flash-backs to ‘The Smile Has Left Your Eyes’ if you know what I mean.)
In the following books the ‘situation’ got resolved but I’ll never forget that desperate thump the book made when it landed on the floor.
jillian
August 29, 2020 at 12:50 AM
I hated that twist as well.
ship-happens
September 2, 2020 at 5:20 PM
I felt the same when I read it. I suddenly wasn’t interested to read the rest of the series (but glad to hear it got resolved)
peachnita
August 28, 2020 at 5:06 AM
Eun Ha is simply adorable and Moo Jin is just really funny.
Also Lee Jun Gi beeing simply too good at action scenes. ^^
wapz
August 28, 2020 at 7:05 AM
I wonder if LJK has the same stardom in SK as he used to. The 87ers overshadowed him alot but he deserves all praise.
jillian
August 28, 2020 at 3:05 PM
Yes to all the above!🎉
peachnita
August 28, 2020 at 12:03 AM
Day 26: A Book That Changed Your Opinion About Something
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
It’s not actually the book that changed anything for me but rather the publics reaction that did.
When the backlash against Twilight started I was bewildered to put it mildly. I couldn’t understand it and not just because I was a fan. Even back then fandoms were celebrated or at worst ignored but never before have I seen so much hate towards a book and worse its fans. They were labeled as stupid teen-girls who didn’t know better and were met with an alien-like fear. It then became a trend to distance yourself from these ‘stupid teen-girls’ by proudly and loudly proclaiming that you were not on of those. And even today being a Twilight-hater is a badge of honor. But why? Do we as a society hate teen-girls that much? Weren’t we all/most of us teen-girls at some point? Tastes are different and not everybody has to like the same thing, that would be really boring, but hating on something this maliciously is unique in fan-culture. And the only difference from this franchise to others is its primary target audience.
So what I learned from the Twilight backlash is the following: As a girl you need to have more courage to like what you do especially if its made for you without feeling the need to explain yourself to the world. Giving in to peer-pressure is easy but it won’t make you happy and to find joy in the discomfort of others by unashamedly enjoying the books I want even if its a stupid teen romance.
purplesheesh
August 28, 2020 at 5:29 AM
I agree! I’m one of those who were criticized for being a fan. I’ve never pushed this book to anyone but the hatred I got (in person and online) was so bad that I stopped reading the book openly.
sirena
August 28, 2020 at 6:50 AM
@purplesheesh that’s horrible.
sirena
August 28, 2020 at 6:49 AM
I read all of the books and I enjoyed them (except for the ending of the fourth) and I watched all the films. There is a youtuber who made a great video on the Twilight books and the hate/criticism that they received as well as Stephanie Meyer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O06tMbIKh0
peachnita
August 28, 2020 at 7:11 AM
Yes, I adore Lindsey Ellis. I could never be as articulate as her. =)
sirena
August 28, 2020 at 8:56 AM
A colleague introduced me to Lindsey Ellis. She has a lot of great videos.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 28, 2020 at 1:51 PM
Oh, I understand this completely. Even this week my manager mocked me for wanting to read Midnight Sun but not being at all interested in the Hinger Games Prequel. Ive been wanting to read Midnight Sun for a full decade now. And I have 0 interest in president snow. Why would I read that book?
I will say Ive never seen actors treat fans the way Kirsten Stewart and Rob Pattinson did. When the movies came out/ right after there were so many interviews and clips of them saying how much they hated the books, the movies, the fans, the fandom all of it. To this day I will not watch or support a single thing with either od them in it. I went on opening night with my bookclub girls to watch the first one. All the other movies Ive picked up at library booksales. I want NONE of my little bit of money going to those jerks.
sirena
August 29, 2020 at 6:23 AM
I never knew that they behaved that Way with fans. That’s a shame. I have put the audio book of Midnight Sun on hold.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 29, 2020 at 10:15 AM
It was rumored that Rob Pattinson is the onr who leaked the first chapters of Midnight Sun back in the day. Stephenie had given copies of the chapters to him and to I believe the director of the first or second movie to help them understand Edward better and RPat was reading it while getting his hair done, called it trash and threw it away. The person doing his hair picked it ouy of the garbage and put it online. So the rumor goes.
peachnita
August 27, 2020 at 10:34 AM
Day 25: A Character You Can Relate To The Most
Sansa Stark of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (not Sansa Stark from the tv show, they are very different)
In the beginning of the book series Sansa is the epitome of a fangirl. She likes stories of strong handsome knights rescuing the princess from danger and sees the world through rose coloured lenses just waiting to be swept of her feet by some handsome oppa… uhm. Yes, this.
As the story goes on she learns that reality is not like the stories she loves and she has to figure out how to manoeuvre the dangerous adult world around her. While my world is not quite as dangerous as Sansas the change from childhood to adulthood is every bit as non-glamorous as depicted in her POV. And thus I, as does Sonasa, often find myself escaping to a dream world be it books, dramas or dreams.
peachnita
August 27, 2020 at 1:02 AM
Day 24: A Book You Wish More People Would Have Read
Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
This one is the first book of her Age of X series which to date only has two books published. The main reason being that it didn’t sell well enough so the publisher decided to not go ahaed with the rest of the series.
But I really like this series. It’s a little more adult than her hugely popular Vampire Accademy series but the style is otherwise the same. Why wasn’t this more popular? I. Need. The. Next. Book.
But after so many years its futile to keep waiting… Even though Richelle insists that if time allows she will self-publish the rest of the series… It’s just that she has to write her contracted books first… It’s been over 5 years now. Do you think its time to give up?
The story and setting of this series is quite interesting: It’s set in a rather futuristc world that nevertheless has some dystopian story elements to it (virus nearly destroyed all of menkind). There is some destructive religious extremism in the past that let the RUNA to strongly monitor all religions in its territory. Justin used to be an investigator of religious groups but got exiled when he claimed something supernatural was going on. He is given a second chance when Mae comes to fetch him back for the RUNA because his skillset is required. Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. Together they investigate a serial murder case that may or may not have a religious background.
I like the world that Mead created. Most of her other series are set more or less in our world with a supernatural element hidden. But with this series she created something new. Maybe it was that the market was over-satiated with dystopian novels at the time but worse books than this became really popular. And I can’t emphasize how much I’m craving the next book because book 2 ends on a cliffhanger of sorts.
So yeah, I really wish more people had read this for purely selfish reasons. ^^’
zgs1994
August 27, 2020 at 2:56 AM
Goodness, finally, someone else who agrees with me! This was SUCH a unique series and had ALL my favorite elements (fantasy, good worldbuilding, flawed characters, and GODS!) and I just don’t understand WHY it didn’t sell well!
She says she’s written the third book, but who knows when she’ll publish! My soul feels tortured!
Mani-chan
August 27, 2020 at 3:02 AM
I’m not familiar with this author’s works but as a young adult, I have to admit that our generation’s reading habits follow trends and as a whole we are very likely to ignore good stuff
peachnita
August 27, 2020 at 12:32 AM
Flower of Evil #9
Is that what the therapist said? Did I miss something?
I also really like LJG’s subtle emotes during his wifes speech. ‘Is this really what you think of him?’
peachnita
August 26, 2020 at 10:25 AM
Day 23: A Book You Wanted To Read But Still Haven’t
Oh boy, my to-read list is more than 50 books long… but the one I regret most not having read yet is
Successors Promise by Trudy Canavan
Mainly because its the last in the Trilogy and I have mostly forgotten what the other two books were about. :/
I love Trudy Canavans books and have read all of her prior series but the long wait between books pushed this one further and further back on my priority list because there was always some book that was more shiny.
I even own a hardcopy of the book. It sits on my bookshelf staring me dead in the eye every day. Judging me. I can feel it.
(Dis-)Honorable mentions go to Winds of Winter (George R.R. Martin) and The Doors of Stone (Patrick Rothfuss). I can’t believe it’s close to 10 years and I’m still waiting for these books to be published.
#WaitingForWindsOfWinter
peachnita
August 26, 2020 at 3:12 AM
The Good Detective – Final Thoughts
A drama that stuck its landing and wrapped everything up nicely without any of it feeling forced or unnatural.
I really liked the tone of the drama. It didn’t reinvent the wheel with its corruption plot but I liked that there where mercifully few scenes of politicians scheming with each other. The case itself was multilayered and felt big enough for the 16 episodes. I don’t think I ever felt that something was just filler. The three leads were likable and had good chemistry with each other. Even the villains were three-dimensional for a change, well except for the cousin but I somehow liked his presence anyways. (Maybe it’s because I still have Oh Jung Se’s heartmelting portayal of Moon Sang Tae in the back of my mind.)
The side characters were great aswell and their stories were woven into the main plot very organically. I tip my invisible hat to the writer of this drama. Very well done!
My only nitpick is that the death penalty discussion didn’t really go anywhere and we never found out who was advocating what side, so that in the end it felt more like a plot device than an actual discussion.
Overall this is one of my favorite crime dramas I have watched and is up there with the likes of Signal, Children of Nobody, Nobody Knows and Forest of Secrets.
peachnita
August 25, 2020 at 10:52 PM
Day 22: A Book That Makes You Cry
The Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling
Sirius’ death hit me really hard and I mourned along with Harry for the could have and should have beens. Sirius was one of my favorite characters in the entire book series and his demise hit me way harder than Dumbledores in the following. Dumbledore was always a bit more unaproachable but Sirius really wanted to be there for Harry. That scene between the two at Grimauld Place where they dream of their future as a family brings tears to my eyes upon rereads because I know that it was never to be.
Mani-chan
August 26, 2020 at 12:12 AM
I sobbed like a baby in this one. Sirius was the family Harry had always dreamed of and my heart hurt so much for him
peachnita
August 25, 2020 at 4:28 AM
Day 21: The First Novel You Remember Reading
Herzfieber (eng. lit.: Heart Fever) Books
These books were written for young girls with a fairly simple romance plot with the main characters being girls around 16 years old. Every book was one story or a one-shot if you will. I had a few (probably most) of these and back then I couldn’t get enough. But they were fairly short and it took me barely a day to finish one so my mother decided that I needed to read longer books so she got me the first Harry Potter book and then during the wait for the third one I read them in English which took me ages because at that point I was in my first schoolyear learning English. But with the help of a dictionary and the memory of the plot from the German editions I soldiered on. This actually taught me about English sentence structure and which words I really needed to look up to understand the sentence as a whole if not in detail. So I would credit Harry Potter as my true English teacher.
But I digress. Herzfieber are the first novels I remember reading and because I fell in love with each new story I became a total book lover. My love of books (especially physical ones where you turn pages) is rather strong to this day although I have got to admit that my average number of books read in a year has declined drastically ever since I graduated school.
sirena
August 25, 2020 at 6:50 AM
Thank you for sharing 🙂
mmmmm
August 25, 2020 at 9:29 AM
These look good. Everyone of them is in good shape, that means you’re a real book lover. I stopped reading for years after a graduated school, but now I’m back at reading again.
peachnita
August 24, 2020 at 11:40 AM
Day 20: Favorite Romance Book
Uff, sooooo many. But for the sake of this post I wiggeled it down to just one series.
Chloe and Cheftu Series by Suzanne Frank
My favorite of the series being the very first one ‘Reflections in the Nile’ or in German ‘Die Prophetin von Luxor’.
Soooo, my grandmother gave them to me to read when I was 13 or so. I have loved them ever since. Some might question my grandmother for this because there are rather explicit and very steamy scenes in there, but I think this is a rather German approach to life of which sex is most defenitly a part.
The books revolve around Chloe who as a modern day woman visiting Egypt gets hurled through time into ancient Egypt where she lands in the body of one high-priestess. She meets Cheftu, the doctor treating her, there who seems to have a strong hate against her (or rather the original owner of the body).
While the plot seems faily stock standart for a romance, the writing is were this series shines. The writing is so colorful and descrptive that you feel like you are actually there seeing what Chloe sees and experiencing the strangeness of this ancient world. These books made me fall in love with ancient Egypt more even though much of this book is the authors imagination but it fits in with what science has discovered to date so well that it’s hard to tell whats true and whats imagination.
If you love romance books you shouldn’t miss out on this series because once you start it’s unputdownable.
peachnita
August 24, 2020 at 1:25 AM
Day 19: Favorite Book Turned Into A Movie
Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki (Manga)
I really like this manga series and the movie adatation is just marvelous. Takeru Satoh is perfectly cast in the title role and whereas live-action adaptation of manga/anime often struggle with straddling the line between cartoonish and realistic this movie trilogie is striking the perfect balance especially during the many action scenes.
If you are in the mood to watch an action movie with swords AND a storyline, then I really recommend the Ruroni Kenshin Trilogy.
sirena
August 24, 2020 at 7:30 AM
I enjoy these films as well.
zitless
August 24, 2020 at 7:33 AM
Takeru Satoh can do no wrong😍. Have to wait till 2021 for the two part movie.
peachnita
August 23, 2020 at 12:14 PM
Day 18: A Book That Disappointed You
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
I read this because the main character in Jane Austens ‘Northanger Abbey’ was obessed with reading gothic horror novels and this one was her favorite. So I went in with high hopes because I like me some gothic horror but I did’t account for the different time periods that Catherine and I live in. What was riveting for her was boring and meandering and the much anticipated gothic horror only took up less than 30 pages of a reaaaaalllllly long book. Most of the book is more like a melancholic travel log with the main character being utterly passive for the most part.
It took me literal years to finish it because I could’t read more than 2 pages at the same time in this bible sized font of a 670 page book. I’m still proud of myself for soldiering on and finishing it, but it also taught me that if I don’t like something to just quit reading or watching it and not just keep suffering because of me being such a completist.
WishfulToki
August 23, 2020 at 12:33 PM
That reminds me of trying to read Les Miserables in high school. I still haven’t finished it. I did however plod through all of The Hunchback of Notre Dame just to find out that Disney lied to me about everything. 😂
beffels
August 23, 2020 at 12:41 PM
Try Les Mis again – I actually really enjoyed it, which I was not expecting. (I may have skimmed a little over some of the Waterloo sections)
beffels
August 23, 2020 at 12:42 PM
Well done on finishing. I gave up the struggle 😂
peachnita
August 23, 2020 at 4:09 AM
Day 17: Favorite Quote From A Favorite Book
Cheating here. I have two. One that speaks to me and one that I want to use in real life but, alas, an opportunity hasn’t presented itself, yet.
‘A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies’ said Jojen. ‘The man who never reads only lives one.’ – A Dance with Dragons by Geaorg R.R. Martin (Book 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire)
‘Jesus!’, Luke exclaimed.
‘Actually, it’s just me’, said Simon. ‘Although I’ve been told the resemblance is striking.’ – City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
peachnita
August 21, 2020 at 11:00 PM
Day 15: Favorite Male Character
Day 16: Favorite Female Charcter
I’m putting these together because my pick is both and neither at the same time.
The Gestalt (The Rook by Daniel O’Malley)
I first saw Gestalt in the tv show adaptation of the same name and Gestalt was so different from any other character I have ever encountered anywhere that I was immediatly mesmerized and had to read the book.
Gestalt is one mind in four bodies (3 male, 1 female) that can work independently but see and experience everything all of the bodies experience at the same time. It’s quite mind boggling and hard to explain. No wonder Gestalt is a useful spy and enforcer for the agency he works for. Sadly the book isn’t written from its POV so we only get glimpses of Gestalt.
It is so weird seeing Gestalt (in the tv show) with all four bodies at home getting ready and having to remind yourself that Gestalt is still alone there. I’ve attached the video with this scene for beanies viewing pleasure.
As a side note Gestalt is German for shape/figure or guise. I find this name quite fitting for such a unique character.
peachnita
August 21, 2020 at 12:21 PM
Day 14: A Book Turned Into A Movie And Completly Desecrated
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin turned into Game of Thrones
I don’t think this one is controversial and you don’t even need to read the books to understand what an epic fustercluck the show was.
It hurts double for me because I just love the books and they are masterpieces… and the show (apart from season 1-3) is just garbage to be polite about it.
Karmen ~ 🍜🏢🎭 ~ 📚☔🦋 ~ 🪂🌱💘 ~ ✨🍊💫 ~
August 21, 2020 at 1:35 PM
Agree! I dropped it after the 4th season.
peachnita
August 21, 2020 at 8:21 AM
Just dropping this off here for beanies to enjoy.
peachnita
August 21, 2020 at 2:25 AM
Day 13: Your Favorite Writer
George R.R. Martin and J.R. Ward
I love these two for very different reasons because they write different genres and in a vastly different style.
George R.R. Martin writing is sometimes meandering and the world building takes up more pages but it’s very polished and the language is just beautiful. He discribes his writing style as him being a gardener. He sows this and that seed and sometimes it bears fruit later on which he can then harnest into a new subplot or a new main charcter. It’s thrilling if you discover one of these little seedlings in a reread and it adds so much to whatever book he is writing. His Opus Magnum A Song of Ice and Fire is full of these moments and call-backs and it’s just fun reading and rereading and re-rereading his books because there is always something new to discover if you care to look for it.
J.R. Ward writes really good (paranormal) romance that is heartpumpingly intense and won’t let you put down the book. Until. You. Know. Her world building is not in your face but still important to the stories. The stories itself are mostly character driven. I just like her no-nonsense style. As opposed to Martin she falls under the category of writers that are planners. She knows from the beginning of each book how the story is going to end and she plans out each chapter aswell.
I’ll add that this is probably the reason the Warden pumps out 2 books per year whereas we have been waiting for close to 10 years for a new A Song of Ice and Fire book.
#WaitingForWindsOfWinter