Picked 6 Flying Dragons back up after not watching any for few weeks, MAN why did I stop? It’s so good! If it wasn’t a million episodes long it’d totally be the drama I recommend to nondrama watchers.
I’ve been watching it on my commute to work (it’s about an hour by train so it fits pretty well)…then I missed a few days because of various reasons and just got out of the habit…so picked it back up because it was there and I had nothing else to do 😄 I’m only on episode 10 so it’s still early days for me really.
They are releasing NIGHT versions tonight in addition to the 4 versions they already have (acousting, EDM, tropical and Poolside). I’m looking forward to all of them. 🙂
Hopefully, your kids are willing to mix them up a bit.
King2hearts – so my sister and I have been mocking the Evil Australian but I just looked up the actor and turns out he’s from NZ 😱😱😱 just lost all faith in my ability to recognise my own accent 😂
My final book post!This was a great challenge, thanks @isthatscorner. I really enjoyed seeing the books everyone had in common as well as the ones that were different.
25. Character you relate to the most – I’m skipping this because I can’t think of a good example.
26. A book that changed your opinion – this is kind of superficial, but I was pretty much of the opinion (after reading many) that the kind of books that win modern literature prizes are mostly arty waffles more concerned with sounding clever than being a good book. Then I read Life of Pi (which won the Booker Prize). It’s great. If you haven’t read it, you should.
27. The most surprising plot twist or ending. Ok so I legit hated this book because of this. Why pose the question if you’re just going to make it irrelevant? My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult.
28. Favourite book title. I don’t know, I like many. Let’s go with A Hat Full Of Sky, by Terry Pratchett. I like this, it seems very full of possibilities (also, I like the book, which helps).
29. A book everyone hated but you liked. Like others, I’ll say Twilight. I’m not saying they’re high quality literature but they were never meant to be? They got a lot more hate than was really necessary. I enjoyed (most of them) while I was reading them and then forgot them afterwards.
30. My favourite book of all time: The Ordinary Princess by M M Kaye. It’s a sweet fairy story (the original edition that hasn’t been Americanised is superior) and I love it so much one of my children’s names comes from it❤️
Catching up again…
Day 21: first novel you remember reading
So in reality I would have read many before this but the first novel I have distinct memories of reading is Jane Eyre when I was about eight years old (probably an abridged version – I was an advanced reader but that seems VERY advanced).
22. A book that makes you cry – there are so many because I am a weeper; Anybody Out There by Marion Keyes is one that made me cry BUCKETS.
23. A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t – The Classical World by Robin Lane Fox. This has been beside my bed for literally years. I have read some but keep fading out. It’s a huge doorstop of a book, but I will make it through one day!
24. A book you wish more people would have read – Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. This is a very fun, informative (critical) look at science and pseudoscience in the mainstream media (things like how a fabricated study led to anti-vax movements). Especially these days I think everyone could do with a bit more critical thinking around what they see online.
I couldn’t choose, so we’re having two – my fave romantic melodrama is
The Shadow of the Moon, by M M Kaye. Sweeping historical backdrop! Falling in love with superior officer’s wife! Secretly (and not so secretly) protecting her! Military men restraining themselves from love because it cannot be is totally my cup of tea (see also Crash Landing On You 😄).
My favourite romantic comedy is Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. It’s very funny and sweet and has my favourite romance trope of all time – the pretend engagement. Even my husband liked this book.
Just flicking through past posts and saw this and HAVE to reply!
Shadow of the Moon has been my favourite book forever, and I also enjoyed Far Pavilions by the same author. I wish they had made SOM into a film, it would have been fabulous, but who would you choose to play Alex Randall? They miscast Far Pavilions so badly when they made that into a film!
Also a huge fan of Georgette Heyer. One of her books would have made a fantastic Kdrama, the one where the family are extremely grand but desperately in debt because of the father’s gambling, and they manage to get the beautiful older daughter engaged to the most eligible rich Duke in the neighbourhood. However, older daughter loves a soldier, so youngest daughter visits the Duke at night with her maid and asks him if he wouldn’t mind swapping her sister with her? He is amused and agrees and of course falls in love with her. But she is young and naive and her Mother has told her not to impose her person on her husband as he has a beautiful mistress and she has to pretend she doesn’t know anything about it. The mistress and an enemy of the duke conspire to cause the young bride’s social downfall, and she gets into a lot of scrapes, but she is fun and lively. It would convert very well into a Korean drama, I feel sure! Anyway, it is rare to find someone who shares one’s literary tastes so exactly!
It’s rare for me to find someone who’s even heard of Shadow of the Moon! I also like the Far Pavilions too (and Trade Wind by the same author, although some of it is now Exceptionally Problematic) – as a book at least. Casting can really make or break an adaptation, can’t it?
I would watch that kdrama! I know the book you mean but I cannot for the life of me remember what it’s called….Obviously this calls for some re-reading 😎
Book challenge catchup post! @isthatacorner
14. book turned into a movie and desecrated
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
The book is very funny. The movie is just not. At all. It’s terrible. Don’t watch it. Just read the books and remain in happy ignorance of the movie.
15. Fav male character….I feel like I should pick someone from a series or some sort of influential book for these but I’m just going to choose one I’ve been reading recently 😅 today I will go with Hugo Darracott from the Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer. I like most of Heyer’s heroes, but Hugo really appeals to me – everyone expects him to be big and dumb but he’s very strong and smart (but playing up to expectations with a cheeky sense of humour)
16. Fav female character….Princess Amy from The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye. I love Amy….she’s fun, hardworking, kind, a princess 😄 I love this book to bits, as a child I memorised the entire first chapter.
17. Fav quote from fav book….not necessarily my favourite quote, but one I like: “For though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world.” (The Ordinary Princess)
18. A book that disappointed you …..Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer. By the time I read it I’d read most other Heyer books so I was excited to get hold of it…but it’s just not very good, unfortunately. It lacks the charm of her other books.
19. Fav book turned into a movie…. A Room With A View. Watching the movie makes the book better; reading the book makes the movie better. Plus, the movie is stacked with people you know and they’re all so young! Baby Helena Bonham Carter!
Honourable mention to the Princess Bride – not because it’s my favourite book (I really really do not like the book), but because it’s a favourite movie based on a book (that is SO MUCH better than the book)
They’re so good (mostly, there are some duds), I revisit them regularly! My favourite is probably Cotillion….maybe I should choose my favourite male character again lol.
oh yes they’re a lot of fun! Her crime novels are utter rubbish, though. Golden age crime fiction is my crack genre, so I have read a lot of detective fiction from the mid-20th century. Heyer is definitely bottom of the pile in that list :p
I LOVE Cotillion too! I always feel like she thought while writing Friday’s Child: I wonder what the story would have looked like if Ferdy was the lead instead of Sherry! And then she did just that! She even used almost the same name for him!
Oh my! I have read ALL these books – Cotillion, Friday’s Child, Sylvester, Cousin Kate.. But I can’t for the life of me remember anything (other than having enjoyed them thoroughly when I read them). My friends and I even have a group called These Old Shades… I’m now itching to pick them up again.
Time for a re-read then! Keep us posted so we can fan-girl along. And if by any chance you happen to read False Colours tell me if you agree that it is the PERFECT script for a kdrama!
I will! I need to make the trek to my aunt’s bookshelf for this. She has the complete collection. I will put False Colours on my priority list 😀
That said, I remember there was some copyright issue over Heyer’s works, which is why her books never made it to TV or cinema. I recall reading somewhere that this might have been sorted out recently, and someone (BBC?) had acquired rights. They’re all so eminently dramatisable!
Sylvester also on high rotation for me, I’ve read it so much the cover is falling off 😄 And False Colours is also a favourite. I could go on a list of all my favourites but it might be nearly all of them 😅
I discovered it and the books around the same time so they’re sort of linked together for me. Some of the effects are dodgy but because it was made by the BBC it has the right British sensibility.
OH MY GOD Hugo Darracott!! Never did I ever dream to see his name on DB! He is one of the most perfect Heyer Heros!
And about Cousin Kate. I was very fortunate that the books belonged to my mom and she always told me beforehand what to expect from each one I started. With CK she said you can skip it. I still read it because I was a teen and I didn’t really listen, but at least I knew it wouldn’t be good.
I had no warning 😕 and I think it was the very last one I had left to read so it was sadly disappointing. I had to go read some of the others again to make up for it (any excuse, right? I’m totally going to go and pull them all out and read them again after this!)
😁 I so agree with you about A Room with A View, the film and the book really enhance each other. Yes, and so many stars st the beginnings of their careers! Daniel Day Lewis!
As fabulous a movie as The Princess Bride is, it’s true that the book is even better. I read it in a day and laughed sooooo hard.
Well here we go….officially the longest kdrama I have ever tried to watch 😆 Will I finish it by the end of the year?
One episode in and I have strong Game of Thrones vibes (minus the magical stuff)
Ohhh, I’ve been trying to finish this one for over a year now. It’s a bit old school – lots of old men conspiring in rooms, over-acting agogo, and that secret back door that everybody uses is 🤣 -, but the characters and the story are really compelling. Gil Taemi is my favourite villain ever, Moohyul is adorable, and Bangwon’s journey breaks your heart – and plus: sword fights!
I blame my goldfish attention span for not having finished it yet. If you like it, please do share your thoughts here on the Beaniewall, that will surely motivate me to go back and finish it!
I’m been trying hard to get myself to start watching it, but every time I see how long it really is I walk away slowly and think to myself that I should save it for another day LOL it’s a never ending cycle
MY COUNTRY covers the same time period if you want something shorter and more recent, but SFD is better in terms of writing and will give you a clearer idea of the historical events. 🙂
My Country definitely has a more modern feel to it – it looks incredibly pretty, and the battle scenes feel like a film production. And, of course, Woo Dohwan, makes it all the more compelling 💚
But my experience is that 6FD (and the stuff I read while watching it, because for a while I was so interested in these characters that I wanted to know who was real and who was made up for the drama) was helpful to understand MC. Otherwise MC wouldn’t have made any sense to me, it treated historical events in a really choppy way. I’m glad that I watched it while airing, because Sageuk-Beanies’ comments gave me a lot of context!
Don’t think GOT. That will spoil it for you. It is a brilliant historical drama. Yoo Ah-In does the character in all his historical contradictions so well. I can’t speak highly enough of it. Some people find the politics too much, but when you read up on what its all about, it provides a fascinating revisionary history, and of course the really amazing thing is at the very end as a tribute to what is to follow. BTW I also loved Byun Yo-han and Park Hyuk-kwon in their roles. One of the best, for me.
I’m trying not to think of it – it was just the scene early on with the boy watching his father executing a wrongdoer – Game of Thrones has basically the same scene.
I’m unsure whether I want to read up before or after I watch it – most western historical dramas I’ve seen I’ve known a fair bit about beforehand but this I’m going in almost completely blind….I’m not sure if that makes the story more interesting or unnecessarily stressful 😅
Ok I actually thought of one while I was choosing my favourite writer.
Trade Wind by M M Kaye. I love M M Kaye, her historical romances are amazing, but this one is so deeply flawed. It’s great and atmospheric and I love the setting and the hero and the heroine except (spoiler) he totally rapes her out of revenge and then they fall in love DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE
Total play out of historical bodiceripper playbooks. I havent read one in a decade or more but I know in every Johanna Lindsey book the guy ALWAYS rapes the girl but they fall in love in the end.
It’s not a bodice ripper though (trust me when I say I have read PLENTY of those lol) so I wasn’t expecting it 😄 it’s a shame because it’s an otherwise good read
I have a couple of options for this but I’m going with my favourite New Zealand children’s writer, Margaret Mahy. I met her once when I was a child and she signed my book 💖 it is an absolute highlight in my memory. She had a great gift with language and her stories are magical.
I’ve just been reading this to my six year old – it’s one of the World’s Worst Teachers series and I get that it is supposed to be funny, but it is NOT. None of the books are that great but at least (from the ones I’ve read) the teachers are mean so it makes sense for the kids to get their own back. But in this one, the teacher is just a brand new teacher who has done nothing wrong and the children brutalise him just to be cruel – it’s presented as if they’re doing something really funny and cool. It makes me really angry.
Totally outed myself as a kdrama watcher at work today lol. Someone else recommended Crash Landing On You and I was like “someone else here watches kdramas! It was great!”
Aww that’s rather cute! I do think that Netflix has played a huge role in expanding K-dramas reach in the last few years. Plus the fact that there 1 season worth in one story makes for a fast/addicting watch!
I’ve been trying to get my friends to watch kdrama for 15 years, obviously I just gave up quite a while ago. Out of the clear blue sky, I just found out that my friend and her adult daughter watched Crash Landing and loved it (and Hyun Bin). Duh! 😁
Book challenge day 9: a book you thought you wouldn’t like @isthatacorner
A Room With A View by E M Forster
I had previously read Passage to India and Howard’s End by same author and I didn’t like either of them, so I had no hopes for this. Then I read it. It’s great. It’s very funny and romantic but also has a lot to say about how we let what other people think influence our behaviour. I re-read it often.
(The movie is also great but did have more full frontal male nudity than I expect in a period drama😱😂)
Oh wow yea, I’ve only seen the movie but haven’t read the book. I remembered liking Passage to India when I had to read it in high school. I liked his writing style but barely remembered what the book is about. Lols.
I’m reading this right now and find it highly entertaining and thoughtful. Can’t wait to find out what Lucy will decide to do (I’m at the part when she’s back in England and new (but old) faces showed up in her neighborhood).
I read a quote somewhere from some well known author that they never wanted to be considered literature. People suffered through literature but enjoyed novels
So much of what we continue to read centuries later was NOT considered deep important reading.
Hopefully then, there will be bodice ripper literature classes in the year 2150. Whole units could be spent dissecting the work of Fabio as cover model.
Oh man, I remember the hype around this book way back in the day and when I finally got around to looking up what it was about I was just like – seriously? and then did not read it. Also I remember the author was kind of a dick and there was that whole stupid Oprah thing, and he came off as just very unpleasant and turned me off to his work. He has only doubled down on these impressions as time goes on and I have no desire to read his stuff.
This book cracks me up. It was first published in 1889 but it really shows that some things never change – like looking up your symptoms and finding you’ve got every disease in the book, or going camping with tinned food and forgetting the can opener 😅
I was thinking just now that this would be my pick if I had been doing this challenge! This book has been re-read so many times in our family that it gets quoted constantly on a daily basis!
beffels
October 23, 2020 at 3:40 AM
Finally made myself watch the end of Gu Family Book. Knew what was coming and still 😭😭😭😭😭
alasecond
October 23, 2020 at 4:10 AM
well on the good side.. all he needed was to become poor stuntman and not a billionaire to get the girl 😀
beffels
October 23, 2020 at 10:15 AM
😄
korfan
October 23, 2020 at 6:27 AM
I’ve heard about that ending.
beffels
October 13, 2020 at 10:15 PM
Picked 6 Flying Dragons back up after not watching any for few weeks, MAN why did I stop? It’s so good! If it wasn’t a million episodes long it’d totally be the drama I recommend to nondrama watchers.
earthna
October 13, 2020 at 10:22 PM
Yay!
alasecond
October 13, 2020 at 10:47 PM
it is brilliant..
YAI is just so so so good
korfan
October 14, 2020 at 5:08 AM
Glad to hear you picked it up again! It is good!
OLakes
October 14, 2020 at 7:16 AM
I gave it up ages ago after about 6 episodes…what made you pick it back up again? Did I just give up at a bad time?
beffels
October 14, 2020 at 10:42 AM
I’ve been watching it on my commute to work (it’s about an hour by train so it fits pretty well)…then I missed a few days because of various reasons and just got out of the habit…so picked it back up because it was there and I had nothing else to do 😄 I’m only on episode 10 so it’s still early days for me really.
OLakes
October 14, 2020 at 12:16 PM
If it helps pass the time on a commute, sounds like it’s worth putting back in my rotation. Happy watching! 🙂
marina
October 14, 2020 at 7:52 AM
It’s been on my list for ages but the number of eps never let me start! Now that I know another Beanie is watching it, I’m gonna start ^^
beffels
October 14, 2020 at 11:24 AM
Yay! Do it!
beffels
October 8, 2020 at 11:08 AM
I liked the first ep of DoDoSolSolLaLaSol – none of it was groundbreaking but it felt like a nice watch.
beffels
September 17, 2020 at 1:30 PM
Help my children have discovered BTS. We’ve listened to Dyna-na-na-na-na-more 8 times today. By 8am.
beffels
September 17, 2020 at 1:31 PM
*mite thanks autocorrect
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 17, 2020 at 2:57 PM
I might be okay with that. It’s better than Baby Shark on repeat.
beffels
September 17, 2020 at 3:32 PM
I was fine with it for the first six or so listens but I think they need to expand their range 😅 baby shark would break it up a bit at this point
drawde2000
September 17, 2020 at 6:32 PM
They are releasing NIGHT versions tonight in addition to the 4 versions they already have (acousting, EDM, tropical and Poolside). I’m looking forward to all of them. 🙂
Hopefully, your kids are willing to mix them up a bit.
beffels
September 6, 2020 at 2:08 AM
King2hearts – so my sister and I have been mocking the Evil Australian but I just looked up the actor and turns out he’s from NZ 😱😱😱 just lost all faith in my ability to recognise my own accent 😂
beffels
September 5, 2020 at 5:50 AM
@ally-le this is not kpop, nor is it new (though it may be new to others as he’s an NZ artist), but it def captures the guy falling first
Ally
September 5, 2020 at 7:12 AM
This is awesome! I can totally see azzo’s SNG Singing this to her!
azzo
September 5, 2020 at 11:17 AM
He will NEVER sing!
azzo
September 5, 2020 at 11:17 AM
Also, thank you beffels 🧡
beffels
September 5, 2020 at 3:05 PM
You never know, he might sing one day 😄 congratulations once again and I hope you enjoy all the music!
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 5, 2020 at 8:12 PM
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
beffels
September 4, 2020 at 11:21 PM
@ally-le it’s not new but when I think love songs from kdramas, this comes to mind first😊
azzo
September 5, 2020 at 6:59 AM
So should I check the posts where Ally is tagged? Is this part of the playlist.. hehe ☺
Thank youuu, I love Suran ❤
Ally
September 5, 2020 at 7:10 AM
Just stalk the beanie wall…😜
Bebe | Nessa❣️
September 5, 2020 at 8:57 AM
Have we reached the end yet, or can I keep posting?
Ally
September 5, 2020 at 3:08 PM
Post until Monday! I just need that day to compile everything while I’m off work!
Bebe | Nessa❣️
September 5, 2020 at 4:26 PM
👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
beffels
September 3, 2020 at 5:10 PM
My final book post!This was a great challenge, thanks @isthatscorner. I really enjoyed seeing the books everyone had in common as well as the ones that were different.
25. Character you relate to the most – I’m skipping this because I can’t think of a good example.
26. A book that changed your opinion – this is kind of superficial, but I was pretty much of the opinion (after reading many) that the kind of books that win modern literature prizes are mostly arty waffles more concerned with sounding clever than being a good book. Then I read Life of Pi (which won the Booker Prize). It’s great. If you haven’t read it, you should.
27. The most surprising plot twist or ending. Ok so I legit hated this book because of this. Why pose the question if you’re just going to make it irrelevant? My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult.
28. Favourite book title. I don’t know, I like many. Let’s go with A Hat Full Of Sky, by Terry Pratchett. I like this, it seems very full of possibilities (also, I like the book, which helps).
29. A book everyone hated but you liked. Like others, I’ll say Twilight. I’m not saying they’re high quality literature but they were never meant to be? They got a lot more hate than was really necessary. I enjoyed (most of them) while I was reading them and then forgot them afterwards.
30. My favourite book of all time: The Ordinary Princess by M M Kaye. It’s a sweet fairy story (the original edition that hasn’t been Americanised is superior) and I love it so much one of my children’s names comes from it❤️
beffels
September 3, 2020 at 5:12 PM
@isthatacorner tagging you again because typo the first time 😅
beffels
August 28, 2020 at 8:59 PM
Catching up again…
Day 21: first novel you remember reading
So in reality I would have read many before this but the first novel I have distinct memories of reading is Jane Eyre when I was about eight years old (probably an abridged version – I was an advanced reader but that seems VERY advanced).
22. A book that makes you cry – there are so many because I am a weeper; Anybody Out There by Marion Keyes is one that made me cry BUCKETS.
23. A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t – The Classical World by Robin Lane Fox. This has been beside my bed for literally years. I have read some but keep fading out. It’s a huge doorstop of a book, but I will make it through one day!
24. A book you wish more people would have read – Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. This is a very fun, informative (critical) look at science and pseudoscience in the mainstream media (things like how a fabricated study led to anti-vax movements). Especially these days I think everyone could do with a bit more critical thinking around what they see online.
beffels
August 24, 2020 at 5:48 PM
Day 20 – favourite romance book
I couldn’t choose, so we’re having two – my fave romantic melodrama is
The Shadow of the Moon, by M M Kaye. Sweeping historical backdrop! Falling in love with superior officer’s wife! Secretly (and not so secretly) protecting her! Military men restraining themselves from love because it cannot be is totally my cup of tea (see also Crash Landing On You 😄).
My favourite romantic comedy is Cotillion by Georgette Heyer. It’s very funny and sweet and has my favourite romance trope of all time – the pretend engagement. Even my husband liked this book.
@isthatacorner
Sifimoyo
November 16, 2020 at 1:29 AM
Just flicking through past posts and saw this and HAVE to reply!
Shadow of the Moon has been my favourite book forever, and I also enjoyed Far Pavilions by the same author. I wish they had made SOM into a film, it would have been fabulous, but who would you choose to play Alex Randall? They miscast Far Pavilions so badly when they made that into a film!
Also a huge fan of Georgette Heyer. One of her books would have made a fantastic Kdrama, the one where the family are extremely grand but desperately in debt because of the father’s gambling, and they manage to get the beautiful older daughter engaged to the most eligible rich Duke in the neighbourhood. However, older daughter loves a soldier, so youngest daughter visits the Duke at night with her maid and asks him if he wouldn’t mind swapping her sister with her? He is amused and agrees and of course falls in love with her. But she is young and naive and her Mother has told her not to impose her person on her husband as he has a beautiful mistress and she has to pretend she doesn’t know anything about it. The mistress and an enemy of the duke conspire to cause the young bride’s social downfall, and she gets into a lot of scrapes, but she is fun and lively. It would convert very well into a Korean drama, I feel sure! Anyway, it is rare to find someone who shares one’s literary tastes so exactly!
beffels
November 16, 2020 at 2:20 AM
It’s rare for me to find someone who’s even heard of Shadow of the Moon! I also like the Far Pavilions too (and Trade Wind by the same author, although some of it is now Exceptionally Problematic) – as a book at least. Casting can really make or break an adaptation, can’t it?
I would watch that kdrama! I know the book you mean but I cannot for the life of me remember what it’s called….Obviously this calls for some re-reading 😎
beffels
August 20, 2020 at 1:21 AM
Book challenge catchup post!
@isthatacorner
14. book turned into a movie and desecrated
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
The book is very funny. The movie is just not. At all. It’s terrible. Don’t watch it. Just read the books and remain in happy ignorance of the movie.
15. Fav male character….I feel like I should pick someone from a series or some sort of influential book for these but I’m just going to choose one I’ve been reading recently 😅 today I will go with Hugo Darracott from the Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer. I like most of Heyer’s heroes, but Hugo really appeals to me – everyone expects him to be big and dumb but he’s very strong and smart (but playing up to expectations with a cheeky sense of humour)
16. Fav female character….Princess Amy from The Ordinary Princess by MM Kaye. I love Amy….she’s fun, hardworking, kind, a princess 😄 I love this book to bits, as a child I memorised the entire first chapter.
17. Fav quote from fav book….not necessarily my favourite quote, but one I like: “For though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world.” (The Ordinary Princess)
18. A book that disappointed you …..Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer. By the time I read it I’d read most other Heyer books so I was excited to get hold of it…but it’s just not very good, unfortunately. It lacks the charm of her other books.
19. Fav book turned into a movie…. A Room With A View. Watching the movie makes the book better; reading the book makes the movie better. Plus, the movie is stacked with people you know and they’re all so young! Baby Helena Bonham Carter!
Honourable mention to the Princess Bride – not because it’s my favourite book (I really really do not like the book), but because it’s a favourite movie based on a book (that is SO MUCH better than the book)
pickleddragon
August 20, 2020 at 1:39 AM
Gosh you’re reminding me I should re-read Heyer sometime! I haven’t read her since high school, and I remember how much I used to enjoy those books.
beffels
August 20, 2020 at 1:57 AM
They’re so good (mostly, there are some duds), I revisit them regularly! My favourite is probably Cotillion….maybe I should choose my favourite male character again lol.
pickleddragon
August 20, 2020 at 2:16 AM
oh yes they’re a lot of fun! Her crime novels are utter rubbish, though. Golden age crime fiction is my crack genre, so I have read a lot of detective fiction from the mid-20th century. Heyer is definitely bottom of the pile in that list :p
beffels
August 20, 2020 at 4:25 AM
Oh I agree, I can’t read her crime novels – I’m not a super fan of the more serious historical novels either, give me my light and fluffy romances 😄
Midnight
August 20, 2020 at 3:30 AM
I LOVE Cotillion too! I always feel like she thought while writing Friday’s Child: I wonder what the story would have looked like if Ferdy was the lead instead of Sherry! And then she did just that! She even used almost the same name for him!
Midnight
August 20, 2020 at 3:33 AM
I love and re-read many of them a LOT, but my absolute favorite is Sylvester. I read it every few months and it never gets old.
pickleddragon
August 20, 2020 at 3:47 AM
Oh my! I have read ALL these books – Cotillion, Friday’s Child, Sylvester, Cousin Kate.. But I can’t for the life of me remember anything (other than having enjoyed them thoroughly when I read them). My friends and I even have a group called These Old Shades… I’m now itching to pick them up again.
Midnight
August 20, 2020 at 3:55 AM
Time for a re-read then! Keep us posted so we can fan-girl along. And if by any chance you happen to read False Colours tell me if you agree that it is the PERFECT script for a kdrama!
pickleddragon
August 20, 2020 at 4:49 AM
I will! I need to make the trek to my aunt’s bookshelf for this. She has the complete collection. I will put False Colours on my priority list 😀
That said, I remember there was some copyright issue over Heyer’s works, which is why her books never made it to TV or cinema. I recall reading somewhere that this might have been sorted out recently, and someone (BBC?) had acquired rights. They’re all so eminently dramatisable!
Midnight
August 20, 2020 at 4:53 AM
Uh oh! Now I’m scared they will ruin my beloved stories!
beffels
August 20, 2020 at 4:27 AM
Sylvester also on high rotation for me, I’ve read it so much the cover is falling off 😄 And False Colours is also a favourite. I could go on a list of all my favourites but it might be nearly all of them 😅
Midnight
August 20, 2020 at 4:34 AM
Exactly :))
Possum
August 20, 2020 at 3:00 AM
Did you ever see the BBC TV version of Hitchhikers?
beffels
August 20, 2020 at 4:28 AM
I’ve only seen a couple of clips of it, not enough to form an opinion. Is it any good?
Possum
August 22, 2020 at 4:37 AM
I discovered it and the books around the same time so they’re sort of linked together for me. Some of the effects are dodgy but because it was made by the BBC it has the right British sensibility.
Midnight
August 20, 2020 at 3:25 AM
OH MY GOD Hugo Darracott!! Never did I ever dream to see his name on DB! He is one of the most perfect Heyer Heros!
And about Cousin Kate. I was very fortunate that the books belonged to my mom and she always told me beforehand what to expect from each one I started. With CK she said you can skip it. I still read it because I was a teen and I didn’t really listen, but at least I knew it wouldn’t be good.
beffels
August 20, 2020 at 4:30 AM
I had no warning 😕 and I think it was the very last one I had left to read so it was sadly disappointing. I had to go read some of the others again to make up for it (any excuse, right? I’m totally going to go and pull them all out and read them again after this!)
Midnight
August 20, 2020 at 4:47 AM
Me too! Now I’m craving some Cotillion!
bbstl 🧹
August 20, 2020 at 10:12 AM
😁 I so agree with you about A Room with A View, the film and the book really enhance each other. Yes, and so many stars st the beginnings of their careers! Daniel Day Lewis!
As fabulous a movie as The Princess Bride is, it’s true that the book is even better. I read it in a day and laughed sooooo hard.
beffels
August 19, 2020 at 1:10 PM
Well here we go….officially the longest kdrama I have ever tried to watch 😆 Will I finish it by the end of the year?
One episode in and I have strong Game of Thrones vibes (minus the magical stuff)
korfan
August 19, 2020 at 1:21 PM
Oh!! This is a good one!
I do hope you enjoy it as much as many of us did!
Zora
August 19, 2020 at 1:40 PM
I’ve looking for this one but couldn’t find it on Viki, Kocawa and ODK 🙁
beffels
August 19, 2020 at 6:18 PM
It’s on Netflix for me
Zora
August 19, 2020 at 7:35 PM
I just looked at Netflix and it’s not there 🙁 Viki is showing it as restricted.
beffels
August 19, 2020 at 7:52 PM
😕 it feels like everything is restricted on Viki these days
Zora
August 19, 2020 at 9:20 PM
Seems like older dramas are not available anymore ☹️
Fly Colours
August 19, 2020 at 1:40 PM
Ohhh, I’ve been trying to finish this one for over a year now. It’s a bit old school – lots of old men conspiring in rooms, over-acting agogo, and that secret back door that everybody uses is 🤣 -, but the characters and the story are really compelling. Gil Taemi is my favourite villain ever, Moohyul is adorable, and Bangwon’s journey breaks your heart – and plus: sword fights!
I blame my goldfish attention span for not having finished it yet. If you like it, please do share your thoughts here on the Beaniewall, that will surely motivate me to go back and finish it!
dramalover4ever
August 19, 2020 at 10:39 PM
Gil Taemi is so frightening and so complex. Forever memorable. And the eye makeup
Junie Bug
August 19, 2020 at 3:26 PM
I’m been trying hard to get myself to start watching it, but every time I see how long it really is I walk away slowly and think to myself that I should save it for another day LOL it’s a never ending cycle
beffels
August 19, 2020 at 6:21 PM
I have an hour long commute by train a couple of days a week so I figure that’s the time to watch 😄
WishfulToki
August 19, 2020 at 8:17 PM
MY COUNTRY covers the same time period if you want something shorter and more recent, but SFD is better in terms of writing and will give you a clearer idea of the historical events. 🙂
Fly Colours
August 20, 2020 at 3:00 AM
My Country definitely has a more modern feel to it – it looks incredibly pretty, and the battle scenes feel like a film production. And, of course, Woo Dohwan, makes it all the more compelling 💚
But my experience is that 6FD (and the stuff I read while watching it, because for a while I was so interested in these characters that I wanted to know who was real and who was made up for the drama) was helpful to understand MC. Otherwise MC wouldn’t have made any sense to me, it treated historical events in a really choppy way. I’m glad that I watched it while airing, because Sageuk-Beanies’ comments gave me a lot of context!
Junie Bug
August 21, 2020 at 7:23 AM
@flyingcolours @wishfultoki thank you for both of your advice!! Both are on my watchlist and now the only question is when haha
dramalover4ever
August 19, 2020 at 8:40 PM
Don’t think GOT. That will spoil it for you. It is a brilliant historical drama. Yoo Ah-In does the character in all his historical contradictions so well. I can’t speak highly enough of it. Some people find the politics too much, but when you read up on what its all about, it provides a fascinating revisionary history, and of course the really amazing thing is at the very end as a tribute to what is to follow. BTW I also loved Byun Yo-han and Park Hyuk-kwon in their roles. One of the best, for me.
beffels
August 19, 2020 at 9:24 PM
I’m trying not to think of it – it was just the scene early on with the boy watching his father executing a wrongdoer – Game of Thrones has basically the same scene.
I’m unsure whether I want to read up before or after I watch it – most western historical dramas I’ve seen I’ve known a fair bit about beforehand but this I’m going in almost completely blind….I’m not sure if that makes the story more interesting or unnecessarily stressful 😅
dramalover4ever
August 19, 2020 at 10:21 PM
It may stress you out, so best later, just know that it’s pretty close.
beffels
August 13, 2020 at 10:46 PM
Day 12: a book you love but hate
@isthatacorner
Ok I actually thought of one while I was choosing my favourite writer.
Trade Wind by M M Kaye. I love M M Kaye, her historical romances are amazing, but this one is so deeply flawed. It’s great and atmospheric and I love the setting and the hero and the heroine except (spoiler) he totally rapes her out of revenge and then they fall in love DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 14, 2020 at 4:33 AM
Total play out of historical bodiceripper playbooks. I havent read one in a decade or more but I know in every Johanna Lindsey book the guy ALWAYS rapes the girl but they fall in love in the end.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 14, 2020 at 4:33 AM
Also, gross.
beffels
August 14, 2020 at 5:40 AM
It’s not a bodice ripper though (trust me when I say I have read PLENTY of those lol) so I wasn’t expecting it 😄 it’s a shame because it’s an otherwise good read
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 14, 2020 at 7:22 AM
That sucks! I hate when stupid, unnecessary nonsense just ryins a good book
beffels
August 13, 2020 at 10:32 PM
Day 13: your fav writer
(I’ve skipped day 12 for now because I couldn’t think of one)
@isthatacorner
I have a couple of options for this but I’m going with my favourite New Zealand children’s writer, Margaret Mahy. I met her once when I was a child and she signed my book 💖 it is an absolute highlight in my memory. She had a great gift with language and her stories are magical.
beffels
August 11, 2020 at 3:40 PM
Day 11: A book you hated
@isthatacorner
Mr Phobe’s Fear by David Walliams
I’ve just been reading this to my six year old – it’s one of the World’s Worst Teachers series and I get that it is supposed to be funny, but it is NOT. None of the books are that great but at least (from the ones I’ve read) the teachers are mean so it makes sense for the kids to get their own back. But in this one, the teacher is just a brand new teacher who has done nothing wrong and the children brutalise him just to be cruel – it’s presented as if they’re doing something really funny and cool. It makes me really angry.
beffels
August 10, 2020 at 10:37 PM
Totally outed myself as a kdrama watcher at work today lol. Someone else recommended Crash Landing On You and I was like “someone else here watches kdramas! It was great!”
soulsearch12
August 10, 2020 at 11:29 PM
Aww that’s rather cute! I do think that Netflix has played a huge role in expanding K-dramas reach in the last few years. Plus the fact that there 1 season worth in one story makes for a fast/addicting watch!
bbstl 🧹
August 11, 2020 at 7:24 AM
I’ve been trying to get my friends to watch kdrama for 15 years, obviously I just gave up quite a while ago. Out of the clear blue sky, I just found out that my friend and her adult daughter watched Crash Landing and loved it (and Hyun Bin). Duh! 😁
sirena
August 11, 2020 at 10:49 AM
I would love to find a coworker to watch dramas with.
beffels
August 11, 2020 at 12:35 PM
I was pretty surprised when he said it because I have this perception of kdramas as having a female audience (I know it’s not wholly true)
beffels
August 10, 2020 at 1:11 PM
Day 10: A book that reminds you of home
@isthatacorner
This was hard! In the end I’m going to say
Morris’ Disappearing Bag by Rosemary Wells
Mum and Dad read this to us all the time when we were kids and it is still quoted heavily by all of us.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
August 10, 2020 at 3:11 PM
I love Rosemary Wells books!
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 10, 2020 at 6:59 PM
I love rosemary wells! Her books have such warmth
beffels
August 9, 2020 at 1:17 PM
Book challenge day 9: a book you thought you wouldn’t like
@isthatacorner
A Room With A View by E M Forster
I had previously read Passage to India and Howard’s End by same author and I didn’t like either of them, so I had no hopes for this. Then I read it. It’s great. It’s very funny and romantic but also has a lot to say about how we let what other people think influence our behaviour. I re-read it often.
(The movie is also great but did have more full frontal male nudity than I expect in a period drama😱😂)
strawberry
August 9, 2020 at 1:18 PM
Oh wow yea, I’ve only seen the movie but haven’t read the book. I remembered liking Passage to India when I had to read it in high school. I liked his writing style but barely remembered what the book is about. Lols.
beffels
August 9, 2020 at 4:07 PM
I might have to reread Passage to India now I’m older, I might like it better. Howard’s End I still can’t make it all the way through.
strawberry
August 9, 2020 at 4:13 PM
I remembered loving its atmosphere a lot. Wow maybe i’ll join you in re-reading this!
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 9, 2020 at 1:28 PM
I didnt know this was a book! On the list!
horangi
August 9, 2020 at 1:48 PM
I’m reading this right now and find it highly entertaining and thoughtful. Can’t wait to find out what Lucy will decide to do (I’m at the part when she’s back in England and new (but old) faces showed up in her neighborhood).
Carolina
August 9, 2020 at 4:34 PM
I remember liking this book and movie. I should re-read it.
beffels
August 8, 2020 at 4:54 PM
Book challenge day 8: most overrated book
@isthatacorner
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Meant to be ‘good’ but is just miserable people having terrible time being miserable.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 8, 2020 at 5:05 PM
Doesnt sound pleasant! I shall pass!
beffels
August 8, 2020 at 5:13 PM
I find that very often ‘literature’ is just misery porn. Like in order to be deep, it must be grindingly depressing.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 8, 2020 at 5:17 PM
I read a quote somewhere from some well known author that they never wanted to be considered literature. People suffered through literature but enjoyed novels
egads aka Dame Maggie
August 8, 2020 at 5:24 PM
So much of what we continue to read centuries later was NOT considered deep important reading.
Hopefully then, there will be bodice ripper literature classes in the year 2150. Whole units could be spent dissecting the work of Fabio as cover model.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
August 8, 2020 at 5:26 PM
I need there to be some miracles in modern medicine because I want to take that class!
beffels
August 8, 2020 at 10:39 PM
These probably already exist but it’ll be called something less interesting like “Sexuality in late twentieth century women’s fiction”
mugyuljoie is preciousss
August 9, 2020 at 7:01 AM
And this is why I made it a chapter or two.
egads aka Dame Maggie
August 8, 2020 at 5:17 PM
Franzen make my eye twitch. I’ve never met him but I imagine he is insufferable.
beffels
August 8, 2020 at 5:27 PM
I’ve never read anything else by him and I can’t imagine that changing!
SnarkyJellyfish
August 8, 2020 at 8:14 PM
Oh man, I remember the hype around this book way back in the day and when I finally got around to looking up what it was about I was just like – seriously? and then did not read it. Also I remember the author was kind of a dick and there was that whole stupid Oprah thing, and he came off as just very unpleasant and turned me off to his work. He has only doubled down on these impressions as time goes on and I have no desire to read his stuff.
beffels
August 7, 2020 at 11:29 AM
Book challenge day 7: A book that makes you laugh
Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome.
This book cracks me up. It was first published in 1889 but it really shows that some things never change – like looking up your symptoms and finding you’ve got every disease in the book, or going camping with tinned food and forgetting the can opener 😅
Eazal
August 7, 2020 at 1:58 PM
It’s a wonderful one! I read it while I was in high school and really loved it (one of the first books I read in English, by the way).
Midnight
August 8, 2020 at 12:35 AM
I was thinking just now that this would be my pick if I had been doing this challenge! This book has been re-read so many times in our family that it gets quoted constantly on a daily basis!