As you know by now, every year we vote on a pile of books that the book club wants to read and then come up with a schedule for a whole year ahead of time. (Our book club year goes from June- May, and we vote every year in March. How this happened, I don't really know, but it works for us!)
And this past week, we finalized that list yet again!
Are you curious about what we'll be reading? Here's the list!
June: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
July: Memoir Month
August: My Contrary Mary by Brodie Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
September: Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
October: Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
November: Spare by Prince Harry
December: The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
January: Remarkedly Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
February: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
March: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
April: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
May: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
And then we'll be having a bonus meeting to discuss Trish Milburn's Sing Me a Love Song, the first book in her kpop romance series.
I'm excited about them all! And I want to read all the ones that didn't make it too!
If you are interested, I talked about all the books on our list and these ones that won over on the Booktube channel:
Starring: Kim Yohan, So Jooyeon, Yeo Hoehyun, Jo Hyejoo, Jeong Jinhwan
Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
I didn't really know what to expect when I started this drama, but this, I'm pretty sure, has ended up being the cutest, sweetest, most fluffiest drama I've ever watched. Yep, I KNOW!
It follows the stories of five friends, giving a lot of time to when they were in high school (maybe half of the drama), but then moving through college, and then their careers.
Our main girl has crushed on our main boy for years.. .and for a long time he resists her. But then when a new kid comes a long and shows interest, he realizes he has probably liked her all this time after all. And now he has to fight for her, and he really doesn't have that sort of personality!
So it's the fun love story between a girl who is sweet and bubbly and very open and our boy who is quiet, stand-offish and somewhat ornery at times! It's great to see him shake off that tendency in order to fight for this girl. LOL!
But yeah, it is truly sappy sweet, and very very cheesy, but in the best way. I loved it. It makes my heart warm.
Starring: Park Min Young, Kim Jae Young, Go Kyung Pyo
Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤
Another drama that took me months to watch. Not sure if this is a function of the drama, or my mood and life. But anyway, I finally finished it!
This one is about a girl who marries for her job. She has been married like 13 or times or something. She does it for when a guy needs a wife for some event or something. Or to show off to his family, or, as is the case with the guy in the drama... just someone to eat dinner with. When the job is over, she gets divorced and moves on.
Well, with our guy she has been eating dinner with him for like five years, and finally, as the drama opens, she decides she is sick of this job and she is going to retire and move on to something else. So she has to tell him that they are over. But then she realizes, she is sad to tell him and that she wants to keep eating dinner with him, as they have been all these years.
So, what to do?
In the meantime, we learn her back story and what brought to do such a job. And a new dude moves into the apartment where her "husband" lives and he ends up truly liking her and talks her into not retiring and being HIS wife too.
And then things get really messy.
It was cute and fun in parts, but very long and boring in other parts. The last few episodes were really really draggy... ugh. Usually the last episodes of a drama are so fast paced and crazy that you can't stop and you end up watching them all at once. But these last ones took me a month to get to. Sadness.
The dude who played the second male lead was someone I hadn't seen in anything before and I really enjoyed his acting. Hopefully I will find him in something else again some day.
New dude: Kim Jaeyoung
Anyway, so yeah. I mostly enjoyed it and it was a fun premise, but really lagged around way too much.
It was not really what I was hoping. So while it was okay, it also wasn't my favorite.
3. Who is your favorite Author?
It's still Markus Zusak as it has been for years now.
4. What book do you wish had a sequel?
Ugh, I can't think of something! Everything already has a sequel!
5. What is your favorite movie adaptation?
I really loved the Holes adaptation. Have you seen it? It's awesome.
6. What is your favorite place to read?
Just on the couch in my living room. Or in bed.
7. What book do you wish was required reading in school?
Well, now that I'm thinking about it... how about The Book Thief? I'm wondering if some teachers are already requiring it.
8. What is your quirkiest reading habit?
I can't really think of one... hmmm...do I have a quirky reading habit? I'll have to ponder...
9. What do you use as a bookmark?
A bookmark, often a souvenir one that I've acquired at some fun place. One that I'm currently using I bought from the Mayan people selling them at Chichén Itzá.
10. Besides reading, what other hobby/hobbies do you have?
Editing videos, quilting, kpop, concerts, writing
Hey if you want to do this, consider yourself tagged! Take some of the questions I answered and some that Kami answered, and make your own personal list!
I'm so sad he never managed to come to the library like he was supposed to do. Now I don't know if I'll ever get the chance! AH! But I guess you never know. Maybe some day!
I would really love to someday meet my author friends Terri Osburn and Trish Milburn! We talk about it all the time, but not sure how or when it will ever happen!
Since I'm reading Oathbringer right now and am back into that crazy world, I think I'd like to meet Kaladin perhaps. Although it would be so very scary!
I would love to meet Nichola Yoon and her husband David Yoon, both who write awesome books.
Okay, I wouldn't mind meeting Mr. Darcy.
I think it would be very interesting to meet J. R.R. Tolkien (can I list dead authors?) and all his main characters but especially Samwise.
And finally I just want to meet all the bloggers I've interacted with over the years, and now my new Booktuber friends too!
I read four books this past month, same as I did in January! Maybe this is my magic number? Whatever it is I feel like it should be more!
Here's what I read in February:
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher: a fun cute YA romcom that has us going on an adventure with Ana and Zak when they spend the night at a comic con trying to track down Ana's brother. They've all just done the quiz team competition and are at the hotel when Ana's brother decides to take of on his own. Zak is dying to be at the convention too, so he jumps at the chance to help Ana find him. And then all the crazy stuff that happens that night... LOL! It's... yeah... crazy! This was a fun and easy book to read, and I really enjoyed it. I'm giving it ★ ★ ★ on Goodreads.
How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Manual by Jessica Hagy: This was a quick for fun non-fiction that fulfilled a couple of my challenge prompts. It had fun illustrations and lots of awesome ideas on how to not only BE interesting, but to make life itself interesting. I had fun going through it and hopefully some of the stuff will stick and I'll remember it for future use. Ha! I'm also giving this one ★ ★ ★ on Goodreads.
The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty: This was book club's read this month. It's told in several points of view from many different characters, all of them have something to do with two sisters, who 70 years prior to the events of the book, found an abandoned baby. They kept the baby and raised her (the characters are mostly her family) but never figured out the mystery of her parents disappearance. The whole thing has become a bit of a tourist attraction that all the family is involved in. The even celebrate the event every year, but it seems this year might be the last anniversary. I enjoyed this one too, but felt angry at some of the characters and their situations, uncomfortably so I would say. The rating for this one will be ★ ★ ★ on Goodreads.
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir: After reading the first one in this series last month, I had to go straight away to this second book. It follows our characters Laia and Elias on their to break Laia's brother out of prison. And they are being hunted by Helene, who was... is?... Elias' best friend. Things are complicated to say the least. Lots of magic and fighting and torture and all the things! I'm totally invested, but it's so intense I need to give it a little break before moving on! This one gets ★ ★ ★ ★ on Goodreads!
I also started Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson this month, but expect it to be a year-long read! So stay tuned for updates on that! Other goals for March:
read The Silence of Bones for book club
finish the Leo Tolstoy short story project
read something (or two) from the shelves
My goals are pretty slim this month. We'll see how it goes I guess!
I did a video on the booktube channel about all this too if you want to watch/listen to me talk about these books instead!
I am absolutely head over heels in love with this song:(There's no mv because it's a b-side.)
And the whole album is what I've been playing non stop for a month now.
And I managed to get tickets to see these guys (TXT) in May! YES!!
WATCHING
I started a really cute, sweet, simple high school kdrama called A Love so Beautiful.
I'm also watching two competition Kpop music shows: Boys Planet and Peak Time. Both are being pretty intense and quite enjoyable to watch. Rooting for everyone to make it, lol! I haven't found any English things to be interested in for awhile now. Suggestions?
READING:
Just finished up The Last Anniversary for book club and have started the second book from The Ember in the Ashes series called A Torch in the Night.
I've also started Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson, and my plan is to read just a bit every day and finish it by the end of the year... and vlog the journey. Hopefully someone might be interested in that!
WRITING:
I've been quite a bit of time researching how to send queries. Yeah. This is not easy, this part. Writing the book is a cinch compared to this...
But I now have a list of about 30 to start with. That's something! I don't expect anything to happen, I just want to say I've done it. I've tried. You know?
I started going through every book in my home library. There's currently three parts, all the YA section. Click here for part one to get started! I've posted a bunch of other stuff, so be sure to go take a look!
And that's about all that's been going on around here! I hope you are all doing awesome!
Welcome to my new format for "reviewing" books! I'm just going to do the monthly wrap up and report on my books read then, all in one post with mini reviews. Okay? Okay!
Here's what I read in January:
The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily by Laura Creedle: I really loved this one about a girl with massive ADHD and a boy on the autistic spectrum. They get together in a pretty funny and then connect through their mutual love for a book called The Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise. And they use those quotes in their texts to each other and it's adorable. They both have lots of issues to deal with and it seems like there's no way they can figure out how to be together. It's a really cute and fun story with not your typical characters.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman: This one we read for book club in January. This author is quickly becoming a book club favorite and ends up on our lists quite often these days! It's a fun story narrated by a nearly 8 year old girl as she watches all the crazy things going on in her apartment building. She is also dealing with the death of her grandma... her crazy grandma who has sent in on a sort of treasure hunt after she's gone. And our girl ends up realizing that all the people in the apartment building have a connection. It's awesome just as all his books are, with amazing character development. He can capture people like no else!
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: This is the book I read from my own stacks this month. A book that has been waiting for me since 2016... because I remember buying it at Powell's bookstore when we were on a trip that year! Anyway, I loved it and it gets to be my first 5 star read of the year! What a story that totally sucks you and keeps you on the edge the whole time! Our girl ends up posing as a sly and spying on the household of the commander of the school that trains soldiers to fight and suppress her people. She needs to get information so she can save her brother from horrendous jail and torture. Our guy is one of these highly trained soldiers and he has just graduated from this school. And he wants to escape. But if he's caught they will kill him. And of course their two desires somehow come together in all the crazy unexpected ways! AHH! It's all so intense! I immediately got book 2 from the library and I hope to fit it in during February.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson: This was a sort of Booktube read along, though I haven't really succeeded in connecting with anyone reading it yet! LOL! It's a great historical fantasy (is that what you call it... magic in the 1800's but not with steampunk sort of devices). Our girl has been raised in a great library with intentions of running that library someday, but an incident happens that sends her off to be questioned by the sorcerers and magic is so very much frowned upon by the librarians. Bad bad stuff. But when she meets a certain sorcerer, she begins to wonder if everything she has been taught is right. Because he... and the demon that gives him his magic... are pretty cool after all. And then after they become friends they have to save the world! Fun stuff, and so beautifully written.
February Plans:
Read The Last Anniversary for bookclub
Read the 2nd Ember in the Ashes book!
Read Siddhartha, or that Leo Tolstoy short story thing for a challenge
Read a king/queen book for the British Forced Phase
This is a popular one through the bookish community. I even found a Facebook group where people give tons of suggestions for all these prompts. So fun to see what people are coming up with!
This is one I've tried in the past, but is quite a difficult one. The thing that makes this one unique is that you have to read something from their various displays in the store. But it's fun to go support the store and find something to buy from these displays. I bought three there the other day.
Orem Library (the local library)
I've taking all the lists and made a huge spreadsheet so I can easily see which prompts are similar from all the lists. I will use the same book across the three different challenges, but not the same book within one challenge, if that makes sense. Anyway, I'm only 4 books into this year, but doing okay making them all work for a challenge!
I'm also still doing the #ReadWhatYouOwnChallenge, trying to read 15 of my own books before I buy any other books. I've had to fudge a bit on this one, but I'm about half way done now. I will be glad to get the 15 books read, and after that I'll continue to read off my own shelf, but without the no buying restriction!
Happy Tuesday everyone! Today the prompt for Top Ten Tuesday (check out all the posts here) is ten new authors that are new to you this year. So let me just look at my list and see who those are:
Axie Oh (XOXO)
Clare Vanderpool (Navigating Early)
Christina Lauren (In a Holidaze)
Emily Henry (People We Meet on Vacation)
Sally Hepworth (The Good Sister)
Matt Haig (The Midnight Library)
Justina Ireland (Dread Nation)
Mira Grant (Feed)
Nita Prose (The Maid)
Priscilla Oliveras (Island Affair)
There you go! I really enjoyed them all and here's hoping a read some more of their books this year! (I have Emily Henry's on hold...so she might be the first one up!)
The kpop music world is starting strong with a sweet rock song from Monsta X that I've been listening to a lot this week:
But Fall Out Boy had a "comeback" too! (Do you call it a comeback in the nonkpop world? I don't even know anymore!)
WATCHING:
I still haven't finished my latest kdrama watch because another Korean show took over... called Single Inferno. It's a Bachelor type dating show, that is totally different than the Bachelor (at least what I've seen of it.) I was leery going in, but everyone was right, it grabs and you are invested so freaking fast! I was annoyed that no one liked my favorite boy. Whatever. I hope he ended up finding love somewhere else with some real girl, lol. (The girls felt very fake I must say, except one of them who was so different from all the rest of them!)
Our household has also been watching the Harry and Meghan documentary. I've found it to so very interesting and quite sad and depressing too. The crazy lives some people lead, you know what I mean? hope to get to his book someday to read down the road soon too.
We also watched Super Junior's documentary thanks to Jenni and her Hulu! LOL! It was a quick two hour thing that give us a glimpse of how this, my favorite kpop band, came to be and rose to fame and how they have managed to stay together for these almost 20 years now despite some really really painful and hard moments. They are seriously some of the best humans out there.
READING:
I finished My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You I'm Sorry for book club. That was an awesome book and made for a petty good book club discussion. I will say more about it on my monthly review post.
I started An Ember in the Ashes, which is one of my books from my forever TBR that I'm hoping to get through some of this year. Pretty intense and harsh story so far!
WRITING:
I signed up for the annual Storymakers Conference which takes place in May.
I'm hoping to be brave enough to query my 80's story this year!
And the finishing up of the space opera story is slow slow going. I am so bad at this!
BLOGGING:
I've posted my top ten books of 2022, my top ten dramas of 2022, my goals for 2023, I crunched some numbers from 2022, and caught up on reviews with a couple of mini review posts. I think this will be my formant from now one. Anyway, be sure to scroll through and check them all out!
YOUTUBING:
On the KPOP channel I've uploaded a bunch more year end videos, but here I'll share my favorite title tracks of the year. Great songs, yeah?
Trying to get back into the exercise routine still. Some weeks I manage it and others are quite rough. The struggle is real, for sure. I really need to stop eating stuff again too.
MISC:
Trying to think if there's anything else interesting to report on in life. Lots has been going on but nothing that will be too very interesting to most I would imagine. I hope all is going well for you all! I hope the reading is being fun!
These are the books I read in December! Quite a few more than I normally read because I was really trying to make a push and meet that dang Goodreads goal!
And with this post I might be mostly caught up!
Atomic Habits by James Clear: I finally got to this one that pretty much the whole world has been talking about. And yes, I can see what all the fuss is about. It does lay out a plan for getting into good habits in a way that is very clear (ha clear....get it?) and relatable and that makes sense. I would love to implement something into my life, but I will probably just on about things and forget it all! I gave this one 4 stars on Goodreads.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren: This was our for fun Christmas book club read and it was pretty perfect for that directive. Our girl goes on vacation with her family and family friends every year, but this year is different in that it might be the last time they are able to do this. And then something happens, everything starts over, Ground Hog Day style. And she gets a couple of tries to get things right and to help fix the issues that are making everyone so sad. It was heartwarming, romantic and fun. I totally enjoyed it. Three stars on Goodreads.
Secrets of the Looking Glass by J. Scott Savage: This an ARC I got from the publisher and it needed to be read in September when it came out. Gah, ooops! It took me awhile thank you to all of lives distractions and my terrible time getting anything read these days! It's the second in the Lost Wonderland Diaries series, which is a delightful fun sort of retelling (not really, but in that world) of Alice in Wonderland. It's so very clever and funny and full of fun riddles and the like. I feel like kids will enjoy it even more than I did! I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.
Places We've Never Been by Kasie West: I got this one for Christmas and read it in a couple of sittings, because as you know, I love her stories! Another fun YA romance that takes place on a road trip through very familiar places to me. I love that. Our characters are friends, but time has elapsed and things are now on shaking ground. It's fun to see them rekindle things. "Friends, to enemies, to lovers!" I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.
Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool: Another book I'm reading from my shelves that has been waiting forever. This one takes place shortly after WWII about a 13 year old who has been sent to a boarding school and he befriends a strange and interesting kid named Early, who teaches him all sorts of things about life. Together they go on a quest and navigate growing up. It's very heart warming and sweet. It won the Printz honor award. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.
And that brings us to the end of 2022 reading! I think I might just do a monthly wrap up mini review post this year. And see how that goes. And here's hoping I read a TON more this year than last!
Oh my word, but I am so behind in reviews. They are all one the YouTube channel though! One minute review shorts!! And here I'll do the blogging version of that, mini reviews!
So these are the books rounded out my November reading:
The Maid by Nita Prose: It's about a girl who loves being a maid in a fancy hotel. One day she finds a dead dude, and the mystery that wraps up surrounding this guy and the people involved is really quite interesting. I find it fun and engaging, but not as crazy amazing as everyone seemed to be making it out to be. The ending was... surprising. And strange. And I still don't really know what to think about it all. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry: I ended up loving this one! What a great sweet romance. Our main characters have been friends for years, going on a fun crazy trip together every summer. But denying all these years how they feel about each other. We get flashbacks to the previous trips, but spend a lot of time on the current trip where they finally figure things out! I gave this one 4 stars on Goodreads. I look forward to reading more by her! I hear Book Lovers is a must!
The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson: This is a book I've had on my shelf forever, the second in a YA SF series. In the first book we learn what happened to Jenna Fox... in this book, we learn what happened to her friends, and it's CRAZY stuff! I remember loving the first book, this one was fun, but not as compelling as that first one. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.
Not Going There by Terri Osburn: Another book by an author friend! This one is book 3 in the "Not" series where we are following the love stories of a group of fun friends. I totally enjoyed this one about our girl who gets fired and ends up running her own bookkeeping business and then her first client is a dude that she is totally turning her nose up at... and then, she finds out he's actually pretty cool. In fact, I myself quite fell in love with him! I gave this one 4 stars on Goodreads for some fun romantic comedy escape.
Stay tuned for a catch up post on books read in December! Here's hoping I can keep up better this new year! Thought I might keep this format... and just do mini reviews from now on... hmm....
* I don't know why I can never make my goal. So frustrating. I'm putting it back up to 50 this coming year because I HAVE to read more!
* I find pretty much nothing interesting about these numbers, lol! So blah and normal!
* I really hope next year's reading is more... noteworthy. You know?
KDRAMA STATS
Total Kdramas consumed: 16
5 hearts: 6 4 hearts: 7 3 hearts: 3
I posted my favorites yesterday. Check it out!
YOUTUBE STATS
Total Videos Uploaded on The Kpop Konverters: 1,225 (up from 1,137 last year) Total Uploaded in 2022: 115 (up from 88) 4.2 million views: 1 Over 100,000 views: 21 (down from 23 and I have no idea how that happens!) 50,000 to 100,000 views: 26 (up from 21 last year)
Subscribers at year end: 37,902 (up from 35,037 last year) View count at year end:16,383,384 (up from 15, 245, 831 last year)
Observations:
* I'll be doing much less on this channel this coming year. At least that's the plan. Maybe one or two videos a month. I'm tired of the the discouragement of no views. But still want the fun of making them, so we'll find a balance. Maybe.
Total Videos Uploaded on Suey's Book Banter from October 3, 2022 to now: 44 (18 Shorts)
Total Views: 30,899
Total Subscribers: 578
Total Watchtime: 2.6 K
Observations:
* It will be fun to compare these stats at the end of 2023 and here's hoping I see some growth!
* I will be concentrating my YouTubing efforts on this channel this year.
* I am surprised it's done as well as it has these first few months, though it has come to a grinding halt. Here's hoping that changes soon!
I didn't watch near as many dramas this past year as I usually do. And I fell into a pretty huge slump toward the end of the year, but still I watched some really awesome ones this year and so my stats and my favorites list!
Total dramas watched in 2022: 16
Aired in 2022: 13 Aired previous to 2022: 3
Five hearts: 6 Four hearts: 7 Three hearts: 3
My Favorites (linked to my review with blurbs from that review)
I love it. Very heartfelt and sweet. And such great music. I've been in a bit of a drama slump since finishing this one. I just kinda want to start all over and watch it again...
And they nailed it. Such great acting, great connection, great chemistry. And what do you know, I'm not the only who thought that. This drama has become a huge hit and everyone who is familiar with the genre is saying it's one of the best ones they've ever watched. I also enjoyed it because it wasn't preachy and "in your face" about things, if you know what I mean. It was just a love story. I don't know how else to explain it. But yeah. It wasn't trying to convince me of anything except the connection between these two characters.
I just... wow. I loved so much about it. It was gripping and "page turning" and despite that first hesitation with that first episode, I was hooked so fast and very invested.
Oh my goodness I loved it so much! This drama took every beloved trope and played them up perfectly! And the characters were all so FREAKING endearing, and the story just so simple and fluffy. It was literally the perfect kdrama!
So, obviously this is technically not a drama. It's a very fun variety show that stars drama actors. I started watching not really knowing what it was all about, but dang.. this has been one of the most fun things I've watched all year! My face seriously got sore for laughing so much!
I loved this one because of the heart it has. SO MUCH HEART! And dang but Park Jihoon totally blew it away with his acting. So bright and happy to a totally tortured soul.
Anyway, that's all to say this drama is fantastic, but highly emotional. So watch at your own risk and when you are in the mood for much crying. But also a lot of wonderful emotions. So very cathartic all around!
This is another one of those dramas that I at first dismissed just from the title and that it sounded silly. But of course, we all know, that is not usually how it really is! What a cute fun romcom this one is!
Some people I know were bothered by the singing (which I find funny because pretty sure everyone knew it's a musical going in) but I thought it was great fun and everyone was really awesome. There's really not a ton of songs either. And of course Ji Changwook is FANTASTIC as he is in everything he does. So so good!
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