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[senelise-reviews]

My current read!

[senelise-reviews]

Hi everyone!

I have been reading a lot these days and started my bookstagram. I also became active on my goodreads account. I want to make updates here but I just got too lazy updating too many accounts at once. I don't know if I made an update about this but I got myself a Kindle. The simplest variant and I love it. I used to get lazy reading books but so far, I was able to read 16 books for the month of August alone. I never imagined I would be able to do that.

For those who wants to see my book reviews, most especially those not posted here, just visit my goodreads account which is literally on the description of this page. You can follow or add me up there too! I also post my reviews on instagram. I'll put my username there. I just want to apologize too because my names on those accounts were confusing. It's just me swearing to be anonymous on some people.

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This boring is too boring for me at first. It felt too plain and dry for me, and I don't know if I'll finish it or DNF it. Halfway through, I got hooked. Being part of the boring working class who experience exploitation, discrimination, burnout, and all sorts of things, it felt like this book was talking to me. Honestly, recently, I have been losing the motivation to work despite the fact that I love my job. This book made me feel that it's normal. This feeling made me finish the book. This made me feel like I'm going to be just fine. I eventually realized why it seemed too plain and dry. That's how life is. It's not always exciting and full of twists and turns. Life is generally simple and sometimes, our decisions and expectations in life make it too complicated.

One of my must-reads. A cozy book, indeed.

#welcometothehyunamdongbookshop

#hwangboreum

#rhonette_reads

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[senelise-reviews]

Just finished the book and posted my book review. Here is the new set of quotes from my kindle notes.

#welcometohyunamdongbookshop

#hwangboreum

#rhonette_reads

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[senelise-reviews]

I've been too busy and too slow at reading but this book captured my heart. Honestly, this isn't really heart-wrenching or too much of a self-help book but somehow, it hit me right.

I like how relatable most of the chapters have been so far. I'll be posting another set of quotes once I'm finished reading it and will post the review.

#welcometohyunamdongbookshop #hwangboreum

#quotes

#nowreading

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[senelise-reviews]

A little update

I haven't been posting a lot here lately as I was busy with work and recently bought a Kindle to continue with my book reviews. It's just that most of my reviews were not being posted here because I am too lazy. Most of what I read was translated Japanese literature and some BookTok recommendations (which are mostly disappointing and DNFs). For those who were lost and found my page and are looking for some book reviews, please check out my goodreads account. I already posted tons of reviews for the books I read.

I have been active since I received my Kindle because it's been raining a lot here lately and so many work suspensions which gave me a lot of time to devote to reading. I hope everyone's doing well and have a nice day!

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Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023)

Rating: 10.0/10.0

I've chosen to watch healing dramas during my rest days and I wanted to give this one a perfect rating. It really deserves a spot in everyone's hearts.

I don't want to narrate the story here on Tumblr but I would like to share my experience watching this short drama. It is really short and ran only for 12 episodes.

Nurse Jung is a really likable character. I would like to be her friend because she's kind, caring, and cheerful but she wasn't a perfect nurse which makes her human. She's relatable and embodies the life of the nicest and genuine people we know.

I relate to her on some occasions like when she prioritizes other people's wants more than her own. It somehow struck me. There was a time when I was watching this while commuting and started shedding tears. It was heartbreaking. I even asked myself, "Am I depressed too?"

I also like the concept that this drama helps its viewers understand how people who have mental issues live and how the world typically sees them. It wasn't an exaggerated take unlike some other dramas and sometimes, it also gets technical with looking for symptoms and what medicines to take. It did not end with people healing from these illnesses but rather gave hope that everything would get better for them. I think that's what they really need - an encouragement to survive despite having these illnesses.

It's a really good drama, a must-watch. Many people just want the second main lead to be the end game for the female lead but I like the actual ending more. It's more realistic for me.

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Summer Strike (2022)

Rating: 7.5/10.0

I think this is the lowest rating I gave out for a KDrama for this blog.

I honestly have high expectation with this as it is another healing drama. Based from other people's reviews, I think I can relate to the female lead.

For a brief background, I also thought of doing what she did which is quit my job with no backup plans and will just spend all of my savings for that whole vacation. Life as an office employee can be really toxic and can be mixed up with social and family problems so you really would want to take a break. I was also currently on grief from a death of a parent just like her.

The first part of this drama captivated me. It was like freeing yourself from your boring everyday routine that makes you feel like a robot. I like the part where she showed those moments where everything revolves around going to work in the morning and going home at night. That doesn't feel like living. Your selfish officemates can make it worse too. I definitely understood her desire to have a life.

This drama has a lot of potential but I stopped halfway. I felt uncomfortable with her being "too innocent". For me, she's not. She's too gullible. It was like she was giving out all her money to everyone when at that time, she doesn't even earn a living. She gets scammed a lot for being that type of person. At this part, I thought to myself, I don't want a life like that.

For the fans of this drama who were disappointed with my review, it's my preference. I usually drop dramas which makes me uncomfortable. Some people will still sit and continue watching just to see if it improves towards the end but I'm different.

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My Liberation Notes (2022)

Rating: 9.5/10.0

It took me awhile to watch this one. I usually finish an 16-episode drama in less than a week but I finished this one for about 2 weeks despite having a 1-week break from work.

I have been curious about this drama since last year due to the female lead's personality which is the same as mine, who is often judged as a cool person but really is only an introverted one.

This drama has a good story and I like how the emotions were conveyed. It has a really slow-pacing halfway but that's how life is. It's really boring and it makes this drama realistic. At first, I thought I was like Yeom Mi-jeong who is really timid and does not react despite seeing everything. At some point, I'm like Yeom Chang Hee who is so materialistic and ambitious but in reality, he was just not in the right place. I also felt like Yeom Ki-Jeong who is so judgmental and desperate to find love but is so picky.

Other characters like Mr. Gu, the parents of the 3 characters, and their friends have their own stories to tell - their failures and scars.

This is what makes this drama relatable. It does not show something like people's success stories but rather, it shows how people find the right path after being lost for a long time. It's really heartwarming and like a slap to reality which is something I really need as a lost one too. Life is imperfect and this drama showed how it really is.

I don't want to give it a perfect rating because this is not for everyone. It might stress other people out. Haha.

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Hidden Love (2023)

It's been a while since I watched a Chinese drama and Put Your Head on My Shoulder was the last one. I know this drama has been hyped up earlier this year but because I was avoiding Netflix to save money, I ended up watching it later than everyone.

I like the story, it's a good stress reliever. If you're too stressed at work or school, watch this. It will make you fall in love. Honestly, the drama was a 10/10 for me though I know that the scenes are almost impossible in real life.

I like how natural every character's reaction was especially the female lead. Her expressions are on point and you can see her character's age through those expressions. Though the premise was a bit weird and uncomfortable for some, I think, this is one of the most wholesome dramas that I've ever watched.

The story was so Wattpad-vibes but it's still a good one for me. If I had Business Proposal as my feel-good drama last year, I have Hidden Love for this year. Worth a watch.

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Will be taking a break from the Sherlock Holmes series as for the next weekend, I'll be reading a self-help book which I will also review on this page. Stay tuned and keep safe, guys!

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10 posts!

OMG!

I have my first badge!

Thanks, Tumblr!

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The Sign of the Four

I really made some effort for this one as my phone is incognito mode as of this moment and I can't work with my laptop because I get dizzy. This is still based on the book, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Other Stories.

To start, I'll rate the novel/story as 9.5/10. I don't want to give it the perfect marks as the culprits narrative is too long that I got bored reading it and the inclusion of the love story of Mary and John Watson felt cringy at some point.

As a plus point, it's really action-packed as the characters only had few time to spare. Because of that, I can get my eyes off the book which resulted to mu dizziness. Still, a must read.

[senelise-reviews]

A Study in Scarlet

Hi everyone!

This is another book review and as I said in my previous post, this is based on the book, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Other Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle which is published by Canterbury Classics.

As a fan of the TV Series, Sherlock which starred Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch, I have my own expectation of this story as the first episode of the series, Study in Pink is loosely based on this book but most of the details actually made more sense in the book.

To start, it's a 9.8/10 for me. I would like to rate it 10/10 but the sudden determination of the culprit made me confused. Still, it was really good and made me want to read another novel if my eyes weren't tired enough from reading.

Sherlock Holmes may be too self-confident but undeniably brilliant. I'm so excited about the Sign of the Four! Maybe I'll review the short stories per case in the next few weeks.

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Just an update!

Currently reading this book and my succeeding reviews of Sherlock Holmes will be based on this version. This update will be a disclaimer but will still put disclaimers on the succeeding reviews.

To review this version, I just want to inform everyone that I have a softbound copy of the Sherlock Holmes collection but lost interest halfway through because the pages keep ripping off by themselves, and this new copy I have made me hooked up all over again. Maybe that's the advantage of a hardbound book.

[senelise-reviews]

Alchemy of Souls (2022-2023)

First of all, I would like to apologize for the pictures as they are not of the same size. I just found them through google search though.

AOS is my favorite drama of 2022 and, as expected, I'll give it a 10 out of 10.

Just a background, I don't really intend to watch it at that time because I'm busy and I'm not a fan of the characters but seeing clips on Tiktok made me watch it.

I like the story. It started with revenge, dug deeper into the history of the alchemy of souls, and ended up saving the kingdom and themselves along the way.

The main marketing device this TV series has is its visual effects. It's giving me goosebumps, especially the last few episodes of the 2nd season. It makes you feel like it is from a different world.

As for the characters, I'm on team Yul at the start of the series because Hwang Minhyun is really handsome and it is more highlighted in the drama. His character is also the shy and smart type of guy who looks really adorable. Still, in the end, I fell in love with Jang Uk who is a lazy guy who is so full of himself but hides loneliness through his playfulness.

For this series, I think, there was dispute between fans because they want Jung So Min to go back and play the role of the female lead and began hating Go Yoon Jung. Watching the show from season 1 to season 2, I don't there was so much to hate about her as she's a really good actress for a newbie one as she can mirror how a veteran actress like Jung So Min acts.

As for the ending, I like it but I also thought of the possibility for another season.

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The First Responders (2022)

Right after watching Revenant, I noticed this series and tried watching it.

As a rating, I'll rate this 9.5/10 due to its ending. Season 2 is currently on air so hopefully. that will feel the void for the 1st season.

Just a disclaimer, I worked with firefighters and policemen before, and they don't have a really good reputation for me so I really tried my best to remind my best that this series is just pure fiction.

For the story, I like how it was like an anthology with a main story which doesn't make it confusing. It also linked the job of firemen and policemen and how they can be interconnected. The thing that is a bit off about this whole thing is the love story part. I just can't imagine Detective Jin being sweet with Seol.

For the characters, the recklessness of Detective Jin and Bong Do Jin is unrealistic but if you will really think that it's fiction, you can say that they are really good at acting that part. I can also feel the frustration of Gongmyung Pil who is, I think, is the most relatable character.

For the ending, it was a cliffhanger. Lucky for me to watch it a week before the release of Season 2.