#last time I was disappointed like this when I discovered Final Fantasy 15's ending

[nei-ning]

Blasphemous 1 and 2

This post will be about my own opinions about Blasphemous 1 and 2. I will put B2 under the cut since I don't want to spoil anyone - just in case. NOTE: This post has mentions of blood, gore, horror etc!

I don't have Nintendo Switch, PS5 or PC to play the said game but my sister has Nintendo Switch so I was able to play Blasphemous 1 with her because of this and, boy, wasn't that game AMAZINGLY INSANE!

Like WOW! From the very first minutes I was consumed by horrible feelings! I was disturbed, feeling anxious, depressed, horrified, sick, disgusted etc. and I LOVED every single feeling! That game was doing it's job, ahah! No any other game EVER has deliver me such feelings so that says A LOT!

Blood, gore, violence, heavy theme through the whole game, a word "miracle" is NOT the same for me anymore either :'D It's ruined, ahah! Not to mention this monster boss, Ten Piedad (Have Mercy) and his theme! GOOD GOD! I loved him SO much but at the same time he freaked me out so much that I was scared to go outside during the dark, on this small forest road to leave food for wild hares and rabbits, ahaha! Again, this game and the Blasphemous team did their job! :D

I honestly loved everything in Blasphemous 1! There was NOTHING what I wouldn't had loved! But for here we get on Blasphemous 2.

It was HUGE disappointment after first 15 minutes or so. No, I haven't played it. I watched 10h long video on Youtube. I was around 3h and I was so done already, frustrated that I had 7h more to go :'D

But let me tell you why I was disappointed. Cut scene animations. Not done in pixel style but rather like anime. No. Those didn't fit in the game. They broke game's own flow so to say. Many people have complain about this. Lack of enemies. So MANY of the enemies were the same, used over and over again on different states, maybe changed some color or their element. This also leads on lack of executions. Just few different ones and that's it! Most enemies, as well as bosses, were too human like. No monsters like Ten Piedad in B1. People have complain about this too and I perfectly understand it.

No any of those horrible feelings what B1 delivered. Absolutely none. Music wasn't as good either (which made me sad). In B1 I loved almost all musics. I think there was only 1 which I didn't like. In Blasphemous 2: I only liked 6 songs. The areas / backgrounds also weren't as creepy, sickening or depressing as they were in B1.

I have been going through videos on Youtube about B2, reading peoples comments and many agree with me: B2 was disappointing. Some say that B2 was more like Castlevania and I agree on that. Of course there's those who also loved B2 and I get it too.

When Blasphemous team decided to put their resources on creating 3 different weapons, it ate a lot of resources which could had been used on enemies, executions, cutscene animations etc. and therefor the game suffers from it as I have listed above. I am not against having many different weapons as long as it won't make the game suffer otherwise. Sadly it did in this case.

Also the lack of gore, heavy theme and all that what B1 had... It was like Blasphemous' whole core, whole being. It was gone in B2. The game felt empty and boring. Some people agree with this.

I am happy there are people who also love B2 since, heck, we definitely want and need Blasphemous 3! I sent email to Blasphemous team, telling them my observation, feelings, comparing B1 and B2 etc. They kindly replied they will take my feedback seriously so I hope they would get back on B1 styled game and feeling with B3! But only time will tell ~

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

April 2021 Part 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Second Chance Ep 1 - living up to its name since it looks to be a series of redemption arcs. Launched with a college confession and a broken friendship, then a flash back to them as seniors in high school. Pairings include friends to lovers, nerd/jock, and maybe cafe boss/employee. There’s a lot going on, but it’s still... quiet and sweet. The script is pretty pat but it’s still WAY more watchable than Cupid Coach or Brothers and most of the acting is solid. Ep 1 tropes included: he’s in engineering, wound tending, fast & bicurious. This could turn into what I wanted My Gear & Your Gown to be. Fingers crossed. 

Love Poison 2 Ep 1 & 2 turns out I did watch and report on season 1 (8 eps), season 2 seems equally unmemorable. Thai countryside setting, strong dialect, incomprehensible plot, camp side characters, and ghastly singing. 

Y-Destiny Ep 1 (eng subs?) - opened with the sports romance enemies to lovers (they aren’t going in the teaser order). When the couple got over fighting, the flirting was v cute, but the flipping SPONGE BATH trope had to rear its ugly head. Still, this series is shaping up to be less coy and more frank than most BL, better than expected. It feels, I don’t know, gay-er or something?  *** Sources were correct that each couple is getting (at least) 2 eps, and MDL has been updated to say this is a 15 episode series (not 7). 

Cupid Coach 12 fin - The new Nite was great and should have been a main all along. It felt like we got a tiny nugget of what could have been in about 10 minutes worth of this last ep. It was way too slow with terrible editing and a criminally bad script, but at least it ended happy. Mostly, like Friend Forever, I’m just disappointed that these two actors were done dirty by the series. Bad Cupid Coach, no screen caps for you. 

Lovely Writer Ep 6 - breaking news, there’s a het couple I like: toppy bi femme + soft boi = such a good pairing! I know, but this NEVER happens. Meanwhile, Sib’s secret is out, Gene is a bit of a drama queen, and the plot thickens. We half way through.  

Brothers Ep 9 - Kaow had a serious moment of advice giving that was truly lovely. Lots of family dama made this a superior episode to... well... any of the others in this series. Which isn’t saying much. 

1000 Stars Ep 10 fin - at the start this series didn’t grab me the way GMMTV’s last BL, Tonhon Chonlatee, did. But boy did it end 1000x better. Might have given us 2021′s best forehead kiss. I enjoyed the ultra romantic cliff-top reunion kiss, and I LOVED the stinger flirting scene. That was an absolute gift we had no right to expect. This drama is a poster child for finishing on a high note (always focus on that dessert course). Final thoughts? This was FAR more a classic romance than it was BL. There were some BL tropes used but not many and most of them originated in the romance genre not yaoi. A picture perfect ending bumped 1000 Stars much higher up my best-of list than expected. Not sure how often I’ll rewatch it as a whole, but this last episode? I’m probably rewatching it right now. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Dear Uranus (Taiwan GL) Ep 3 fin - I guess that’s it? Okaaaaay  

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 3 (AKA Ep 5-6) - we got actual legit gay culture not just BL (always appreciated) from XingSi. I’m starting to find LiCheng’s “show them we fucking” hijinks hilarious rather than annoying (not sure why, maybe I just love a rubber chicken, or maybe it was the STUFFED CORN WITH THE TASSEL that did it). 

-- H4 Moment of RANT --

Tropes included beach trip, there’s only one bed, cook for him, baby is a floppy drunk, carry baby to bed, and.... drunk non-con. Whoopdedoo. Here we go again. Did TharnType teach us NOTHING? (Apparently it taught us if the chemistry is good enough, I have no morals at all.) At least H4 seems to be taking us out of cheese into serious when it comes to assault. Or is it? 

I take back what I said last week about XingSi & YongJie being codependency + salvation trope, that only works if YongJie is the uke. He’s NOT. So we got us an obsessive predatory villain with a possible redemption arc. That’s more common in crime dramas, mafia romance, and epic fantasy than BL. It’s real hard to redeem a sexual predator in a reality-grounded universe like contemporary romance (See Kla in LBC1&2). 

Next week is gonna be a test of the whole damn franchise. Imma remind both me a you that this was ep 3 of 10 so we got a ways to go yet... but ooof, what have we wrought, BL? (I ended up doing a whole post about the stepbrother trope because of this sub plot.) Taiwan is killing me.

-- RANT ended --

Word of Honor (China) Ep 19-21 - over half way point so we got ALL the back story (in a classic 4 act story structure midway reveal). Now we know who WKX really is and his lineage. We also got some cute hugs and hand holds. Moving along at a nice clip despite being 36 eps total. Still gayest thing to come out of we-not-gay China since Advance Bravely. 

Most Peaceful Place (Vietnam) Ep 2 - takes them a while to get eng subs together and ep 2 didn’t drop until late. So I’m putting this in a Thurs time slot going forward. Miscommunication already cleared up and a 2nd couple has been introduced. The pacing on these Vietnamese BLs is always a bit... off. But it’s still better than most of its ilk, enjoyable. I’m thinking it’s a 6 ep arc. 

We Best Love 2 (Taiwan) Ep 5 - after the initial drama DRAMA of ep 2, the current external crisis at work is much quieter, giving this whole season a top heavy feel. Taken along side the first season, I think it’s fitting nicely into a 4 act structure, but that might be my bias. I hope I’m not wrong, we’ll find out next week. Shi De puttering about being domestic with Shu Yi on his back was the best execution of the piggyback trope EVER. Meanwhile, our little D/s side couple of codependency, salvation trope + mental illness is becoming weirdly appealing. I don’t know. H4 done mess with my head. 

Stand Alones 

Absolute BL AKA Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko  (Japan) Ep 1-4 mini series. Found subs under A Man Who Defies The World of BL. IT’S HILARIOUS. It’s Japan making fun of us, but also itself for having started this whole BL nonsense - from yaoi roots to present day. It’s parody goddamn gold. Utterly cheeky unto the very last line. We are not worthy. 

Apparently the most powerful tropes of all time are: baby is a floppy drunk and the piggyback fo nobility. Oh and chocolate. {Full review here.} 

Honestly, this show may have been made with only @heretherebedork and I in mind. I don’t know if you’d even understand half of it if you don’t have a history with the manga source genre and an obsessive interest in underlying narrative devices. I haven’t seen much chatter in the blog’o’sphere on this one because, in the end, it’s not a romance at all, it’s social commentary. 

The ending line was a masterclass in lampooning a genre. I’m going to rewatch the whole thing just to catch all the digs I missed first time around. It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. 

Thank you Japan. I forgive you all your hair-styling sins of the last decade. 

Breaking News 

Spring Line Up:

Scholar Ryu’s Wedding Ceremony AKA Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korean historical BL) April 15th 

Close Friend the series (Thai trailer) April 22. 

2gether the movie (Thai trailer) April 22 to Thai theaters.

Nitiman (Thai) May 7 on One31.

I Told Sunset About You 2 (Thai) May 27 on LineTV

Ossan’s Love (Hong Kong) June to Viu 

Gossip 

Bad Buddies released its first promo op via Arm Share, which means GMMTV is at least *thinking* about filming it. 

Fun behind the scenes gossip sesh with eng subs for Tell the World I Love You (that Perth Bas movie we are maybe getting someday but will likely be sad). 

New Thai BL Bite Me (adapted from novel Grab a Bite) dropped a teaser. It stars Mark Siwat (Kla in LBC) as uke character Ake, a delivery boy with special foodie powers, and chef Eua (seme played by Zung Kidakorn) who discovers him. It’s from the same author as Manner of Death so we might even get some actual plot. Since it’s an established BL actor who I happen LOVE, a known author, and a plot about FOOD, I could not me more excited for this one. 

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed a day later than actual air date for accessibility reasons. Some are dropping multiples at a time but just started so I’m not sure on numbering. 

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

[odanurr87]

My thoughts on... The King: Eternal Monarch

Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon, and Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul.

Release date: April 17 - June 12, 2020

Episodes: 16

Available on: Netflix

Plot synopsis: On one fateful night of December 1994, the king of the Kingdom of Corea was brutally murdered by his illegitimate brother, Lee Lim. The king’s son, Lee Gon, was spared a similar fate thanks to the timely intervention of a mysterious saviour, who only left behind an identity card belonging to one Lieutenant Jeong Tae-eul. 15 years later, King Lee Gon finds himself transported to the parallel world of the Republic of Korea where he meets Lieutenant Jeong Tae-eul and together they work to uncover a conspiracy across their two worlds.

Rewatch meter: Medium to High

Introduction

The King: Eternal Monarch is the latest work by writer Kim Eun-sook and, since I enjoyed two of her previous works (Descendants of the Sun and Goblin), I was quite looking forward to it. I didn't know actor Lee Min-ho at the time but I recalled Kim Go-eun from Goblin so I was relatively excited to see her in another main role. The pilot episode of the show was great, deftly introducing us to a host of characters and setting up several plot threads in a total runtime of 70 minutes, already incorporating the concepts of time travel and parallel worlds, not an easy task and a much welcome departure from most kdramas on air. Since I am a fan of sci-fi and modern fantasy however, that meant I'd put this show under the microscope so how did it fare?

Related reviews: Goblin

Characters

From left to right: Lee Jung-jin as Lee Lim, Jung Eun-chae as Goo Seo-rung, Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon, Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul, Woo Do-hwan as Jo Yeong, and Kim Kyung-nam as Kang Shin-jae.

The show enjoys, and suffers from, a host of characters on both worlds, with many actors playing dual roles because of the concept of parallel worlds. This (over)abundance of characters results in most having to play second fiddle to the two leads. In hindsight, a tighter cast would've worked better. A fair few of the characters (e.g. the detective hiding something from his wife, the pregnant lady, the mother of Lee Gon's doppelganger, god kid, and many more) did not ultimately justify their presence other than to set up (underwhelmingly resolved) mysteries to keep the audience engaged. More important characters, like Prime Minister Koo and Lee Lim, sadly never reached their full potential to my mind, being relegated to play more stereotypical antagonist roles in the end. While I can understand this decision with Lee Lim to an extent, it was a shame Prime Minister Koo’s character wasn’t more nuanced. While Lee Min-ho's characterization of Lee Gon has taken some flak I found him to act more or less in line with how a (fictional) king would, one excited at the prospect of having found the woman he's been searching for for most of his life. Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul was the one who truly delivered on the emotional end of the spectrum, as we all knew she would. Sadly, the character of Luna was more undercooked, and the show could probably have done without her.

Pacing

The all-out battle at the end of Episode 11, with Lee Gon showing off his skill with the sword, is one of the highlights of the show.

While the pacing of the show ramped up considerably towards the end it actually started rather slowly. Lee Gon discovers the Republic of Korea at the end of the first episode, yes, but it is not until the end of Episode 4 that he returns to his kingdom, with a skeptical Jeong Tae-eul in tow. Then, it is at the end of Episode 9 that Lee Gon and Lee Lim have their first encounter, with an all-out battle with Lee Lim's henchmen at the end of Episode 11, and the reveal of the identity of the savior at the end of Episode 13. I was quite satisfied with the show's pacing up until that point but a little worried about how they would tie everything up with 3 episodes left, worries that proved to be justified, as many plot threads were left unresolved or rushed to conclusion without living up to the expectations built up after several episodes. Considering the last episode of the show solves the main conflict in the first 20 minutes, I don't think this faster pacing was justified.

Execution

It is difficult not to conclude the execution of the plot wasn't nearly as tight as it could've been. The show continuously introduced new questions, new mysteries, and new characters, to keep us guessing, to keep us engaged, sometimes to the detriment of the overall storytelling quality. Who is this new character? How does s/he factor in Lee Lim's plan? Who's sending this stuff to PM Koo? What is the significance of the scars? There is no doubt these questions succeeded in keeping us engaged and I have to give it props for that. However, the execution was dragged down from indulging in superfluous characters and plot threads. Park Moon-sik's nightly escapades from his wife are a perfect example, a plot whose resolution was needlessly postponed till the final episode. Removing such plots could've open up time better served to further develop characters, like PM Koo, or explore Lee Lim's plans more thoroughly, an aspect where I feel the show dropped the ball, as these turned out to be contradictory and contrived, helping out the writer more than Lee Lim himself.

Time Travel

Sadly, the execution of time travel is a direct casualty of continuously trying to surprise the audience with new twists or for the sake of pulling at our heart strings. Up until Episode 13, its depiction of time travel lined up perfectly with the concept of a causal loop (e.g. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban), but then Episode 14 had characters remember new past events in real-time (think of the movie Frequency, with Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid), and Episode 15 resurrected a character who should've been dead, among potentially more problematic issues. Time travel is a fictional concept, but even fiction is guided by certain rules and, sadly, the depiction of time travel in The King: Eternal Monarch does not hold up under further scrutiny, what deflated my engagement somewhat. Here I was, trying to understand how the writer had put together the puzzle only to realize some of the pieces didn't line up or were from different puzzles altogether. This was not entirely unexpected, as few stories have used time travel consistently in the past, but I was mildly disappointed, particularly given the writer’s excellent work and attention to detail in Goblin.

Romance

Another highlight of the show, especially if you understand exactly what is going on in this scene.

While I can believe Lee Gon could’ve developed feelings for Jeong Tae-eul after searching for her for 20+years (fans of The Expanse will recall Miller also developed feelings for Julie while searching for her), the beginning of their romance in Episode 5 felt a bit forced. It also struck me as odd when Jeong Tae-eul was the one to declare her feelings of love for Lee Gon in Episode 7 instead of the other way around. In fact, it isn't until Episode 10 that Lee Gon admits his feelings for her in one of the most emotional scenes of the show. Perhaps if the two had switched around their declarations it would’ve made more sense.

In any case, their romantic relationship was cemented from Episode 10 onwards for me, although they had cute couple moments in earlier episodes, with Episode 6 featuring the most heartfelt conversations and interactions. For my part, watching their relationship continue to unfold was one of the highlights of the show, and it certainly delivered in the following episodes. Lee Gon's unyielding quest across time and space to find Jeong Tae-eul again and again was moving, though more powerful in Episode 14 than 16 to my mind, perhaps because of the music, editing, and added emotional impact of Jeong Tae-eul knowing Lee Gon is on his way. Perhaps if Episode 16 had dedicated more than 5 minutes (count them) of its runtime to show Lee Gon constantly leaving the palace to search for and meet different versions of Jeong Tae-eul throughout the years it would've been a lot more impactful, and potentially heartbreaking. Tying it to his appearance at the end of Episode 10 would've made it perfect.

Music

I hesitate slightly to say the soundtrack for The King: Eternal Monarch is on the same level as that of Goblin (time will tell), but if it's not, it certainly isn't far behind. Songs like "Gravity," "Orbit," and "Maze," or instrumental tracks like "One Day," "My Love and...," "Into the Fantasy," and "The Fantasia of Another Dimension," are a sample of this album's best. Sadly, not all tracks featured in the show are included in the album, such as the variant of “The King” that plays at the end of Episode 15 when Lee Gon bids farewell to Lady Noh. If you're a soundtrack aficionado like I am, I'd suggest you keep this album in your Spotify library or equivalent.

Conclusions

The King: Eternal Monarch is, by no means, a perfect show. It is technically not as good as writer Kim Eun-sook's previous Goblin, which overall covered the topics previously discussed better than The King did. However, that is not to say The King: Eternal Monarch isn't an overall good show as it is, one that boldly incorporates interesting concepts like time travel and parallel worlds to its narrative with ultimately mixed results. The music is great, production values are top notch, and all of the actors’ performances were on point, though a tighter cast would’ve benefited some of their performances. While the romance between Lee Min-ho’s and Kim Go-eun’s characters may be a hard sell for some, at least initially, it ultimately worked for me.

If you haven't watched the show yet and are reading this review now, then I'm sorry that you've missed out on the experience of watching the show week to week, discussing and dissecting it with other viewers, and rewatching episodes scouring for clues, a process it easily lends itself to as opposed to other kdramas. If you're into sci-fi and modern fantasy, then I'd encourage you to give it a watch, bearing in mind the previously discussed caveats. If you're into romance kdramas, set your expectations accordingly. If you're looking for more recommendations on modern fantasy+romance and have already watched Goblin, then allow me to recommend the excellent Hotel del Luna (which I’m currently in the process of reviewing after watching it, what, four times now?). For my part, I'm looking forward to Kim Eun-sook, Lee Min-ho, and Kim Go-eun's next projects.

[panicinthelibrary-blog]

the 20 books I want to read the most in 2020

1. IT - Stephen King                                                                                   

Genre: Horror

For someone who loves the horror genre, it’s surprising that I haven’t read any of Stephen King’s books. I’ve decided that this year I’ll read my first King book and start with IT, as it has been recommended to me by friends (though a certain scene has gained mixed responses).

2. The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton

Genre: Young Adult

Last year I was given this book, and despite wanting to read it badly, I still haven’t read it - hopefully next year I will finally read it. S. E. Hinton also started writing this when they were fifteen, so bonus points.

3. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

Genre: Allegory

Commonly referred to as a “modern classic”, I really want to read ‘Lord of the Flies’. I’ve actually started this book before, but gave up (that’s not a reflection on my enjoyment of the book, it’s a reflection on my crippling migraine). This book is also responsible for me discovering that there is a Nobel Prize for Literature - I previously had no idea that that existed.

4. A Street Cat Named Bob - James Bowen

Genre: Autobiography

I saw the film adaption of this when it first came out in 2016, and even though I loved it, I never got around to reading the book - fingers crossed 2020 is the year I finally get around to reading it.

5. Mythos - Stephen Fry

Genre: Non-fiction

I absolutely love Greek mythology (eleven year-old me was a Percy Jackson stan to be honest), so I’m very excited to gain a more in depth understanding of Greek mythology by reading ‘Mythos’.

6. Why Mummy Doesn’t Give A ****! - Gill Sims

Genre: Comedy

The ‘Why Mummy...’ series is probably one of the funniest book series I’ve ever read - lighthearted and hilarious, I will probably read this in between some of the heavier stuff I plan on reading.

7. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Genre: Thriller

I tried reading this book earlier on in the year, but gave up about one-hundred pages in - I really want to like this book, so I’ll try it again in 2020.

8. The Messenger - Markus Zusak

Genre: Young Adult

‘The Book Thief’ is one of my favourite books ever, if not my favourite book of all time. It’s so well written, and if ‘The Messenger’ is half as well written, I’ll enjoy it thoroughly.

9. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

Genre: Fantasy

In May I was given this book, and, surprise surprise, I didn’t get around to reading it. Apparently it’s amazing, so I look forward to reading it next year.

10. Autoboyography - Christina Lauren

Genre: Young Adult

Out of all of the books on this list, I am probably looking forward to reading this book the most. Even though I haven’t read any of Christina Lauren’s previous books, I am very excited to read ‘Autoboyography’ - really hoping that this doesn’t disappoint.

11. The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended to me by my history teacher last year, I’ve been desperate to read it ever since. My grandparents have also spoken very highly of this book, so I really hope that it doesn’t disappoint.

12. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

Genre: Non-fiction

As someone who finds religion to be a very interesting topic, I am very excited to read ‘The God Delusion’. Though to be honest, I am only aware of this books existence because Camilla and Jamie mentioned it on Love Island in 2017.

13. Precious - Sapphire

Genre: Urban Fiction

I brought this book all the way back in August of 2018, but lost my copy and only found it again yesterday. With a wide range of positive review, I am looking forward to this book a lot.

14. Mirror, Mirror - Cara Delevingne

Genre: Mystery

I’ll be the first to admit that I am only reading this because it was written by Cara Delevingne - it’s not the type of book I’d usually gravitate towards; it was the authors name that grabbed my attention. However, I do like Cara Delevingne, and I am interested to see how good a writer she is.

15. Surrounded by Idiots - Thomas Erikson

Genre: Non-fiction

As someone who is very interested in psychology, I am very excited to read ‘Surrounded by Idiots’. A bestseller in Sweden, I have high hopes for this book.

16. The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily M. Danforth

Genre: Young Adult

The film adaption of Danforth’s novel is one of my favourite films, and I really recommend that anyone with a Netflix account checks it out. Another book I have very high hopes for, there’s a strong possibility I will be crushed if this book disappoints.

17. Becoming - Michelle Obama

Genre: Memoir

I absolutely love the Obama’s, and am so excited to read Michelle Obama’s autobiography. I am so inspired by her, and cannot wait to read about her life experiences.

18. Turtles All the Way Down - John Green

Genre: Young Adult

John Green is one of my favourite authors, and I’ve loved almost every book of his that I’ve read - ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and ‘Looking For Alaska’ are some of my favourite books ever (though I was disappointed by ‘An Abundance of Katherines’). Hopefully ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ is one of Green’s better books, and fingers crossed it will bring me to tears.

19. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Genre: Tragedy

Not only is ‘The Great Gatsby’ a classic, it’s one of my grandparents favourite books - another book I really want to like, I’m really hoping this book will live up to its reputation.

20. Two Boys Kissing - David Levithan

Genre: Young Adult

Another book centred around LGBT teens, I am very excited to read this book. Maybe I’m so excited to read this because I find it easier to relate to queer characters, but whatever the reason, I’m incredibly excited to read this.

[the-master-cylinder]

SUMMARY A nuclear war breaks out in 1986, expending the world’s entire nuclear arsenal, except for one missile. Two children, Philip Chandler (John Stockwell) and Marlowe Hammer (Michael Dudikoff), are abandoned by their fathers in a fallout shelter cut into the side of a wooded mountain. The pair grow up in the shelter, with 1950s detective fiction and swing music as the guiding force in their learning. Fifteen years later Marlowe succeeds in digging out the cave entrance. The pair give each other haircuts, dress in suits, and go to rejoin the world.

Philip narrates their adventure on their first day out:

My name’s Philip, and this is going to be a yarn about me and my pal, Marlowe. About the day we got out of this shelter and went off into the post-nuclear world. Now, as excited as we were about leaving the shelter, it was still a joint that held fond memories. I mean, it was the only world we’d ever known. Where I practiced my magic, Marlowe, his dancing; where we both dreamed of becoming private eyes, just like the ones we’d read about.

Marlowe hopes to find their fathers, but Philip is disgruntled that they never returned, and presumes that they are dead. The mountain is now devoid of trees. The first people they find are a trio of radiation burned “mutants” chasing a beautiful woman, Miles Archer (Lisa Blount). They rescue Miles, who kisses Marlowe as a distraction and steals his gun. This backfires, as she drops the activation keys to the last nuclear missile. Miles leaves, and the pair are immediately attacked by a biker gang of bald women in red wigs. Afterwards the boys discover the activation keys, which bears their fathers’ names. This excites Marlowe, but disturbs Philip.

They rescue another young woman, Rusty Mars (Michele Little), from a group of armed children Philip nicknames “disco mutants”. She takes a liking to Philip, and leads the two of them to Edge City which is plagued by gang warfare. Rusty takes them to a dance club, where they are captured by cannibals. They want the nuclear keys, and to eat the young men, a rarity of uncontaminated meat. Although Rusty helps them escape and apologises, Philip doesn’t trust her. Just after they part ways the pair meets up with a friend of Miles’ who also wants the keys. After he is dispatched Miles shows up and takes them to her hideout. There she tells them about the purpose of the keys. Miles then threatens to kill them, but they escape.

Rusty has followed them to the hideout, but is attacked by the child gangsters. The pair chase them away, but Philip still doesn’t trust her. He wants to shoot her, but is out of bullets. After Rusty apologises again for lying to him and originally handing him over to the cannibals he says, “That was a million years ago, and I got a short memory. In fact, I don’t even remember who you are”.

The pair resolves to rid the city of the gangs and keep the keys. They go to an abandoned warehouse, using themselves as bait, in the hopes that the gangs will kill each other before killing them. For the most part, the plan works. However, the bosses of the child-gangsters are in fact Philip and Marlowe’s fathers. Before he dies, Philip’s father tells him that the past does not matter. In the end, the only gangster left standing is Miles, who has the keys. She shoots at them, and misses, but startles Marlowe into shooting and killing her.

The film ends with Philip letting go of the angst which he had nursed for 15 years. He adopts Marlowe’s “silver-lining look on life”. The two demonstrate Marlowe’s tap-inspired “post-nuke shuffle” to the crowds of the city. In the closing narration, Philip explains that they plan to set up shop as detectives, but that first he will find Rusty and see if he can repair his relationship with her. Of the keys, he says that he and Marlowe hid them in a secret location, because “you never know, in a tight jam a nuclear missile just might come in handy”.

PRODUCTION Albert Pyun’s first film, THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER, made box office waves and instantly established him as a hot property in Hollywood. If you haven’t heard much about the young director in the past two years, it’s because Pyun has been busy working on his next feature, a post-nuclear fantasy-adventure tale entitled RADIOACTIVE DREAMS. The film is scheduled for release later this year, though a distribution deal has not yet been finalized.

The long pre-production period was, in part, due to the challenge of acquiring financing (after THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER, Pyun had several offers, but wanted to work independently from the studio system and a six month talent search for the roles of Phillip and Marlowe. Pyun estimates that he saw over 600 young actors, striving to find two who weren’t too modern-looking, and could believably carry a 40’s attitude as part of their characters. During this time, Pyun and Karnowski wrote some 50 drafts of the script, began scouting locations, and dove head-long into the other crucial pre-production elements.

A visit to the production office at Laird International Studios reflects just how much work had already been done on the project which, in Pyun’s words, has a budget only “slightly larger than the $3.5 million spent to film THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER, the walls are covered with color storyboards by in-house illustrator Shawn Joyce (who will be preparing all the film’s matte paintings), character sketches, blueprints of sets, and even tabletop poster board miniatures of the hippie city square (modeled after San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district), and the bombshelter (which comes complete with a two-car garage). Mark Moses, a winner of several CLIO awards, serves as the film’s visual consultant, with Chester Kaczenski handling art direction.

Principal photography, by German cinematographer Thomas Mauck, who shot many of Werner Herzog’s films, began in March in Pyun’s native Hawaii, on the island of Hawaii. The remote locations-in the mountains and on the site of the Mauna Loa volcano, where an unexpected eruption occurred on the first day of shooting-generated some visually sensational dallies, according to publicist Scott Fields.

Interview with Albert Pyun

How did you come about writing Radioactive Dreams? Albert Pyun: I wanted to do something after “The Sword and the Sorcerer” that was distinctive and not like anything else. I think I felt that if I only got to make 2 movies in my life, the second had to be as imaginative as I could create. So that was the start of it and I had a lot of meetings with studios and what they liked about my first film was how it was imaginative, so I went that direction.

Did the 1980’s missile crisis have anything to do with what inspired you? Albert Pyun: Well, no, but growing up in the Col War years certainly did. I always was a fan  of Dr. Strangelove and i think that and “O Lucky Man” got me going on the idea of the last nuke left.

How long did it take for the guys to get the “Post Nuke Shuffle” down? Albert Pyun: Did they ever?? To be fair, we had to shoot it really fast as the sun was coming up and we were losing extras. So we had to shoot it fast and that was unfair to John and Michael because they did work hard on that dance. We shot most of the big music scenes and extras scenes in one night so that really made it a very rushed shoot night. I don’t know if John was as comfortable with the dance as Michael. I think it went against this sort of “cool” vibe John had. He was very dedicated to what we were doing but some of it i could tell unsettled him.

The dance looked pretty amazing. I’m surprised it isn’t a staple to dance to at weddings and birthdays. Any memories of when you filmed the big final scene? Albert Pyun: Just how fast we had to do it. I was disappointed we could do it with more takes and shots. It was pretty basic and FAST. And they had a costume change in the middle of it. I had actually shot several book end scenes which were set 40 years later and had a young mutant reporter interviewing Rusty about Philip and Marlowe. It talked about what eventually happened to them and how Marlowe was murdered by a gang trying to get the launch keys and how Phillip left rusty to destroy the keys once and for all but never returned. I think there was a small shot at the end showing Philip and Rusty’s son and a quick peek of Philip watching from afar to keep them safe.

The soundtrack to this film still remains very popular. Did you personalty pick any of the artist that made it into the movie? Albert Pyun: Yeah, I selected the songs used. My friend and co-producer John Stuckmeyer was into that LA music scene and got a lot of bands to submit cassette tapes of demos. He weeded out the most appropriate ones and he and I selected the final choices to be used. I think we had a couple written for the movie specifically when we couldn’t find exactly what we wanted.

How did you end up meeting John Stockwell and Michael Dudikoff? Albert Pyun: They came in  during the casting process. We saw a lot of great actors of that time, Judge Reinhold, Clancy Brown, Tim Van Patten, Harry Anderson, many really good actors. We even had a breakfast meeting with Tom Hanks, a tape submission from Ellen DeGeneres. All were young and at the start of their careers as was I.

As a special effects makeup artist, I found the mutants completely terrifying! Any memories of the makeup process on the actors? Albert Pyun: That was by Greg Cannom who would go on to win oscars for Dracula and more. He figured out the design and look. I was disappointed that I had to lose the surfing sequence in the film. We wanted to dye the ocean flourescent orange and have surfing mutants surf and rot I think but the Coastal Commission said no.

Do you think a film like that could be made today? Albert Pyun: No, Radioactive Dreams wouldn’t get made today. It’s way too eccentric and weird. Even in 1984 it was tough to get made. I raised the budget myself from a single investor. He was a real estate developer in San Bernadino California. I think he did it because he finally gave in to my dogged persistence for over a year. He said “no” many times, but I kept hearing “yes”. I’m an optimist I guess. I believed in the film and knew it would be a unique picture to follow up The Sword and the Sorcerer. Anyway halfway through production the funding disappeared.

A couple of Edge City’s best and brightest with costume designer Joseph Porro

SPECIAL EFFECTS Special prosthetic make-ups were created by Greg Cannom. His bizarre designs range from the mysterious repulse men to a wrinkled surf bunny (a girl whose excessive bathing in the post nuclear sun has given her the appearance of a 90 year-old woman) and his favorite, the mutant surfers: those who refused to give up their treasured pastime, even though the ocean has become radioactive.

The surfers’ skin, hanging loosely from their bones, is riddled with chemotherapy patches and permanently-affixed barnacles. their long. scorched, platinum blonde hair is missing entire sections. Josephine Turner, who did the intricate hair ventilating for THE HOWLING and THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN, will create the wigs. Straight and extra make-ups will be provided by Ve Neil and Rick Schwartı.

Mutant Surfer

Special fire and mechanical effects will be handled by Joe Lombardi’s Special Effects Unlimited. The film’s extensive stunt work, under the direction of Alan Gibbs offers several cliff-hanging sequences: a chase on winding mountain roads involving female bikers, a high-speed helicopter pursuit, various gun battles and a warehouse explosion. Additionally, there will be a surfing sequence in a ‘radioactive’ ocean-a portion of the real ocean near the shoreline will be chemically dyed expressly for filming.

Cast and crew spent most of their final week of production in Los Angeles, working with a 14-foot high mechanical rat created by Charles and Steven Chiodo, with 22 separate functions and 12 operators-giving it head, arm, and body movement capabilities-said to be the most advanced pneumatically controlled robot ever constructed for a motion picture. Star Lisa Blount does a scene while standing in the rat’s mouth. Her stunt double Andre Gibbs, wife of the film’s stunt coordinator Alan Gibbs, takes over for Blount’s death scene in which she is eaten alive by the rat.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Radioactive Dreams (1985) Soundtrack Most of the songs featured in the film are pop rock in the new wave vein. The exceptions are Zim Bim Zowie, a swing number, and also a tune in the American Songbook style, Daddy’s Gonna Boogie Tonight, played on a phonograph during the scene when Philip and Marlowe prepare to leave the fallout shelter. The latter and another track called All Talk were left out of the Australian and German soundtrack releases.[7]

Nightmare – Jill Jaxx – 5:10 Radioactive Dreams – Sue Saad – 5:18 She’ll Burn You – Maureen Steele – 4:13 Young Thing – Cherri Delight – 4:09 Tickin’ Of The Clock – The Monte Carlos – 2:07 Psychedelic Man – Shari Saba – 2:41 Eat You Alive – Lisa Lee – 2:40 Guilty Pleasures – Sue Saad – 3:44 (Performed by Saad on-screen) Turn Away – Mary Ellen Quinn – 2:13 She’s A Fire – Sue Saad – 2:07 When Lightning Strikes – Sue Saad – 6:51 Zim Bim Zowie – Darryl Phinessee – 2:20 Daddy’s Gonna Boogie Tonight B.J. Ward All Talk Lynn Carey

CAST/CREW Directed Albert Pyun Produced Moctesuma Esparza Written Albert Pyun

John Stockwell – Phillip Chandler Michael Dudikoff – Marlowe Hammer Michele Little – Rusty Mars Lisa Blount – Miles Archer Don Murray – Dash Hammer George Kennedy – Spade Chandler Norbert Weisser – Sternwood Christian Andrews – Brick Bardo Paul Keller Galan – Chester (as P.K. Galán) Demian Slade – Harold Hilary Shepard – Biker Leader (as Hilary Shapiro) Sue Saad – Punk District Singer Kimberly McKillip – Sadie – Hippie Chick Gulcin Gilbert – Greaser Chick (as Gulshin Gilbert) Mark Brown – Greaser Russell Price – Greaser

Makeup Department Greg Cannom    …  special makeup Ve Neill  …  makeup designer Brian Wade     …  additional makeup effects designer / additional makeup effects supervisor / special makeup effects artist Kevin Yagher   …  prosthetic makeup assistant

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Cinefantastique v15n01 La Cosa Cine Fantastico Issue #113, July, 2005 staystillreviews

Radioactive Dreams (1985) Retrospective SUMMARY A nuclear war breaks out in 1986, expending the world's entire nuclear arsenal, except for one missile.

[akocomyk]

The Top 10 Books I Read in 2017

Funny how I wasn’t able to read as much books as I wanted to despite the fact that I wasn’t really doing anything for two and a half months.  I was able to read 25 books in 2017, just enough to hit my Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge.  Usually, I go over my pledged number of books.  This was the only time, if I remember right, that I wasn’t able to surpass my reading challenge.

Finishing that challenge was an effort, mind you.  I finished reading the last book for 2017 on December 30, and i pushed myself just so that I can finish the challenge.  I blame all this slow reading to Miss Peregrine.  If you’ve read my thoughts on that book, you’d know why.

Going back to the real purpose of this blog... Of the 25 books I read this year, 15 were considered for this list.  I know that’s quite a lot, but that’s good, in reality.  That means I'm now more careful on choosing which books to read.

The sad part about this—similar to my dilemma last year—is that I have too many books that I want to include in the list.  It’s with great regret that I won’t be able to put them in here even if I wanted to.

Anyway... here it goes.

*The books in here are included regardless of their genre, release date, and author—whether they be Filipino or international.  As long as its a book that I’ve read within the given year, they can be considered for the list.

(Scores are on a scale of 1-5, inspired by Goodreads’ rating format)

10.  A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (2005)

SCORE: 4.250

This is the second book in Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series.  I really loved the first book and I’m so thrilled that whatever it is I liked from the first one continued with this—at times, even better.  But I’m a nothing-bests-the-original type of person, so the first book scored higher for me.  You’ll see it further on this list.

9.  The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Allire Sáenz (2017)

SCORE: 4.275

One thing that t I really love about Sáenz‘s books is the tone of his writing.  It’s utterly simple, yet very poetically beautiful—which for me makes it very quick and easy to read.

His other book that I read, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, is one of my favorite books.  Having known that he recently released a new book, I din’t mind that it’s still only available on hardbound, I immediately bought it when it came out.  I had high expectations for it.

This book gave me the same feelings when I read Ari and Dante, though it wasn’t as effective.  Toned-down would be a good word for it.  There are parts where it would hit you right on the heart.  Ironically, this is what the books is all about—love.  It’s about all types of love, even if the book never had an ounce of romance in it—maybe just a little bit.

8.  The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (2003)

SCORE: 4.330

The story in itself is very similar to a fairy tale and you can even identify a few references grabbed from the classics.  But unlike those old tales of fantasy, this one is void of all the atrocities and rather has common sense and unwavering cleverness—not to mention, an ample amount of humor.

One thing that I also love about the book is that all characters are very likable and have distinct personalities—even the tertiary and background characters have personalities, it’s insane!

See full review

7.  The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (2016)

SCORE: 4.345

I always love a book with amazing characters who have deeply rooted motivations.  This is what I adored about this book.  It felt like all the characters have valid reasons why they were doing the things that they did in the story, and the way it just pushed the plot forward and how everything went to be is just enchanting.

This is a book meant for children but it can certainly be enjoyed by any person of any age—except for the toddlers who can’t read, obviously.  This book is for the people who looooove fantasy.  I got into reading because of fantasy books—hello Chronicles of Narnia—and this creation by Barnhill is a unique jewel in the midst of middle grade to young adult novels which nowadays are starting to sound too similar to one another.

6.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999)

SCORE: 4.405

I had setbacks when I decided that I wanted to read it.  It was on the bottom of my I-plan-to-read-list primarily because I’ve already watched the film adaptation and I’m worried that I wouldn’t appreciate the book that much since I already know the story and thought that it would take away too much of the book’s charm.

BUT I WAS WRONG.

I didn’t really plan on reading it but on June 10, when I was alone in our house and wanted to do something so that I won’t get bored, I went out to find a book and eat at a local café.  Turns out, this was the cheapest book I found that actually pulled my interest.

Anyway, the book—much like the film—is very touching and fun to read.  Like, I never would’ve thought that the book was written during the 90′s because it gave me the modern YA feels, like it totally blended in with the books that I love reading.

It gave me the feels.  You know, the weird feeling in your heart when you read a book or watch a film.  It was very prevalent in this book.

5.  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (2007)

SCORE: 4.475

I got this book as a Christmas gift from a fellow Star Wars nerd.  She loved it that’s why she gave me a copy.  Basing from the reviews it got from Goodreads, it is an amazing book.  AND IT LIVED UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS. 

I just love how the characters are fully made up… although some feel like cardboard cutouts, I don’t mind.  I mean, they’re very minor characters.  At most, the main characters are very interesting.

It’s a good substitute to those who are reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series.  It has the same amount of epicness, same amount of characters, ample amount of secrecy and mysteries, but thankfully not as grandiose and confusing\ as GRRM’s (yeah, as much as I love the ASOIF books, sometimes it goes a little too far).

It’s a really thick book which I would normally get bored of reading in the middle, but that didn’t happen.

4.  Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (2015)

SCORE: 4.605

It is a truly wonderful book that proudly represents the LGBTQ community.

I love how Albertalli wrote it in such a sarcastic tone, and it reminds me of the time when I have a similar tone in writing—the time before I started doing all those melodramatic stuff.

There are times in the book that I almost wanted to cry.

Also, it’s one hell of a page-turner.  I couldn’t stop reading it!  The book laid open on my desk at work and I occasionally read a few pages every now and then.  I wanted to know how it ends so badly.

I also love the way that the story is also very engaging to the readers, like the way that you want to share with Simon’s adventure and search for the mysterious identity of Blue.  I had speculations.  I said, if this would be him, the story would be stupid.  If this would be a girl, it would be disappointing (and Will Grayson-ish).  If it was this other characters, it just doesn’t make any sense.  But there’s this minor character who would probably fit.  AND I WAS DAMN RIGHT.  I predicted it but it was good, because all the other options would make a really bad story.  I predicted it but it was good, because if I was the one who wrote the story, I would’ve written it the same way.

3.  Scythe by Neal Shusterman (2016)

SCORE: 4.610

This is only my second Neal Shusterman book and I think I’m starting to become a fan.  In this novel, he created a world that is so thought-provoking, and he made it distinct among the over-crowded dystopian novels of the recent years.

I recommend this to anyone who loved reading The Hunger Games—or just to anyone who loves to read—because it gives you the same emotions.  Different story, same feeling.  It will surprise you.  It will scare you.  It will excite you.  And at a certain point, it will crush your heart.

See full review

2.  We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson (2016)

SCORE: 4.615

This book portrays the message that no person in this world has a perfect life.  We are all flawed, and we all have reasons to be unhappy.

I was heavily impressed at how Hutchinson was able to incorporate that factor in all of his characters.   That is what I like most about this book.  Anyone in the world who loves to read may be able to have a connection to it—naturally, everyone of us has imperfections and we can empathize on the characters because of that.

I love the little sci-fi things that are enclosed in-between chapters, including the main premise that Henry (the main character) is abducted by aliens.  And I love the mystery by the end as to whether or not these abductions are true or just a figment of Henry’s imagination. *Spoiler alert, if you’re wondering how this part of the story is resolved… it was never resolved*

He’s depressed and he probably has anxiety so this could possibly his mind’s manifestations to cope up with his life.  This real-unreal phenomenon kinda reminds me of A Monster Calls… you know, you’re not sure if whether or not the Monster was real or not.

This factor adds a little interaction with the readers as it forces us to use our own creativity and rely solely on our imagination on how this all adds up.  It can be true.  It cannot be true.

And also, the book has these occasional moments that will really crush your heart.  You know how much I love books that do that to me.

AND THE AWARD FOR THE BEST BOOK I READ IN 2017 GOES TO...

1.  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (2003)

SCORE: 4.630

I’ve seen this book on store shelves a couple of times and I always overlooked it.  Probably because the cover isn’t very much appealing to me, and I’m not a usual fan of books that center on war themes, especially those that are set in the middle east.

So when I finally paid attention to it, and saw the good reviews it had on Goodreads, I said to myself.  “I effin’ need to read this.”

Also, one of the reasons why I decided to read it is for this list.  At the time, this list was dominated by YA novels, all of which have LGBTQ themes in them.  Had We Are the Ants topped the list, for three years straight, YA-LGBTQ books bagged the top plum.  I have nothing against these type of books—I like them, obviously—but I thought that I just need some sort of variety.

Going back to this book... this has left me scarred.  There are scenes in the book that I will never, ever be able to forget.  Like there were scenes that I read while I was inside a bus on my way home, and I had to stop reading because I didn’t want people to see me crying in public.  Unfortunately, I still cried.

For me, this book tells us that life will always be full of sh*t.  You may have your good days, but it will always try to test you.  Other than that, it tells us that there are people in this world who would die for honor, and for love.

I will no longer tell anymore about this book.  I suggest that you should just read it.  I highly recommend it.  Definitely one of my favorites.

Other books considered for this list were I Wrote This for You by Iain S. Thomas, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, Chasers of the Light by Tyler Knott Gregson,  Kids of Apetite by David Arnold, and Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.  I really wish that they were in the top—especially the poetry books by Thomas and Gregson, that would’ve been a first—but I only need ten and 2017 was just crowded with good books.

I read better books this year than the past year.  You can just tell from the ratings.  The tenth place on this was already on 4.250—I had to include a third decimal to break the ties, that’s why the scores are so close.  Last year’s tenth was at 3.68, and the first book to actually go higher than 4.250 was All the Light We Cannot See with 4.32, last year’s fourth placer.  Last year’s first placer— I’ll Give You the Sun which scored 4.57—was edged out by this year’s with 4.630.

I wish I would still have the same dilemma for 2018.  I know it’s a problem, but it’s a good problem.

Happy book-reading this 2018!

[hotcocosharing]

Switching Places Chapter 16: Might As Well Be Dead?

Title: Switching Places Chapter 16 Fandom: Kiss By The Baddest Bidder & Metro PD: Close To You Rated: Drama, Thriller, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Mystery? MPD’s MC: Mika HIJIKATA KBTBB’s MC: Mia SAKATA (reference) Characters: Eisuke, Soryu, Mamoru, Baba, Ota Summary: Mika’s rescued but with King Asshole waiting, she might as well be dead?

Background: If you don’t know what this series is about, here’s a quick summary and reference links. MC Mika is the twin sister of Mia- original MC from KBTBB who’s now unconscious in hospital after an attack, Mika who works in MPD goes undercover and soon discovers about the black market auction plus a series of “troubles”- Eisuke forces himself on her / Walk into Soryu masturbation / Fun time with the boss Kirisawa / One night stand with creepy doc / Sleeping with lazy Mamo & Eisuke’s fantasy  / Or going on a date with Eisuke? / Drinking game with the bidders Notes: One of the most important scene of this series

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Prologue Chapter 1: Part 1 Waking Up Chapter 1: Part 2 Welcome Home Chapter 1: Part 3A Hell Hole (Option 1 SMUT) Chapter 1- Part 3 (option 2 ROMANCE) Chapter 2: Hello Stranger Chapter 3: Part 1A Someone Chapter 3: Part 1B What Am I? (Soryu’s ROMANCE) Chapter 4: Heated Night (Soryu’s SMUT) Chapter 5: Part 1 Bad Timing (Kirisawa’s SMUT) Chapter 5: Part 2 Show time (Luke’s SMUT) Chapter 5: Part 3 Bed time, kid (Mamo;s SMUT) Chapter 6: Part 1 Morning After Chapter 6: Part 2 Be Mine, Again (Eisuke’s SMUT) Chapter 7: Nothing Else Chapter 8: The One & Only (Soryu’s SMUT) Chapter 9: Part 1 Behind the Mask Chapter 9: Part 2 Date Night Chapter 10: Let The Game Begins Chapter 11: Make It Right Chapter 12: Will You Help Me Mamoru? Chapter 13: GONE Chapter 14: The More The Merrier Chapter 15: I’m not in love with Eisuke

Chapter 16: Might As Well Be Dead? 4th week Tuesday Night

"Her phone is on!!!! I've got the signal!!" Baba suddenly yells, Eisuke turns to him coldly, "I'm tracking, just few more minutes." He says, sounding as normal as possible. Shit, Mamoru needs to get to you before the others, to warn you and maybe even sends you away for good. Damn, he can't even begin to imagine what Eisuke will do to you if you return. "Found her." Baba announces, everyone turns to look at the boss. "Kishi, go." Eisuke finally speaks for the first time, "I need you two to find the people behind this." He then turns to Ota and Baba before heading upstairs, the sound of shuddering glasses comes behind his close door. The clock in Mamoru's car shows 20:05, you're gone for at least 24 hours. As a police, this is definitely good news. As a man, he is mixed with all kind of emotions. Guilty- he should have known better when you never return his calls; Concern- are you hurt? What else have they done to you? Anger- just because he's slept with you numerous times, doesn't make it less irritating when he watches you ride on top of the mobster; Jealous- a part of him wishes he's the one in the room with you; Worried- Eisuke looks fuckin pissed! What will he do to you? Haven't you suffered enough with him? Millions of thoughts rush through Mamoru's head as he follows Baba's instructions, meanwhile the dispatcher announces the same location Mamoru is heading to, the police is on their ways too. Damnit!!! He drives as fast as he can, switching his sirens on. He's the first arrives on scene, no one would ever guess this ordinary home is a crime scene. The place is pitch black, Mamoru carefully turns each knob as quiet as possible with gun in his hand, he needs to find you quickly before the others arrive. Suddenly he hears a door crack opens, hiding into a corner Mamoru sees a scar face woman in red heels walks out. "Hey! Why aren't you picking up? My ride is supposed to be here half an hour ago." She carries on and heads upstairs.

Mamoru sneaks in the room to see you straddling half naked in Soryu's embrace, he'd have enjoyed the sight in a total different circumstances. The sound of him clearing his throat wakes Soryu, "Aren't ya two love birds cozy?" 

"Mamoru?!" You wake in surprise, is this another dream or has the drug wear off? His eyes dart around awkwardly as he pushes his hair out of his face. "I sure as hell dunno where to look anymore but ya two are in serious trouble."

Mamoru lets out a big sigh and hands you some tissues, "I ain't cleanin' his mess kid." This can't get any weirder, Mamoru hands you your bra from the floor. "Where are you looking at?" Soryu asks sternly, "Oh shuddaup! Ya fuckin idiot! This is the last thing ya should be worrying, the whole thing was live for us to watch."

You let out a gasp while both of you turn to face Mamoru, "Ya, he fuckin sees it, he sees it all, ya two are fucked!" Getting off Soryu, Mamoru puts his jacket on you. That's when he sees the track of bruises on your arms and legs, feeling the rage boils up inside him. He's a bloody cop and he fails to protect you! Those fuckin' psychos!

You hear police car sirens in the distance, "They're here. Dun tell them anything more than ya need to. Definitely not da ..." Pointing his finger at you two and finds himself at loss of words then the rest of the force arrive and start searching the entire place .

"Kishi, you're here?" The moment you hear Kirisawa's voice, your heart leap. Like you're caught cheating in bed with another man, only worse, you're kind of caught with two. His eyes lays on you with brows frown at you and the shirtless mobster. "We've got her!!!" Tennoji's voice yells from upstairs and Kirisawa whispers to Mamoru before he joins the young detective. 

"Mam, we will have a female officer to drive ya to da station." You simply nod, Mamoru whispers and hands you something tiny. "Here's the guest list, kid." He then leaves as Hanai approaches Soryu and kneels down to work on the cuffs on his ankles. Sending you a doubtful look [ what the hell happened? ] 

Arriving the station makes you feel like home, the smell of cheap coffee and the disgusting combination of weed, puke and wee. Oh but it feels like home, a place where you feel safe and where you truly belong. You wait in one of the interview rooms until Kirisawa comes in and switches off all the cameras. You are still searching for the perfect explanation to your lieutenant about being half naked in a room with the leading man from Ice Dragon. The moment he steps close enough, he pulls you into his arms. "Thank god, you're alive!!" Tears automatically begin to roll down your cheeks, this is the very first time where you actually have a moment to process the fact that you're so close to death.

Sure, they don't seem to have any intention to kill you but it's as easy as nailing an ant. You're powerless, manipulated and disposable. Squeezing you tighter, feeling Kirisawa's hands on your waist, not wanting to let go. Is he disappointed? Have you failed him? "We need to pull you out immediately."

"What? NOOO!!" You snap, "No!! We've got the kidnappers, the people behind..."

"Wait, what do you mean kidnappers? There was only one person, Emiko Tanaka."

"What? No, one's with scar face and the other one, she only speaks through the speaker, I've never seen her."

"All the more reason you should stop, now." Kirisawa stops you and opens a case file on the table. "She admits everything from plotting to attacking Mia, drugging you and Soryu Oh, everything in black and white. She has signed the confession."

"She can't pull it off by herself! I heard their stories, they're victims of Eisuke. He's the one who's really responsible- Eisuke Ichinomiya! He's the reason why they attacked Mia!" "Mika..."

"The auction is this Friday! I have the guest list!! You've cracked the thumb drive, haven't you? Sir, we can't give up now, we are this close, this close!!"

"Mika.."

"This is for Mia, for justice, for me!!" Kirisawa wipes away your last tear and leads you out the door, "Follow me" is all he says. Stopping in front of a guest room, he pauses and looks at you.

"Mika.."

"Sir, please! Mi..... She's still lying in the hospital, all alone. It's..." You deliberately lower your voice, knowing to be discreet once you're out in the corridor. "I can't let Eisuke gets away with it and the auctions, he .... he needs to be put away."

Kirisawa's eyes fix on you with empathy and concerns, like you've lost your mind. But of course you haven't! Eisuke is a criminal, he's the reason of it all. "Is it really what you want?" He asks calmly, "Of course, we put away criminals but he's the only one you're accusing, what about the other four?"

His words ring in your head as you quiet down and stare into space. You've been so determined to get Eisuke, have your determination turn into obsessions? The other four are just collateral damage, aren't they? Why do you hate Eisuke so much? You must have known they will all get convicted once there's enough evidence but it never once crosses your mind. They all deserve it, don't they? Even Soryu and Mamoru?

"Just think it through, we can still put them away but is it necessary for you to return there?" He says lastly and opens the door, your eyes become blurry the moment you see the familiar figure with long black hair pacing back and forth nervously, your lips part and call out the person you miss most, "Mia!"

Chapter 17

Writer’s Notes It’s getting there, the end is not far, I promise....

[aaronmaurer]

Music I Liked in 2018

Every year I reflect on the pop culture I enjoyed and put it in some sort of order.

Are alternative and indie rock viable formats anymore? What do those labels mean in the year 2018? (What did they ever mean, really?) My favorite sonic moments of the year appear to be more out of step with the general populace and critical circles than ever before, and yet, I still go to a lot of concerts and seeing many of these acts live this year in sold-out venues proves that there is still an audience out there for guitar-based music. If that’s your thing (and no worries if it isn’t), give some of these records a shot.

15. Ruins / Tender Offerings EP – First Aid Kit

Sweden’s harmonic folk sister act returned at the beginning of the year with the accomplished Ruins. It may not have hit the heights of their career-best Stay Gold, but it still provides moments of sweeping beauty. However, it’s the 4-song collection of outtakes from the same sessions that cements this album cycle on my list: Tender Offerings is even more immediate and quietly affecting than its parent record.

14. Arthur Buck – Arthur Buck

Personal favorite singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur teamed up with former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck this year for a collaboration that hews more towards Arthur’s influence than Buck’s. That’s not a bad thing and this is a recent highlight of Arthur’s prodigious output. If the collaboration continues to foster such energy and inspiration, I hope it extends well into the future.

13. Malibu Nights – LANY

I’m not quite sure how to classify LANY; in my analysis they have as much in common with emo as pop music, and their synth-heavy sound doesn’t readily slot into rock formats. Regardless, I find their music easily approachable and their lyrics to cut with a similar sincerity as the likes of Jimmy Eat World. Malibu Nights is concise and consistent, two things that cannot be said of 2017’s self-titled full-length, and it is all the stronger for it.

12. Black Panther the Album – Various Artists

Black Panther the Movie was one of the highlights of the year (see my film picks coming soon) and its companion soundtrack follows suit. A mixtape curated by and featuring Kendrick Lamar, this album of original material manages to form a cohesive unit as opposed to a collection of random tracks (i.e. last decade’s Spider-Man 3 soundtrack – which I actually liked, on the whole…). Wakanda forever!

11. Love Is Dead – CHVRCHES

The third LP from Scotland’s CHVRCHES was viewed as a letdown by much of the critical community, and as someone who ranked 2015’s Every Open Eye as that year’s favorite album, I would have to agree – to a point. Love Is Dead still has plenty of fantastic arena and festival-ready anthems to its credit and I don’t blame the trio for leaning into their pop side for this one. The album is incredibly front-loaded with “Graffiti,” “Get Out” and the Matt Berninger collab “My Enemy” coming in the first third, but there are strong moments all the way through and it’s definitely one of the most enjoyable listens of the year.

10. Wildness – Snow Patrol

After a 7-year hiatus, Snow Patrol returned with Wildness and I have to admit I was initially disappointed. However, I have found that with repeated listens this record has really grown on me. The emotional transparency of Gary Lightbody’s songwriting remains intact and you can feel his authenticity on songs like “Life On Earth,” “Heal Me” and “A Youth Written In Fire.” Definitely worth spending some time with.

9. [untitled] EP / [Untitled] – mewithoutYou

Philadelphia’s post-rock luminaries made a surprise return this year with some of their best work to date. An EP arrived in August and rather than a preview of October’s full-length release (only a single song is repeated, in a different version), it functions as a compelling work in its own right and finds the band embracing their more meditative and melodic tendencies. By contrast, the LP leans a bit more into the band’s harder edge – but not completely eschewing quieter moments – without sacrificing any of the lyrical depth or deft musicianship they are known for. It feels like a creative renaissance for a group soon to enter their third decade.

8. boygenius EP – boygenius

The only negative to this stellar collaboration between singer/songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus is that it’s only six songs long. The artists are each given space to shine and when the harmonies kick in, it’s transcendent. Here’s hoping it’s not the last we hear from them as a trio.

7. Be More Kind – Frank Turner

A blazingly earnest call-to-arms for hope in the face of the current political and social landscape, Be More Kind is filled with rousing sing-alongs about decency and making a difference. “Don’t Worry,” “Little Changes,” “Brave Face” and the title track are among the most positive and affirming songs I’ve heard in recent memory, but it’s the rousing and reclaiming anthem “Make American Great Again” that marks my favorite moment on this near-perfect record.

6. Come Tomorrow – Dave Matthews Band

Old habits die hard, and even though my enthusiasm has waned since my obsessive high school & college days, I’ll still go to bat for much of Dave Matthews Band’s music. Their first studio album in 6 years is somewhat a catch-all of songs they’ve been playing live for a while but hadn’t recorded, and as such, is a bit overlong and slightly disjointed. Even so, there is a melancholic wistfulness that pervades many of the record’s highlights including “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin),” “Virginia In the Rain” and “Come On Come On,” which rate with their best work.

5. Upside Down Flowers – Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Andrew McMahon’s latest effort is a very nostalgic look back at not just his early career in Something Corporate (“Teenage Rockstars”) but to his childhood as well (“Ohio,” “House In The Trees”). What could come across as navel-gazing or self-mythologizing instead becomes universal in its specificity and his most impactful work in years.

4. Art of Doubt – Metric

Every few years, Emily Haines and Co. grace us with an album of self-empowerment anthems, some of which make more of a personal impact than others. This year’s Art of Doubt was initially a sleeper that I find I keep returning to, discovering new layers of resonance each time. It now ranks alongside Fantasies and Synthetica in the band’s discography to me.

3. Mirror Master – Young the Giant

On their fourth record, Young the Giant deliver some of their most diverse and hooky tunes yet, including the Eastern-tinged “Superposition,” the introspectively moody “Glory” and the soaring anthem “Simplify.” While I’ve counted myself a fan of their previous work, this one coheres in a new way for me that is immensely rewarding.

2. Vide Noir – Lord Huron

Lord Huron have yet to make a misstep and their third full-length proves their most sonically wide-ranging yet. From the driving energy of “Ancient Names, Pt. I,” to the old-timey crooning of “Wait by the River” to the blown-out guitar of “The Balancer’s Eye,” a range of styles are employed. Even with these varied modes, everything hangs together to create an atmospheric quest into darkness for meaning beyond this plane.

1. Layers of Us – Mimicking Birds

There is a spacious ambience to the latest from Portland’s Mimicking Birds, on which acoustic guitars are traded for splashes of mood-setting synthesizers and lyrics pondering humanity’s place in the cosmos and impact on the planet. Despite the dread and existentialism that permeates some tracks, I find a lot of beauty and hope shimmering through the record. It is by far the album I listened to the most in 2018 and perfect for the winter months (during the Winter Olympics I found myself daydreaming alternate realities where the gorgeous and haunting “Belongings” could soundtrack a gold medal figure skating performance).

Here’s a sampling of songs from each of these records if you want an easily-digestible mix:

 Bonus! An additional mix of other singles, b-sides, covers and more from 2018 that I really like:

Double Bonus! 7 Best Live Performances I Saw in 2018: 

7. U2 – Experience + Innocence Tour at the United Center, May 22nd

The companion to 2015’s Innocence + Experience Tour shared a stage and some common songs, but for the most part was a unique experience that stood on its own. Still telling a loose story of the band’s history through the lens of their Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience albums, this arena tour centered around the newer material of the latter, which – being one of my favorite albums of 2017 – I was quite happy with. Closing the show with the same excellent two-song final sequence as that album, and a beautiful visual element that formed a bookend with the I+E Tour, was an inspired and moving choice.

6. Lord Huron – Pandora Presents The Stack at Concord Music Hall, September 20th

I was lucky to see Lord Huron twice this year during the Vide Noir tour cycle, and the second time was even better because A) it was a free event (put on by Pandora) that included free Sam Adams!, B) it was in a small venue and C) they reached all the way back to their first EP to end the night with “We Went Wild.” It took me right back to the night I was introduced to them at an intimate Lollapalooza pre-show at the Double Door in 2011, where this then-unknown band captivated me with their atmospheric percussion and guitar rhythms. They’ve yet to let go.

5. The National – Lollapalooza Aftershow at Metro, August 2nd

The National are at a point in their career where they headline festivals and play large theatres, so it’s rare to see them at a 1000-capacity venue like Chicago’s Metro anymore. Fortunately, the concert hall often hosts huge bands on Lollapalooza weekend for late night “aftershows” (which are always nearly impossible to get into) and I somehow scored tickets to the National’s performance there the night before they headlined the fest. It was great to see the band tear through a setlist spanning their whole career that was significantly different from what they did the following evening. The finale of an acoustic “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” – at around 2am – was a beautiful communal moment.

4. Beck – Riot Fest, September 15th

I’ve seen Beck a few times over the years and I think his current setlist might be his best ever, a great mix of all his musical permutations (though missing any songs from Mutations…). Latest record Colors was one of my favorites of 2017 and that material was fantastic live alongside classics like “New Pollution,” “Loser” and “Girl.” The stage and lighting design were a lot of fun as well and provided a visually engaging and exciting backdrop. While the festival setting meant a truncated show, I won’t hesitate to catch him again whenever he returns to town.

3. Mew – Frengers 15th Anniversary Tour at Brooklyn Steel, October 14th

Mew are a Danish indie/prog rock/dream pop band that have a number of great albums to their credit. One of my favorites is Frengers, which I didn’t actually discover until a few years after it was released in 2003. Imagine my good fortune to discover one of the few US dates on its anniversary tour happened to coincide with my trip to New York this fall. Hearing the record performed in its entirety, from the opening guitar+drum salvo of “Am I Wry? No” to the final soaring cacophony of “Comforting Sounds” was a moment out of time in the best possible way.

2. boygenius – Thalia Hall, November 13th

A truly transcendent night of music that began with each of the collaborators – Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker – playing her own masterful set, then all coming together for a finale of their entire EP. The vocal control evident in the contrast between the raw power unleashed on “Stay Down” and the restraint on the acoustic and un-miked closer “Ketchum, ID” proved these ladies really can do anything.

1. Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight 10th Anniversary Tour at Thalia Hall, February 16th

This is incredibly bittersweet, in light of frontman Scott Hutchison’s death in May. Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit played two nights in Chicago during a brief album anniversary tour, hosting what turned into an audience sing-along of Midnight Organ Fight in its entirety along with a mix of other favorites including “Holy,” “The Woodpile” and “The Oil Slick.” Losing such an honest and powerful voice this year hurt a lot. I’m so thankful I had one last evening of catharsis with him.

[sahibookworm]

You can find all the original questions and link up’s for this year’s survey at Perpetual Page Turner.

I hope everyone has had a good 2018 and my best wishes to everyone for the New Year…!!! I can’t find a better way to end this year’s blogging journey than this post to sum up all my reading. It has been a great year of reading and blogging for me, discovering new authors, enjoying more blogs and making online friends who share similar passions as me. Even though I haven’t felt very good in my head sometimes, all my books and you blogging friends have made me feel better and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I only wish 2019 will find me in a better mindset.

Enough of my rambling….. Let’s get started with my year end wrap-up..!!!! I’m going to try not to repeat the same books for all the answers, but it’s totally unavoidable for some of my favorites.

Number of books you read: 300

Number of re-reads: Too many to count because I love re-listening to my favorites!!!

Genre you read the most from: Romance

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

This is probably the toughest question for any avid reader and even tougher for me, because I have varying definitions of what’s the best and what’s my favorite. I know… I’m weird that way😉😉😉 But I’m going to name the books which I thought were the most well written books I read per genres:

YA Contemporary: The Nowhere Girls

Adult Contemporary: A Charm of Finches

Fantasy: Foundryside

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I’m a very easy to please reader, so it’s especially disappointing when books I’m excited to read don’t live up to my expectations. And one such book that I still think about is Furyborn. It had so much potential to be great, but the execution didn’t work. I still want to read Kingsbane because I want know what’s going to happen next.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

I hardly ever read historical romances, so even trying out The Duchess Deal was just an impulse. But I had so much fun while reading it and it was such a pleasant surprise.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I don’t really “push” books to my blogger friends because we all are quite aware of the popular and not so popular books. However, I did manage to recommend books to my best friends and they enjoyed them, so that was a great feeling. One friend became obsessed with ACOMAF and it was a joy fangirling with her. Another one was quite enamored with The Deal and wanted to reread it immediately…. just like I did 😍😍😍

5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

Best series I started: Where Death Meets the Devil

Best sequel I read: Deal Maker

Best series ender: It’s difficult to choose between my two favorites – Kingdom of Ash and Queen of Air and Darkness

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Wow… I discovered so many of them, it’s been that kind of an year. But some notable ones are Suanne Lacquer, Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy, Ella Frank, Lily Morton, Mackenzi Lee, Alice Oseman, C. S. Pacat, Christina Lauren, Nisha Sharma, Sangu Mandanna and many many more.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Sci-fi/ space operas are not my thing and A Spark of White Fire is the only book set in space I read this year, but it was a glorious reading experience.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

I finally finally got back to reading the two latest books from the Jack West Jr series by Matthew Reilly and it felt so good being in that thrilling zone again. The Three Secret Cities definitely was one of the most action packed books I read this year and it has one of my most favorite and daring rescue attempts ever.

9. Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I re-read books a lot. Especially, I love listening to audiobooks while sleeping every night, so I repeat the same ones. So, this would be an equally huge list just like by TBR. However, I have a feeling that I will be revisiting Kingdom of Ash again, because I want to savor the book the second time around.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

There are so many to choose from but Monstress is a great looking set of graphic novels, both outside and inside. Some of the most gorgeous and intricate artwork I’ve ever seen.

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

I fall in love with fictional characters everyday but the one who is very memorable and very unique is Clef from Foundryside. You have to read the book to know his story.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

I’m not one who chooses books with well written prose because I’m here for the emotional connect. In that context, the book I found most beautifully written was Autoboyography.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

Fresh Ink is a very intense anthology by diverse and/or marginalized authors which will leave you with many thoughts and questions.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

It has to be The Four Legendary Kingdoms. It took me almost two years after I bought the book to actually read it, and I have no clue why because this is one of my all time favorite series. But, I’m so glad I finally read it.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

There are way tooooo many quotes that I have highlighted and loved this year, but a particular one that I read last week is very profound and unforgettable:

“History is not a John Wayne western with all the people of color erased and the narrative distorted to match white nationalist mythology. It’s beautifully, wonderfully mixed.” – A People’s Future of the United States

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Fence # 1 is my shortest book this year and I loved getting introduced to Nick and Seiji. My longest read is obviously Kingdom of Ash – it was a mammoth which I read and completed on the day of it’s release.

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Nevernight. Nothing happened in this book the way I expected it to. It’s completely shocking and riveting and I loved every second of it.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

I have a lot of OTPs to choose from but I will stick to my first favorite from the year and who have become one of my all time favorite adorable couples – Jaime and Ryan from Him / Us.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Best friends Frances and Aled from Radio Silence are probably one of my favorite non-romantic relationship ever. They call themselves platonic soulmates and that’s the perfect description.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

After really enjoying The Remnant Chronicles last year, it was a joy to jump back into the same universe with Mary Pearson’s latest installment Dance of Thieves.

21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

Everyone was always talking about Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda in the blogging community and I’m not sure why I was holding out. But once the trailer of the movie came out, I just had to read it and it was a beautiful read and an equally cool movie.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

I have had many crushes throughout the year, but the most recent one is Silas, the Earl of Ashworth from Oz. He may belong to the aristocracy but he is so compassionate and sweet and down to earth, I loved him right from the get go.

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

Apparently, I have not read a lot of debuts this year but Mammoth, Intercepted and Running With Lions are some of my favorites.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Foundryside. I love Robert Jackson Bennett’s worldbuilding more than anyone else and the magic system in this book is one of the most unique I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

There have been quite a few books that made me laugh a lot this year, the notable ones being My So-Called Bollywood Life, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating and The Lightning-Struck Heart.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?

I’m a huge crier, so atleast half the books on my list have made me weep. But one I remember really making me very emotional and sobbing every couple of pages is Risk Taker.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I still can’t believe that A Thousand Beginnings and Endings has less than 500 reviews on Goodreads because it’s the most beautiful short story collection I have ever read and I felt immensely satisfied and pleased as a reader to see my culture and mythology and those of other countries in Asia represented with such love.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I have to mention Kingdom of Ash again because even though I really loved the book, it was still a very exhausting and soul-crushing experience – maybe because I did not want it to end.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

Where Death Meets the Devil and Why the Devil Stalks Death are two of the most uniquely thrilling novels I have read this year and the author’s style of writing in two timelines and cliffhangers in almost every chapter makes for a very adrenaline filled reading experience.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

It has to be the two books I mentioned as my favorites in the first question. The Nowhere Girls made me mad because it showed a mirror to how ingrained misogyny and sexism is in our society and A Charm of Finches portrays the gut wrenching struggle that one of the MCs has to go through after his traumatic experiences.

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018?

I have discovered so many bloggers this year and I apologize for not including everyone, but please know that I love all of you. But the couple bloggers I really enjoy reading and communicating with are Sara @ The Bibliophagist and Melanie @ Mel to the Any. Another one who has been a joy to befriend, buddy read with and whom I hope I will get a chance to meet in 2019 is Nandini @ Unputdownable Books.

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2018?

One of my favorite posts of mine this year is Bookish Worlds I’d Want to/Never Want to Live In.

3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2018?

I don’t take a lot of bookish photos but I like this one because I’m trying to look festive standing next to my bookshelf.

4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?

The first event I attended was the NovaTEEN Book festival and it was so wonderful to meet some incredible authors and my favorite booktuber Samantha from Thoughts on Tomes. It was my first bookish event ever and I can never forget that experience.

Baltimore Book Festival was another great event, which I really cherish because I got to meet Nisha Sharma and have a fun and extensive chat with her about books and Bollywood.

I have also greatly enjoyed our virtual Overbooked Book Club run by Dilip and Ana and it has been so much fun reading and discussing one book per month and having lots of bookish discussions everyday.

A very recent wonderful experience has been becoming a part of Book Dragons India run by Nandini.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

Meeting and getting clicked with my favorite booktuber Samantha. She has been my introduction to booktube and I never ever thought that I would get the chance to interact with her.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

I have had a couple of long and bad reading/blogging slumps this year and it’s very difficult to cope when all I want to do is read, but I am unable to.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

One post which I really got a lot of love for is my July Wrap-Up: Blog Love post where I highlighted some of my favorite blog posts by fellow bloggers.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I always wish that my reviews get a little more love than my tags/memes because I absolutely love writing reviews. But I do understand that they can be very time consuming to read.

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

My favorite bookish discovery has to be the Bibliophile planner that I bought for myself this Thanksgiving and I hope it will help me organize my reading and blogging better in 2019.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I changed my Goodreads challenge from 130 to 150 during the middle of the year, but I also completed it a while back 🤩🤩

I tried to get into readathons too but the only one I successfully completed and had a lot of fun participating in was the month long Marvel-A-Thon.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

Ohhh I would never presume anything to be my No. 1 priority because I’m too much of a mood reader. But I would definitely like to read Empire of Sand very soon.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)?

My planner is already full of books that I want to read but my most anticipated release is King of Scars and I’m so glad it comes out in January. I can’t wait to read more about dear Nikolai.

3. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Definitely has to be The Tiger at Midnight. It’s a fantasy based on Indian mythology by an Indian American author and I just can’t ask for anything more.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019?

Heirophant, the sequel to my favorite fantasy of this year. I can’t wait to read what Robert Jackson Bennett is going to do next with these awesome characters.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019?

I am not a planner, but I do hope I am able to post more consistently to my blog. And now that I’m close to 760 followers, reaching the milestone of 1000 would be a dream come true 😀😀😀

6. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

I just finished reading this book, and I whole heartedly recommend A People’s Future of the United States – a speculative fiction anthology written by an excellent diverse group of authors, which is very scary and terrifyingly relevant and thought provoking and you will find atleast some stories that will resonate with you.

So… this has been my reading year of 2018. Hopefully, all of us will get to read many more wonderful books in the New Year !!!!! HAPPY READING everyone 😃😃😃

Annual End of the Year Survey – 2018 You can find all the original questions and link up's for this year's survey at Perpetual Page Turner…