February Wrap-Up: Books, K-Dramas, and Films
Being great isn’t defined by a single act; rather, it is the trait of endurance that gives meaning to creativity. To endure is to be great.
And like the constant shifting that happens in all of our lives, which can be overwhelming, I am not exempt from the exhaustion.
So many things have been shifting for me, and slowly but surely, my energy seems to be drained from my careful and limited days. For this reason, I was feeling very burnt out. Chronic fatigue and fogginess, nausea and headaches seemed to have gotten the best of me, caught up with my will and effort to do more and progress with my TBI. Maybe some of you noticed that I made an announcement at the end of my Boys Over Flowers post that I will only be posting once per week now. I wanted to take the time to clarify what I meant in this monthly wrap-up. I plan to only do one review a week, with the caveat of essays on Saturdays if I have one. If that still feels overwhelming to me, I will plan to cut my posting back to just Mondays.
Also, in my last month’s wrap-up, I mentioned I would be doing reviews on a book series that focuses on Japanese mythology. Unfortunately, although I didn’t get around to reading the full trilogy and writing reviews for it, I am fairly certain I am going to get to it this month, so stay tuned for next month’s posts if you’re curious to see which series I will read.
Despite this change of pacing, so many of you still came back time and time again to read my posts, and for that I am truly grateful. I would like to again thank all of my readers, not only for the time they have taken out of their own busy schedules to read what I’ve written, but also for the graciousness they have shown me through the process of finding my pace. Love you all ❤
As always, I’ll be ranking my film and book recommendations from least recommended to most. And before we get into the list, I just want to say again: thank you to all of my readers and supporters. Your kindness means so very much.
Monthly Wrap-Up
Table of Contents
J-Drama Review: Boys Over Flowers — 2.5
This J-drama starts off with the main character Tsukushi Makino, who is sitting alone in an empty classroom when one of her classmates yells dramatically from the hall that someone has been given a red card. This marks the introduction of F4—four rich, spoiled brats who are conventionally attractive. F4 stands for “Flower Four,” and when I found that out, I internally cringed. Flower Four—how ridiculous. Still, I tried to keep an open mind and continued watching.
The classmates surround the student who received the red card and begin bullying him, escalating into mocking and physical violence. I found myself wondering why I was continuing to watch this drama. This pattern repeats as the main character becomes more and more angry over the unjust behaviour and cruelty the students inflict on one another. Eventually, her new friend becomes the target of one of the bullies, Tsukasa Domyoji, the main love interest. She valiantly stands up for her friend, and a war begins like no other.
I think this particular drama was interesting. I would recommend this drama to anyone who is ok with watching a story with messy relationships and doesn’t mind cringing routinely and frequently through dramatic moments in episodes. Overall, this was a bit of a painful watch, so I hesitate to recommend it. Overall, I’d rate this J-drama two and a half stars out of five.
Read my full review of Boys Over Flowers
The Curse of Chalion by Lois Mcmaster Bujold - 3.5 stars
Cazaril, an ex-soldier who survived the torment of a siege, betrayal, and galley abuse, arrives on the doorstep of his former employer, the Dowager Provincara, a noble household where he served as a page in his youth. There, he hopes to find a job, whether it be washing dishes or doing some other menial task, far from his once-dignified position of captain. Even so, such menial labour feels like heaven to an exhausted and worn-out sojourner of life. There, he will find a destiny far beyond his wildest imaginings. As the gods weave his destiny, he does his best to serve Chalion valiantly and with honour, even if he is just a single broken man.
This book was pretty good. The best part of the book was at the very end, where everything tied up and impacted me in a way I wasn't expecting. The fantasy world, even though not incredibly unique, was very well done in many aspects. I could definitely see this book being an inspiration for a lot of more modern works, like even some of
Brandon Sanderson's novels in
The Stormlight Archive.
That being said, a couple of drawbacks for me personally were some of the innuendo and sexual violence. I understand that some of this violence was there for the story, but at some point, it did feel excessive. Overall, I'd give this book a rating of three and a half stars out of five, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series if I can get my hands on it.
Read my full review of The Curse of Chalion by Lois Mcmaster Bujold
Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher- 4 stars
Summer in Orcus begins with Summer, an average girl with an overbearing single mother, trapped in her backyard. She sees the top of a walking house stroll past the high brick wall that fences her in from the outside world; she knows this because why else would a house be bobbing up and down?
Inside this house is
Baba Yaga, who, of course, Summer knows nothing about. So when Baba Yaga invites her to meet inside her massive chicken-footed house through the heavy boarded gate of the bricked enclosure of her backyard, she doesn’t hesitate much at all to agree.
Summer in Orcus was an excellent book. It was charming, imaginative, well-written, and even though slower-paced, very engaging. I would recommend this book to young adults or adults who want a book that has an introspective, self-focused and compassionate view of adolescence, but I would hesitate to recommend this book to young children, as there is some minimal language in it, as well as some minimal references. Even though the main character is eleven, this isn't necessarily a children's story. Overall, this book from me is four stars out of five
Read my full review of Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott — 5 stars
Little Women Part One opens with the introduction of the four March sisters and follows them as they grow from young girls into young women. The novel traces their mistakes, progress, and emotional development under the watchful guidance of their mother, their maid, and their elderly next-door neighbour, as well as his quiet, observant grandson, who often watches the girls from the window. Through everyday moments, play, and hardship, the reader witnesses the sisters’ gradual journey toward the women they hope to become.
Overall, Little Women Part I was a pleasure to read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is in the process of growing up or is looking back on their process of growing up. I would also recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about characters who are imperfect but grow despite their imperfections. Additionally, I would recommend this book to people who are just getting into classics and would like to explore more in this literary genre. Overall, this book, in my opinion, is five out of five stars.
Read my full review of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
That's all folks! If you’re planning to read or watch anything from my February wrap-up list, feel free to comment below!❤❤❤
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