(Belated) Winter Wrap-Up Post

I swear I started writing this post a month ago. I just got distracted with life...

Step aside Starks, winter is over!

Oh thank the glorious sun and the subtle tilt of the Earth for spring!

But that also means that we've finished a whole season in 2016. And I've been informed that this means I'm allowed to write a wrap-up post! I'll just list all of the things I read, watched, listened to (in no particular order) and let y'all know what I thought of them.

Books

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)

by Maggie Stiefvater

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore. 

Kat's Mini Review: Don't ask me why it took me so long to read this book. It just did. But I adored it. I really did like almost everything about this book. It's a contemporary fantasy that concentrates on the characters. I loved Blue and her crazy mixed family. I adored Gansey and his band of boys. I think that there was a good bit of bromance in there and I think that the boys interactions with Blue were just adorable. I will for sure be reading the rest of this series very very soon.

Passenger (Passenger #1)

by Alexandra Bracken

passage, n.

i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.

ii. A journey by water; a voyage.

iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever 

Kat's Mini Review: A fun read. It brought forward the concept of time traveling in a novel way. It introduced intriguing and dynamic characters. It was very Alexandra Bracken in style, which I love. And I also really enjoyed the history that she was able to include through the place and times that the characters went.

Go HERE for my full review

The Ghost Bride

by Yangsze Choo

"One evening, my father asked me if I would like to become a ghost bride..."

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim's handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

Kat's Mini Review: Beautifully written, wonderful worlds, and an intriguing story. This is not a book about just Li Lan or just ghosts or just British rule and the Chinese population in Malaya. It is about ALL of that and more. It's like a very beautiful window into that time and place. How the cultures intertwined to very greatly affect all who lived in the port town of Malacca. And Li Lan is just our conduit into that world.

Don't Look Back

by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all—popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her—even if the old Sam treated him like trash. 

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory—someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Kat's Mini Review: Jennifer Armentrout doesn't usually write contemporary, but woah she really should! This book was really good. She writes such good characters and intrigue. And I really enjoyed the mystery of it all. I kind of have a soft spot for main characters that lost their memory and must be reminded of who they used to be by well-meaning if misguided friends and family. It's a mystery being pieced back together. And JLA does that mystery really well!

Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2)

by Sarah Rees Brennan

It's time to choose sides.... 

(I will not include the full blurb because it will include spoilers from the first book)

Kat's Mini Review: Kami Glass and her witty banter is back! I really enjoyed this book. It's an obvious middle book with alot of angst (ahh, the angst of middle books). But I am a fan of that. Some people hate middle books and their transition states, but I thrive on them. And there is a LOT of transitioning in this book. A lot of figuring out where people stand and what the stakes really are for everyone. It's a good book with good characters. 

Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy #3)

by Sarah Rees Brennan

Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice?

(I will not include the full blurb because it will include spoilers from the first book)

Kat's Mini Review: I enjoyed this book. I felt like Kami stayed true to herself and that's what I always want for a main character. The break out star for this book was for sure Kami's dad. He was just so clever and strong and smart and kind. He was a good support for his daughter. Of course, I still love all of the friends and ensemble.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1)

by Marie Rutkoski

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Kat's Mini Review: Ummm, I adore this book. It's awesome! It's based on Roman/Greek history and just exudes so much of that world without actually being that world! It's a great look into war and soldiers and the cost of empires. I loved Kestrel and her strength. I adored Arin and his pride. I thought they were a great pair and really felt for them when they ran into obstacles (like their inability to accept their own feelings. Angst!) I will be reading the rest of this series very soon, so stay tuned for a series review!

Shows/Dramas

Moorim School

First episode date: January 11, 2016

Final episode date: March 8, 2016

Director: Lee So-yeon

Number of episodes: 16

Network: KBS2

The Moorim School isn't focused solely on high academic scores. The school teaches its students virtues including honesty, faith, sacrifice and communication. The teachers and students at the school come from different countries and each have their own stories.

Kat's Mini Review: A show that started with a lot of action, fun, and character. There was friendship, romance, bromance, and a bit of magic. Really loved how each character was introduced and developed through the first half. The second half felt rushed at some points and slow at others. It was a bit of a flat finale, but I think that's because they lost 4 episodes from the end mid-season.

Cheese in the Trap

First episode date: January 4, 2016

Final episode date: March 1, 2016

Number of episodes: 16

Director: Lee Yoon-jung

Network: TVN

Genres: Romance Film, Drama

Drama depicts the delicate relationship between female university student Hong Seol (Kim Go-Eun) and her senior Yoo Jung (Park Hae-Jin). Hong-Seol works part-time due to her family's poor background. Yoo Jung is good looking, gets good grades, athletic and has a kind personality, but he has a dark side.

Kat's Mini Review: I really liked the first 90% of this show. It's a quiet drama about character more than anything else. Each character really sticks out and has very distinct character arcs. I loved the three mains. I also loved the two best friends. The sister was okay (a bit over the top in her craziness if you ask me). The ending was...odd. But I don't think that is how I should judge this show. So, I'd still recommend it.

Descendants of the Sun

First episode date: February 24, 2016

Final episode date: April 14, 2016

Number of episodes: 16

Written by: Kim Eun-sook, Kim Won-seok

Network: KBS

Genres: Romance Film, Melodrama, Action Film, Comedy

This story tells of doctors stationed in the fictional war zone of Urk (Uruk), and follows the love story that develops between a surgeon (Kang Mo-yeon) and a special forces officer (Yoo Shi-jin), both elite in their respective fields. The story will track both their personal and professional struggles while exploring issues about the value of life.

Kat's Mini Review: I LOVE THIS SHOW. This show is my everything! Song Joongki and Son Hyegyo have the BEST chemistry. The story was tight, the drama was high, the actors were awesome. The second couple was great too. So much angst and drama and greatness. I love that they prefilmed this whole show. It really does show in the direction, writing, and production. It's just a well thought out show and phenomenal acting by the whole cast.

Music

Unsteady - X Ambassadors

Don't know why Blogger won't let me find the Music video for this song. But HERE's a link to it. Seriously, the MV is powerful. So is the song. And it's so longing and sad. But, while it seems like it could be full of hopelessness, I actually think that there is a decent amount of hope in it. The lyrics are pretty much a cry for help. And if there is a cry for help, it means there's still time to come back from that edge. 

I use this song for the second half of my WiP because my characters are crazy angsty in part 2.

Powerful - Major Lazar (feat Ellie Goudling and Tarrus Riley)

This song is short and epic. And it makes me feel like I am a powerful wizard (or I guess they might be telekinetics in the MV. I dunno, but I love it). It's a melody that sticks with you and Ellie Goulding's voice is pretty perfect for it. Also, I discovered Tarrus Riley from this MV, and I like his voice just as much. It's so gritty and goes along well with her clearer tone.

I use this song to write all of the steamy and/or intense scenes between my two main characters.

Also, apparently all images that show up when you Google "Goodbye Winter" are sadly melting snowmen.

The Reason I Adore the Diversity in K-Drama Moorim School

Moorim School: Saga of the Brave

무림학교

Network: KBS2

Episodes: 16

Release Date: January 11 - March 8, 2016

Starring: Shin Hyun-Joon, Lee Hyun-Woo, Seo Ye-Ji, Hong Bin, Jeong Eu-Gene

Moorim School started airing this winter. It's about a secret university that concentrates on training its students in discipline and martial arts.

Yoon Shi-woo (Lee Hyun-woo) is the leader of the idol group 'Mobius'. His rise in popularity and fame made him become arrogant and prickly in nature, but he has a serious problem: he is suffering painful hearing loss that doctors have not been able to pinpoint or cure.
Wang Chi-ang (Lee Hong-bin) is the son of Wang Hao, the president of China's largest enterprise groups in Shanghai. Spoiled and selfish, he acts like he owns the world, yet hides his own wounds: he is an illegitimate son who was born from a Korean mother.
The boys both end up at the Moorim Institute and are forced to share a room together despite an instant dislike for each other. But Moorim Institute isn't focused solely on high academic scores. The school teaches its students virtues including honesty, faith, sacrifice and communication. The teachers and students come from different countries and each have their own stories. As the boys grow in character and strength, they discover that there is more to both of them than appearances suggest.

So, the reasons I like this show are plentiful. I absolutely adore Lee Hyun Woo (To The Beautiful You & The Technicians). And, because of this show, I really like Seo Ye Ji. The story is also really fun (if not that novel, but that's alright, I don't need everything to be mind blowing). I like the relationships between Shi Woo and Chi Ang (bromance!). As well as the four lead kids as a group. Even the teachers have fun dynamics and add a lot of comedy to the stories. I don't mind the adults and their complicated flashback stories and drama. I even tolerate the villains (oftentimes the villains are the most boring characters in a drama, but I don't absolutely loathe them in Moorim). If I'm being honest, the ending fell flat (I blame this on the fact that 4 episodes were cut from the end mid-production).

However, the main reason I'm writing about Moorim School here is because of its treatment of the international cast. There are people from Africa, Europe, South East Asia, and beyond. Of course, the majority of the cast is still Korean, however, the point is that there is an international cast. And what I kind of adore about what Moorim School does is that it just lets its characters be whatever they are.

To be fair, it uses really awkward English (spoken by former U-KISS member Alexander Lee) to show how international the school is. And they also have the Thai character speak Thai even though everyone else always replies to these two in Korean. But I never get the feeling that these characters are being made into tokens.

With the teachers, there's one from Europe and one from Africa. They both only speak Korean the whole time. The European teacher is an expert at martial arts and just does his thing being a badass as he teaches the kids discipline and skills. He's not fetishized or exotified. He's just a professor who happens to not be Korean in a mostly Korean school. I like that. I think that it feels more integrated than if he were the "English teacher" who could only speak English and is otherwise super separate. And this is in a country where that legitimately exists (e.g. white teachers who come to Korea just to teach English).  However, Moorim School doesn't care about those stereotypes. It just does its thing with its international, diverse cast. And because of that its diversity is easy to watch and not awkward. The not awkwardness of it is the best part. And it's what I'd love all of my entertainment to have when it has diversity.

Listen, Moorim isn't perfect. There is are small things that give me a "hmmm" moment (aforementioned English spoken by Alexander Lee). And they aren't oblivious to the international cast angle, it was legitimately marketed as an international Korean Drama. But at the end of the day, it's kind of refreshing to see the branching out of an industry that's mostly Korean and/or token foreigners.

In the publishing industry right now, we have movements like We Need Diverse Books, DiversifYA, and publishers (Lee & Low) who are doing great things like creating Diversity Baseline Surveys for the first time ever! I love it. However, the sad side-effect are books being written and published because they fill a "diversity" niche.*

But are they really?

When I read a book that is supposed to be diverse and I feel awkward when reading it because the diversity is overblown I don't feel like I need to validate it automatically. Like someone waving something shiny in my face and going, "Look-it what I did!  Isn't it great?!"

Because what they claim is a diamond is actually a rock covered in glitter.

And I'm not going to let that fly.

I don't think a book that has an MC that's "diverse" in only superficial, stereotypical ways is effectively filling a void. I think it's actually ripping that void even wider. We don't just need diverse books, we need authentic diverse books. Books where the diversity feels less exotified and tokenized.

I want the YA book version of Moorim School. And it wouldn't hurt to have some eye-candy cuties like Lee Hyun Woo and Hong Bin.**

*Oh hi, soap box, my name's Kat, I'm going to stand on you now.
**I will note that I don't think we should mirror the diversity trends of other countries. I don't think Moorim is perfect in its diversity. It just made me think and appreciate something that is new and diverse. And that's the point of this post. Soap boxing done.

Kat's K-Dramas: Oh My Ghostess

Oh My Ghostess

오 나의 귀신님

AKA Oh My Ghost

Genre: Romance, comedy, fantasy, thriller

Episodes: 16

Aired: 2015-Jul-03 - 2015-Aug-22

Network: TVN

Starring: Park Bo-Young, Cho Jung-Seok, Lim Ju-Hwan, Kim Seul-Gi

Watch it on: Dramafever, Viki

Synopsis:

Na Bong-Sun (Park Bo-Young) works as an assistant chef. Because of her timid personality and low self-esteem, she doesn't have any friends. Since she was a child, she has been able to ghosts because of her shaman grandmother. One day, she becomes possessed by seductress ghost Shin Soon-Ae.
Kang Sun-Woo (Cho Jung-Seok) is a star chef. Na Bong-Sun has a secret crush on him. He is good looking and confident as a chef. Even though he is popular with women, he has yet to get over his ex-girlfriend. He begins to notice Na Bong-Sun after her sudden change.

Main Character(s): There were really two main characters (sometimes sharing the same body!)
Na Bong-Sun and Shin Soon-Ae. So, here's the down low on these girl(s). Na Bong-Sun is a timid girl who wants to be a chef. She's always had the ability to see ghosts, so she's very jumpy and introverted because of it. She kind of comes off as a bit of a cry-baby at first, but I think she deserves forgiveness because she is haunted like 24/7 by ghosts. She also has a secret crush on Kang Sun-Woo (who everyone calls "Chef").

Shin Soon-Ae is a ghost (played by Kim Seul-Gi when she's in ghost form). She died almost three years ago and she needs to move on before she becomes an evil spirit. She believes the reason she's stuck is because she died a virgin. If she can only seduce a man (by using the bodies of unassuming women) then she can pass to the afterlife. She finds Na Bong-Sun, who's frequency exactly matches Shin Soon-Ae. That means that Soon-Ae gets stuck in Bong-Sun. And hilarity ensues!

I love love love Park Bo-Young. She plays both the timid Bong-Sun and the saucy Soon-Ae perfectly. They are two very distinct characters and she's just the best at being both. She also is adorable and all of her other roles are just as wonderful. I cannot say how much I love her.

OMG, she's just so adorable and hilarious

Love Interest: Kang Sun-Woo AKA "Chef." He's a bit of a jerk. He's cocky and self-centered. He's a famous and celebrated chef and very popular with the ladies. However, he might be that way because he got his heart super broken before. He isn't the nicest to Bong-Sun/Soon-Ae at first because they get in the way. However, this story is just as much about his development as well.

This GIF cracks me up. Bo-Young, Jung-Seok, and Seul-Gi are awesome together.

Allies and Enemies:

Seobinggo - The hilarious Shaman woman who can see Soon-Ae and tries to get her to give up her grudge and move on.

Lee So-Hyeong - Sun-Woo's first love.

Kang Eun-Hee - Sun-Woo's sister and Choi Sung-Jae's wife.

Choi Sung-Jae, Sun-Woo's brother-in-law, a cop, and Soon-Ae's first love! What a small world! He hangs around the restaurant to see Sun-Woo and his wife, Kang Eun-Hee.

Shin Myeong-Ho - Soon-Ae's father, he owns a small restaurant that Soon-Ae used to be the cook for. He drinks too much ever since his daughter died and Soon-Ae, as Bong-Sun, befriends him.

Heo Min-Soo - Hilarious Assistant Chef who kisses up to Sun-Woo and abuses his authority with the other chefs.

Jo Dong-Cheol, Seo Joon, Choi Ji-Woong - the other chefs who make up the whole gang at the restaurant. (Also, I have a crush on Kwak Si-Yang as Seo Joon. I love that Min-Soo gets mad at him for being so hot, hehe)

Random Thoughts:
This show rocks! It was tight plot and pacing the whole way through. Some stories start out great and then get sloppy in the end, but Oh My Ghostess kept the awesome going the whole way. I wonder if it's because the writer's knew the entire plot and never diverged, or if it's because the actors were so great with good chemistry. Probably a mix of both.

Each character got a good and solid backstory and character arc. The chef starts out cocky and selfish and he learns to care when he learns to love (awww, a reformed jerk, I have a soft spot for them, I can't help it). The main girl starts out timid because she grew up able to see ghosts. So, while I usually feel really lukewarm about timid heroines, I thought Bong-Sun had a valid reason for it. And I loved seeing that she developed as a character because of her relationship with the ghost and her ability (she also developed because of her relationship with the chef, but that wasn't the only reason. So I applaud the writers). The ghost's personal story was great. I did not think they were going to give her such a complex and developed story, but it is a huge part of what drove the main conflict/plot. I really liked Kim Seul-Gi in Flower Boy Next Door. She was so quirky and weird in that. And I thought she brought a lot of that great energy to her role as the wayward ghost Shin Soon-Ae.

The love story was actually really well developed and sweet. Who would have thought that a love story that started out as a ghost trying to score with the main guy by using the main girl's body would turn into something so sweet. But it did (trust me).

OMG, look at this chemistry! <3

Love the side characters. The assistant chefs were great comedic energy, and I love how they struggled with the hierarchy of the restaurant (both because of age, title, and romantic entanglements). I feel like Min Seo had his own mini-character arc. I started out really annoyed by him, but I kind of found him adorably flawed by the end.

Didn't love Chef's younger sister, Kang Eun-Hee, but she was a character who played her part well. I think that the mother was a fascinating side character. And I loved her relationship with the shaman. The fact that she treated the shaman like her boyfriend was hilarious, constantly texting her and asking her to go out for food and drinks. The shaman herself was a great character too. She was a good mini-adversary for the ghost, but she wasn't a bad guy. She was just someone who wanted something the ghost didn't (at first).

Overall, I loved this drama. It won my Best Drama of 2015 Award in my end-of-the-year post. And I think it really is a great watch for people whether they're fans of Korean Dramas or not.

Oh My Ghostess Jjang!

The Best of 2015

Alright, this is my attempt at a Best Of post. I don't read/watch things in a timely manner, so some of the picks are not from 2015. However, I did watch or read all of these books this year.

Best 2015 Debut

AND

Best 2015 Diversity

The Wrath and the Dawn was exactly what I wanted it to be. A great book set in a foreign land with magic and fantasy and drama. Oh, the drama in this book. It was epic. Everything was so life and death (literally, because Shazi could die at any moment!) I think some people thought the romance odd since Khalid was supposed to be a monster, but this is one of those stories where all is not as it seems. Great debut, and great diversity.

Best 2015 Heroine

Hazel is a conflicted heroine, just how I like them. She also has a brother, Ben, that she's closer to than anyone else in this world. She also has a secret where Ben is the only person she can't tell. So, how do you reconcile those two things? That makes for a great flawed character in the beginning of the book. I really like Holly Black's choice to start with the characters in their darkest moments and give flashbacks to show how they got there. Hazel is almost unlikable in the beginning (almost). But as you get to know more about her backstory she really comes alive as a character and I started to really root for her.

Most Underrated 2015 Book to Movie Adaptation

This was very loosely based on the second book in the Maze Runner series. And I was fine with that, because Minho got more screen time (hehe). Also, because the book was really epic and twisty turny, and I wasn't sure how they would adapt it for the big screen. I thought that the things they added were true to the story and the things they omitted weren't the most important either. To be honest, Scorch Trials was probably my least favorite book in this trilogy, so I was fine with its changes.

Best 2015 Drama

Oh My Ghostess

This drama was good from start to finish. It was not what I thought it would be when I first started watching it and I loved that! I loved all three mains. And I have such a girl crush on Park Bo Young. I watched all of her other dramas and movies after finishing this. 

Also Kim Seul Gi as the ghost was just great. She shines in her scenes and Bo Young does a great impression of her when she's "possessed." 

I would recommend this show whether you're a fan of K-Dramas or not.

Best 2015 Drama - Honorable Mention

Pinocchio

Since Pinocchio started in 2014, I don't think it can win my 2015 award. But it did end in 2015, so it gets honorable mention. It was one of those dramas that had great links throughout, good characters, and wonderful acting. I 'ship Park Shinhye and Lee Jongsuk so much right now, I honestly hope they are dating in real life.

Books not published this year that I read in 2015

Best Villain

I can't really tell why I loved this villain without giving spoilers. I will say (in a non-spoiler way) that the book has an unreliable narrator. We know from chapter one that Cassel killed his best friend Lila and he has no memory of it and doesn't know why. His life is kind of a mess since his mother is in jail and his family are all curse workers. 

Best Heroine

AND

Best Secondary Characters

Sarah Rees Brennan writes great dialogue in this series. It's actually why I picked it up to read, because my cousin read it first and said that exact review to me.

I love witty characters. 

Kami is a great heroine. She is smart, resourceful, witty/funny, and a good friend/daughter. She's also lived a life where people thought she was kind of crazy because she hears a voice in her head. But she doesn't let that get her down and continues to have dreams and goals (being a great journalist).

She's also able to make friends well despite her history of crazy (proof, new friendship with Holly).

That brings me to best secondary characters. People often complain in reviews about friends who are throw-away in books. That is NOT the case here. The friends are so key to who Kami is as a person, and they have personalities and stories of their own. I love Angela, who is beautiful and sleeps whenever she gets the chance. I also love Holly, who got boobs earlier than other girls and, therefore, was shunned to be thought of as a floozy. I love Kami's friendships with each of them.

Best Romance

Katie McGarry writes great romance, so it's no surprise that the one book I read by her is my favorite romance of the year. It doesn't hurt that Isaiah was introduced in her two earlier books, so I'm already invested in him as a character. McGarry created the perfect girl for him in Rachel. She's kind of broken, and I think that Isaiah is a great protector, so he's also perfect for her.

Best World Building

This could be debated. A lot of the reviews I read that didn't like this book said they didn't like the concept of the Coldtowns. Buuut, since that's pretty much the main point of this book, I will assume anyone picking it up has already made their peace with that part of the book. And honestly, I loved the concept. Because it's happened before (internment camps). The book is a good look into the fascination and horror that it creates.

Best End of Series

I really loved this series. While I loved the first two books more, I did think that In the Afterlight gave a satisfying ending to the series. Some series kind of flop at the end, but this one brought it full circle and I appreciated that.

Best Graphic Novel (Manhwa)

Okay, this is cheating because this is the ONLY graphic novel I read this year. But the illustrations are pretty, and it's based on a Korean myth/god, so I kind of enjoyed it.

Kat's K-Dramas: Goong Review

I debated with myself about whether I would write reviews about older dramas (and by older I mean wasn't made in the last few years). But I decided that there are some great classics out there (and by classics I mean from like 2006, haha). Anyway, this is my review of Goong (or Princess Hours) one of the most beloved Cinderella retellings in K-drama (and that's saying something, there are a lot of Cinderella retellings in K-drama).

Goong 궁 (宮)

AKA Princess Hours

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 24

Aired: 2006-Jan-11 to 2006-Mar-30

Network: MBC

Starring: Yoon Eun Hye, Joo Ji Hoon, Kim Jung Hoon, Song Ji Hyo

Watch it on: Dramafever, Viki

Goong is a story about young love in face of tradition, politics, and intrigue. In this imaginary world, modern-day Korea is a constitutional monarchy and the Royal Family lives in a grand Palace, the Goong. The sudden death of the reigning the King throws the Royal Family in the public eye. Faced with the decreasing popularity among the public for the Royalty, a grand wedding for the Crown Prince, Lee Shin, is decided to be the best publicity move and at the same time prepare Shin for immediate succession. The intended bride? The headstrong, awkward, and sweet spirited Shin Chae Kyung that just happens to go to the same exclusive art school. Chae Kyung was betrothed to become the next Crown Princess by her grandfather and Shin's grandfather.
After 14 years of living in England with his mom, Shin's cousin, Lee Yul, appears back in Korea. Yul was the original Crown Prince before his father died when he was a child. Chae Kyung's optimistic spirit wins the heart of internally lonely, Yul. And as the Crown Prince Shin and simple-minded Chae Kyung appear to start developing deeper feelings, a series of scandals are exposed to the public right after the pair are officially announced married. Will love conquer all in a world of political pressures and marital hardships? Or will being in the spotlight of the public be too much for the young newlyweds to endure?

Main Character: Shin Chae Kyung (Yoon Eun Hye)- Sassy and adorable, she is a bit clumsy and not stylish or graceful at all. So, she is the anti-princess. However, she was promised to Lee Shin as his princess so she is forced into that life. I love that she does not want to be a princess at all. Most girls would have killed for that chance, but not Chae Kyung. It makes her a great heroine in my mind. She does have a lot of faults, like she makes a lot of problems for the royal family when she could just slow down and think about what she's saying or doing first. However, all of her flaws are harmless and mostly adorable. So I can forgive those.

Love Interest: Crown Prince Lee Shin (Joo Ji Hoon) - He is attractive, loved (by the country and girls), and cocky. So he's like the quintessential arrogant chaebol prince. It is pretty obvious that he's like this because he's young and there's a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He wasn't originally supposed to be the crowned prince. It should have been Yul and Shin was thrust into the limelight after Yul's father died. So it's not Shin's fault that he wasn't always prepared to be the future king. However, in the beginning Shin is a bit of an a** in ways where it's hard to forgive him (obviously I did, but he goes over the top a bit in how mean he is to Chae Kyung).

Secondary Love Interest: There is a secondary love interest for both main characters. Lee Yul (Kim Jung Hoon) is the secondary love interest for Shin Chae Kyung and Min Hyo Rin (Song Ji Hyo) is the secondary love interest for Lee Shin.

Yul starts out sweet and kind. He knows that his mother is a bit scheming, but really he's just happy to be back with his family and his cousin. Then he falls in love with Chae Kyung and s*** hits the fan. Since she is supposed to marry the prince, and he used to be the prince, but now Shin is the prince. So Yul thinks to himself, "Wait a minute, she should be my princess. AND I love her and Shin obvi doesn't! So this is super not fair!"

Hyo Rin is less relatable as a character. She's just a perfect rich girl who thought she could have it her way with Shin. But when she makes the mistake of not wanting to get engaged at the age of like 17 (which is understandable) she loses him. She thinks "WTF, I just wanted to live my dream of being a ballerina AND becoming the future queen, but on my own time." Wah wah, rich girl problems #AmIRight?

It's kind of a tradition in most romantic comedies and melodramas in K-Dramas to have a secondary love interest. And while I am kind of sick of love triangles in YA books, I kind of love them in my K-Dramas. Maybe because the second male lead is usually so sweet to the main girl. Or maybe because they super duper love the girl character so much that they even encourage her to be with the main male lead because they just want her to be happy (that's what love really is!). BTW, this is not what happens in the this show (sorry 'bout it!). Yul is not a fan of Shin. I mean, he loves him kind of like a brother, but he gets jealous right quick and most of it is because he loves Chae Kyung and Chae Kyung love Shin. Oy vey, so much angst.

Anyway, on the flip side, the secondary female lead is usually a jealous and manipulative character. And I kind of hate that. There are some exceptions, but usually when the love triangle in K-Dramas involve two girls and a guy it comes out to sneaky manipulation and lots of drama! (Don't like this, but it does add to the drama part of K-dramas). This is definitely how it plays out in Goong. I personally love Song Ji Hyo, so the fact that her character stinks really upset me. But I won't hold it against anyone because with royalty comes drama and with teen romance comes drama, so really she never had a chance in this story.

Allies and Enemies:

Kim Hye Ja as the Queen Mother Park
Yoon Yoo Sun as Queen Min
Park Chan Hwan as Emperor Lee Hyun
Lee Yoon Ji as Princess Hye Myung (Shin's sister)
Shim Hye Jin as [Hye Jung Goong] Lady Seo Hwa Young (Yul's mother)
Lee Ho Jae as the Head butler Gong
Jun Soo Yeon as Escort Choi
Won Mi Won as Attendant Suh (Lee Yul's former nanny)

Chae Kyung's family
Im Ye Jin as Chae Kyung's mother
Kang Nam Gil as Chae Kyung's father
Kim Suk as Shin Chae Joon (Chae Kyung's younger brother)

Setting: An alternate reality Korea where the emperor still exists and runs as a constitutional monarchy (they liken it to England a lot)

Random Thoughts: I like alternate reality shows, I like that there are still recognizable elements of the world we live in, but it's just slightly different. Like when you ask the question "what would it be like if there was still an emperor in Korea?" I love shows that answer those random questions. It was based on a Manwha (similar to a Japanese Manga) of the same name so it has a lot of those comic elements. 

This show was adorable. It was a bit slow in the middle, and it did that thing that dramas (and animes) do where it repeats the same kind of conflict over and over again from episode to episode. However, there were some nice reveals and the character development of the two mains was great. They really grew as people and it happened in a good and organic way for me.

I like the Chae Kyung was in no way perfect in the beginning. Sometimes there are dramas where there is the bratty and conceited chaebol heir/prince and he is shown how to really feel/love by a sweet and sassy girl (cough Heirs cough). But the girl doesn't grow as vastly as the boy does. This isn't actually the case in Goong. Chae Kyung is fumbling, clumsy, and has no aspirations or etiquette. She grows up a lot in the course of the show. So by the end she is a more complete person. 

I didn't love the "bad guys" in the show. Lady Seo Hwa Young is a little too manipulative and conniving. I mean, she lived a perfectly happy, comfortable life with her son in Europe. And if she hadn't been so selfish in wanting the throne then Yul would have kept being perfectly happy too. I think that Yul deserved to be back in Korea with his family, but the way it happened obviously wasn't for his happiness. And even though Lady Seo Hwa Young presented it like she was doing it all for him, she totally was doing it for herself. (This is often a recurring theme in K-Dramas when parents push their kids to live out their "dreams" for them). 

In the end the show was a fun teen romance with some royal intrigue and alternate reality yumminess. There was family, friendship, love and coming of age all in a great drama. There were also some wonderful cultural references that spoke about traditions that have been in Korea since the Joseon period, which I loved.

Side note: This drama is apparently how G-Dragon and Seungri truly became friends, and I love anything Big Bang. So that's a glowing endorsement for Goong. Hahaha

Kat's K-Dramas: A Girl Who Sees Smells

A Girl Who Sees Smells

냄새를 보는 소녀
AKA Sensory Couple

Genre: Romance, comedy, fantasy, thriller

Episodes: 16

Aired: 2015-Apr-01 - 2015-May-21

Network: SBS

Starring: Park Yoo Chun, Shin Se Kyung, Nam Goong Min, Yoon Jin Seo

Watch it on: Dramafever, Viki

Synopsis:

Three years ago, Choi Moo Gak lost his younger sister in the "Bar Code" murder case. Since then he has become cold and insensible. Meanwhile, Oh Cho Rim miraculously survived the same incident. Since then she has lost her memory, but also gained the ability to see smells.

Also, the show is based on a popular webtoon that was in Korea (webtoons are web comics in Korea that are published on the internet only...kind of like Mangas/Manhwas in artistic style)

Main Character: Oh Cho Rim/Choi Eun Seol can see smells. It's not like synesthesia as we  know it. She can see them without smelling them. She can see them from afar, and she can see them through glass and other obstructions. This happened to her when she was a teenager around 17 or 18 and got into a car accident after witnessing her parents' kidnapping. She also lost her memory of everything that happened to her before the car accident (including witnessing her parent's kidnapping). She is adopted (and kind of hidden) by a police officer who gives her the new name of Oh Cho Rim. She wants to be able to make people laugh, so she joins a comedy troupe in the hopes of becoming a comedian.

She has sweet daydreams, like the one where she's in one of my all-time favorite Korean variety shows Running Man (It's a show that has the top stars in Korea as guests, and is all about being fun and funny. So she daydreams that she goes on the show as one of the top funny ladies in Korea. I had epic fangirl moments when I saw her on screen with Kang Gary, Yoo Jae Suk, Lee Kwangsoo and the gang).

Love Interest: Choi Moo Gak.

I kind of have a crush on Park Yoo Chun after seeing him as Choi Moo Gak in this show. He's funny, serious, brooding, and adorable all in one! He kind of reminds me of a more grown and goofy Choi Minho (from Shinee) in looks.

Choi Moo Gak had a younger sister named Choi Eun Seol whom he loved. She is not the same Eun Seol who became Cho Rim, but her fate was intertwined with Cho Rim's the night of the car accident. Choi Moo Gak's little sister was on a bus that got into a small accident. She was sent to a hospital to get treated for a banged up head. And she was murdered in that hospital. The man who murdered her was none other than the man who kidnapped Cho Rim's parents and who was trying to kill Cho Rim (who at that time was called Choi Eun Seol). Moo Gak then becomes a cop to try to catch the man who murdered his sister. Also, he has lost all sense of smell, taste, and pain. (None of this is spoilery because it all happens in the first episode).

Are you following me? Yes? No? Well it gets EVEN MORE COMPLICATED.

Allies and Enemies: Oh Cho Rim's father (it turns out) has a personal stake in catching the man who kidnapped and murdered Cho Rim's original parents. Dun dun dun!

Lieutenant Yeom Mi comes to Seoul to catch an elusive murderer deemed "The Barcode Killer" because he carves a barcode in the wrist of all of his victims, including the "fisherman couple" who are none other than Cho Rim's parents.

Then there are the three homicide cops who are kind of the comic relief and happen to be Choi Moo Gak's colleagues after he becomes a cop to catch his sister's murderer.

And another source of comic relief is a troupe of comediennes.

Setting: Present day Seoul. (Flash backs to Jeju Island about three years ago).

Random Thoughts: Oh how I enjoy shows that have only half a foot standing in reality. That's exactly what "The Girl Who Sees Smells" is, and it's super entertaining because of it. This is one of those shows where you need to suspend disbelief. To be fair, a lot of K-dramas are like that. But for this one you might need to go a step further.

First of all, the synesthesia that Oh Cho Rim has that causes her to see smells is not scientifically or medically accurate. However, they don't ever really call it that, so perhaps it is in the "magic" realm of television afflictions and just looks like synesthesia. Either way, as soon as you get over that inaccuracy, the show definitely becomes a much more fun and enjoyable ride (so for anyone planning to watch the show, I would suggest letting that go early on, it's not worth nitpicking at). The great thing is that this show is a very good character show, the individual characters and relationships are one of the best parts.

There is obviously the contrast of Cho Rim who has an extra sense and Moo Gak who has lost all of his senses. At first he is kind of introduced as a dogged, one-track-mind guy who just wants to get into the homicide division so he can catch his sister's killer. He doesn't need friends, love, or anything but justice. Cho Rim is the opposite, she is the ultimate carer. She cares about her father, she cares about the other comediennes in the troupe, and she cares about making people laugh.

So when their words collide they don't exactly see eye-to-eye. However, because of certain circumstances they need help from each other.

The best part of the show is the relationship between Moo Gak and Cho Rim (and also the relationship between Moo Gak/Cho Rim and the homicide cops). They are just so cute and sweet together.  I really loved their chemistry and the comedy they created. Also, there was always the knowing that their hidden pasts were going to come back and bite them in the butt (and so I was very concerned for them as a couple).

The show does a good job of creating interesting interactions between the characters. And I did genuinely enjoy the characters, which is probably what made it easy for me to stick with such a ridiculous show. I will say that the plot was kind of flat at times. You would think there would be more twists and turns in a murder mystery that involved mistaken identity and lost memories. However, things are revealed very quickly in the series and the path doesn't divert very much from it.

POTENTIAL LIGHT SPOILERS BELOW

POTENTIAL LIGHT SPOILERS BELOW

There were also a few facts that were left dangling. One that involved Oh Cho Rim's adopted father. It actually super bothered me, because it was introduced in such a dramatic way, but then never resoled. So I was kind of annoyed that they introduced it in the first place anyway. Also, Oh Cho Rim's adoptive father's motives for adopting her are never 100% clear. They start to give us potential answers to that question and then never follow-through.

The show had a very drawn out ending, which is not surprising for a thriller Korean Drama. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. I think that this might have been due to my personal preference though. I am a fan of epilogues in K-Dramas, but I also don't like random (extra) twists and turns. To be fair, the extra twists in this show made sense. That's why I was okay with it.

All in all, a very entertaining show with a cool twists and play on the normal dramas we see.