Sunday Spotlight~Secret from My Secret Hotel OST (Song)

On my second Sunday Spotlight post I will be featuring a song I have been obsessed with since it came out! I've been listening to it nonstop! And when I'm not listening to it I'm humming it in my head. It's so good!


It's the song Secret from My Secret Hotel OST Part 1. I'm loving this drama so much! And this song caught my attention several times. I made out the English lyrics and I actually thought this was an English song. The guy's voice does sound a lot like Gary Lightbody's (from Snow Patrol) voice. But then this song kept coming up again and again and I listened to it very carefully and realized it was in Korean. So I searched and downloaded it and I'm loving it!

It has such a slow, haunting melody! It is perfect for the drama and so different from other drama OSTs I have listened to. The English part is actually pretty good and I love the "deep inside everybody lies" lyric. The lyrics of the whole song are great (translated lyrics below). I love Yoon Sung Ki's voice and the girl's voice in the few parts adds to the haunting feeling of the song.

All in all I really love this song and I hope you enjoy it as well. Happy listening!

Lyrics in English:

Your memories that trap me
I try to erase them
But like a lie, we’re still in the same place

You better not cry
Deep inside everybody lies
You better not to know
It is a secret song

Right now, this anxious happiness is stained black
Holding me inside this crumbling time

You better not cry
Deep inside everybody lies
You better not to know
It is a secret

Take it! please Take it!
You just have to trust me.
I can’t take it!
Love is like a dying firework
I try to hide but I can’t avoid fate

You better not cry.
Deep inside everybody lies.

You better not to know.
It is a secret love.

(Source: pop!gasa)

Deadly Errors Giveaway Winner

Hello! I'm just dropping by to announce the winner of the Deadly Errors giveaway. Congratulations to Laquesha Baily! You have won a copy of Deadly Errors by Allen Wyler!

HAPPY READING!

Drama Review~Marriage, Not Dating (Korean)

Title: Marriage, Not Dating; Marriage Without Love
Writer: Joo Hwa Mi
Director: Song Hyun Wook, Lee Jong Jae
Producer: IOK Media
Main Cast: Yeon Woo Jin as Gong Gi Tae, Han Groo as Joo Jang Mi, Jeong Jin Woon as Han Yeo Reum, Han Sunhwa as Kang Se Ah, Heo Jung Min as Lee Hoon Dong, Yoon So Hee as Nam Hyun Hee

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Original Run: July 4, 2014 - August 23, 2014
Duration: 1 hr. 7 min.
Original Channel: tvN
No. of Episodes: 16
Language: Korean
Links: MDL ~ Wikipedia ~ Viki ~ Drama Site

Synopsis: Wealthy plastic surgeon Gong Ki Tae is a successful and happy bachelor who does not want to find himself a wife. He believes that his life is perfectly planned, and being single is the only option he accept. However, his family is badgering him to marry. In an effort to get his parents off his back about the constant string of blind dates and marriage prospects, Ki Tae purposely brings Joo Jang Mi home to meet his parents posing as his girlfriend, certain that they'll never approve of her.

Trailer: 

My Rating: 9.5/10

My Thoughts: I loved this drama! It was so much fun to watch! It was a bit different from the usual dramas and a breath of fresh air.

Story: The story was really good and interesting. I loved how they showed a snippet of a shocking scene at the beginning of each episode that really heightened the expectations. There was never a dull moment and I enjoyed the whole drama. It was funny and sweet and I especially liked that even when the melodrama came along the writer never forgot that this drama is originally a romantic comedy. I agree that a rom-com is incomplete without a little drama but in some dramas when it's time for the melo the writer forgets that the drama was supposed to be a rom-com and then it's melo everywhere (Fated To Love You, I'm looking at you). I'm glad that this didn't happen with MND. The main couple's story as well as the stories of the side characters played out really well and the pacing was very good. I lost a little interest towards the end but it was quickly regained and by the last episode I found myself not wanting to say goodbye to this drama.

Cinematography: I don't usually talk about this because I don't have such a keen eye for such things but in this drama even I noticed that the shooting was done brilliantly! I loved their use of reflections and close-ups. The close-ups made for some pretty funny scenes but they were also used in serious ones with added impact as well. I especially remember a scene in one of the last episodes where Gi Tae & Jang Mi are walking by a river and their reflection is shown first and then they are shown. I found that very beautiful.

Actors/Characters: All the actors in this drama were brilliant and brought their characters to life! From Heo Jung Min as the funny Hoon Dong to Kim Hae Sook as the serious mother-in-law, everyone was brilliant! I fell in love with Han Groo (and her voice)! She was so lovable! She played Jang Mi so well! I don't usually like characters like Jang Mi but Han Groo really made her likable and relatable. Even though I'm nothing like Jang Mi, I understood her feelings perfectly.

I'm usually good at recognizing idols in a drama. They have a different look. But I never could have guessed that Han Sunhwa is an idol! She is super pretty, yes, but she just didn't give that idol vibe. She did do a great job though, as Se Ha, and even though I was supposed to hate her, I didn't. I just felt sorry for her.

I'm not sure how I feel about Yeon Woo Jin. He did a very good job and was even able to pull-off the embarrassing stuff which very few actors are able to do (Joo Sang Wook being the only one I know of). I kind of like his character too. And I did want him to end up with Jang Mi. I even understood why he wanted to be alone. But I didn't feel a connection with him that I want to feel with the main characters.

In which Joo Jang Mi represents us.

Uhm... Han Yeo Reum. Well... Jeong Jin Woon has pretty impressive abs ;) Hehe~ Sorry! He's not bad at acting either and since he's an idol he has a good voice too. But what was Han Yeo Reum? He was so mysterious and at first I really liked the mystery but they never revealed the mystery, at least not completely. Which made me very angry. Even then, it was okay. I forgive you. Because Han Yeo Reum has great abs ;) Hehe~

I really liked Yoo So Hee's character! Not because she was likable but because but because it was a very daring step at the part of the writer. Hyun Hee was definitely not the usual best friend. She was selfish in the natural way and she was cunning. I really liked the deviation from the conventional lead's BFF.

All the side characters were great as well and did a very good job. I would especially like to mention Kim Hae Sook here. She did such an awesome job playing the mother-in-law! Her character was very well-written and was one with a lot of depth and she did such an awesome job playing her! Her expressions, her breakdowns, I really loved her acting! She was an evil mother-in-law but really she wasn't evil and I never hated her. I always knew she must have some reason for her actions.

Overall: I really really enjoyed this drama! The funny scenes, the sweet scenes, the sad scenes, the serious scenes, everything! I would highly recommend this to any rom-com fan.

Favorite Five Friday~Favorite Infinite Dance Steps

Favorite Five Friday is another feature I am introducing to the blog where I will post a top five list each week on any random topic. I've been obsessed with Infinite this week so today my list consists of my favorite dance steps by them.

1. Opening dance of Back

I really love this dance! It's so cool how another person mirrors some dance moves of the person who is singing. I love the jerky dance and it is so mesmerizing, watching them!

2. Scorpion Dance in BTD

This is a very popular dance of their's and rightfully so! It's so cool and amazing how synchronized they are and how they do the step! I'm no dancer but the step seems pretty hard and it shows how hard they have worked to master it!

3. Last Romeo chorus dance

The dance I'm talking about appears at around the 1:47 mark but you can see it better at 2:50. It's the finger snapping dance, the one they do at the "kkeutnasseo naui jeonbureul da geolgesseo" part. This is their first dance step I fell in love with. It's just so awesome and makes you want to dance along with them!

4. Come Back Again chorus dance

The "dasi dorawa" step is so catchy! Like I really want to dance along to this part every time it comes up! In this video it comes around the 0:34 mark but you can see it every time the chorus comes up.

5. Robot zombie dance in BTD

I don't think it's actually called the 'robot zombie dance' but I made that up because they look like robot zombies when they perform it. It appears at around the 1 minute mark. The step seems easy but it looks so cool!

So, which one was your favorite?

Sunday Spotlight~Please Don't... by K. Will (Music Video)

Sunday Spotlight is a new feature on my blog where every Sunday I will talk about something. It could be anything, from a book to an author or a drama or a singer or even another blog. Today I will be talking about (or writing about is more appropriate) a music video.

I had food poisoning last week, not very serious but serious enough that I missed 3 days of classes. Instead of studying, like any good student would, I explored the world of Kpop. I have been addicted to Kdramas since the start of last year but other than Super Junior I had no knowledge of Kpop. So I searched for music videos on youtube and found some very funny reaction videos! But that not what we're talking about right now. In the midst of my MV watching I came across a video that surprised me with it's originality and daring content.

You see, same sex relationships aren't really touched on much in dramas or MVs. Reply 1997 is the only drama I've seen with a gay guy. And Please Don't is the only MV I have seen with a gay guy. Funny how both have Seo In Guk in them ;)

So naturally I was very surprised by it. But I also loved the MV. Honestly, I had an inkling from the start that Seo In Guk's character likes Ahn Jae Hyun's, even though they tried so hard to make it seem that Seo In Guk was in love with his best friend's girl. I love Ahn Jae Hyun and Seo In Guk as actors and they were awesome in this MV, especially Seo In Guk. His expressions and reactions are really good!

The editing and shots are really awesome! They looked beautiful when they were supposed to, sad when they were supposed to. It really made watching the MV all the more fun.

I am a HUGE fan of story-like MVs i.e. music videos that tell a story. And this one told a story of a gay guy who was in love with his straight best friend who was getting married to his annoying girl friend and the poor guy couldn't do anything about it. It was a bittersweet MV, very well directed and definitely one of my favorite MVs ever!

The song? Honestly, I don't really remember much of the song. I do remember that K. Will has a really good voice! But I was so caught up in the MV that I didn't pay much attention to the song. I don't know what the lyrics meant or if they matched the video either. All I know is that I loved this video!

I know this post is all over the place. I promise next time I'll do better research and write a better post! Till then, enjoy the video:

Currently Watching

1. Fated To Love You

This one had a really good start! It was super adorable to the point where I would melt from all the cuteness! But it's becoming kind of boring now. I am very much looking forward to Jung Joon Young's cameo in this drama!

2. High School - Love On

Omo! Omo! Omo! I'm loving this one! It's so cute and innocent! This drama made me an inspirit! :D But seriously though, these actors are doing an awesome job and the story is really interesting!

3. Marriage, Not Dating

I have been in love with this drama since it started! I am still loving it, maybe a bit less but yeah, still loving it! I love all the characters, the story, especially the humor and romance! Sadly, this week is it's last week. :'(

4. My Secret Hotel

My bunny Yoo In Na is so cute! And rom-com mystery? That's two of my favorite genres combined! I really hope this drama is super awesome! So far it's good. The acting is okay. And the story is going well too. In Na is bad-ass! I feel like Nam Goong Nim's character could have been played better by someone else but I've decided to give him a chance to prove himself.

5. The Mermaid

This drama is super awesome so far! As a fellow blogger said, it's like a fan-fic come to life! I can't believe what an amazing job Jo Bo Ah is doing! This drama is super funny and entertaining and so far has a really interesting story line.

6. What Is Love

I came across this drama by accident. I was watching Showbiz Korea on Viki and it was on autoplay and the next video happened to be episode 1 of What Is Love. It's been a while since I watched a Taiwanese drama so I decided to give this one a try. Despite the negative reviews I'm really enjoying this one! It has a nice story and the acting isn't bad either.

What are you guys currently watching? Any recommendations?

Drama Review~Trot Lovers (Korean)

Title: Trot Lovers, Lovers of Music, Lovers of Trot, Trot Romance
Writer: Oh Sun Hyung
Director: Lee Jae Sang, Lee Eun Ji
Producer: JS Pictures
Main Cast: Jung Eun Ji as Choi Chun Hee, Ji Hyun Woo as Jang Joon Hyun, Shin Sung Rok as Jo Geun Woo, Lee Se Young as Park Soo In
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Music
Original Run: June 23, 2014 - August 12, 2014
Running Time: 60 min
Original Channel: KBS
No. of Episodes: 16
Language: Korean
Links: MDL ~ Wikipedia ~ Viki/DramaFever ~ Drama Site

Synopsis: Jang Joon Hyun is a talented and popular musician. He looks down upon the traditional trot music genre. Meanwhile, Choi Chun Hee works multiple jobs as the breadwinner to support her father and younger sister. Her mother was a trot singer and she inherited the voice, along with hopes of being a trot singer herself someday. A romantic relationship begins between these two individuals. (Source: My Drama List)

My Rating: 7.5/10

My Thoughts: I had really really high hopes for the one. I mean it has Ji Hyun Woo, whom I LOVED in Queen In Hyun's Man. It has Jung Eun Ji, who was awesome in Reply 1997. And then it has Shin Sung Rok, who blew me away with his performance in You Who Came From The Stars. So how could it go wrong? Sadly, it can. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horribly bad. But it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be either.

Story: The story was good... I guess? It was full of cliches and kind of predictable. There wasn't really any moment where I would go "OMG I can't believe that happened!". There were moments though when I thought "Ugh! I was hoping this wouldn't happen.". That said, it wasn't so bad. There were some dull moments and I never really got much into the story but it was entertaining to watch and it wasn't all that bad.

Characters: Throughout the first few episodes I kept saying "I want my Kim Boong Do back!". I don't know what Ji Hyun Woo was trying to do or if it was his fault or the writer's but I really didn't like his character! Jang Joon Hyun was awkward, and not in the good sense. And the clothes he wore, oh my God!! I remember, in one of the earlier episodes, he was wearing a shirt which had pictures of small pizza slices on it! And what was up with his hair?! Why were they golden/silver? The only moment he looked good was when he wore a brown wig. He did die his hair in the later episodes so that was a bit better. Other than looks I never really connected with his character at all. He, honestly, felt like a side character.

Jung Eun Ji was really good and Choi Choon Hee was a no-nonsense, strong female lead whom I admired very much! The poor girl went through so much but she worked hard. She sometimes came off as too simple or too good whereas I like my female leads with brains but overall she wasn't that bad, even likable and relatable.

Shin Sung Rok was amazing! To be honest I wasn't sure he would be able to pull it off. I mean his character here is so different from the one in You Who Came From The Stars (thank God!) and I was anticipating his performance but I was also scared that what if it would turn out to be a disaster. Thankfully, Shin Sung Rok showed here too what an amazing actor he is and shined in all of the scenes he was in. His character, Jo Geun Woo, is a very unique one. He is kind of crazy, but in a good way. He is nice and sweet but also smart and clever. He was different from your average second male lead and leave it to Shin Sung Rok to play unique characters splendidly!

I've never seen Lee Se Young in anything before. So the first time I saw Park Soo In I thought "OMG she's so pretty!". She really is. I really enjoyed her character and how she changed over the course of the drama. Her character was very deep and relatable (not for me, but I know a lot of people like her). Her life has been manipulated by her mother and she doesn't have any freedom to do what she wants. Her actions, even though they were wrong, seemed right for her. She was a character whose story I really enjoyed. (Shows that I'm a fan of broken characters.)

Out of the minor characters my favorite was Choon Hee's sister. The little girl who played her did such a wonderful job, she was better than Ji Hyun Woo! I'm not kidding, the kid was amazing! She was really adorable! These Korean child stars never fail to surprise me with their awesome acting abilities! I did like the other side characters, Choon Hee's coach, her senior, the debt collectors, Joon Hyun's manager, even that arrogant singer dude. They were all funny and helped the story-line. I hated Choon Hee's father and I cannot forgive him for what he did. Soo In's mother was a good villain and I understood her motivations. Her sidekick cracked me up every time he was on screen because he was also on Secret Love Affair and I just couldn't help but make up a story in my head that he got kicked out from his job there so he joined Shine Star. Poor guy :P

Romance: I did not like the main couple. Half because InHyun couple and Reply 1997 couple are so much better! And half because Shin Sung Rok & Jung Eun Ji had better chemistry than Jung Eun Ji with Ji Hyun Woo. So, I was not interested or invested much into this couple therefore I have very little to say about them. Except that they were extremely childish which I found uncomfortable.

Music: The music was really good! I had no idea Jung Eun Ji had such a powerful voice! She's an amazing singer! Ji Hyun Woo is good too. The music overall was really good and fun to listen to, even the trot music which I don't listen to that much.

Overall: Overall this was an okay drama. I would have liked it better if I had watched it at the beginning of my drama watching phase but now that I have seen so many amazing dramas this one fell short. I would recommend it though to new drama watchers and to people who want to see a childish romance.

Drama Review~High School King of Savvy (Korean)

Title: High School King of Savvy, King of High School Life Conduct, High School King and other weird titles with the words "High", "School" and "King" in them.

Writer: Jo Sung Hee, Yang Hee Seung
Director: Yoo Je Won
Main Cast: Seo In Guk as Lee Min Suk & Lee Hyung Suk, Lee Ha Na as Jung Soo Young, Lee Soo Hyuk as Yoo Jin Woo, Lee Yeol Eun as Jung Yoo Ah

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Sports, Business, Drama
Original Run: June 16, 2014 - August 11, 2014
Running Time: 1 hr. 5 min.
Original Channel: tvN
No. of Episodes: 17
Language: Korean
Links: MDL ~ Wikipedia ~ Viki ~ TV Show/Drama Site

Synopsis: Lee Min Seok, a naive, immature, and clueless high school hockey player who somehow ends up working at a company in place of his brother. He lives a double life as a student and a high positioned office worker and falls in love with a woman who is a temporary employee at that same company.

My Rating: 9/10

My Thoughts: This drama was really really REALLY good! The story, the acting, everything was amazing. And yet I felt like there was something missing. But I'll talk about that later.

Story: The story was really good! A high school student pretending to be a 27 year old office worker seems absurd but it was totally believable. The mystery surrounding Lee Min Suk's brother was very intriguing but it wasn't the main focus of the drama and was only dealt with in the few last episodes. The drama focused on Lee Min Suk and how he grew as a character. The noona romance was okay too though I wasn't that invested in it. The star of this drama for me was Lee Min Suk. I went in thinking it was going to be like City Hunter, you know a quest for revenge and everything. But this turned out to be completely different. This drama wasn't intense, it was cute and funny. I loved how they used old drama cliches and gave them a twist to make them funny or different. I especially liked that Yoo Jin Woo's story was progressed along with Lee Min Suk's and he was given his due importance too.The story was very well-written and the pace of the drama was really good.

Characters: Seo In Guk did an amazing job as Lee Min Suk (and Lee Hyung Suk). First of all, I've always acknowledged that Seo In Guk is good-looking but during this drama I realized that he is gorgeous! Especially as Lee Hyung Suk (even though he appeared for like 1-2 episodes). Secondly, Seo In Guk is an extremely talented actor! And this role showed his talent to the fullest. He played the role of a high schooler so well, unlike someone else (Lee Min Ho I'm looking at you), that it was hard to believe that in real life he is 26. Lee Min Suk was endearing and funny and adorable. But I also loved the scenes where he got all serious and mature. I loved seeing him grow from a boy into a man! Seo In Guk's portrayal of both brothers was so good you could see who was who with the way he stood and talked. While Lee Min Suk was kinda sloppy, as expected of a kid, Lee Hyung Suk stood with confidence. Where Lee Min Suk talked in a cheery way, Lee Hyung Suk's voice was grave and serious. I simply loved Seo In Guk's acting in this drama!

Jung Soo Young is a character I would rather not talk about. She was uncomfortably painful to watch. I understood her character really well and I got where the writer wanted to go with her but Lee Ha Na's portrayal of her was not good. Jung Soo Young is a character I could have loved had Lee Ha Na did her justice. Soo Young is a socially awkward girl with seemingly no talents. I get the character. It was Lee Ha Na's job to make that character relatable, even likable. But the way she played her it felt like Jung Soo Young had some mental disability. Which was really very uncomfortable for me to watch. But of course, I did get used to her and then she didn't bother me much. But I never felt connected to her. I did feel sorry for her but only a little.

I loved loved LOVED Lee Soo Hyuk as Yoo Jin Woo! I loved how this time the broken bad boy was not the male lead but the second lead. And Lee Soo Hyuk played him really well! And did I mention how gorgeous Lee Soo Hyuk is?!! Because he is really gorgeous!! I could stare at him all day! I loved his story arc and how it all played out. I loved this broken bad boy with a good heart! But I never, for one second, believed that he was actually in love with Soo Young. I felt like he needed someone and since Soo Young was previously obsessed with him he figured she would be a good person to keep by his side. I never felt like he actually, honestly loved her.

All the minor characters were great! The office people were your typical office people, gossiping and judging. They also provided very good entertainment. Team Leader Kim was very funny and so adorable! Jo Han Chul did an awesome job playing him and I loved seeing him onscreen! I loved how he cared so much about Lee Min Suk and all his anxiety breakdowns (I seem like a bad person saying I enjoyed his breakdowns but really, they were funny and added for comedic purposes). Jung Yoo Ah (Soo Young's sister) was super annoying at first but like her sister she became tolerable. I loved Lee Min Suk's friends! They were so supportive and super funny, with their chuppa chuppas and stuff! Lee Min Suk's dad was awesome! He wasn't his real dad but he cared so much for him that it was heartwarming and so beautiful. My favorite though was Min Suk's grandfather (his adoptive father's father)! Kwon Seong Deok was amazing, playing him and he was so funny and adorable and it was so heartbreaking! I really loved him! I loved how the minor characters played a more important role in this drama than they usually do in dramas.

Romance: I honestly believe Seo In Guk has good chemistry with everyone. Be it a girl or a boy, he has good chemistry with all. Just look at his previous works. He had amazing chemistry with Jung Eun Ji AND Hoya in Reply 1997. Even as a second lead he has awesome chemistry with the female leads (see Master's Sun). It was no exception in King of High School. He not only had great chemistry with Lee Ha Na but also with Lee Soo Hyuk! BUT I was not as much invested in the romance and the main couple as I would have had it not been for Lee Ha Na. The couple wasn't all that bad but they couldn't pull on the strings of my heart like the InHyun couple (Queen In Hyun's Man) & the Reply 1997 couple (Jung Eun Ji and Seo In Guk). So that 'something missing' thing I was talking about was my lack of love for the main couple.

Ending: The extra episodes really weren't needed. But I didn't mind them much. Most people are not satisfied with the ending and to be honest if I would've written this I would've ended it differently too but it wasn't that bad and I don't have much of a problem with it.

Overall: All in all this was a really good drama and most people might not have the problems with it that I did so I highly recommend it for anyone who is in the mood of a good rom-com.

Book Review~The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

Title: The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone
Author: Adele Griffin
Publisher: Soho Teen
Pub Date: August 12th 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 256
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness
Links: Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Book Site

Synopsis: "From the moment she burst into the downtown art scene, seventeen-year-old Addison Stone was someone to watch. Her trademark subversive street art and her violent drowning left her fans and critics craving to know more about this brilliant wild-child who shone so bright and was gone too soon." —Adele Griffin

Two-time National Book Award finalist Adele Griffin offers an ingenious fictional take on celebrity biography, as told in first person interviews through the eyes of Addison Stone's parents, friends, boyfriends, mentors, critics, and more-punctuated in full color with Addison's artwork, photographs, and emails. When it comes to Addison's untimely and mysterious death, nobody escapes unscathed.

Rating: 9/10
Source: Given by the publisher in exchange of an honest review. Thank you Meredith for having me on the tour and for giving me a chance to read this book!

My Thoughts: 

I don't think I have ever read anything like this before. This book was really good! Not my usual cup of tea but interesting and engaging nonetheless.

Story: The mystery surrounding Addison's death was very intriguing. But her story, as a person, was more interesting. I loved reading about her from the perspectives of different people who knew her. Even though they were the one telling her story, you would really feel connected to Addison. You felt her presence there and sense how she affected these people's lives and how they affected her. The story was really good and felt very real.

Writing: Incredible writing! Even though this was a novel, if I would have read it without knowing that I would have thought that Addison Stone is a real person. In fact, while reading this, I oftentimes forgot that this was fiction. The way the author wrote different perspectives was awesome! Even without reading the names you could know who was talking now. The thing I liked the best about the writing though was that you could really see the story differently through different character's eyes. While one person felt a certain way about something, the other person felt differently about the same thing and thus their accounts of that thing were different and really that's how real life is. Each of us sees things differently and that's how we remember it. That really added an element of reality to the book. Plus it was amazing how even though we get to read so little of Addison's perspective she shines through in the whole book. Her presence is always there and it is her story throughout. I especially loved the pictures and Addison's art. It made the book more personal, Addison more real.

Characters: Since this isn't your usual novel type book I don't really know what to say about the characters. Addison felt like a living breathing person, so did the other characters. They really felt like real people. Addison was one of those people who really have a presence and leave you in awe. She was also broken and I felt very sorry for her. I don't think any particular person was to blame for her death.

Overall: I found this book very unique and enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it for people who like mysteries (not the detective kind but the real-life kind) and to people who are in the mood of reading something different.

About The Author:

Adele Griffin is a two-time National Book Award Finalist and highly acclaimed author of numerous books for Young Adult and middle grade readers. Her works include Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be, as well as the popular Witch Twins and Vampire Island series. Her most recent thriller Loud Awake and Lost will be out this fall from Knopf.

Adele lives with her husband, Erich, their two young children, and their dog, Edith, in Brooklyn, New York.

Official Author Site ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Drama Review~My Girl (Korean)

Title: My Girl

Writer: Hong Jung Eun, Hong Mi Ran (a.k.a. Hong Sisters)

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

Producer: Bae Tae Sup

Main Cast: Lee Da Hae as Joo Yoo Rin, Lee Dong Wook as Seol Gong Chan, Lee Joon Gi as Seo Jung Woo, Park Si Yeon as Kim Se Hyun

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama

Original Run: December 14, 2005 - February 2, 2006

Running Time: 60 minutes

Original Channel: SBS

No. of Episodes: 16

Language: Korean

Links: IMDb/MDL ~ Wikipedia ~ Amazon ~ DramaFever ~ Drama Site

Synopsis: When Gong Chan meets the lively and beautiful Yoo Rin, he finds out that she has connections to his missing cousin, whom his grandfather has been searching for. He asks Yoo Rin to lie about being his long missing cousin until he can find his real cousin. She says yes, but soon their feelings for each other get in the way of their plans. Gong Chan's friend, Jung Woo falls for Yoo Rin while Gong Chan's ex-girlfriend, Seo Hyun, a pro tennis player, tries to win him back. Will the two ever tell each other how they feel? Will Gong Chan ever find his real cousin?

My Rating: 9/10

My Thoughts: It's been a while since I laughed this hard while watching something. This drama did become serious towards the end but overall it was really good and I enjoyed it a lot!

Story: The story was a contract-relationship type story except this time the girl was supposed to be a cousin. Even then it did have those cliche scenes you usually see in contract-relationship dramas. They did make for some great laughs though. I loved the humor! It made me actually laugh out loud which is rare for me. So yeah, ten points for good humor. The mystery surrounding the real cousin was good too. I wasn't a big fan of the love triangle square but it didn't bother much if I focused on the main couple. The pacing was good though it did become a bit slow towards the end. Or maybe I felt that way because it the story got serious. Overall though it was an interesting and enjoyable story.

Characters: I loved Joo Yoo Rin & Seol Gong Chan! And Lee Da Hae and Lee Dong Wook did a great job playing them! I especially loved Lee Da Hae's performance. I haven't seen her in anything before so I wasn't expecting much but she did a wonderful job! She made Yoo Rin likable, even lovable! Yoo Rin was a liar and swindler but her heart wasn't bad. And Lee Da Hae made sure everyone knew that from the start. Yoo Rin was funny and bubbly but the best thing I like about her is that she was smart! You don't see many smart girls in these type of dramas but Yoo Rin was smart and independent and Gong Chan was the innocent one.

That brings me to Gong Chan. The writer broke a lot of stereotypes with Yoo Rin's and Gong Chan's characters. Usually, in these type of dramas, the guy is controlling and rude. He doesn't respect the girl and if he starts liking her then he treats her even more badly. That wasn't the case with Gong Chan though. He was genuinely a nice person. He did care about others. Sure, he was rude to Yoo Rin sometimes but I never felt like it was too much or it was to hurt her. He was also innocent and really really cute! I've only seen Dong Wook in Roommate, which is a variety show, so I didn't know of his acting abilities. But he did a pretty good job here! His expressions were spot-on!

The other two corners of the square, Jung Woo and Se Hyun, I spent most of my time ignoring them. I felt like Jung Woo didn't respect Yoo Rin. He was always like "I'll make her be with me." "I won't let her go." and stuff like that which really made me think lowly of him. And Se Hyun was Se Hyun. Your typical, manipulative, second lead ex. So I obviously hated her. The actors who played these characters were okay. Not very good but tolerable.

Out of Gong Chan's family, I loved his aunt and uncle! But hated the grandfather! I don't know why, I just hated him. Jung Woo's mother provided some good humor with Gong Chan's aunt. Out of Yoo Rin's family, I loved her best friend and her brother! Especially the brother and his sweet little romance with Gong Chan's secretary! It was adorable! I hated her father though!

Romance: Lee Da Hae and Lee Dong Wook have great chemistry but I enjoyed watching their friendship more than their romance. I loved their relationship! They were like best friends and I loved seeing their friendship grow. Both of them were really cute and their scenes were my favorite ones!

Overall: I really enjoyed watching this drama! Even if it is almost 9 years old, it seems new and fresh. It is very well-written and I would highly recommend it for fans of romantic comedies and fake relationship dramas!

Manga Review~Pride & Prejudice by Stacy King & Po Tse

Title: Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice
Editor: Stacy King
Illustrations by: Po Tse
Adapted from: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Publisher: Udon Entertainment
Pub Date: August 12th 2014
Pages: 376
Genre: Classics, Romance, Retellings
Links: Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Official Site

Synopsis: Beloved by millions the world over, Pride & Prejudice is delightfully transformed in this bold, new manga adaptation. All of the joy, heartache, and romance of Jane Austen's original, perfectly illuminated by the sumptuous art of manga-ka Po Tse, and faithfully adapted by Stacy E. King.

Rating: 10/10
Source: Netgalley

My Thoughts: I love Pride & Prejudice! And I love discovering things related to it! Mostly they have not disappointed me and this manga was no exception. I was weary of starting it though. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the story as a manga. I didn't know if the illustrations would do the characters justice. I needn't worry though because this adaptation was great!

The story was changed a little. Well not changed, but the minor, not-so-important stuff was removed. I was okay with that though. Other than that the story is the same as the original one.

I loved the illustration! It was so much like a manga but also kept the essence of the novel. The illustrations were very pretty and the characters were spot-on! I especially loved the little chibi drawings and manga style humor. It made me feel more like I was reading a manga and not a comic.

Overall I loved this! I enjoyed reading it very much and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys manga and is also a fan of classics. People who haven't read Pride & Prejudice or found it boring will also enjoy this one because it is a very easy and light read.