Category: Books

Item: Never Have I Ever
Author: Rowena

The Weekly Recap (162)

Posted February 22, 2021 by Rowena in Books, Features, Movies, Music | 6 Comments

The Weekly Recap is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a feature where I recap my week in books, movies, and kdramas. Since we’re still in a pandemic, I’m not doing much outside of my house and I really doubt you guys want to hear about my trips to the grocery store so stick around and let’s see what I got into this week.

Eye Candy Friday

Kim Namjoon
RM from BTS

What I Reviewed

Nothing again. Get it together, Wena!

What I Posted

The Weekly Recap (161)
The Weekly Playlist (3)
Eye Candy Friday: Kim Namjoon, RM from BTS

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

6 Comments
Tags: The Weekly Recap, Week in Books, Week in Movies, Week in Music, Week in TV Shows

My TBR Pile: February 2021

Posted February 4, 2021 by Rowena in Books, Features | 0 Comments

So, every month I put a list together of the books that I either need to read for review or the books that I want to get around to reading (finally). I’m also trying to be more responsible with my Kindle Unlimited and Audible Escape subscriptions so I’m going to post my TBR Pile on the blog so you guys can keep me honest. This year, I’m going to start breaking my TBR Pile up into different sections so that I know which books I’m reading for what because in my old age, I need the reminders.

Here’s a breakdown of how I did on last month’s TBR Pile.

Previous Month Stats

Books to Read: 8 | Books Read: 5
Books Unread: 3 | Pages Read: 1,959
Favorite Read: The Bridge Kingdom | Least Favorite Read: The Intimacy Experiment

To be honest, I thought that reading 8 books last month was too high a goal to achieve but I went with it anyway, thinking that I could push myself to accomplish it. I need to knock that shit out because I’m averaging about one book read per week and I’m reading more quality books so I’m good with that. I’m also still able to watch my kdramas and Naruto and all of the BTS content so seriously, I’m good with the lot of books that I read last month.

This month I think I’m going to finish up my reading goals from last month. I’m going to read Wicked Fox and The Earl Takes a Fancy and then read my buddy reads with my all of my friends.

Here’s a breakdown of my reading plan for February. Wish me luck!

February’s TBR PILE

Buddy Reads

The Beast of Beswick (Everleigh Sisters #1) by Amalie Howard
Training Camp: Twig by Wesley King and Kobe Bryant
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

During the pandemic, I started reading books with my So Cal book blogging friends since we’ve managed to get together for zoom calls every month. The first couple of months I didn’t read the books cause I was in a huge reading slump but I’ve managed to get our books read the last couple of months so I’m thrilled to keep this reading goal alive. This month, we’re discussing The Beast of Beswick by Amalie Howard. We’ll see how I like it.

With my besties group, we’re continuing Training Camp. We’ll be reading the next short story in the book, Twig’s story and I’m looking forward to jumping right back into that world.

The last book on my buddy reads list for February is A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I’m reading this book with my buddy Ames and it’s another book that comes highly recommended by our friend Holly so I’m really looking forward to seeing how that one turns out for me. I’m really into fantasy books right now so I have high hopes.

Review Pile

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane
I’m being very careful about the books that I request for review. I’m requesting less and less these days because I don’t want to be on the hook for so many reviews. This month, I’m reading Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane and I’m hoping that it’s another delightful treat that I’m come to expect from Mhairi McFarlane.

TBR Pile

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
The Earl Takes a Fancy by Lorraine Heath

These two books were on my TBR pile for last month but I never got around to reading them. I still want to read them so they’re on the tbr pile for this month. I’ve started Wicked Fox and so far, so good.

What books are on your TBR pile for February? Anything good that I should keep my eye out on? Please share the books you have on deck to read next month.

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Tags: Month in Books, Monthly TBR, My TBR Pile

My TBR Pile: January 2021

Posted January 6, 2021 by Rowena in Books, Features | 6 Comments

So, every month I put a list together of the books that I either need to read for review or the books that I want to get around to reading (finally). I’m also trying to be more responsible with my Kindle Unlimited and Audible Escape subscriptions so I’m going to post my TBR Pile on the blog so you guys can keep me honest. This year, I’m going to start breaking my TBR Pile up into different sections so that I know which books I’m reading for what because in my old age, I need the reminders.

I’m starting this up again because I’m trying to keep my reading up this year and I’m thinking that bringing this feature back (and keeping it strictly for books) might help me with that so I’m starting fresh.

January’s TBR PILE

Buddy Reads

The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
Training Camp (Wiznard #1) by Kobe Bryant and Wes King
Blood Heir (Aurelia Ryder #1) by Ilona Andrews

I’m kicking off the new year with some buddy reads. I’m reading The Bridge Kingdom with Ames and I’m thrilled to be reading books again with my friends. I’m reading Training Camp by the late Kobe Bryant and Wes King with my friends Therese and B Nice. I’m also reading Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews with my book blog buddies Holly and Casee and I’m THRILLED to be reading this one. I absolutely love the Kate Daniels series and this spin-off features two of my favorite characters from the Kate Daniels books so woohoo!! I already read the book as soon as I got my hands on an eARC last month but I’m reading it again so that I can keep myself honest with this post.

Review Pile

The Roommate by Rosie Danan
The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
I have some books left over from last year on my review pile and it is my goal this year to knock some of them off. I’m starting with the Rosie Danan books. I heard nothing but good things about The Roommate but I didn’t get very much reading done last year so it fell off my radar. I bought the book and will be giving it a go this month. While I’m at it, I’ll read the other Rosie Danan book that I got for review for this year’s release.

TBR Pile

Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1) by Kat Cho
The Earl Takes a Fancy (Sins for All Seasons #5) by Lorraine Heath
Crush the King (Crown of Shards #3) by Jennifer Estep

I’m adding these three books to my TBR for this month because the first book is a series I want to start, the second is a series I want to continue, and the last is a series that I want to finish.

So 8 books is probably super ambitious of me but I’m still going to try to read all of them. Wish me luck!

What books are on your TBR pile for January? Anything good that I should keep my eye out on? Please share the books you have on deck to read next month.

6 Comments
Tags: Monthly TBR, My TBR Pile

The Weekly Recap (154)

Posted September 21, 2020 by Rowena in Books, Features, TV Shows | 0 Comments

Last week was for learning the BTS fan chant, watching a whole bunch of BTS videos on Youtube, taking a night drive along the coast with my friend and talking about the shows we’re watching and the new BTS songs that we’re listening to and loving. We were so wrapped up in our talking that we missed the earthquake. Oh well.

Now, let’s get into all of the things that I did last week…

What I’m Currently Watching

Record of Youth
Do You Like Brahms?
BTS: Burn the Stage (The Series)

What I Watched

My Shy Boss | DNF
Master’s Sun | 3.75 out of 5
BTS: Love Yourself Concert in New York | 5 out of 5

Record of Youth, Episodes 3-4: Another solid week of new episodes of this show. I’m really enjoying the chemistry between Park Bo Gum and Park So Dam. They look cute together, they’re a lot of fun to watch and I’m really liking the confidence that Sa Hye Jun is developing. I just know that his best friend is going to start liking Joeng Ha. Ehh, I’m not looking forward to that development but I am dying to see Grandpa modeling.

Do You Like Brahms?, Episodes 5-6: The drama is really picking up on this one and I’m here for it. I’m really enjoying the romance between Joon Young and Song a. I didn’t think I’d be into this show because I’m not a listener of classical music and the only music that I really listen to on the piano is Church music. But I can’t wait for this week’s episodes, I’m itching to find out how Joon Young is going to react to Song a’s confession. He better get it!!

What I’m Currently Reading

Never Have I Ever
by Lauren Blakely
Series: Always Satisfied #3
Published by Self-Published, Lauren Blakely on July 30, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:First Person
Pages: 378
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges:2020 Goodreads Challenge

Falling for the enemy has never been so deliciously complicated in this standalone romance where a sexy single dad meets his unexpected match! Get ready for all the feels!

Never have I ever been so infuriated by a man I wanted to kiss.They say opposites attract, but I beg to differ. Combust is more like it. Because every single time I talk to Zach Nolan, I see red.

The too-good-looking, too-smart, too-effortlessly charming single dad who works down the hall from me has turned getting under my skin into a sport. Call it the battle of wits between the wedding planner and the divorce attorney.

Trouble is, when we're forced into closer quarters planning an engagement party for our best friends, I start to see his other sides.

And I fear I'm falling for the enemy.

I'm not out to make friends. My goals are simple -- fight till the end for my clients, and my family.

The last thing I need is a vibrant, outgoing, snarky, and surprisingly big-hearted wedding planner to spend my precious free time with...except, watching Piper bond with my daughter just might break down the cinder block walls I've built around my heart these last few years.

Second chances don't come around for guys like me...or do they?

We had another book besties zoom call last week and it was decided that we would read another book together and this was the book that was chosen. It’s a re-read for me but I’m excited to read it again. I absolutely LOVED it when I read it earlier this year so I’m looking forward to jumping back in.

What I Read

Shine by Jessica Jung | 4 out of 5

I finished this book this morning. It took me a while to get it read but I got it done and I’m glad that I finished it. Now I just need to write my review for it.

Eye Candy Friday

Jung Joon Hyung
Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok Joo

What I Reviewed

What I Posted

The Weekly Recap (153)
Eye Candy Friday: Jung Joon Hyung

What’s On My Radar for Next Week

Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
Forgotten
Encounter

Discovering BTS has really put a damper on everything else in my life. I am loving them too much to focus on anything else. I don’t see myself becoming a k pop fan because if I get as obsessed as I am for BTS for another group, I wouldn’t have any time for anything else and I really don’t want that to happen. I mention all of that because these were on my radar from last week’s recap post and they’re back on my radar for this week. I’m going to get to these this week, for realsies.

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

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Tags: Currently Reading, Currently Watching, The Weekly Recap, Week in Books, Week in TV Shows

The Weekly Recap (153)

Posted September 14, 2020 by Rowena in Books, Features, Movies, TV Shows | 2 Comments

I’ve gone down the rabbit hole that is all things BTS. I’ve got to be the oldest fan that they have (not true, I see old lady BTS Army TikTok) but dude, they’re a lot of fun. I blame Tae-hyung for wrecking my For You Page on TikTok. It’s all things BTS and Korean Dramas. I’m not that mad about it though because I’ve been enjoying watching all of their content. They’re fun to watch perform and now I’m even more annoying to Brenna because I used to just speak Korean phrases to her but now I sing to her in Korean too. LOL. The other day she was on my Etsy ordering some stickers for her hydro and she said that she’d buy me some so I chose my stickers and had to laugh out loud at our Etsy cart.

These are the stickers she got:

And these are the stickers I got:

She just shook her head and was like, “Mom, why are you like this?” Haha.

Now, let’s get into all of the things that I did last week…

What I’m Currently Reading

Shine
by Jessica Jung
Published by Simon Pulse on September 29, 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Point of View:First Person
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges:2020 Goodreads Challenge, 2020 New to Me Challenge

Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl by way of Jenny Han in this knock-out debut about a Korean American teen who is thrust into the competitive, technicolor world of K-pop, from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time, Girls Generation.
What would you give for a chance to live your dreams?

For seventeen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Six years ago, she was recruited by DB Entertainment—one of Seoul’s largest K-pop labels, known for churning out some of the world’s most popular stars. The rules are simple: Train 24/7. Be perfect. Don’t date. Easy right?

Not so much. As the dark scandals of an industry bent on controlling and commodifying beautiful girls begin to bubble up, Rachel wonders if she’s strong enough to be a winner, or if she’ll end up crushed… Especially when she begins to develop feelings for K-pop star and DB golden boy Jason Lee. It’s not just that he’s charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. He’s also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise.

Get ready as Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of Korea’s most famous girl group, Girls Generation, takes us inside the luxe, hyper-color world of K-pop, where the stakes are high, but for one girl, the cost of success—and love—might be even higher. It’s time for the world to see: this is what it takes to SHINE.

I’m picking this book back up. I started it a couple of months ago but wasn’t in the mood to read so I kept putting it down after every other sentence. I’m hoping that my reading slump is behind me now so that I’ll actually finish this one so umm..wish me luck? 🙂

What I Read

The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie | DNF
Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy #5) by Ilona Andrews | 4.25 out of 5

I tried reading The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie to discuss with my book besties on our zoom call yesterday but I was just not that interested in reading a historical book right now so I quit that book after 6 straight days of only reading a paragraph each time I opened the book. I jumped into Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy #5) by Ilona Andrews instead and yeah, that was just what I needed to keep my reading slump at bay. However, it was the only book that I read last week.

What I’m Currently Watching

Record of Youth
Do You Like Brahms
My Shy Boss

What I Watched

One Spring Night | 3.75 out of 5
Prison Playbook | 4 out of 5
Burn the Stage: The Movie | 4.5 out of 5
BTS: Global Takeover | 4.25 out of 5

Record of Youth | Episodes 1 & 2: This show started off really strong as I’m already obsessed with the two main characters, already shipping them and waiting on pins and needles for today’s episode. I have to wait until my lunch hour to watch it but I’m actually struggling to decide if I should wait until tomorrow to watch both of this week’s episodes together or not. Who am I kidding, I’m not waiting to see Park Bo Gum in a new episode. Haha, silly me.

Do You Like Brahms? | Episodes 1-4: So I discovered BTS last month after realizing that one of the guys in the band was in Hwarang, one of the dramas that I started watching. I like the character enough that I looked him up in BTS and before I knew what was what, he became my bias in the group (with Suga a very close second bias and I don’t care if that breaks the rules, I love them both!) and I have listened and practiced singing all of the BTS songs that I like and there are a lot of songs that I’ve had to practice. Singing in English is easy but singing in Korean? That’s hard as hell but I’m happy to report that I can sing the shit out of my favorite BTS song, Just One Day. LOL. Anyway, all of that to say that I started this show because the main male lead is a friend of V’s from BTS….that’s why I started this show. I gotta support my biases friends and I’m glad that I did because the pacing of this show is a lot slower than Record of Youth but it’s just as good. It’s more focused on the characters and I’m really, really enjoying this one so far. I’m happy that I have a new episode to watch and I’ll watch that today too. Yippy skippy.