I FINISHED THE SOC DUO + ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON GRISHAVERSE SHOW

I finally, finally finished the Six of Crows duo, right on clock for the *drum rolls* GRISHAVERSE NETFLIX ADAPTION!!!!!!

Speaking of soc, there are oh so many things I have to say.

I first started out with Shadow and Bone, and after a reread. I didn’t like it. Point blank. The world building was bland, the protagonist was one dimensional (i’m guessing everyone is crazy about nikolai and that’s about it, but i wouldn’t know, i never went past book one). Basically just another one of those average YA reads.

So that was why I was so surprised when I read Soc. I heard a lot about it online, and I lurked around the tumblr fandom often. By then I guess I was already a little in love with soc.

For starters, the writing improved SO much from Shadow and Bone!!!! #TryNotToFallInLoveWithTheCrowsChallenge

I will die for my babies Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias. Period.

And FJSKNBHJJDBSKNVEJ THE REPRESENTATION. LET’S TAKE A SECOND TO TALK ABOUT IT.

LGBTQIA rep, PoC characters, realistic portrayal of mental health and trauma. oh, i forgot to add that kaz might be morally gray and a self-declared monster, but he isn’t a predatory, homophobic person unlike some YA book males i know *looks not-so-subtly at sarah janet maas here*

With the awesome plot and even awesome characters, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the soc duo. Soc is a part of actual, sophisticated YA literature. It represents what the YA gnere is now: inclusive books in which teenagers (and adults too) can find themselves.

And now for my thoughts on the Grishaverse show.

Am I absolutely delighted that I will see my loves onscreen? Yes. Am I also terrified about it being completely botched up, and put off by it jammed in with a vastly inferior series? Also yes.

Initially I was scared of them whitewashing Inej and Jepser, and making Nina skinny. Which thankfully Leigh confirmed in a tumblr post, will never happen. But oh there are so many other fears.

They could completely, totally ignore the characters’ past traumas. They could take out Kaz’s touch aversion and ptsd, they could make kanej make out, they are NOT ready for it. They could reduce Nina and Jesper into comic relief. They could leave out Wylan’s dyslexia.

On the plus sides, the director and producers are fans, leigh herself is an executive producer. They’d, hopefully, keep everything as canon as possible.

For the casting, I,,,, might have some thoughts –

Cole Sprouse as Kaz Brekker 

Neelam Gill as Inej Ghafa 

Chance Perdomo as Jesper Fahey 

Barbie Ferreira as Nina Zenik

For Wylan, Matthias, and Kuewi, I don’t have any ideas so far …

~.~

Anyhoooo, the only thing I can do now is wait for is the show 😀 (tho i will say i am absolutely devasted over *SPOILER SPOILER* matthias’ death *SPOILER SPOILER* i dont think he’s an ass anymore)

Let’s cross our fingers and hope that all goes well. Till then,

~no mourners, no funerals~

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NINE PERFECT STRANGERS BY LIANE MORIARTY

I waited patiently for this book to release. The hardcover edition wasn’t available here (no edition was). I waited a little more. And a little more. And a little more. And just a little more. (fast forward to two months later i grabbed the first copy, quite literally the first copy from the bookshop).

Her books are like jurda parem (got the six of crows reference? no? die then) – you keep craving for more. Every book of hers is like magic. Every book. (try not to fall for it?????)

Synopsis

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.

I savoured it over the winter holidays.

what i liked:

Like all her books, she has her signature way of writing people’s emotions. The characters feel real. And their conflicts feel real, too. There are nine (!!!) POVs and that sort of thing could have easily been all over the place, but Moriarty really has a talent. And she portrays trauma and loss beautifully (i cried before reading this, i cried while reading this, i cried after reading this)

I LOVED Frances the most. And Napolean and Heather. And Zoe. And Ben. Though I felt Lars didn’t have much of a part, so did Jessica. Tony just fell flat for me. Masha creeped the shit outta me at start, but I understand later.

The suspense made me bite my nails – no kidding! And I think the plot was a bit different from her other books but it was okay.

what i didn’t like:

While there was suspense it doesn’t appear well into the book. Maybe I was impatient. But I couldn’t figure out where the plot was going for a long time because half the book was groundwork for all the characters and their backstories (understandable, there are NINE POVs). This book focuses more on the characters tbh. And it was fun to read, don’t get me wrong. But I think this book didn’t have a good balance between plot and characters.

Overall Rating:

4.5 out of 5

2019 – RESOLUTIONS, READING GOALS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

So. The last time I blogged was a year back. *awkward silence* *laughs at my own joke* Cheesy jokes aside, HAPPY NEW YEAR, FOLKS. I DEMAND THAT THE UNIVERSE GIVES YOU AN AWESOME, BEAUTIFUL, POSITIVE 2019 BECAUSE Y’ALL DESERVE IT.

2018 was this colossal freak show, no kidding. I can’t quite make head or tail of it and I’m glad that it’s over (thank u, next, 2018). This year, there are oh so many things I want to get in order!

i won’t lie, i wasn’t exactly peaches and cream in 2018 (understatement lol). and i know that just because earth has completed another revolution around the sun nothing is gonna magically change. but i want to be positive and motivated and not feel like shit, ‘kay?

To start out the year on a good note I want to list my priorities.

resolutions irl:

1. take care of myself, my body and my mental health.
2. study regularly from day 1, reap the result
3. repeat, STUDY. GET HELP IF I NEED. also, not panic like a moron about the boards because if i study effectively i should treat it as a regular exam and get good results. anxiety won’t help and would only bring me down.
4. make my handwriting humanly readable.
5. stay hydrated
6. pamper and totally spoil this bitch w love and only love, i deserve it, so does everyone else
7. stay around good people and get away from the bad, toxic eggs, if any

 blogging goals:

1. BLOG!! REGULARLY!! (twice a week, at least)
2. do occasional discussion posts
3. review different books
4. do some tags i was nominated for
5. maybe co-write posts in collab w other bloggers (anyone interested btw?)

 reading goals:

1. read all sorts of genres
2. add a dose of non-fiction
3. stay updated with cosmology books and stuff about it in general
4. utilize reading time allotted by the higher authority, parents, effectively
5. savour books slowly, i’m so done with speed reading

   social media goals:

1. bookstagram slightly often with a change of location
2. stay in touch with the new friends i made lately
3. participate in shruti’s banned book club
4. try not to make lame jokes and be a total loser on twitter
5. be more active on goodreads, actually update my reading challenge instead of being a lazy ass

---

There we are. Here are my goals for 2019 and I hope that I will complete these. I’m not under any delusions that this year would be stress free. There will be reality + board exams, which I want to do well in. But being positive won’t cost me anything so why not???????????

what are your 2019 resolutions? any dramatic changes, or just go with the flow? tell me! 😀

9 REACTIONS WE HAVE WHILE READING A GOOD THRILLER

Plots maybe different, but our reactions are same. Sweat, grime, teeth chattering, insomnia – welcome to the life of a thriller addict.There is no out. You eventually become a crazy, paranoid addict and you crave suspense. You wish you could obliviate yourself and read the same thriller again and again.

So here are some reactions when we read a realllyyyyy good thriller:

1. Starting the book and patiently waiting for the suspense.

it’s okay, book. Take your time book. i am right. here.

 

2. . . . Still waiting

wHeRe tHe sUsPeNsE bItCh

 

3. When it does kick in

some tea, please

 

4. When you start guessing the plot in a very Holmes-y way

oooo yes i’m guessing it all, pfftttt so predictable

 

5. But when all your guesses go downhill in the most unexpected ways 

bold of you to assume you knew anything at all moron

 

6. When everything. everything goes batshit crazy.

hi, wtf is happening here? idk anymore.

 

7. When the book has a lot of explaining to do but only 20 pages are left

these 20-something pages better have an answer

 

8. Finally EVERYTHING is explained in an ending you did not see coming 

now moi understands

 

9. And the stage after the end when you want to reread it but you already know everything

i wish i could obliviate the plot and reread the book again

~.~

*Rinse and repeat*

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER BY STEPHEN CHBOSKY

Sooo. Hello, everyone. Here I am, without another month’s gap between posts. ‘Tis I, Shreya the Great procrastinator who somehow managed to create an effective blogging schedule maybe idk. But still, at least I’m somehow trynna be regular.

Sooo anyways. I recently finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which one of my pals gifted. Much thanks, Red 🙂 Actually I had the ebook back from the days when oceanofpdf was still alive but the format and text was all screwed up. And I’m glad I have a paperback version now.

Synopsis:

The critically acclaimed debut novel from Stephen Chbosky, Perks follows observant “wallflower” Charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. First dates, family drama, and new friends. Devastating loss, young love, and life on the fringes. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it, Charlie must learn to navigate those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

I’ve watched the movie, and I loved it. Now, I read the book and I love it even more. This book is so beautiful, heart-wrenching, and relatable.

what i liked:

How relatable the whole book is. As in introvert and bibliophile I really felt some parts. And as a teenager, all of it. The angst and emotion in this book felt so real and relatable. It’s all told through a letter format, written by Charlie. I really liked the letter/diary entry format since it was blunt and conveyed a lot of stuff. All the characters seem real and not drab and one dimensional, like some books show teenagers to be. I ESPECIALLY LOVE MY BOY PATRICK.

I feel Charlie, a lot (finally, we get an in-depth AND introverted character). I identify with his struggles in life and I guess a lot of other people do, too. The ending and final revelation of Charlie’s aunt was so sad, though.

But the main thing I like about this book is that it actually, properly depicts teenagers, it isn’t a teen-centric novel cliche. It doesn’t show preppy, picture perfect party going teenagers who somehow seem more mature than they are. It’s crude and messy.

Everything isn’t magically fixed in the end (not that i dont like happy endings, it’s the unrealistic ones). Charlie is struggling and his problems magically don’t disappear. He is broken, but he is healing. And that is why I guess a whole lot of other people love this book, me included.

what i didn’t like:

oh look, a live footage of me reading this:

speaks for itself methinks

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

MY THOUGHTS ON CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them released almost exactly two years ago?????? (let that sink in)

There’s like, no way in hell that was two years ago. It seems soooo close by, I was soooo excited. When it all got over, I wanted MORE (caps).

Fast forward two years, a blog, and a change of glasses later, I watched The Crimes of Grindelwald yesterday. Though I can’t say that I walked in with the same enthusiasm as 12 year old Shreya (ahem, ahem, with all the screw ups of JKR and what not which i’ll talk about later on this post).

But I did feel like jumping out of my seat when Back To Hogwarts played in the start and all of a sudden, it was 2016. Life was good. (a feeling which lasted a total of two seconds). Despite JKR slowly losing the fandom’s respect this past year, deep down I had some expectations (it’s the harry potter bitches).

The start had some slightly draggy action. After thaaat. A lot of things messed with me. I don’t understand, they were sooo freakin’ good with the last movie. It was fun to watch. This one dragged on and on and hellishly on, and it could’ve been avoided.

OKAY NOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW THEY COMPLETELY SABOTAGED QUEENIE????

Maybe it could have been a good character arc but it was wayy too fast in the movie. Speaking of characters, ALWAYS LOVE SMOL BEAN NEWT. There was no major role for Tina, and Jacob just felt like a side character. But I STAN LETA ALL THE WAY. *cheers*

I was soo worried about how offensive Nagini would turn out to be but … she’s just there as a supportive viper to Credence (who needs a hug). Idk how to feel about Nagini.

And we don’t see much of Grindelwald either.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

OKAT BUT THE FSCKING PLOT HOLES IN THIS MOVIE.

what is minerva doing in 1927????? when she was born in 1935 1935 1935?????? like was she a cameo that someone thought nobody would notice????? i mean, just google it rn and check her birth date if you don’t believe me.

why is dumbledore teaching dada when it’s,,,,, idk canonically established that he taught transfiguration???? i have no clue. either the director forgot or jkr is turning this series into another cursed child.

and i’m pretty sure grindelwald is lying about credence’s identity. there’s no way in hell he can be a dumbledore as kendra died in 1899 not on the fucking titanic. and dumbledore definitely isn’t his father given his orientation and timeline. so jkr is either using this as a red herring, or she’s blowing up her amazing original series’ layout.

SPOILERS END SPOILERS END SPOILERS END

Now. Talking about the rep. I’d like to explore my feelings about this more in another post but I will be brief here. I’ve been very patient with JKR but my patience and respect is slowly slipping. I am *very* upset they didn’t explore the relationship of Dumbledore and Grindelwald when she very clearly said that Dumbledore was in love with him. And the naming of Nagini didn’t feel right, but now idk what to feel. I still hope Albus-Gellert will be a thing in the next movie(s).

It’s not that I didn’t like it. Bit too long for my taste? Yeah. But some pieces of acting were awesome, and I LOVED seeing Hogwarts again. This is the darkest movie in the entire series, and rapidly shifting to an even darker place.

But will the storyline keep up with all of this or will it sink? Whatever happens, and whatever potential screw ups JKR might or might not do, Hogwarts will always be there, to welcome us home.

BOOKS READ IN OCTOBER + WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN????

Yoooo, folks! Guess who’s back from her month-long hiatus?

I was in Albania, creating Horcruxes and I became besties with this ginormous snake who is willing to be a vessel for my soul. Kidding. (not?? you never know, i might be voldemort in disguise)

Also, happy birthday to one of my favourite book bloggers, the AMAZING Shruti!!

(check out her blog pls why are you even reading my trash)

The last post I made was back in September, and it’s almost October.  I knowww I’m terrible, I can’t help it 🙂 But, surprisingly, I did a decent amount of reading during my blogging hiatus.

So, here’s what I read while I was gone:

average reads:

The Girl Before by JP Delaney

I got this in my brief vacation to my grandparents’ place, it was okay. Slow to kick up and a bit confusing and fast.

 

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Not my favourite Gillian Flynn novel.

non-fiction:

One final book by the great genius . . .  Gives understandable and intriguing answers to the big questions, so you’ll enjoy it even if you ain’t a cosmology buff.

 

Quiet by Susan Cain

I cried actual tears while reading this, it was so relatable. It’s not often you come across something that gives you pride on being an introvert (the world gives us enough shit as it is for being quiet).

highlight reads:

Before I Sleep by SJ Watson

Ummmm unexpected and amazing right from the start!!!! (even if you don’t like this genre you should read this)

 

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins

The weirdest book I’ve read. It’s soooooo unique! Much better than The Girl On The Train. (and no, unfortunately i don’t have the beyond gorgeous edition above)

 

The Woman In The Window by AJ Finn

Awesomeeeee!!!!!!!! I!!!!!!!! Loved!!!!!! It!!!!!!!!! (i have an affinity for thrillers with sociopathic villains i guess? lol)

~.~

As for me, I’ve had an okay month. The exams got over in September end, I went to my grandparents’ place, I’m watching Riverdale season 3. I might have reconciled with my old friends. I became best friends with the most unexpected person (a cool it girl. it was mostly her adopting me and not leaving until i accepted i’m stuck with her for good)

The parent-teacher meeting is on Friday, if I make it alive you’ll hear from me again, folks.

. . . Till then, watch out for them trolls in the dungeons. You never know where they’re lurking.