Weekly Haul 126

I backed Mouse Book's new subscription on Kickstarter and got a free book for being one of the first 250 who backed it!

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

New Anime and Movies This Summer That I'm Excited For!

Okay, why did no one tell me that they were making a sequel to Train to Busan called Peninsula??? I'm excited to watch it whenever subs come out lol.

There's not a lot of movies or anime released this summer because of Covid, but that's fine by me since I can catch up with all of the previous seasons' anime and movies. :)

Anime: 

• Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld 2nd Season
• Fire Force Season 2
• Koi to Producer: EVOL×LOVE

Movies:

• Peninsula (Aug 7)
• Mulan (Aug 21)
• The New Mutants (Aug 28)
• Monster Hunter (Sept 4)

Webnovel Review: I Have Amnesia, Don't Be Noisy! by Lu Ye Qian He

Title: I Have Amnesia, Don't Be Noisy

Author: Lu Ye Qian He

Chapters: 119 chapters + 5 extras

Publication: 2016
Summary from Novel Updates:

When Chu Qin found his amnesiac lover, the fake fiancee his lover’s family had arranged for was with him.

Fake fiancée: I’m the person you love the most.

Zhong Yibin: ……Liar, the person I love is obviously Chu Qin.

Fake fiancée: Didn’t you lose your memory?

Zhong Yibin: F***! I still remember Chu Qin!

Chu Qin: “……”

Except for you, I forgot the entire world…..

Never forget Chu Qin.

4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW:

Er Bing Bing (a cute/funny nickname for Zhong Yibin) really stole the show. He's just so adorable when he's with the MC, especially when you compare his interactions with his family and friends.

Most romance books are about two people getting together and the trial and tribulations they go through to get there. What made this book stand out was that they already dated for over five years, so even though Er Bing lost his memories, they still act playful and banter all of the time. It's an affectionate relationship that stems from their trust in each other. 

Also, the author's notes at the end of every chapter are also entertaining! They're usually about Er Bing being ridiculous lol.

One of the most interesting parts is learning about how Er Bing acted before he lost his memory and seeing how it's changed now that he doesn't have other worries holding him back. This changes his dynamics with everyone, not just with Chu Qin.

Being a variety show host is not a common profession, so I really enjoyed reading all of those hosting parts because they were so entertaining. Talk about all of the lowkey flirting Er Bing kept on doing with the Chu Qin on a live set! The live audience and I loved it!

As a couple with high positions in their industry, Chu Qin and Er Bing, there's a lot of people who want to oppress and oppose them, so there's a lot of well deserved face slapping in here. I like how Chu Qin and Er Bing trust and rely on each other to help solve their problems together. And their interactions after one of them solves a problem for the other is pretty cute and hilarious when they roleplay different scenarios lol. 

Part of the reason why I decided to read this book is because I found out that it is part of the same universe as Stop Bothering Me, Emperor, which I read earlier this year and enjoyed. The main characters and a lot of side characters from Stop Bothering Me, Emperor appear in this book quite a bit, so if you like either books, I recommend reading both books!

Mini Reviews: Don't You Like Me, The Film Emperor's Daily Live Cooking Broadcast, The Most Majestic You

Title: Don't You Like Me

Author: Lu Tianyi

Chapters: 66 chapters + 32 extras

Publication: 2017
Summary from Novel Updates:

Short, rich, and handsome, Lin Feiran was always the center of attention. But after transferring schools in his second year of high school, he discovered that his limelight was snatched by his Adonis classmate, Gu Kaifeng.

Lin Feiran was very resentful, and he and Gu Kaifeng became archnemesis (one-sidedly). Although the two lived together, they were like strangers.

When Lin Feiran went back home to attend his grandfather’s funeral, he accidentally inherited the Yin-Yang eyes that had been passed down from generation to generation. After gaining the ability to see ghosts, the timid Lin Feiran discovered that his two-person dormitory was actually a sixteen-person (ghost) room. Every day, he was scared to the point of collapsing.

The more aggravating thing is that because of Gu Kaifeng’s innate body constitution, he possessed an abundant amount of Yang energy. Lin Feiran found out that whenever he touched Gu Kaifeng, Gu Kaifeng’s Yang energy could temporarily disable his Yin-Yang eyes. A light touch would disable it for five minutes, a kiss for an hour, and so on…

Lin Feiran had no choice but to throw himself into his archnemesis’s embrace. This complete reversal in attitude to being intimate with Gu Kaifeng persisted every day from morning till night.

When sleeping, he must squeeze in the same bed as Gu Kaifeng. Going to the toilet? He must drag Gu Kaifeng with him. Homework? It must be done hand-in-hand with Gu Kaifeng… He also had to try his best to persuade the teacher to make him Gu Kaifeng’s deskmate. Every day in class, he would rub Gu Kaifeng’s calf with his foot beneath the desks…

Following the clingy little bastard’s sudden change in personality, the initially shocked Gu Kaifeng gradually became smitten. Every day he would chase Lin Feiran to flirt with him, make crazy confessions, and even routinely push him against the wall and kiss him…

Gu Kaifeng: “Don’t you like me? I like you, so let’s be together.”

Lin Feiran: “I don’t like you! Don’t come over!”

Gu Kaifeng: “……”

Five minutes later, to avoid seeing ghosts, Lin Feiran sneakily came to touch Gu Kaifeng.

Gu Kaifeng turned around, stopping his hand: “After you just rejected me, you come back to flirt with me!?”

Lin Feiran: “Who’s flirting with you! I was careless and touched you; don’t imagine that I like you back.”

Oh, that’s it.

4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW:

This was a hilarious enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy with a supernatural twist!

Basically, Lin Feiran has a one-sided rivalry with his limelight stealing roommate, Gu Kaifeng. This is because Lin Feiran was used to being the popular one at school, but Gu Kaifeng is just too outstanding that he completely overshadows him. Add in some misunderstandings and goading, the two don't have a good relationship.

Then, things change after Lin Feiran's grandpa passes away and he starts seeing ghosts. Unfortunately, he grew up hearing his grandpa's ghost stories and has been afraid of ghosts ever since. Obviously, this new revelation terrifies him! 

He soon realizes that touching his roommate makes the ghosts disappear for a while. This leads to multiple hilarious scenarios where he thinks he touches Gu Kaifeng on the sly but doesn't really lmao. Meanwhile, Gu Kaifeng initially pities Lin Feiran and thinks that his sudden change of heart is nice since he didn't even want to be rivals in the first place. However, Lin Feiran's actions keep on increasing, so Gu Kaifeng thinks he's flirting with him, and a bunch more hilarious scenes occur. It's great lol.

The characters' interactions were the best part. I loved reading all of the crazy ways Lin Feiran came up with to touch Gu Kaifeng and all of the misunderstandings that occurred because of it. Even with all of that, Gu Kaifeng was very caring and doting and hilarious with Lin Feiran.

The ghost interactions were also really nice. From the party in the dorm room to the other sadder stories, they added depth to the story, especially after they got together.

Overall, a funny, sweet romantic supernatural story!

Side note: I just found out that the author was actually sentenced to 10 years in prison for writing BL novels. That's awful! I've read a lot of her other novels and short stories and really liked them, too. I hope she gets released soon. 

Title: The Film Emperor’s Daily Live Cooking Broadcast

Author: Zui Ran Qing Ge

Chapters: 123 chapters + 2 extras

Publication: 2017
Summary from Novel Updates:

On the Star Network there is a gourmet food broadcast, where all you can see are a pair of hands. However each dish that this broadcast comes out with is earthshakingly delicious. What’s more, the broadcast anchor’s voice is simply perfect!

With the broadcast’s rising popularity, several food programs extended him an olive branch. When the anchor appeared on screen, as they suspected, he is handsome enough to incur the wrath of both men and gods! The fans licked their screens with increasing frenzy, but after licking a while, they discovered…

Fans:…Wait a minute, isn’t this our fatally-ill idol who hasn’t long to live?

Small Gong: Take these damned nutrient solutions and throw them away! And get me that broadcast anchor!

3 STARS - I LIKED IT

MY REVIEW:

This book made me hungry! 

Half of the book is about him cooking and impressing his audience because this is light years in the future in another galaxy where Earth materials are prehistoric and would be nonexistent if not for the country's reverse-engineering and recreating plants and animals again. At first, I liked reading all the different ways he cooked his meals. The translations usually added pictures so you could see how tasty they were! However, after a while, it got repetitive because a lot of the recipes had the same directions, especially in the beginning, which I understood because he had a limited amount of ingredients to work with. Nonetheless, I think I started speed reading the cooking scenes during the second half of the book. 

But things start looking up because there's a war brewing in the second half of the book, and cooking actually helps them! Lol things I did not expect when I read the summary.

This was more of a slow burn romance, especially since the main guy was more focused on making food and helping getting more Earth ingredients back on the market. Either way, it was cute and sweet, since they both always supported each other and helped each other whenever they could. 

If you like Chinese food, this novel is for you. If you don't like reading at least one cooking recipe per chapter, this is probably not for you.

Title: The Most Majestic You

Author: Sui Wei

Chapters: 42 chapters + epilogue

Publication: 2016
Summary from Novel Updates:

Ye Qianxi, a five-star girl from a great family with looks, education, and personality, is a favorite (type of girl) among elders.

She thought that the rest of her life had all been planned out for her; stable yet boring.

However, he tells her of another world —— Ye Qianxi, come with me.

From then on, whenever she sees magnificent fireworks, fireflies, lights, or the Milky Way; she will be reminded of him.

3 STARS - I LIKED IT

MY REVIEWS:

Ye Qianxi really sold this book for me. She's down to earth, silly, decisive, and capable. She's confident, but she also has times when she doubts herself. All-in-all, she's relatable. And her friendship with the team and eventual romance with the leader was super hilarious and sweet.

The funniest part is that the team and everyone else ships them together long before they get together. The whole found family aspect was sweet since Ye Qianxi doesn't have the best relationship with her parents.

Also, this is about esports again lol. The book is a good balance of emotional drama and esports, which might appeal to more readers.

Overall, a good romance novel to read when you wanted something lighthearted and sweet!

MAY: Fourth Roommate, Mother's Day, Hangout, Visit the Parents, Surprise Visits, Hospital Drive, Dentist Appt

May was pretty eventful. 

It started off when got a fourth roommate for a week. Archana has been living in her apartment alone for the past couple months because of quarantine. Then, she was outside on her balcony and heard gunshots and found out that there was a drive-by shooting near her apartment's parking lot, which is directly below her balcony. Needless to say, we all thought she needed a change of pace and kidnapped her to spend some time at our house. 

She was a very nice roommate lol. She made masala chai for us every morning, helped food prep, cooked us dinner, and provided great company. She also forced me to go outside more, which I needed lol. 

That weekend, we went to the Asian grocery store to pick up some food for our parents, dropped Archana off at home, and drove down to visit the parents for Mother's Day. Mom wanted to eat clams, so Shelle bought a bag of 100 clams since they were so cheap. That weekend, we ate so much it was insane. 

The next Wednesday, we spontaneously made plans to hangout at Erin's place and see her apartment and new kitten since we missed seeing everyone. The ironic part is that Erin's a huge introvert, and we usually have to drag her kicking and screaming to hangout with us outside of work. Now that we're 4+ months into quarantine, she's the one who keeps telling us that she misses us and wants to hangout in the group chat lol.

We went over, played with her kitten (super cute!), checked out the new place, and ate way too much food. We also got heated playing Overcooked lmao. Overall, a great night, especially since Archana made masala chai for us near the end! Lol she was so funny. She wore a fancy dress because she said her pants were too tight for her now lmaoo.

The next day, we went down to visit the parents again. Shelle and I had a couple of things to give to Meethu and Jackie, so we did a surprise visit that Saturday and hungout with them for a bit. It was nice chatting with them even though we stayed in the heat outside and six feet away because Meethu's pregnant lol.

I drove down separately because I planned on staying until Wednesday since I needed to drive mom to the hospital for a routine checkup far away. Her appointment was at 9am, but she needed to check-in 30 minutes early. However, because the hospital was two hours away, and because mom likes being super early, we left the house around 5am. It was way too early to be up. It was completely dark. Then, her check-up only took around 30 minutes! We were expecting more exams! I basically drove around six hours that day because I drove back home to Woodstock after I took a nap and had early dinner with mom. It was an exhausting day.

Surprisingly, a few weeks ago, my dentist's office called to see if I wanted to reschedule my cleaning since it was cancelled a month ago when the office was closed because of quarantine. I said sure, so I had a quick appointment over there. Glad to know that even though I've been eating a bunch of candy during quarantine, it hasn't given me any cavaties lol.

But yeah, I think that's it. I mainly spent my time in May reading a bunch of Chinese web novels as shown in my May in Retrospect post lol.

Webnovel Review: I Just Want to Be in a Relationship by Lian Shuo

Title: I Just Want to Be in a Relationship 

Author: Lian Shuo

Chapters: 96 chapters + 6 extras
Publication: 2017

Summary from Novel Updates: 

In the last life, Movie Emperor Yu listened to the company and listened to his manager in order not to expose his sexual orientation. Until his death, he never had a relationship.

Yu Qing Huan didn’t want to be a money making machine in his current life. He wanted to travel to the best place, see the best scenery, eat the best food and then find the best man to live a happy life together.

Hou Qu is a genius savant who can easily learn chemical formulas just by glancing at them. One day, he gets lost in the busy streets and Yu Qing Huan helps him.

Little does Yu Qing Huan know that his wish to stay out of the limelight may not ever be granted as he had unknowingly been locked on by a hungry wolf hidden in the shadows because of his single act of kindness…

4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

This book is just so soft and fluffy. Like, if you had a bad day and needed something sweet to cheer you up, I highly recommend this book.

Yu Qing Huan reincarnates after he dies trying to save someone, so he decides to live his life differently the second time around. Because he was a huge film emperor in his last life, he wasn't able to come out and start a relationship, so this time around he doesn't want to be a big actor and instead focus on finding a partner!

Then he meets Hou Qu and helps him get home, thinking that Hou Qu is mentally challenged and lost. Little does he know that Hou Qu is actually a science savant who doesn't know how to do most menial tasks. 

What happens next is a series of interactions that makes them go from strangers to friends to lovers. It's so wholesome and cute and heartwarming. Hou Qu hardly even interacts with his family, let alone strangers, so all of his interactions with Yu Qing Huan are so naive and sweet. He's always trying to listen to Qing Huan's words and but also slowly comes out of his shell to understand others and how to communicate. Meanwhile, Qing Huan originally is his friend and likes spending time with Hou Qu because he's so nice and interesting, before realizing his feelings and trying to make them go away because he doesn't want to dirty Hou Qu with his feelings. It's just so sad but sweet!

Because he's an actor and because Hou Qu is famous in the science community for being so young but with so many achievements, you see how their interactions are viewed from social media, which is also hilarious. 

The extra was also so sad but heartwarming and puts a whole different spin on the story!

If you must die of diabetes, let it be by this book. That's all I'm saying lol.

Books I Want to Read This Month

I didn't read any physical books again this month because I was too preoccupied with Chinese webnovels again... I'll try to do better this month lol.

1. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
2. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
3. Beastlands vol. 1 by Curtis Clow & Jo Mi-Gyeong
4. Beastlands vol. 2 by Curtis Clow & Jo Mi-Gyeong
5. Someone Else to Love by Susan Polis Shutz
6. The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One by Amanda Lovelace
7. The Bride was a Boy by Chii
8. The Witch Doesn't Burn in This One by Amanda Lovelace
9. The Rain in Portugal by Billy Collins
10. Uncaged Wildflower by Jennae Cecilia
11. The Anatomy of Being by Shinji Moon
12. beyond rock bottom. by Kara Petrovic
13. Love Looks Pretty on You by Lang Leav
14. Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
15. The Consumption of Magic by T.J. Klune

June in Retrospect

I didn't watch many shows this month, but it's probably because I spent most of my time reading lol.

I read: 

• I Heard That My Fiance is Super Fierce by Shanyou Guaxi
• He's Not My Shadow Guard, He's My Lover by Luo Gu
• Refined Sunflower and the Little Priest by Lu Tianyi
• This Way of Transmigration is Definitely Wrong! by 水冰冷
• The Transmigration Routine of Always Being Captured by ML by 云浮日
• My Husband with Scholar Syndrome by Grumpy Crab
• The Day We Conquered the Dragon Castle by Lu Tianyi
• The CEO’s Villainess Childhood Friend by Zhuge Jin
• Same Place Not Same Bed by Sugar
• Loving You is Too Difficult by Sugar
• Please Continue Protecting Me by An Zhi Ruo Mian
• Delicate Mother of a Villain by 富十二
• Everyday, Boss Is Pretending To Be Weak by Yu Zhi Ji
• A Flower on the Back of His Head by Xi Zixu
• A Beta Has Dreams Too by Fan Sha
• God Level Summoner by Die Zhiling
• My Underachieving Seatmate Doesn’t Need Any Comforting by Long Qi
• A Sloth and a Tree Spirit by Lu Tianyi

I watched: 

• 2Gether: The Series (2020)
• I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense (2020)