Drama-Lovers Book Club

 Skyesinger:

That's the book the 2019 drama is based on?

And is Secrets of the Three Kingdoms a sequel to Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

The 2019 drama should be based on the book.  

Secrets of the Three Kingdoms isn't a sequel.  It is a separate story where the emperor has a secret twin and the twin replaces the emperor and takes his place.  At least that's what I think.

I'm not too positive about the real story of the Three Kingdoms.  I've only watched K.O. 3an Guo which is a parody of Three Kingdoms.

 Vya van Velaris:

SVSS is indeed funny, although the last part is quite... dubious. 

Have you seen the donghua (anime)? It's available on WeTV (title is Scumbag System).

Not yet.. i'm a no spoiler team so i prefer to finish the book before watching the donghua. Is it any good? Welp then i better be prepared for the dubious part..

 Skyesinger:

@oche If you want to read another fun story, try "How to Survive as a Villain". But I guess I sent you the link to that in my recommendations mail. XD

Unfortunately, that one "dubious" scene at the end of SVSS is used more often in novelland than one might think. Sometimes that's the way how the bottom starts liking the top... weird. 

The donghua has only one season so far and stops at the... uhm... congregation? convention? before the cliff scene. No idea when the next season will be aired. Until then, you can watch Mo Dao Zu Shi or Thousand Autumns donghua. ;)  (though reading the actual novels is still the best)

Noted! Yup it's already on my plan to read (though don't know when it will be executed hehe)

The book finally arrived, so now I am reading this one (A Journey to Meet Love) and My Mowgli Boy at the same time.  Now that I'm reading the book, it makes me want to rewatch the drama at the same time.

Reading Update - June

Finally after 2 months, I've finished my selection for April.  Robert Kuok, A Memoir isn't hard to read per se, but this very intimate account of a cultural icon contained many details set in the expansive time span (circa 1930s to the present day) that I couldn't help but do additional bits of research into details of key characters and memorable events mentioned.  It's as much a compelling read as it is a historical refresher, personally for me.  And what a colourful history indeed, amidst the backdrop of tragedy and the horrors of war, with many lessons to be learned on persevering through adversity to find your place in the world and achieving inner peace.

For the coming month, I've decided to revisit the time period of the 1940s, at the onset of WW2 when the country was still under British colonial rule.  Part mystery and part historical fiction, The Harmony Silk Factory is Tash Aw's first novel. 

I read two books in May:

Faro's Daughter was okay. Since I've finished The Grand Sophy only recently, I couldn't help comparing the two constantly, and Faro's Daughter fell short. The main female character basically grows up in a gambling house, and she has witnessed people being irresponsible (and maybe duplicitous?) all through her life, but she's not as sharp as I expected her to be, given her background? And the main male character is one of those rich guys that are vaguely bored all the time; there have been other Heyer heroes of the same ilk that are more compelling.

A True Novel is a very loose retelling of Wuthering Heights, but despite similar plot elements, it very much stands on its own. I enjoyed is so much I felt bereft when it's over. What I loved about the book is how it shows the way Japan (and the Japanese) changed through the 20th century, and how that change brought upon a sense of loss--not because it was better "back in the day" (although some characters do feel that way), but simply because there's this feeling of helplessness when you realize that things would never stay the same and there's nothing you (read: the characters) could do about it.

Checking in for end of May ...

I've been actively reading from 10 books (^^) during May (no judgements :P) and I completed the following:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - He rose from humble beginnings to accomplish so much and serve so many; I'm impressed with the diligence he applied to improving his life and serving society in general. I wish he had the time to relate the events of the last 20 years of his life. (4/5)

The Journal of John Woolman - John Woolman was a 1700s itinerant Quaker preacher and abolitionist. Though his main occupation was as a tailor, he went around preaching and encouraging his fellow Quakers to cease from owning slaves. He was also concerned with the plight of the native Indians. History, spirituality, and gentle activism, all wrapped in one. (4.5/5)

Some Fruits of Solitude (William Penn) - This one is from another Quaker and is simply a collection of pithy reflections on moral issues; good but can be a slog if read in one go. I really liked his use of metaphors. (3/5)

Drucker & Me (Bob Buford) - I got a few Drucker insights but this is mostly a book about hero worship and how the author implemented some of what he learned from Peter Drucker; in other words, not much about the main man himself, which was the whole reason I initially got this book. (3/5)

The first three books are from volume 1 of the Harvard Classics 51-volume set. I'm committing to reading this collection, which at 15 minutes a day, may take me up to 4 years; most likely less, because I've read some of the books in there already and may not care to reread them.

I'm in varying degrees of progress with the other books and I'll continue with them for June. Drucker and Me is a print book and was my just-before-sleep book; I'm replacing it with books from the Penguin Little Black Classics set; there are 80 books in the set and I'm on the second volume. They're really tiny books so the project is not as daunting as it may sound. 

Happy reading for June! :-)

 Skyesinger:

Please keep me updated on your opinion about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I found it a very difficult read (though I love Jane Austen time-y settings) and put it down after a few chapters. It was simply too dry and longwinded... :(

That's exactly the reason why I haven't finished it yet XD It's super slow and I'm not really sure what kind of story it wants to tell, but it's a recommendation from a friend whose taste is quite similar to mine, so, having faith in her, I'm still reading it. I'll keep you updated, hope it won't fall in the "dropped" list :)