5 TV Shows I've Been Obsessing Over In The Past Few Months

9.13.2020

I'm gonna be real with you in this post. For a self-claimed huge book-lover, I watch TV shows more than I read every year. And I really want to say that I watch a lot of educational, beneficial or at least TV shows with meaningful contents but to be honest, my yearly watchlist mainly consists of comedy, teenage dramas, another bunch of comedies, sitcoms and an annual rewatch of Friends. I keep adding TV shows to my Netflix list but to be honest, I'm probably never gonna watch those until I run out of sitcoms to watch and rewatch. And as shown in my TV Time profile I'm ashamed to say that these past few months hadn't been different. Below is the list of my favourites among all the TV shows I have been shamelessly binge-watching:


New Girl

If Friends was my sitcom of the year in 2018, followed with How I Met Your Mother in 2019, New Girl is undoubtedly my sitcom of the year for 2020. AND I never thought there would ever be a day where I said this, but THIS SHOW IS OFFICIALLY MY FAVOURITE SITCOM OF ALL TIME, BEATING FRIENDS.


This show was so much better than Friends in many different ways and although there are some repeated tropes, this show was mostly original or at least in my history of TV, it is. The characters were the most relatable characters I've ever watched in my history of TV and I love all of them with my whole heart. 


Character developments? CHECK. Plot development? CHECK. Originality? CHECK. And one of the things that I really love is that there was no laughing soundtrack so I knew whenever I laugh, it's because I genuinely thought that it is funny lol.




It's Okay to Not be Okay

This show was all the hype in June/July and it deserves all the hype it gets. I cried watching this show countless times. This was one of my anticipated 2020 TV shows and usually, I have the highest expectations for the things I really anticipate. This show, though, didn't just pass my expectation, it was more than what I expected. I love how different it was; mental illness was one of the main themes, with mystery and such a beautiful romance being its other themes. The characters went through such a huge mental growth and by the time the show ended, I couldn't believe how much the characters have grown. And we have all the actors to thank for that!

Dr Romantic, Teacher Kim

This was also a very hyped k-drama a few months back and I agree, it was a very good k-drama. I haven't finished the second season yet but I can say with full confidence that this show will make it into my top 10 TV of the year. I JUST LOVE A GOOD MEDICAL TV SHOW!


I love seeing how dedicated those doctors to their job and oath and seeing them battling with themselves for what's wrong and what's right, although frustrating, was also exciting. It kinda makes me want to be a doctor but I know myself well enough to know that I would not survive even the first year of medical study lol.



Haunting of Hill House

I actually watched this one back in May but I never talked about it besides in my anticipated upcoming TV shows post and I think that it's WAY TOO GOOD TO NOT BE TALKED ABOUT. WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS TV SHOW? Or was I not on the internet when it was hyped up? I rarely see this show come up on Twitter, Instagram and even among my friends!


I'm not a horror fan but this TV show made me into one. I literally binge-watched this in the span of a day when I was also busy baking eid cookies. It's still a wonder to me how did I finish the whole series with full focus when I was baking biscuits or that none of the biscuits I baked that day was burnt lol.


This show was not just horror, it was horror, mystery and family drama combined and although it sounds very average horror TV show, the combination of the three was so good. The horror depended a lot more on the storyline than just jump scares. I can't wait to watch the second season!



A Piece of Your Mind


I initially started to watch this because of the main actors, Chae Soo-bin whose dramas I watched before and adore so much and Jung Hae-in which I adore mainly because he's cute and the exact physical depiction of my type. 


Once I started watching it, though, I couldn't shut up about it in my Whatsapp status (rip my mutual contacts) because it was just so gosh darn good.



It was about traumas, relationships and how all those relationships helped them to grow and find ways to heal. I highly appreciate the mental illness representations in this one (can we talk about how amazing it is that there are more and more mental illness representations in k-dramas these days), especially because I watch it during my mental health was in an all-time low.


honourable mentions: when the devil calls your name, the umbrella academy s2

still watching: that '70s show, family reunion, peaky blinders, glee


Do you have any TV show that surprises you in a good way in the past few months?

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3 months long hiatus reading update

9.05.2020

My first catch-up post would, of course, be my reading update. With the number of bookish posts I posted for the last few months, I may as well turn my lifestyle blog into a book blog. Nah I'm not gonna have a fixed niche, that would be too much pressure on my lol. It was an undoubtedly three slow reading months because of all the assignments and exams and classes we needed to cover but I managed to read 7 books, which are better than zero! I also managed to complete my Goodreads reading challenge (40 books this year) which is an accomplishment I look forward to each year. I actually thought of increasing my reading challenge to 50 books but since my semester starting again in October, I want to read books with no pressure at all with this one remaining month.

the 7 books I managed to finish during my hiatus:

My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadow
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Remarks: After my medium feeling about My Plain Jane, I didn't have a high expectation for this one. In fact, I accepted the fact that My Lady Jane would be my favourite book out of the three because I know that the era that My Lady Jane sets in is my favourite era. So, the fact that I liked My Calamity Jane was actually surprising to me and I'm delighted that it surprised me!


The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Remarks: Just like her previous book, this book was unapologetically Malaysian and it was really nice to see a Malaysian representation in Middle-Grade. It is a story about a girl who's only friend was a pelesit (a kind of ghost in Malay mythology) that she inherited from her witch grandmother and made a haunting read that gave me chills the whole time I was reading it. Accompanied by the author's beautiful writing and friendship as the main theme, this was a very heartwarming read for me. If you're interested in knowing more, here's my review of this book.


The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐|⭐⭐⭐⭐|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Remarks: If last year was my Cassandra Clare year in terms of my bookish year, this year is definitely Rick Riordan's. After finishing Percy Jackson & the Olympian and Heroes of Olympus series, I just couldn't get enough of his stories in my system. I tried starting Trials of Apollo but I was tired of reading about Greek Mythology (watching Greek gods screw up, again and again, does get tiring after ten books) so I opted for The Kane Chronicles and guys, it was a very enjoyable read. I grow up reading stories of pharaohs so it was really interesting to see how Riordan make those stories his own.


A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Remarks: I was trying to diversify my read and this was the first book that came up in my recs and so without reading the synopsis and just looking at the author's name, I decided to read this book. IT WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. It was about a woman who sought validation through intimate relationships and the premise seemed very promising at first. I wanted to see how her character grows past that and to be honest, the ending didn't achieve what I wanted to see. It felt like the author had so many messages to include in this book but couldn't express everything she wanted with words (?). 

Something to Howl About by Christina Warren
My rating: ⭐⭐
Remarks: I was sent a digital review copy by the publisher a few years ago and I wasn't planning to read this book ever because I read the first one and the story wasn't for me. I love the world, I mean come on, multiple types of shapeshifters living in a town? That is an amazing idea. However, the story focused too much on the romance and the romance was so physical and too much alpha male-ish which isn't the type of romance that I like. I only read this one because I'm planning to finish all the eARCs I ever got lol.
books I'm currently reading:

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
Progress (by September 1st 2020): 39%
Remarks: I'll be honest, I was expecting something The Book Thief-ish when I bought this book. Everyone kept saying that this book is disappointing but I'm stubborn and was curious to see what I think about this book. The first few 100 pages were boring, I admit. It gets better when you get to page 150 or so, at least for me it did. Penelope Dunbar's chapters were definitely my favourite, seeing those are the one with historical fiction elements.

Gantung by Nadia Khan
Progress (by September 1st 2020): 26%
Remarks: I seriously need to finish this book, I believe the last time I continued reading this was in May. I keep putting off to continue my read because the ghosts are creepy and I'm a chicken. This book was a real hype during my secondary school years and it deserves all the hype it gets. Even 26% in, I can see why everyone says it's good. It's so different compared to all other Malay books I read.


The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Progress (by September 1st 2020): 30%
Remarks: It's so fun seeing Apollo panicking because he's a mortal (maybe) now. Greek gods are annoying and it's nice to see one of them in a vulnerable state. I would love to see Zeus cursed into being a mortal or something because he's the most annoying but seeing Apollo that way is good enough.


The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Progress (by September 1st 2020): 66%
Remarks: By the time this post is up on the blog, I'm most probably going to be finished with this book already. It's nice to reread and see all the Easter eggs that are so obvious but I missed before and most of all, it's really nice to see the characters that I love so much after so long. I'm rereading this before continuing with Call Down the Hawk because I feel obligated to do so hahaha but I'm actually really invested with the story because I forgot like 30% of the story already.



reading plan for September:

○Finish a few more ARCs. I won't specify which books I want to because every time I list my TBR, I ended up reading the book like 2 years later due to my unknown internal issue. 

○Finish rereading The Raven Cycle and start reading Call Down the Hawk.

○Finish all the books in my currently reading list on Goodreads.

○Get to 50 books (?).


How about you guys? Do you mind sharing your reading plan or TBR for September?
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The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf | eARC Review

9.04.2020

BLURB: I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother’s legacy. I am yours to command.

Suraya is delighted when her witch grandmother gifts her a pelesit. She names her ghostly companion Pink, and the two quickly become inseparable.

But Suraya doesn’t know that pelesits have a dark side—and when Pink’s shadows threaten to consume them both, they must find enough light to survive . . . before they are both lost to the darkness (Goodreads).
I am a dark spirit, the ghost announced grandly. I am your inheritance, your grandmother’s legacy. I am yours to command.
Title: The Girl and the Ghost
Author: Hanna Alkaf
Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal, Horror
Goodreads rating: 4.38
Pages: 288
Publication: August 4th 2020 by HarperCollins
Source: Edelweiss
Reading Format: Kindle
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Get this book at: Book Depository | Amazon | Kinokuniya | mphonline | Google Books
Review type: Non-spoilery
review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy 1 Month to this book! Thank you to Hanna Alkaf and Edelweiss for sending me a digital review copy. I actually pre-ordered the paperback version from Book Depository but it usually takes a month or more for the parcel to arrive at my address and I was really anticipating this book so when the author opened a Google Form for eARC request, I couldn't help but submit a request. I got the digital copy about 4 days after my request but due to the exams and assignments that were piled up that day, I decided to delay my read. Besides, I wanted to be able to focus on this book and this book only when I read it because I knew it would be a very enjoyable read.

With that said, The Girl and the Ghost were more than just an enjoyable read. THAT ENDING THAT ENDING THAT ENDING. Was I the only person who didn't anticipate that ending? Am I that oblivious? Well if I am, thank God I'm oblivious because that ending was very impactful for me. The heartbreak, the bittersweet feeling; you would never think a middle-grade book could affect you that way. This would've been my favourite book if I read it as a child.

As a Malaysian myself, I had no trouble imagining Suraya's world. In fact, the story sounded too real for me that it literally crept me up. I had chills the whole time I was reading it. I kept thinking about all those Malay horror movies I watched before. At first, I thought that the theme of this book was too dark for a child to read but then I think about how the first Harry Potter book was just as dark and if that was okay then this book would be more than okay for middle-grade children to read. Worry not, it wasn't dark for like the whole book, it wasn't scary the whole time, there were some funny moments, warm moments, sad moments. It would be quite monotonous if it's just scary the whole time. This story was full of life despite its dark theme, very engaging and I couldn't take my eyes off my screen. 


With friendship being the key theme of this book, it brings the reader along through a journey of friendship between Suraya and Pink, a pelesit that Suraya inherited from her grandmother. Pink was Suraya's only friend since she was 5 and everything went okay between them until one day when Suraya befriend Jing Wei. Pink was not her only friend anymore and that sparked a fit of jealousy, which significantly affected their friendship. This book shows love, jealousy and forgiveness between two friends. I was also obsessed with Suraya and Jing Wei's friendship. I love how pure their friendship was, I love how they not just tolerated but also believed each others' stories and went through great lengths to support each other.
But when she looked back on the moment she met Jing Wei, she would say that, much like the little boy made of wood, this was the moment that she felt like she became real.
With only 288 pages, I got a lot of important messages from this book. It's magical that a book this short can contain a story with a fantastic plot, characters with great character development and also such important messages. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. Although my review is way past the due date, it can't be said how thankful I am that I was given the chance to have an eARC of this book.

Recommended for people who love: Malay mythology/superstition, a girl who's a friend with ghost, horror stories, a beautiful friendship
about the author
Ever since graduating with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University, Hanna Alkaf has worked as a copywriter in online B2B marketing, a senior writer at a major fashion & lifestyle magazine, and a communications manager at a non-profit organization in education. She’s written everything from profiles to press releases, from corporate annual reports to long-form investigative features, from social media posts to email newsletters, and her work has appeared in the Malaysian iterations of Marie Claire, Esquire, Shape, Female, Her World, and more.

Hanna has lived in Malaysia her entire life except for the six years she spent studying and working in and near Chicago. She currently lives near Kuala Lumpur with her husband and two children, and attempts to write books while juggling her never-ending to-do list (this works on some days better than others).

Her critically-acclaimed debut Young Adult novel, THE WEIGHT OF OUR SKY, was published in February 2019 by Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Her debut Middle Grade novel, THE GIRL & THE GHOST, was published by HarperCollins in August 2020, and she is also part of the MG anthology ONCE UPON AN EID. Her next novel is the YA murder mystery QUEEN OF THE TILES, set at a Scrabble tournament in Malaysia (Hanna Alkaf's website). Photo by Lim Eng Lee.
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