This is turning out to be a book blog, and I am surprised myself that it took me this far, this long to have broken down to my primal senses of hoarding texts into my brain. I think it is a good idea that in the midst of this grim forest with crooked lanes, I found books, again. I think I have found my saviors once again. 

That being said, I finished both We Are The Ants and One To Watch. I think I have said a lot about We Are The Ants, but if anyone wanted a shorter version of the word-vomit I have been screaming inside my head, it is: it broke me in thousands of ways, took me to so many different places, and I would not have traded the time (and tear duct fatigue) I had with this book. In retrospect, it was weird I chose that book out of everything I had acquired and could had made my way through; I am glad, though, that through some forces of nature it found me, or maybe I found it, and it was not the perfect time for me personally, but it was perfect for this book. I had fun.

Speaking of fun, One To Watch is so fun. It is so juicy and dramatic. I think years of watching Korean variety shows brought the giddiness in me watching all the behind-the-scene shenanigans and over-the-top formulaic twists and turns, but it is weirdly so packed with so much tenderness and hearts in its sleeve that it just worked so well. The things I have said about this: "This is the most fun I have had with a book in a long while, and to have that consistency stayed until the very end feels very, very rewarding. For a story that involves reality TV (yes), it is brimmed with a chock-full of vulnerability, softness, and non-pretentious warmth that by the end of everything, I am just glad for this woman to take control of what she is feeling, and prioritizing her well-being in terms of romance and relationships. It can be very, very triggering with how it depicts a lot of different forms of how people perceive and police different bodies, bodies deemed "unfit"/"unhealthy", bodies considered a reflection of "immorality"/"laziness"/"curse" (!@#$%?)" So yes, I have said a lot. This also has made me eager to read non-fiction books around bodies and fat-phobia, but for now I am onto another book entirely:

What I said about the book (re: ranted on my WhatsApp status which are only seen by my siblings): "Have been meaning to ever since I became aware of it through its TV show adaptation, which I have not watched except for bits of Tumblr GIFs here and there (and thirsting over the romance within my narrow frame of non-existent watching), but I know this is up my alley and I am going to love it." I am excited to read a crime/detective novel, and I am a few pages in and loving it, as expected. I am glad I can be excited about this.

On another note, here are the collages of book covers I got:

[Screaming in colors.] I am psyched for all of these, but especially the childhood excellence that is The Land of Stories series, which I had not known consisted of six books (I had thought three/four maximum). I have had two of the physical copies for years (and barely finished, maybe because it made me sad for some reason) and now I have them all and it is glorious. 

On life personally, I am still being gobbled up alive emotionally. I am working on it. All in all, grateful for books; grateful for the last few brain cells I have capable of producing serotonin/endorphin/joyful chemicals. Ciao, not for long, I think, because I am now always more than ready to talk about books.