Book Review: The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

To be honest Freida McFadden’s books are either a hit or a miss and this one for me was a miss. There was nothing much for a thriller in this book I just read it because I was in a reading slump and it successfully brought me out of it. The book follows the story of Nora who was just eleven years old when her father was arrested for unaliving someone in their basement. Decades later Nora is a successful surgeon while her father is behind bars. Everything was going perfectly until Nora found out one of her female patients had been unalive in the same way her father used to unalive his victims.

The main character is Nora, and the whole book is from her point of view. From the start, the way Nora was, I knew she was her father’s daughter because she did show some psychic things. However, she worked on making herself different from her father, and I guess she succeeded in it.

The pace of this book is very fast I did not even realize it when I ended up in the middle of the book. There is nothing thrilling in the book as it follows just Nora’s point of view. I felt that maybe if the past point of view were of her father’s that would make the book more thrilling. There were definitely some creepy scenes and did I guess the plot twist, no I was thinking totally opposite to what actually happened.

The plot twist was actually kind of good, I didn’t guess it. I think that it did give me a thrilling vibe. The book has a creepy vibe too because I suspect everyone but not the one who was the actual culprit. But I would say it lacked quite a good amount of details which would have made the book more thrilling and creepy.

If you don’t read this book you wouldn’t be missing much.

Rating: 3/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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January 29, 2025 0

Choices.

“I never knew at one point in life I would be forced to give someone else the pen to write my story.” – MA.

You are very lucky if you have choices, I never really understood the importance of choices until I stood where I did not have any choice. And you know what was the worst part it was because of the mistakes of others rather than mine and my future has to suffer because of it, because of others. Sometimes life makes you stand at that corner where you are not left with any choices but helplessness and it hurts seeing how you become so helpless to even make choices in your own life. Every choice has a consequence no matter if it’s the choice of your own or others but the thing is when we are thrown into that choice we are forced to take up things that we never intended to take, It hurts seeing how different our life has become because of that choice and how better it would be if you choose yourself. But life never works that way it makes you go through hell, and it reminds you at every moment of the choice you never had until finally, you accept what has happened, and now it is the time to move on. Having the power to make choices in life is a treasure that not everyone can afford, I have learned that the hard way and once the choice has been made there is no going back. People say that making this choice is good for you, but how would they know what is good for us? Would they be there if something went wrong, no absolutely not! Life throws you into situations with no choice but just a way full of thorns that you need to go through alone, while your choice was never yours but the path is. Once the choice has been made, you have to take the responsibility and the consequences alone. But the funny thing is that the choice was never yours. You never got the right to choose what you truly wanted. You were just thrown to stand at the edge of the cliff and jump, but in reality, you just wanted to fly with wings.

“One wrong choice makes you question every single thing in your life” – MA.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write

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January 25, 2025 0

Review: ‘Amidst a Snowstorm of Love’ C-drama (2024)

“I don’t know how long I was on the phone that day. And he kept watching me through the window.” – Yin Guo.

I feel like C-dramas are the best palate cleanser, they have everything from love to friendship. It brings comfort to just relax and watch. Recently I came across a C-drama that has made me think what kind of a man I want. This drama changed everything for me and I am so shocked that the actors didn’t fall in love with each other because everything was so intense. The drama I am talking about is called ‘Amidst a Snowstorm of Love’ and follows the story of Yin Guo, a billiards prodigy who gets stranded with Lin Yi Yang during a Snowstorm at a tournament. Yi Yang stopped playing billiards but as both bonded, he started to see Yin Guo’s passion that wanted him to get back at the game.

Let’s start with the star of the show, Lin Yi Yang, the man you are. You guys he literally made the already set standard higher than the sky. His character development was the best, OMG the way he worked on himself, his career and him as a human, loved every second of it. I don’t think he deserves the hate he got for his mistake. Come on, please he was just thirteen, he was just a child and the people legit gave him so much hate for a mistake he made as a child. He is one of my top fictional C-drama men, he is perfect. OMG you guys, his eyes expressed so much, the love he had for Yin Guo was everything.

Yin Guo is very shy, OMG her shyness made me pause the video, and I think it makes sense if a man like Lin Yi Yang stared so intensely I would faint right there. But sometimes she acted too immature, I don’t like the female lead who is afraid to show their relationship publicly. There are just certain scenes where I just can’t stand her. There is no character development of hers, he is just the one talking about his background but she never shared about hers which I wanted to see.

“Last year I was at a small bar that’s the first time I saw her. I didn’t go inside, instead, I stood outside and watched her for about five minutes. Of course, she didn’t know this. I can still recall my thoughts at that moment. I have to meet her I have to go inside buy her a drink and get her number tonight. I knew exactly what I was thinking I knew, I knew she was the one. But I have no idea how to approach her or what to say to impress her. She is so pretty. I was scared to make any mistakes. Trust me. I was really afraid of screwing it all up. Well, what can I even say, she is so perfect and I might need to spend the rest of my life seeking her love. So, I’m not in a hurry at all.” – Lin Yi Yang.

The plot is mostly romance, however, they focused a lot on Lin Yi Yang’s mistake that he made when he was thirteen and billiards. I really wanted the friendship group to bond more, go on trips and enjoy, if they removed some billiards and added more on this it would become so comforting to watch. The friendship group of Lin Yi Yang was everything they legit cried when he said he was coming back in the game. This drama is a very slow-burn romance, I love slow-burn romance so this drama was perfect for me.

The chemistry, OMG every scene of theirs was so romantic because Lin Yi Yang’s expressive eyes towards Yin Guo was everything. Lin Yi Yang’s act of service OMG what is not that he has not noticed about her, he did everything for her, the care and the way he makes her comfortable. There is so much romance in this drama every scene will want you to pause and look up and think when will I get a man like Lin Yi Yang. I wanted more of their conversations to show their growth but every conversation revolved around billiards, which I thought overpowered their development. He was the only one who opened up about everything while from her side she never shared much which I wanted to see. He falls in love with her at first glance and their height difference is just beautiful.

When I first met Lin Yi Yang’s friend group, I thought many would be negative, but as the story progressed, I loved how each of them supported him so much, their tears seeing him get back on track. I hope everyone gets this kind of friendship where the friends are happier than you for you. Yin Guo’s brother, another character I thought would be negative, but he was the cupid shipper for them; I loved him.

The drama is filmed across Finland, France and China so the cinematography was top-notch.

If you love slow-burn romance and an act of service phenomenal man, then this drama is for you.

I’m not a big talker. But I want to chat with you.” – Lin Yi Yang.

My Rating: 8/10

Total episodes: 30

Genre: Sports, Romance

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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January 22, 2025 0

Broken Hearts.

The shattering of a heart when being broken is the loudest quiet ever. – Carroll Byrant.

Anything in life happens, and the first thing that breaks is the heart. When we are children and if we get upset it is just a matter of time that a piece of chocolate can fix but as an adult. I have realized that I don’t get upset or sad with anything rather things stop affecting my heart. I have learned that once someone or something wears down my heart, I can never feel anything in my heart, it just feels like the hollowness has deepened in me. Broken hearts that once shattered can never be fixed no matter what, it is like a wave that will come again and again at the shore and punch you in the guts with a reminder. The heart is a shallow organ that makes us feel and live various emotions and that too with so much closeness that is why when something happens the broken heart can’t be repaired the damage has been done. Living with a broken heart means living with regret, guilt, memories and every emotion that makes you stand at the edge of the cliff. When a person’s dream gets shattered their heart too gets broken, when disappointment hits, the heart gets broken, when the tears have dried and won’t fall anymore, the heart gets broken, and then the person stops caring because their heart is already broken. The mind makes us remember the words and the feelings but the broken heart makes us live it all over again but this time more painful. Nobody forgets anything neither the children nor the adults however children seem to be okay with it but the adult learns to live with it. I think at some point in life we reach the moment when things stop affecting us, we are too tired to prove ourselves to others, we are too fed up to correct others about us, and the beats of hearts stop punching us in the guts with the emotions, I think it teaches us to live with it. The broken heart can’t be fixed, the damage has been done and you know what at some point you feel that this is actually good because you don’t need to care about anything because there is nothing left to be broken…

“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.”

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write

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January 18, 2025 0

Book Review: Never Lie by Freida McFadden

The amount of people who have recommended this book finally got me and I decided to read it and loved every second of it. The book follows a newlywed couple Tricia and Ethan, who get strangled amid a snowstorm at a remote mansion once owned by Dr. Adrienna Hale, a psychiatrist who vanished years ago. While looking for something Tricia finds a hidden room with tapes of Dr. Hale’s patient interviews. As she listens, she uncovers the unsettling events leading to Dr.Hale’s disappearance. Each tape reveals more secrets until the final one exposes the chilling truth.

This book had me in a chokehold till the last end. I did not see the twist coming at all and that made me realize OMG what just happened. So basically this book has been divided into the present and the past, the past POV of Adrienna and the present POV of Tricia. So there are not many characters one can suspect then too I did not get it. Talking about the characters, we don’t really explore the characters until the truth is finally revealed and their true faces are exposed to the readers. But she made me believe pretty well until the truth was revealed.

Ethan is a side character until the end, and I was shocked because I was not expecting a plot twist on plot twist but he also gave me suspicious vibes. Adrienna’s POV tells a totally different story and at first, I was confused about how the past and the present would merge but Frieda did exceptionally well in merging and executing it well.

The plot and the plot twist were perfect. I did not see it coming and was shocked because HOW!!!!!!!!!. Adrienna’s POV really made me understand that we truly don’t know what goes on in people’s minds, and if we do, then we have to face the consequences. The thriller never fails to make me aware that we truly don’t know which face of the person is real and how they actually are from the inside.

I loved that the author added transcripts, which made the book more creepy and suspenseful. The ending! What will I say about it? It’s so different, but for a thriller, I think it’s perfect. I have not yet read a thriller with this kind of ending, so I loved it. The book is very past-faced and intriguing; it kept me hooked till the end.

If you want to read a thriller where every character gives the vibe of morally gray then I recommend Never Lie by Freida McFadden.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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January 15, 2025 0

Future’s gonna be okay!

now close your eyes, and please understand that you are still young, and the universe is endless, and somehow,

everything will be okay.

The time we spend worrying about the future is shocking because we are thinking about the time that has yet to arrive. In my last post, I wrote about how we should learn to live in the present rather than worrying about the time that has yet to come. Actually, I never really understood what people meant by living in the moment until I realized how precious time is. We spend most of our time worrying about the future and forget to live and enjoy the moment we are currently breathing in. Have hope in yourself and believe that what you are working on right now will secure you a future and if things do not go the way you planned then it’s okay life is unpredictable but that doesn’t mean you are a failure, it means that maybe there is something better for you than what you thought. I always tell myself that the future is yet to arrive but all I have now is my present, I need to have good memories, I need to enjoy, I need to understand myself, and that is how I will make my present and future okay. If you are fearing for the future in your present, that means you are troubling yourself in the time when you are supposed to understand yourself and the time that has yet to arrive. You are not living peacefully now so how will you in the future, let the fear go of your future everything is going to be okay. Live in the present, make memories of today and take them with you to your future so that when you look back at least you will be proud that you lived in the moment. Tell yourself all you have now is present in your hand, so take that and work and live in that moment and believe that the future’s gonna be okay!

Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write

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January 11, 2025 2

Review: ‘When the Phone Rings’ K-drama (2024)

“The world won’t fall apart if you speak up. Everything you want to say, the things you’ve held back say whatever you want.” – Baek Sa-eon.

The last official K-drama that I followed in 2024 was ‘When the Phone Rings’ and let me tell you after the release of its first two episodes the next day I was hooked when my social media was filled with their edits and I decided to give it a go and loved it. So it follows the story of Baek Sa-eon, a rising politician and his mute wife, Hong Hee-joo. A tense marriage begins to unravel after a call from a kidnapper and their life turns upside down.

I loved this drama so much, especially the beginning. The vibe, the characters, the cinematography, the dialogues, the suspense, the music, everything was top-notch. It was the drama that sucked me in so fast that from the first episode, I was hooked. The plot was plotting and the chemistry was electrifying. I love how everything was very well balanced and the way each episode just sucked you in with its climax scenes.

Talking about Baek Sa-eon, I loved him from the beginning, especially the first 6 episodes. His aura makes him look so powerful and it increases the quality of drama as well. He is the green flag in disguise, he legit arranged his marriage with his wife and showed to the world and his wife that it was a contract marriage. When the revelation started to begin everything made sense and I was in awe. I think his character was written spectacularly and he has suffered a lot even though it was not his mistake.

“I lived because of you. I endured because of you.” – Baek Sa-eon.

Then we have Hong Hee-Joo. In the beginning, I thought she would be a weak character, but I was so shocked to see how she was one of the strongest characters. Her phone call version is my favourite personality of hers in the show. She deserves all the love she gets. The girl goes through a lot but in the end, gets what she always wanted. Her eyes speak so much, and her sign language makes her character beautiful.

Their chemistry was the reason I watched this show. They paired with each other so well and the actors actually looked like they were the characters in real life. I love that there is no misunderstanding between them. Baek Sa-eon when gets to know about Hee Joo understands without misunderstanding her, I liked that they focused on the main plot rather than adding unnecessary problems between the couple. I loved that in the later episodes they understood each other so much, their childhood story was just beautiful. I think they as a couple fit way too well and made the drama excellent. Their love for each other was so strong that they were ready to die for each other. This drama also had some of the best kisses in the whole K-drama trajectory.

“Why was I born? I always thought about it. If I have to live someone else’s life against my will, why was I born? But I think I found the answer to why I was born and why I had to leave as Baek Sa-eon. It was to meet you.” – Baek Sa-eon.

Talking about the plot, it was something different and thrilling. I loved the concept of phone calls, I also love that they let the thriller flow rather than adding too much. I loved the dark vibe at the beginning of the drama, the intense music and Baek Sa-eon’s expression made the drama quality more elegant and watchworthy. Also, the timing was perfect for everything, from revelation to the last episode. I loved that they did not add much family drama but focused on the leads. But then the last episode happened, if you are familiar with K-dramas ending you might know that they drag too much till the end and give only few minutes of happiness, this drama was the same. The last episode was like I watching a new drama’s first episode because it was such an out of the box happening but then they added the political issue and lost me.

Overall the drama is a must-watch, I highly recommend it.

“For once, I want to protect you. So that you never suffer or get hurt again.” – Hong Hee-Joo.

My Rating: 8/10

Total Episodes: 12

Genre: Melodrama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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January 8, 2025 0

Live in the Present.

“Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.”

It is diabolical to think that we are all so busy thinking about the future that we forget to live in the present. The world has made it very clear that everyone has to work for the future, even if we have to give up our present or be sad. But why do we have to sacrifice our present for a time that has not even arrived? I always tell myself that everything in life is meant to be unpredictable, there are situations I can’t ignore and I need to accept the inevitable. I think the older I get the more I understand how much the present and its moments mean to me and it will only take a second to become the memories so I tell myself to enjoy it to the fullest. Because of overthinking, and fear about the future we miss out on the chances to live life in the present. The future is going to be okay but it has yet to arrive. But the present is in front of you, waiting for you to savour it, take the opportunity and live in the present moments. When the future arrives when things get tough to deal with at least you will have great memories and strength to fight. If you focus on the present, the future will unfold automatically. I have learned the hard way that crying over the past that is gone and being afraid of the future that is yet to arrive makes life more complicated and we try to ruin the present that is infront of us. Remember we can’t control our future no matter what, however, we have our present that is in our hands so why not take the opportunity to live in the present and make it beautiful? I have deeply realised that present moments are what I truly have, if I have to make my life beautiful and worth living then I need to live in the present.

Be present, be now, be here.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write

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January 4, 2025 1

Book Review: Before We Say Goodbye (#4) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Writing the first post of 2025 through a book review and it was not planned but accidentally. I hope this year will fulfill all your desires. Wishing you a healthy and happy year.

The fourth book in the series Before We Say Goodbye is another great book written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I read this series continuously and the four stories in this one were the most challenging because it has a story about a dog. In this book, we meet again at the magical Cafe Funiculi Funicula known for its famous legend and extraordinary time-travel offering. The customer gets the chance to go back in time but with every journey, there is a risk and here the customer has to obey certain rules otherwise the punishment is brutal. We will be introduced to four new sets of visitors; the husband with something important left to say; the woman who couldn’t bid her dog farewell; the woman who couldn’t answer a proposal; and the daughter who drove her father away.

The vibe of the book is comforting and familiar, the only thing is that the rules are explained very much which makes it repetitive but becomes less in the later part of the novel. The timeline of this book was also a little different than others and I wished there was more of Kazu and Nagare mentioned but because of the timeline, it couldn’t happen. The stories were heart-wrenching, especially of the dog and its owner, I bawled my eyes out. Honestly, this book and this series are like a comfort you can read in a day or savour chapter by chapter. It is a short book, however it makes you empathetic towards others and see how people are going through so much in this world.

I recommend this book.

Rating: 4/5

Check out the review for the first, second, and third books by clicking here.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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January 1, 2025 0

24 Things I Learned in 2024!

Appreciate yourself for whatever you do.
Protect your peace even if it makes you give up on things or someone.
It’s okay to do whatever you want, you have the right to live a life that most don’t understand.
Take the decision and ask everyone if you want to make the wrong decision.
Fear will stop you from living but life is all about living so take the risk.
You can do anything you want if only you have focus.
Keep your feelings private to yourself.
It’s okay if life made a turn you didn’t expect, maybe it’s for your own good.
It’s okay to cry, you are only human.
Be grateful as much as you can.
People question you about your decision but never see what choices you have.
Don’t impress anyone but only yourself.
No matter what you do, people will never be happy.
What matters is that you showed up, you tried, and you tried hard. It’s okay if something didn’t happen the way you wanted.
It’s okay to prioritize yourself, don’t let the guilt consume you for that.
Things that you are avoiding have the magic that you are looking for.
Take the first step—just do it. If you won’t do it now, you won’t do it ever.
Life is not perfect and any decision you take will come with hardships at an unexpected time.
Don’t be a people pleaser and too kind.
Say NO if necessary and it’s a complete sentence you don’t need to justify yourself.
Live in the present if you start caring too much about the future, you won’t be able to create memories and fully enjoy yourself.
It’s okay sometimes to take a break and just do what makes you happy.
Work on yourself, for yourself, you know yourself better than anyone else.
And the most important one, if you can’t avoid the situation just put your airpods in and live like there is no one other than you.

This is officially my last post of 2024 and I am so grateful for this year. There were a lot of ups and downs however it was the year where I could feel happy from inside. In this year, I was consistent with my posts and that is one of my biggest achievements that I am proud of. I learned a lot but shed a lot of tears as well but it’s okay I survived. It’s okay if your dream has yet not been achieved, I know you tried hard and did not give up. I am so proud of you, leave 2024 year behind and let’s work hard for 2025.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write

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December 31, 2024 1