Tag: a girl who likes to write

Book Review: That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

I heard so much about this debut book, so I picked it up. It did intrigue me as I went through its blurb; it felt mysterious and creepy. I love books with mystery and thrilling vibes, and this one stood out to me. So basically, this book follows the story of a teenage girl who is found shivering in a corner of the road. However, she knows nothing about herself, no name or where she came from. But a man shows up claiming that he is the father of, and her name is Mary, with all the proof. On the other hand, a teen named Lola disappears and the entire time believes that Dew, her boyfriend, murdered her.

Honestly, I had high expectations from this book, and unfortunately, it did not deliver. Starting with the plot, it has two points of view, one from Mary and the other from Dew. The story is very straightforward; everything is as clear as water. I liked the fact that the author tried to mislead me into believing something that wasn’t true, and then the plot twist happened. I liked it as it was very fast and very disturbing. However, there was nothing new about the book or the plot.

The character of Dew brought a lot of emotion to the book, which I liked. Also, the last plot twist was amazing. I didn’t see it coming at all, and that made me feel really bad for Dew. There are creepy moments in the book, but it’s short, so I flew by very fast. The book is really short, so it is suitable for beginners.

Overall, the plot fell really flat for me as it’s very clear in the beginning what it is about, except for that one plot twist, which I have to say I liked.

The book has a thriller, mystery and emotional side, so if you like to read it, please go forward.

Rating: 3/5 (Please proceed by looking at the trigger warnings.)

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion; you are free to love this book, and I am free to give my opinion on this book. I would be very happy if you loved this book, but please do not take this review to heart, and it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

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

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Don’t Look Back.

Don’t look back. You’re not going that way.

In my life, I have reached that stage where I have gained confidence, where I have learned to believe in myself, and I have finally started to learn how to handle my insecurities. And this happened because I made myself and my mind strong. However, there are moments when I feel my insecurities getting the best of me but I know how to handle them.

The way I have learned is by not letting myself look at my past mistakes as mistakes, but rather as my learning points. I believe we should only look back to see how far we have come. Sometimes we dwell so much in our past and its mistakes that we forget that the entire present and future are there to live through. In life, we have a lot of moments, many of them are about learning, which definitely makes us feel bad about ourselves; however, that’s all the moments that make us strong, as much as we are fighting and still standing strong.

We have to live in our present; we don’t have to dwell on our past, nor do we have to think too much about our future. It always works out, maybe in a hard way, but it works out, and that’s what is important. The present is the most important time in our lives as we fight through so much just to live in the moment, so don’t just look back and feel how much better you could have done. Believe me, you tried your best, and maybe life wanted you to be tougher for better experiences.

I always have the motto to never look back and regret things because that only makes me feel horrible about myself and how I was unable to achieve things. And always, that was a phase for me to grow, and now, when I look at myself, I feel so proud because the things that made me doubt are now just mere things. Now I can achieve more because of my stronger mindset, and I am so happy and grateful about it.

So remember, look back only when you need to feel proud of yourself, to see how far you have come, to appreciate your strength, and just to see how much better you have gotten.

Wake up and live.

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

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Book Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

I have read, I think, three books by Riley Sager and loved every single one of them. So I decided to pick another one by him, Home Before Dark. The concept was perfect for this spooky season, and I was really excited to see what’s stored in this book for me. The book follows the story of Maggie Holt, who returns to a Victorian estate which is owned by her father. And after he passes away, she gets hold of it. However, the house holds a haunted tale that his father has published in his book, House of Horrors. But she doesn’t believe a thing until she starts living in the house and experiences some questionable things.

Honestly, the plot was really good and entertaining. There was a perfect balance of spookiness, calmness and haunted vibes that I felt in the book. The plot was very simple and straight to the point; however, the plot twists, did I see it coming? Some I did while the last one, I knew it would never be simple in Sager’s book, so I knew something had to come.

And it did! The plot twist was crazy. I was shocked because it was not much talked about in the book; it just came out of nowhere, and I loved it. And I know Sager’s book had that twist, and it did. The story has a lot of intensity because the past is what made the book more haunted, rather than the house. I loved all of the things that came together.

Talking about Maggie, our main character, she was a likeable protagonist trying to find the truth as well as run away from it. Her backstory was amazing. I did not see anything coming, given how she was such a crucial part of what happened in the past.

Maggie’s parents, in the beginning they might seem unlikable, but actually, they are the main characters of the book. Other characters play a huge role, but for the spoiler-free review, I am just going to say that every character in this book is phenomenal. I absolutely loved the back story of the plot twist. It was everything gothic and creepy, and I ate it up. The book is really fast-paced. I finished it in less than 24 hours.

I highly recommend this book as it’s a mixture of intense, haunted and gothic vibes. As well as the story makes total sense with a great ending.

Rating: 4/5

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

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Doubt ruins everything

Self doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.

I came across some of William Shakespeare’s quotes from his plays, and one of them really stood out to me: “Doubt kills everything, and ruins the best within us.” I always used to believe that I needed to be good at it naturally and that I would achieve it. But it never crosses my mind that I need to try to know if I can do it, and if not, then I can learn. There is this theory that I was studying the other day by Howard Gardner, where he says that intelligence doesn’t only come in academics but also in linguistic, musical, spatial and many more.

And that’s so true, but the doubt that comes before starting anything literally kills everything. I know at this point in my life, I have done so many things, some worked out while others didn’t, and that’s okay, but I learned so many things. If I let doubt take over my mind, I wouldn’t be mentally strong enough to achieve things further in my life. Remember, every moment and every opportunity is a step towards better things. We will be learning every single day in our lives; it is a phase that will never be over.

So, doubt before even trying is a big cause of losing so many things. Don’t be afraid to try new things; it will bring you so much confidence, and it will help you see yourself in a light where you can do so many things. It’s all the game of mind, how you look at things, and how you allow yourself to look past the doubts and take the step. I know it’s not easy to make up your mind and look past the doubt; however, ask yourself questions: if you took this opportunity, what would you be going to lose? Instead, you are going to learn. The first step towards learning is accepting the challenges and just doing it.

You need to make yourself and your mind stronger. You can do many things; it’s the doubt that ruins everything, so remember, before the doubt ruins it, you get over it.

You can do hard things.

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

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Book Review: His and Hers by Alice Feeney

It was good, but I was waiting for it to be great. That was the only thought that came to my mind after finishing the book His and Hers by Alice Feeney. At first, I picked up Beautiful Ugly by her, but DNF’d it. But I really wanted to read a book by her, so I picked this up. The book follows the story of newsreader Anna Andrews, who is put on a case about a woman’s murder in Blackdown, a British Village. The detective Jack Harper suspects Anna; however, later, he becomes the suspect in his own murder investigation.

Just like the title emphasises, the book is from his and her point of view, which was definitely entertaining. The character of Anna was intriguing; it was traumatic to read what happened to her. Definitely, the twisty past kept me hooked till the end, so I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The character of Jack was not particularly important; however, I appreciated how the author linked the murder to Jack’s past. Overall, the plot is good, but the plot twists were predictable from miles away. Maybe I have read so many thrillers that it felt like I had already read this story.

The past definitely felt really traumatic and disturbing, which made the book really dark. Another thing was that it was twisty; twists were coming, but I guessed it all. The main culprit, when it was revealed, I knew it, so no shocking factor was there while reading this book.

The ending was really good, so much was happening that I felt the rush in my mind while reading.

I recommend it.

Rating: 3.5/5 (Please proceed by looking at the trigger warnings.)

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion; you are free to love this book, and I am free to give my opinion on this book. I would be very happy if you loved this book, but please do not take this review to heart, and it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

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

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living our own life?

Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.

Everybody pretty much talked about the responsibility of adulthood, the job, the financial situation; however, nobody talked about how, amidst that, it will be so hard to live our lives. There are so many responsibilities that an adult carries; however, we have to look at everything. However, what about living our own lives? I have come to reflect on how little time we get for ourselves; it’s mostly taken up by others and their responsibility. I always heard while growing up that responsibility is like a curse that will slowly take you under its spell, and you will not realise it when it happens.

There are so many moments in my life where I just wanted a minute of peace just for myself, but I didn’t know it would be so hard. The hardest thing is that it all comes down suddenly in the middle of the day, and it takes weeks for me to recover my mind and be my usual self. This is my life, but I have to look at so many aspects that I sometimes forget how much I am suffering in the process. I want to work on myself and just myself. I want to take just my responsibility and create the life that I deserve.

I just realised how important it is to move and go to another place because that’s how you create your own life, take care of yourself, and find your personality. At first, I used to think it was scary moving to an unknown place, but now I have realised the person you become in an unknown place is the strongest and the happiest version of yourself. You find yourself, you don’t have to think about others, you just focus on what makes you happy, and honestly, that’s beautiful to live through. It’s your life, so you should be able to make decisions that you feel are right because in the end, it’s you that matters, nobody else.

Live where your hearts find life.

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

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Book Review: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

After reading two books by Riley Sager and giving them 5 stars, I knew that Riley Sager’s plot twists are something very different and out of this world, which I love. So I decided to pick up Lock Every Door from him. So this book follows a girl named Jules Larsen, who is broke and doesn’t have a place to live until an opportunity comes to her. Basically, she gets the offer to do an apartment sitting at one of the most prestigious yet creepy Bartholomew apartments. Being broke gave her no choice but to take the opportunity, and after living there for just 2 days, one of the apartment sitters, Ingrid, disappeared without a trace. And Jules can’t sit and decides to find out what exactly happened.

First of all, the entire book is from Jules’ point of view. At first, I thought she was dumb because she was looking for a girl whom she had just met. But as we move on and get to the twist, that dumbness saved her life. Which I think is one of the smart ways to write a character in a thriller. I also loved that she suspected the culprit quickly and didn’t try to list out an excuse, given their past relationship.

It’s fast-paced and creepy; however, the plot felt flat for me. I already suspected the culprit, and when the revelation happened, as to why people are disappearing, I don’t know, but it didn’t make any sense at all. I just felt that more could have been done as the vibe of the book and the revelation don’t sit together. The book is creepy, but the revelation made it not good.

The plot, again, was very unpredictable; however, I already guessed the culprit, so it went flat for me. I wanted more, as the setting was so good, so it would be better if something paranormal had been the twist.

I don’t think so, you will miss out on much if you don’t read it, but again, it’s your choice.

Rating: 3/5

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

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Post-Graduated and Proud!

“Graduation is an exciting time. It marks both an ending and a beginning; it’s warm memories of the past and big dreams for the future.”

Knowledge is everything, and the more you learn, the more you have the power to defend and put your point across. Yesterday I got my results, and finally I am a postgraduate. Two years ago, I posted that I was a graduate, and now I am a level up. I also shared that I received my first-ever trophy for academics, and this all happened because I believed in myself.

These past two years, and even before that, a lot has happened in my life; the decisions about what to do next in life are so hard to make, especially when you are confused. However, after so many years just going with the flow, I finally did what I loved, and here I am, proud and happy. My post-graduation was definitely a big learning curve for me as I grew so much, starting to give presentations, doing research, writing pages, and just taking up new challenges which the younger me had never thought I would do.

My life has changed a lot, obviously. Apart from my growing age, I can’t believe I am the same person who used to be so scared of doing things; I am actually doing it. I am happy, and I am definitely content with my result. Definitely, I am feeling so grateful that I can reach such a step in my life and share it with the world. There are many things I want to do ahead, take on new challenges, and see myself grow more and more.

I know it’s frightening to move ahead after closing a chapter; however, I am so excited because I know where I am ahead, and I can’t wait to be there. So, of those who are about to close one of their many chapters or are about to begin a new chapter, all the best. You can do it, just believe in yourself, and you have a way through.

“Today is a milestone. It tells you how far you’ve come. Keep learning, keep accomplishing and keep venturing on through your journey.”

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

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Review: ‘Boys Over Flowers’ K-drama (2009)

“Guys didn’t do things for no reason in front of a girl they like. There’s always a reason.” – Yoon Ji Hoo

Yes, I am in my early K-drama zone because now K-dramas don’t hit like they used to. So I am back with the iconic and classic K-drama of all time, Boys Over Flowers, which is almost 2 decades old. And the irony is that whenever I watch this drama, it never feels that old, as if it belongs to the 2000s. This storyline is adapted in so many languages, and I have watched it in almost all. I don’t know, but the storyline is very much suitable for an adult like me. The story follows the life of Geum Jan Di, who belongs to a lower class, and one day she gets a scholarship to study at one of the most prestigious Shin Hwa High School. Because of her bubbly and stubborn nature, she gets picked on by Gun Jun Pyo, one of the most popular students of the school. But later, he finds himself attracted to her.

A classic 2000 storyline, and I have seen so many adaptations of this, but classic always remains classic. Definitely in today’s time, we will never appreciate Gun Jun Pyo, and to be honest, I never approved of him, especially because of his horrendous hairstyle. I want to start by stating that I am a member of Team Yoon Ji-hoo, just like Team Edward or Team Jacob. Gun Jun Pyo and Yoon Ji-hoo were the two leads, and fans would fight over who they were supporting.

Let’s start with the character of Gun Jun Pyo, a big red flag because of his emotional trauma. It is very important in a relationship for both to be there emotionally; however, Gun Jun Pyo couldn’t be. And that was the downfall of his character. I mean, we can’t blame him, as that’s his situation, but definitely not someone I could ever be with. I don’t know why she ended up with him when there was a whole green flag waiting for her. But then I remember, Gun Jun Pyo is the male lead, not the second lead, so she has to end up with him.

Then we have my favourite character, Geum Jan Di. Her innocent look and the way she talks are just worth watching. She is not cringy but a wholesome character. No wonder so many fell for her. Yoon Ji-hoo is the greatest green flag, but he was also the second lead. No matter what, I wanted them together.

The chemistry is good, but so much is happening as we start from enemies to lovers, and there are so many chaotic moments between them, which I honestly loved. The cinematography is amazing. The OST, I still very much listen to. So Yi Jung, an early crush for everyone, I mean, his smile is absolutely breathtaking, and his chemistry with Cha Ga Eul is just beautiful. Their love story is like a fresh breeze of air.

Song Woo-bin, an iconic character with his iconic talks. The storyline is very appealing and has high school vibes. The atmosphere is a mix of laughter, love, fighting, happiness, and tears. I loved the chaotic side of the story. I loved Gun Jun Pyo’s clueless side and Geum Jan Di’s talks. The highlight is definitely the fading away of the difference between the boys and her, and how they all became close and supportive of each other.

“What’s so hard about Love? You simply grab the other person’s hand and refuse to let go.” – Gun Jun Pyo

It’s a classic, do watch it if you want to indulge in 2000s high school vibes.

Total Episodes: 25

My Rating: 8/10

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama

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

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Limit.

“What are you?”

“To define is to limit.” – Oscar Wilde

I love to read my old blog posts once in a while, and I came across my review for the Oh My Venus K-drama. And there is a quote in the drama that says, “If you’re hanging in there, you haven’t reached your limit.” And boom, I am here with my thoughts on it.

Let me keep it real with you all, I always underestimated myself, and people would come and say you could have done it, but you already decided you couldn’t. And now, at this stage where I am handling so much, I know I underestimated myself. We never truly know our potential until we give it all.

We have to test out limits, we have to take the risk and just do it. If it works, that’s amazing; if not, we are learning, and that’s what matters. Nobody really knows what they are made to do in this world; all of them have taken risks, tested their limits to reach where they are now.

If I want to create a life for myself, I need to break all the limits that I have created for myself in my mind. Nobody does that. I do it; I put limits in my mind about how I can’t do it. But how could I know that unless I have not even tried?

My goal is to take as many challenges as I can, irrespective of the result. I want to grow, and I want to learn, and that will happen when I push all of my limits and just do it. I never really knew that after giving my all, I might even conquer the world, and that’s what I want to do.

So in life, there will be moments where we just want to quit, and that’s okay and totally normal. Everyone deserves a break, but if you are hanging in there and you are okay, that means there is so much you have to do, there is so much waiting and calling your name.

You don’t have limits; if it’s all up to you, push yourself ahead. Do what scares you, because once an opportunity goes, it will never come back. So don’t create a limit in your mind beforehand until you don’t do it, you don’t try it, everything is limitless.

The sky is the limit.

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

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