Booooooks. Mainly.

[dangermousie]

I am not even going to talk about the sheer LUNACY of what is going on behind the scenes with Myung Wol because it is making me want to pummel something. Figures that the first kdrama romcom that I have genuinely loved in years has self-destructed bigger than the Titanic. It might be a divine hint! For the record, with the new actress, she better be playing Myung Wol past plastic surgery. I don't care who plays her, I frelling LOVE Myung Wol as a character and to bring in an entirely new love interest would make no sense storywise (well, even less sense that what will have to go on to explain the new actress). I also think Han Ye Seul has just on-purpose murdered her own career. I don't even know what to think! Why???? Never in all my years of drama-watching have I ever seen anything like this!

To distract self, I am going to talk about three wonderful books, two of them recs from flisties!

1. gurlygirl10, I totally owe you! When I asked for romance novel recs, one of the books recced was Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I had no interest in conteporaries, but I know gurlygirl is the one flistie I know who is as dedicated as I am to the whole 'dysfunctional alpha hero who is beyond obsessed with heroine and incapable of living without her' trope, so when she told me "I felt like this book showed how much the hero loved the heroine more adequately than any book I've ever read- it is such a train wreck- I really though the hero would die if he didn't have the heroine" I decided to take a chance. And I loved it! The protagonists are college students, Abby and Travis. Abby is a cardican-wearing, no-nonsense, poker-playing freshman with some interesting history. Travis is a tattooed, shaven-headed junior who makes extra $$$ through underground fighting. Sparks fly, things get out of control and they enter a confused, passionate, utterly dysfunctional, codependent, overwhelming relationship which is delicious to read about (though in RL, I'd call for an intervention). This book left me in a state of permanent swoon and reminded me in some ways of my own college romance with Mr. Mousie (who is neither tattooed nor an underground fighter, thankfully :P)

Plus, this quote, from heroine's roomie, cracked me up forever and summed up why I love this trope so much:

Do you know what co-dependency is, Abby? Your boyfriend is a prime example, which is creepy considering he went from having no respect for women at all to thinking he needs you to breathe.

I mean, if this doesn't encapsulate why I am currently obsessed with Family Honor, nothing does.

2. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale has been recced by a number of flisties and I am loving it. Aristocratic stroke victim and a quaker as an OTP? Somehow it works. The whole 'stuck in asylum' plot is reminding me of one of my favorite Victorian novels, Hard Cash by Charles Reade. It was a huge sensation when it came out and resulted in asylum reform. Its brilliant but high-strung Oxonian protagonist, Alfred, is confined in an asylum by his evil father who is afraid his son will reveal his crime to the police. Did I mention this happens on Alfred's wedding day to his OTP, Julia? (Alfred/Julia Forever!!!!) Even though Alfred is perfectly sane, he cannot prove it in any way and nobody is interested. Eventually, after a couple of years of torment, he manages to escape and take his father to court to prove his sanity, with the help of awesome Julia of course. Apparently it was based on a real case.

3. Not recced but stumbled on by myself - Banana Yoshimoto's The Lake, about two damaged and shut-off people - a mural painter and a brilliant biology student, who slowly navigate falling in love and opening up. It's a brilliant novel, even if some of the stuff in it made me viscerally uncomfortable (the male half the the couple, Nakajima, is pretty much permanently and irreparably damaged).

So here is my book report.

Comments

[reema-patel.livejournal.com]

Can I make a rec too? Julia Spencer-Fleming has a series of books about a preist and a cop, and their relationship. Not very many religious parts at all, but its more about the cases the cop comes across, and their relationship. Lots of humor, lots of angst, and incredibly well-written. Check out the first book if you get a chance (it's a series, she just released book 7 this year), it's called In A Bleak Midwinter. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Are they mysteries? Because I am not so good with the genre...

[reema-patel.livejournal.com]

Just a police case in each book. Someone's killed, and the police force tries to solve the murder. :)

[algelic.livejournal.com]

~The Tea Rose~ Jennifer Donnelly!

The whole Myung Wol scandal is making me terribly sad. Like you, I've never seen anything like this in all my years of drama watching. It's been a long time since I've felt this obsessed with a drama, waiting obsessively for the next episode, and now this had to happen! T___T
And they could have picked a worst moment to leave us dry. The cliffhanger of episode 10...

I'm going to check a few of these romance recs. I've actually been craving something new to read but haven't found anything interesting while browsing around.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

MW is pretty insane. If I think about it too much, I get pissed.

[jpookemon.livejournal.com]

I think getting hurt with a blank gun can somewhat help the storyline. What if she had to get plastic surgery because of injury? Doesn't sound logical? How about she becomes a wanted criminal in NK because she appaered in a SK drama, and while she's in her "coma" Myung Wol had to change her appearance. It could work being this drama is already goofy/zany at it is.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOL true. This is a good out.

[puion.livejournal.com]

Could you spoil this for me...

would Abby and Travis have a happy ending perhaps?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course, it's a romance novel :) They get married :P

[puion.livejournal.com]

YAY..I need to read this book now...

So I can just get over the whole SMW crap.

But then, I have been busy watching FH!

[blobofcolour.livejournal.com]

SPW is the first kdrama of any genre that has piqued my interest in years and I had prepared myself to be let down by the script since write/film-as-you-shoot could go either way but for the lead actress to take off! *___* I hope they don't kill off MW 'cos I don't know how I could stay invested in the drama and OTP if they do.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am so glad it is back on track :)

[quaggy]

Not recced but stumbled on by myself - Banana Yoshimoto's The Lake

I just bought The Lake too! Banana Yoshimoto is a favorite of mine. Though I've liked most of her work well enough, I loved, loved, loved Kitchen. Loved it so much, I actually got a copy of it in the original Japanese... when I'll probably never know enough kanji to be able to read it. :-P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It was excellent. It's the first of hers I read but not the last.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Just as I started watching the drama too... Oh well, it was only 4 episodes, so maybe I can let it go.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think they are continuing and she's coming back, but we will see.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

Myung wol drama is so crazy. I have no clue what is going on in Han ye seul's mind. She has destroyed her career and I wish I knew why. Some serious shit must have gone down on set to drive her to such lengths. Either way I don't think I'll be watching myung wol anymore. I was stopped at ep 7 anyway, I was gonna use tomorrow to catch up but now it feels kind of pointless. so i'll just pass on the whole thing.

Ha I KNEW you'd love flowers from the storm. It has mousie tastes written all over it. Do blog about it more, I've love to hear your thoughts!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think she's coming back now; the whole thing is nuts.

[gurlygirl10.livejournal.com]

Mousie- I am so glad you liked it! Do you know of any other books that have an obsessive hero with a similar case of "I need to be with you or I will die?" Seriously ever since I read Beautiful Disaster, I haven't been able to find anything with a hero as obsessed and as madly in love as Travis.... I knew you would love the book because of what a train wreck their relationship is, but at the same time I wouldn't mind having a man like Travis- I know its wrong! And I'm so jealous that it reminds you of your college days with your husband!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

This:

http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/2250467.html

[gurlygirl10.livejournal.com]

Thanks mousie, but I'm not really into huge historical epics- does the hero in the book feel like he needs the heroine, like he needs his next breath?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes he does, but it is a historical epic. It's my favorite love story though ever.

[gurlygirl10.livejournal.com]

BTW- that book made codependency hot, plus all of Travis' jealous possessive obsessive behaviors made me love the book even more. You know how I love jealous, possessive, obsessive heroes who can't live without their heroines (this definitely reminds me of heroes from certain Korean Dramas and I might just try Family Honor)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hero in Family Honor is pretty much made for you.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Have to comment on Myeong-wol: this is why they should do what twdramas do, film the whole thing, THEN put it out. While some shows benefit being aired while filming (like shows that can, if necessary, change some things according to news, ripped-from-headlines on procedurals etc), most of these dramas do better as 16-to-24 episode wholes. And for lord's sake, make your actors commit to projects.

This is a bummer, I've only seen 4 episodes of SMW but I loved it so was in the process of downloading and watching more when I had the time. Now I have very little desire to. Boo. ;______; (Unless somebody really interesting gets cast as Myeong-wol instead.)

Interesting books, I'll keep them in mind during my next library trip. Currently reading the Hunger Games trilogy myself, which I'm really hooked on..

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It looks like she is coming back.

Yes, they really need to film way ahead.

[akosikae.livejournal.com]

Beautiful Disaster is in my wishlist. I had no desire yet to read it, but it seems I have to line it up next. It's not on my to read immediately list because the synopsis made me think of Cruel Intentions w/o Sarah's character.

I love Flowers from the Storm. This book made me cry.

The Lake I started to read, but I was side-tracked by other titles so maybe next week or so :)

It's a shame about SMW. I like Han Ye Seul as an actress, but this is WTF. I am really curious as to why this happened.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Not really like CI, I guaranteee.