Hello
안녕하세요
(Annyeonghaseyo)
こんにちは
(Konnichiwa)
你好
(Ni Hao)
It's time to set myself a reading challenge for the year.
Last year I set myself the challenge of reading 9 books, and last year seemed to start pretty well, but sadly, I failed in my challenge.
I only read 6 books last year which I wouldn't say is bad but, it's still 3 books short of what I wanted to aim for.
This year I've set myself the challenge of 7 books, which in the past I have completed. Three of the books in this years challenge I have added because I had already started reading but failed to finish.
This years books include Volume 1 of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Volume 7 of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Heaven Official's Blessing, Volume 1 of Hybe's Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, Volume 1 of 945's The Dangerous Convenience Store, Volume 1 and 2 of Mingwa's BJ Alex and Robert Galbraith's The Running Grave.
Now back to last years books. Let's have a look at the books I read in my challenge last year.
My first book was Volume 5 of Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. If you've been reading my posts then you know how much I love this book series and will highly recommend them to anyone. Volume 5 mainly focuses on the present day, with a few flash backs for some of the characters.
Last Ghost Standing, First Love Blossoms.
Ghosts are converging on the cursed Mount Tonglu for a massive battle royale, the sole survivor of which may become a Ghost King, a being of unimaginable power.
Xie Lian is sent to secretly infiltrate and try to prevent this - by destroying any ghosts enough to stand a chance.
His heavenly powers are weakened near the cursed mountain, but he has one trump card on his side - Hua Cheng, who has survived Mount Tonglu before. As they struggle against murderous ghosts and the mountains strange defenses, Hua Cheng's knowledge of the area may prove invaluable.
But can they even begin to unravel the cursed peak's secrets?
My second book was Volume 6 of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Heaven Official's Blessing. Volume 6 heads back into the past as we see how Xie Lian becomes who he is and known for, as well as the fall of his family and friends.
Body in Abyss, Heart in Paradise.
White No-Face, Xie Lian's greatest fear and most hated enemy, has arrived...Or so it seems. While the ghost with the half-crying, half-smiling mask is somewhere nearby, the creature is elusive as always, taunting Xie Lian from just out of reach and promising the total destruction of everything he holds dear.
As Xie Lian confronts the trauma of his last encounter with the terrifying ghost, Hua Cheng will do anything in his power to protect him.
But white No-Face's identity and purpose are not the only mysteries to unravel, as Hua Cheng also has a history in the labyrinthine tunnels beneath Mount Tonglu.
Will Xie Lian finally discover the full connection they share - and learn the true depths of Hua Cheng's devotion?
My third book was Volume 1 of Natsuki Kizu's manga series Given. I absolutely love this manga series, it's one of my favourite's. Volume 1 is a good introduction to the characters and gives you an idea on how the story will go.
Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with a great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.
Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all - with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion, playing guitar. That is, until one day he finds his favourite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar.
At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behaviour, but when, on a whim, he asks Mafuyu to sing, the power of that song pierces him to the core
My fourth book was Volume 2 of Natsuki Kizu's manga series Given. Volume 2 begins with a little backstory from drummer Aki, as well as more of who Mafuyu is and why he's protective of his guitar and why he wants to learn to play it.
Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with a great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.
As the ban races toward their first live concert, Mafuyu struggles to write lyrics for their new song but can't find the words to express the emotions burning within him.
Meanwhile, Uenoyama hears rumours about Mafutu's past and is bewildered by his own feelings. The tension builds until the night of the show, when the band explodes into a raging life-changing performance.
My fifth book was Volume 3 of Natsuki Kizu's manga series Given. Volume 3 starts after their performance and how it encourages them to take music seriously as well as being a band, including giving themselves a name. We also get a little back story of Haruki and how he met Aki and how his feelings developed for him.
Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with a great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.
Uenoyama realizes he's in love with Mafuyu and steals a kiss from him backstage at their first live performance. But now he's even more confused - he hasn't shared his feelings with Mafuyu and has no idea how Mafuyu feels about him.
In contrast to their naive romance, Haruki has been harbouring a secret desire for bandmate Akihiko, who's already entangled in an intense, conflicted relationship with someone else.
My sixth and final book for 2024 was an Animated Classic of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
I'm a massive fan of this film and loved reading this as not only does it follow a majority of the film (I could hear the characters in my head), it also has illustrations that show the film, as well as drawings from creating the characters and figures of the characters.
Relive the magic of Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas through this retelling of the classic stop-motion film, accompanied by paintings, story sketches and concept art from the original Disney studio artists.
So there we have it, that was my reading challenge results of 2024, and now it's time to get stuck into 2025's challenge.
CHALLENGE START!!
See you soon!
안녕
(Annyeong)
さようなら
(Sayonara)
再见
(ZaiJian)
Bye
