Textbook Review: 서강 한국어 Sogang Korean 1A and 1B

So I've been away from blogging for awhile but I will get back into it. Life got in the way and I had very little time for reading which made me sad. Anyway, I am trying to add something new. I started learning Korean a few months back as I did some English teaching in South Korea. Due to my schedule I was unable to take any language classes while I was there but have been doing some self-study. I will review some of the book I use along the way. I'm still at a low level so for now they will focus on beginner books.

Sogang Korean 1A Student book and Grammar supplement

Published By: Sogang University (Hanwoo)
Pages: 168
Rating: 3.5/5

I purchased my Sogang books (1A-2B) while in Korea. I had read a number of reviews that said this was a good series and recommended it. I had also heard the Sogang University language program is among the best (particularly for speaking) so I decided to give them a try.

This series is broken up into 5 levels each with a book A and B. The Student's book comes with a Supplementary grammar book to help explain grammar points, and provides a glossary of the vocabulary used both by page and by starting character. There is also a workbook that you can also purchase to practice what you learn in the book. Both the student's book and the work book come with a CD to follow along with dialogues and answer questions based on listening comprehension.

Firstly, these books are very nice to look at. They are colourful and have lots of pictures. Each chapter is broken up into several sections. An introduction to show what the chapter will be covering; speaking-grammar to introduce how the grammar point is used (it provides the page number of the supplement book to refer to the explanations); speaking dialogues to show the grammar in use in a mini conversation with substitution words to help practice; task; reading and speaking with comprehension questions; listening and speaking with comprehension questions; and a summary of the key vocabulary and phrases. 

The layout is well thought out and the mix of the 4 language areas is well balanced. I can see the clear progression between grammar points and how they build upon each other. 1A starts off with a section dedicated to learning how to read 한글 (hangul) so it's good for first time learners. It is also necessary as these books do not use romanisation at all, which I love because you cannot rely on it to correctly reflect the pronunciation. One thing I have noticed is that unlike other textbooks is that Sogang starts you learning using polite language (요) rather than formal language (이다). I personally like this as I feel it is more versatile as a first time learner so as when you speak to someone you won't offend anyone but you also don't come across as overly formal. The series starts introducing the formal language much more in 1B but utilises it in the reading tasks in 1A. I particularly like these reading passages as they challenge you a little bit. They present additional vocabulary along with using grammar you have learnt to test your reading comprehension, and the best part is that there is audio to accompany it to help with intonation, fluency and listening.

I really like how these books have separated the grammar explanations from the main book. This makes it easy to find and review grammar points. The book is also small and compact enough that you can take it with you when commuting so you can practice without having to carry around a heavy textbook. I know the Ewha Korean (이화 한국어) books also do this but you have to buy this separate from the textbook and the workbook.

I was quite happy with the exercises presented in the workbook. There are a variety of tasks to practice the grammar and vocabulary presented in each chapter. Some of the tasks that are included are conjugations, word/pictures match, cloze, transcribing and listening comprehension. There are also some exercises where you are required to finish the sentence but I don't really like these. My problem with these are there could be several ways to compete a sentence and vocabulary that can be used, which might not be the answer the book is wanting. Without a teacher you rely on the answers provided by the workbook to determine if you are correct or not so at this level it is hard to know if the answer you gave could also be grammatically correct. As for the answers for the workbook they are not provided in the book itself; you have to download the answer file from the Sogang website.

Now onto the cons. While I have said this book does go through 한글 it is definitely designed for in-class learning as there is no romanisation to introduce the sound of letters. While I do not recommend using romanisation to be reading full words and sentences, I definitely found it helpful as a beginner 한글 learner to remember the general sound of individual characters. There are lots of audio tracks provided to learn the pronunciation and sounds so it does make up a bit for it there. I personally recommend going to another source to learn the basics of 한글 and then use this book to practice it.

Another big con is that most of the speaking portions are designed for in-class partner work. It will give activities to role-play and discuss the different topics, sentence structures and grammar. This makes it hard to do unless you have someone else to practice with who can fix any mistakes you are making. As a solo learner I am really unable to use these activities to their full potential. Unfortunately this means there is a decent portion of the book I cannot use.

Overall, I am happy with the Sogang 1A and 1B books. However, I do not recommend using them as your sole source for learning Korean. There are lots of other books and websites that can be used to supplement your learning. I am currently also using 이화 한국어 1-1 and 1-2 and well as Yonsei Reading 1 to supplement my learning.

Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #6

 Published By: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 725
Rating: 3.5/5

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

*Review contains some spoilers for previous books and series*

 There was something about this book that didn't click like the previous ones have. I think it was because everything just felt too a little too easy and coincidental. For instance Brother Zachariah's regaining his humanity to become Jem again. I honestly thought there would be something more behind it but it was explained away as an unexplainable coincidence, that it probably only worked on him because of his personality. Really? Freak accident? This kind of coincidence happened a number of times through the book but that final one really got to me. I get the fact that Clare wanted to give everyone a happy ending and please her readers but I just find this kind of repetitive magical solution a little hard to swallow.

I'm also a little torn about the climax. In some ways I liked it and in others I didn't. Again it was a little too easy. I always thought Sebastian was smarter than that. For it to end like that was quite sweet, it was nice to see that side of him and I think the characters did need to mourn what could have been.

It was nice to see Alec and Magnus sort out their issues because they are just too darn cute together and to have them separated just wasn't right. I do admit there was a moment in the book where I was hoping that things wouldn't turn down the path they were heading. It was a quite intense few pages for me and the chemistry between these two had a lot to do with it.

There is a lot about this book that sets up the next series in the Shadowhunter world The Dark Artifices. Not only do we get to see the point of view of Emma and her relationship with Jules but we get a solid idea of what the plot and main conflict will be. Truthfully, I hope that something will make these characters distinctive because at this point their personalities feel a little recycled, there's not much to make them distinctive from the characters we've already come to know.  Really, I would be more interested if the book centered around any of the other Blackwood children, especially the twins. I feel there is something different and interesting there. But it seems like we'll get more Jem and Tessa though, so that's a win.

Overall, the book was an enjoyable read and conclusion to The Mortal Instruments. It was a little too happily-ever-after for my liking in a lot of aspects but I do hand it to Clare that almost not all the answers were handed to the characters on a silver platter.

Book Review: To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I Loved Before #1

Published By: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

To be honest I don't think I would've liked this book as much as I did IF I was not a fan of K-Dramas because this book reads like one. In fact I probably would've disliked this book but this is my life:
 




















So for those of you who do not watch K-Dramas, they tend to be very formulaic to the point that you can guess how it will probably end and identify the tried-and-tested plot devices. So why are they so addictive and why do I watch them, well...



So because of my drama watching I found this book on the predictable side of things. It uses one of my favourite K-Drama plot devices, the contract marriage (or in this case contract dating), and as soon as that appears you know where it's gonna lead and you know you'll probably end up with a case of SLS (second lead syndrome). And while SLS didn't affect me that much this time, I was liking the OTP. What I did like and what is usually absent in K-Dramas of the same vein is that Peter wasn't a complete tool bag to her and he did put in effort, even if I wanted to slap him every time he went crawling back to Gwen And I was excited when this happened:

While I found the overall experience of reading this book enjoyable it was not without it's faults. I really disliked Margot. I found her to be really selfish and self-absorbed. I did understand where these feelings were coming from but there were times she just grated on my nerves. Furthermore, there wasn't enough Gwen. I expected her to have a bit of a bigger role, making Lara Jean's life hell and being the bitch we were told she was. Finally Josh. There was a chance for SLS to hit hard but he fell a little flat as a love interest. By the time he became a possible competitor it was too late, he was too absent from Lara Jean's life after his breakup with Margot to be convincing. That being said I was kinda glad I didn't have to deal with another Ji Hoo...

Seriously I'll never get over this case of SLS, it was devastating :(

That being said there is another is sequel so there is plenty of time for characters to up their game, for romance to blossom fully, an amnesia scene  and a brooding shower scene with the male lead...

Wait what was I talking about?

Overall, this book is a quick fun read. Not everyone is going to enjoy it as you do have to set aside the idea of the events being realistic but if you can ignore that you might just like it. Also that ending is kinda horrible even if I can somewhat predict what will happen

Now I'm off to re-watch Boys Over Flowers because Ji Hoo! and procrastinate over homework.
 

Book Review: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3

Published By: Little, Brown Company
Pages: 613
Rating: 5/5


By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

This was me by the end of this book:


Taylor has once again produced a piece of work that is just pure magic. This series has never failed to be vivid, imaginative and an excellent example in world-building. And just like Days of Blood and Starlight built upon Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Dreams of Gods and Monsters builds on again. It was a joy to read and see this universe continue to expand until the possibilities became endless. It was particularly interesting to read an account of how humanity might react to an invasion of angels and monsters, and the possible fallout of differing theologies.

However, despite my enjoyment I did question some of the writing decisions Taylor made (although these did diminish as the book progressed). From the first chapter we are introduced to a new point-of view (one of a couple), a fact that was very confusing for most of the book. I was waiting and waiting for an explanation for this, to see what part these characters could possibly play in the grand scheme of things. And I got one. Was it satisfactory? My feels are still all over the place about this. Their inclusion makes sense but that completely depends on how you feel about the end of the book.

Truthfully, I'm not sure how I feel about the end of the book or understand all of it. In some ways it feels that the trilogy was just a lead up to the big reveal rather than the battle with Jael, in other ways it felt like Taylor trying to tie up loose ends quickly and in another way the ending felt right for the story. By the time you sort out your feels I think you'll either love or hate the ending. For me I think I'm leaning towards the love, after all there is a sense that  it isn't the end and we can get more books but if not I can still be satisfied.

ARC Book Review: Daylighters by Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires #15

Published by: Penguin Books Australia
Pages:
Rating: 4.5/5

While Morganville, Texas, is often a troubled town, Claire Danvers and her friends are looking forward to coming home. But the Morganville they return to isn’t the one they know; it’s become a different place—a deadly one…

Something drastic has happened in Morganville while Claire and her friends were away. The town looks cleaner and happier than they’ve ever seen it before, but when their incoming group is arrested and separated—vampires from humans—they realize that the changes definitely aren’t for the better.

It seems that an organization called the Daylight Foundation has offered the population of Morganville something they’ve never had: hope of a vampire-free future. And while it sounds like salvation—even for the vampires themselves—the truth is far more sinister and deadly.

Now, Claire, Shane and Eve need to find a way to break their friends out of Daylighter custody, before the vampires of Morganville meet their untimely end…

*ARC was provided by Penguin Books Australia via NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

It's always sad to say goodbye to one of your favourite series, especially if it has been going for as long as Morganville Vampires has. I picked this series up soon after Lord of Misrule was released in 2009 and have since spent the last five years following these characters as they grow through their many adventures. It's been a fun and enjoyable ride, and this book does the series justice, bringing Clare, Shane, Michael and Eve's adventure to a satisfying conclusion.

The atmosphere of this book was chilling. Drawing paralells from World War II Caine creates a situation in Morganville that is scarily similar to Hitler's regime, particularly the imprisonment of Jews and the knowledge/attitude of people living in viallages close by to the camps. The knowledge of what happened is enough to make the story chilling but for me there was an added element; last year I visited one of the German concentration camps and the experience, to say the least, left a lasting impression, an impression that resurfaced while reading this book. Caine did a wonderful job creating this underlying menace the Daylight Foundation and its leader brought to the town.

The characters were, as always, what makes the book so good. For Clare, Shane and Eve, they are put into a position where they have to question their idea of good and evil, what's best for the town, what they truely believe in and if what they are doing is right. It really highlights how much the characters have developed since Glass Houses. In partiuclar, we can see the huge change that has occured in Shane from someone who wants to kill the vampires and would so anything to accomplish that, to someone who understands that vampire doesn't necessarily equal evil and doesn't want to kill them on sight.

As always the plot provides enough twists and turns to keep you guessing what is going to happen and how the characters will get out of it alive. It's never easy and the characters walk a thin line with who to trust as motives and alliance can swing in either direction.

I feel fans of this series will be satisfied with the ending. It provides closure for the characters and the readers while still leaving room for more adventures if Caine decides to return to Morganville in the future. For me I feel like this is end of the adventures of Clare and the gang, but I would like a return to Morganville years from the end of the book, featuring future generations.

While this might be goodbye to the Morganville books, it's not goodbye to the series with episodes for a web tv show in the works.

ARC Book Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2

Published By: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 304
Rating: 4/5

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

*A copy of this book was provided by  Harlequin Enterprises Australia via NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I feel like this book suffered a little bit from second book syndrome. Don't get me wrong it was still a great read but most of it was set-up for the end of this book and the next one in the series.

One of the best things about this book was seeing how far the characters had come since the beginning of The Iron Prince. Ethan  in particular has grown quite a bit. He's gone from someone who hates the fey and avoids them at all costs to accepting that he can see them and will likely be drawn back into their world whether he likes it - or them - or not. Kenzie got on my nerves a little bit. Due to her illness she ended up in hospital after her and Ethan returned home from the last adventure, it really hit home to Ethan that she was actually sick and their adventures in the the Nevernever took a toll on her health. With this in mind he tries to keep her away from the adventure this time but all Kenzie does is complain that he's just like her family, trying to stop her from living her life and doing what she wants to. I get that she wants to do what she can but Ethan was not in the wrong from trying to stop her from coming with him this time, after all she had not long come out of hospital and he doesn't want her to end up there again.

Puck and Grim are also, as always, great. Keirran was just tragic. Much of the book was spent setting up his motivations and the reason behind his changes. He's very much a Romeo character who will do and give up anything to save the person he loves. As the plot moves forward you can see him giving up more and more, and as he gets more desperate his choices begin to not only impact on himself but on the Nevernever as well. It was tragic to read because he becomes so much darker than he was in The Iron Prince. I felt really sorry for him and I understood why Ethan and Kenzie were trying to help him but I kinda wish they had slapped some sense into him early on in the book, or at least led Ash to them so he could do it himself.

I only had one issue with this book;  there was a short section where it was repeated several times that Kenzie had to be careful around Titania because there was a chance that Titania would turn her into a rose bush or something of the like just because she felt like it. Due to the short space it was repeated in I really noticed it and got rather frustrated that I had to read about it yet again.

Overall, The Iron Traitor was a quick and entertaining read that really sets the scene for the next book, leaving readers to wonder just how much impact Keirran's choices will have on everyone.

Book Review: Reunion by Jennifer Fallon

Rift Runners #2

Published by: HarperVoyager Australia
Pages: 496
Rating: 5/5

Ren of the Undivided and his half-Faerie companion Trasa must find a way to stop the Matrachai, who want to eliminate every magical race in existence. Only the Undivided hold the key to stopping them, and even the Faerie Brethren have turned to Ren for assistance. With the help of the Pete and Logan Doherty, the human twins stranded with them, Ren must find a way to save them all, especially his twin brother Darragh. Reunion is the third book in the fabulous Rift Runners epic fantasy series, following on from The Undivided and The Dark Divide, and switches through time portals between the contemporary world and a Celtic Druidic Britain.

*A copy of this book was provided by HarperVoyager Australia for a fair and honest review.

This book doesn't take off from where The Dark Divide finished. After the prologue, in which we are introduced to Pete and Logan's home reality, the story jumps ahead three years to set up the rest of the book before skipping a further seven years into the future. It is here, ten years after the events of the last book that a majority of the plot takes place.

Once I started this book I could not put it down, reading most of it in a day. There's just something about Fallon's writing that captures my attention and refuses to let go until the last word. Not to mention that there was never a dull moment in this book with secrets, lies and plot twists around every corner. I wish I could go into more detail but anything I would say would give too much away.

What was great to see is how all the characters have changed based on the situation they have been in for the past decade. Ren has matured so much since we first met him in The Undivided. There is something tragic about him, knowing he has to kill Darragh's children and doing everything he can to stop it, and eventually finding out that Darragh was not living it up with Kiva. He has to make some hard decisions but understands what needs to be done and the consequences that follow. Trása shows great development too, becoming a Queen in her own right.

Seeing how Pete and Logan had changed was great as well. From not believing in magic or different worlds, they had to deal with their adoptive mother drugging them, taking them to a new world and trying to kill them, and finding out they were more sidhe than human. There is a scene early in the book where Ren, Pete and Logan are in the "ninja realm" sitting near the palace moat drunk while making and throwing magic paper bombs in the water for fun. It was a fun scene and really showed how far they had come. There were also new characters to love. My favourite would have to be Nika. Not only was she the Merlin of her world - an awesome and interesting concept Fallon came up with - but she was just a little bit kickass. She was loyal, sneaky and willing to secretly poison her Queen into a Snow White sleep to escape.

There was, however, one character that annoyed me, Hayley. Marcroy finally gets tired of her and decides to send her back to her home world, the only problem is that she thinks only a week has passed since she left (thanks to the magic in Tír Na nÓg). However, in truth it has been ten years and while everyone else has grown older she has stayed the same. As she is still a teenager it's understandable when she got angry and started cursing Ren. After all it was Ren who sent her to get her eyes fixed with magic and told her she would only be gone for a short while. But it was her actions that followed that annoyed me. She took revenge before even finding out what his side of the story was and considering in her mind they were still close friends, I thought it was a bit unfair.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The ending was...well let’s just say I'm still trying to process it. In one sense I feel like the book finished the series well, with the story being told completed. On the other hand I feel like there needs to be another book or series to complete it properly (this will make more sense once you read the book). It feels like Fallon may have plans to return to this series in the future and I do hope she does.

In the mean time I'm excited for Fallon's return to the Hythrun Chronicles with The Lyre Thief.