🔖 Recent Reads: The Honjin Murders

It's time to share the last book I read, The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. I started reading it last month a finally finished it last week. 

Apparently is one of Japan's greatest classic murder mysteries and it was originally published in 1946.

I love crime stories, especially murder ones and, the fact that this one was set in Japan, gave it an extra something.

"In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions around the village.

Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi household are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house. Soon, amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the scene to investigate what will become a legendary murder case, but can this scruffy sleuth solve a seemingly impossible crime?"

I'm not gonna lie, at the beginning the story felt a little slow, since we were getting to know the characters and, at some point, I kinda thought the case would be predictable but, I was wrong! As the story progressed there were many different plot twists and things I didn't see coming. I won't spoil the case here but, it became very interesting.

Sometimes reading it felt like watching something from Detective Conan, especially cuz it was a locked-room murder case and the way they were connecting the clues with what and how things really happened so, it was fun. I also thought this book would've been something my grandpa would enjoy reading.

I loved the old Japan setting and the way they described things, plus, even toh the book dones't have any illustrations, they included a map of the house in which the murder happened and, that was kinda cool to me, know how the layout was, helped me understand some things better.

It is a fast read since it's not a thick book, I just couldn't dedicate enough time to reading it because of work and other things but, I think if you like mysteries and murder cases that aren't too graphic or gory, it is a great option.

There are other novels by this author that I'd defo like to check in the future.

That's it for this short book post~

I'll see you next time~!💋

🍓Ozeki Strawberry Nigori 🍶

"With every pour of sake, let's celebrate the now, the new, and the next. For in this liquid poetry, I find the essence of joy"

 Long time no alcohol post! I dunno why or when I just stopped sharing them. Especially because I have tried so many fun and yummy drinks and, somehow I just never shared them around here. Boo!

Nihonshu is defo one of my all-time favorite things to drink, no matter the presentation. There is something so nostalgic and comforting about it and, since not long ago I received this beautiful Ozeki Strawberry Nigori, I thought it'd be the perfect way to bring back these drink posts. Hehe.

Let's start with, what's Nigori. I'm no expert here but I did some reading and, I'm love with the whole process. Nigori is sake that is only coarsely filtered, so there's a little bit of fine rice solids still left in there, that's why it's slightly sweet, cloudy and creamy. It comes in different types, from lightly cloudy to thicker ones.

It goes well with spicy Asian food, creamy desserts, and citrusy flavors. It's suggested to drink chilled and shake before serving.

Until now, I've had only tried the classic, unflavored one and, I love, love, love it. This one, was a very pleasant surprise.

It perfectly combines the creamy and subtle texture of nigori sake with the sweet strawberry flavor. It's funny cuz it has a bit of a sour after taste that makes you feel as if you were really eating strawberries with your sake. 

Look at that beautiful strawberry color!

It contains 9% alcohol, so it is very light, defo lighter than traditional sake and, 4.0 acidity. I loved it cold and paired with some snacks at night. Great way to end my day, honestly.

I think, this (or the natural one) are perfect for those who haven't tried sake yet and kinda want to get started, especially cuz most people feel sake is strong. 

All in all, it is delish! Now I wonder if there are other falvored nigori out there cuz I defo wanna try.

I'll try to share more of my fav drinks or just fun finds in the future. But, that's it for now~

See you next time and, 乾杯~!💋

Time To Catch Up! June Recap 🎂

It's time to say goodbye to June, my birthday month. It was busy, eventful, with its up & downs but, I can say it was a good one even if it was an emotional month for me, it was defo better than May~ 

I started the month with some birthday celebrations, I won't really go into it too much cuz there's already a bday post where I share a little bit more of that. It was fun and great and I'm really thankful to everyone who took the time to make it a special one.

June was also my dad's birthday and father's day. We celebrated birthdays a couple of days apart so, it's always bittersweet cuz we used to celebrate our birthdays together at some point. Not being able to do that, is still pretty hard. And, let's not talk about father's day, talking about dads with my students always makes me feel emotional. It's something I just can't seem to get used to. I cried, yeah, but I also remembered him (and grandpa) with lots of love.

I was very lucky life gave me these amazing men. I love them so much and miss them everyday.

And, even tho I did go out and stuff, I think those were the highlights "socially wise". Work is still busy but I think it might slow down a little during the Summer because some of my students will take a break before the school year begins. We'll see what happens.

Oh! Speaking of going out, this month we went to this fruit shop and lunch counter that recently opened in a mortuary (I know it's a weird combination but, that's what made it attractive, hehe) that is SO GOOD! It's called  Lima Limón Frutería y Lonchería. Food was delish, they use natural ingredients and, portions are pretty big. Loved it.

I don't think I've mentioned it a lot in here but, I have a scrapbook/junk journal that I kinda neglected for a while this year until this month, I wanted to make time to work on it at least once a week cuz, it's fun and relaxing and... the junk was already piling up so, it was needed. And so, I kinda got caught up with what I had saved for the last couple of months (I still have to work on this month's) but, Idk, I like it, it feels like a cozy hobby.

My scrapbook/journal is a thick one, I've had it for years. I know at some point I'll have to start a new one.
Here are some of the pages I worked on this month.

Moving on let's talk about what I've been watching, reading and some favs this month.

I'm not gonna mention the ones I still haven't finished cuz, they keep coming back every month, haha. I finally watched the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie. It took me forever, yeah. But I honestly didn't watch it before because none of my favorites at that moment where part of the movie. Now, I have a lot more love for my boys, Gojo and Geto so, it felt like the right time to watch it. I liked it, yeah. Didn't love it but, it was a fun watch.

The second season of Lethally Blonde premiered this month, so I'm currently watching it every monday when they release a new episode. You know I love my true crime and since it is hosted by Holly Madison, it's a must watch for me.

Lastly. I'm rewatching (cuz I love to rewatch things instead of watching new ones...) Oruchuban Ebichu which is such an old, adult anime I watched many years ago. I've only found season 1 so far but, it's very entertaining to watch.

In my head I was going to read 2 books this month cuz they were not thick but, my work had other plans, hehe. So, I only finished one: Cadaver Exquisito by Agustina Basterrica. My students recommended it and, it was a great book in the worst way possible. Defo my type of reading, hehe.

The other one I'm reading is The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo. I'm halfway through it, I'm hoping to finish it next month.

And, since I don't think I have any favorites to share, cuz I recently shared some of my fav skincare products atm and I don't want to make things repetitive, I'll just end the post with some fun yummies I tried this month.

This is something I actually tried at the end of last month, my mom and sister bought them cuz they know how much I love this combo. They are the Sabritas Maple Honey and Bacon flavored chips. I could care less about soccer but, I believe they are a World Cup special edition. Which is sad because I really liked them. They do taste like maple with a slight smoked taste, they are sweet and savory. So yummy.  

Next we have watermelon gummies called Sandita. I love everything watermelon and these are not the exception. They are covered with (non spicy) chili powder. They're addictive.

One of my favorite finds was the Choco Banana Fanta that, I believe, it's a Chinese, limited edition flavor. It such a fun drink! cuz it's like drinking a choco banana milk, but fizzy. I loved it!

Lastly, I have to include the buzzballz drinks I received on my birthday. I already drank the 2 of them and, they are very sweet, but reaaaally good. The ones I've tried were the Watermelon Smash & the Strawberry Rita. It's kinda difficult to choose wich one I liked the most and, now I want to try other flavors. I think they'd be great with some sparkling water just to tone down the sweetness a little bit.

I think that's it for this month guys, I'm looking forward to the new Bleach cour next month. My mom's birthday is also coming so, I believe it'll be a fun month.

See you next time~!💋

Skincare Products I've Been Using & Loving This Year~

This year has been the year I've been back to Korean skincare, I loved it when I was younger and I still do, for some reason I stopped using it for a while but, for a couple of years now, I've been taking better care of my skin because this girl ain't getting any younger so, yeah.

I think I keep my skincare routine pretty simple compared to other people. Here are some of the products I've been using this year, not all of them are K-beauty but, I'm pretty happy with them. some of the products have other posts dedicated to them so, I'll link them in case you wanna read more.

The Hoygi Ultimate Moisturizing Cream is a little more recent than the other products. My sister gave it to me and I've been using it as my day cream while I finish the TEATRICAL Antiarrugas with green tea cream I was using before, and that I forgot to take a pic of while prepping this post.
This cream is good for mature skin since it focuses on reducing wrinkles and fine lines. It hydrates and tightens the skin. Apparently it stimulates collagen production and improves skin elasticity.
It's gentle with my skin and it absorbs quickly and it has a very subtle and clean smell.

Bonnyhill Strawberry Collagen Toner Pad defo one of my favorite products atm. It is a 3 in 1 product. This one has strawberry extract, but there's a vitamin C too.  My skin looks and feels healthier since I started using it. Add to that, the presentation. It's too cute!!

Farmstay Retinol & Collagen Rolling Eye Serum I use it every night, massaging my under-eye area. The roller gives you a nice cooling feeling which is perfect after a long day. It leaves the eye ares softn and hydrated. It also smells really good.

 

e.l.f. Suntouchable Whoa Glow Sunscreen works as a sunscreen and as a makeup primer cuz it's slightly tinted and shimmery. 
It's very lightweight and has SPF 30.
I really think it'd look really pretty on tan skin.

Beauty Of Joseon Matte Sun Stick is the best sun stick to carry around! Application is clean and easy and, you can even reapply it on top of your makeup without ruining it. It doesn't really smell like anything and it leaves your skin feeling super, super soft. It has SPF50+ PA++++.

Zenker Lab Sunscreen with SPF 50. I mostly use it on my body but, every now and then I've used it on my face too. I've been using it for years now and, it's great! It has a light texture,absorbs quickly and doesn't have a greasy feeling. It's very affordable too and I recently discovered there's a spray version, I wanna try it!

TonyMoly Clean Dew Acerola Foam Cleanser I first started using it years ago, and went back to it after receiving it as a bday gift. It is a very gentle, creamy and soft cleanser with antioxidants and anti-aging properties. It smells SOOOO GOOD!

St. Ives Apricot Scrub. This is an oldie, I remember my grandma used it and, we've been using it for years too. It's my favorite scrub to get rid of dead cells on dry or flaky skin in a gentle way. It also enhances the luminosity of your skin.

I first knew about this Beauty Treats Natula Lip Oil because a friend included it on an Advent calendar we exchanged years ago. My lips are usually dry and this one is a great product to hydrate them. I especially like the mint one, cuz it's slightly fresh. I use it as a treatment, usually in the mornings or while I'm getting ready and doing my makeup.

COSRX  Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence This is one of my favorites! As I'm sharing this, I'm starting my 2nd bottle this year. I use it in the morning and at night. 
Since I started using it, I've seen a big difference on my skin. It looks healthy, glowy and feels super soft.

You know I've been using sheet masks for a while now, I like to try different brands but, I especially like the Korean ones. (I love Japanese too but they are difficult to find where I live). These are the ones I recently bought, the Orjena Green Tea Natural Moisture Mask Sheet. I bought a pack of 10 sheet masks.
They are for all skin types and are made with green tea extract. They sooth and reduce wrinkles. It has green tea that works as antioxidant. Lately, I've been putting them in the fridge for a little while before using them and, it is a great, relaxing treat for my skin.

And, that's everything! I didn't include the products I use to remove my makeup, Idk if you'd be interested in that too or, in any other products I use and love. (makeup, hair, etc). 

Let me know!! 💋

Miniso | Fascinating Sakura Perfume🌸|

I recently received this perfume as part of my bday pressies and it quickly became my everyday perfume so, I thought I'd share it with you. 

It's the Miniso Fascinating Sakura Perfume, which is perfect cuz, you know I'm obsessed with everything sakura.

I want to mention the presentation cuz, it's really pretty! It comes in a 20ml bottle, which makes it cute and easy to carry around with you in case you want quick touch-ups throughout the day. I wish they had a bigger version tho.I love the pink sakura flowers on the bottle, gives it a girly touch.

As expected, it is a floral fragrance, according to the internet it has top notes of citrus and gardenia, cherry blossom, jasmine, and rose. And base of green leaves, tuberose, and sandalwood. To me, it's a cheerful and fresh scent, perfect for the Spring/Summer time.

Something that I really liked about it is how long lasting it is, the scent is pretty strong so I try not to wear too much and, I can still smell it throughout the day.

That's it for this super short perfume post, hehe.

See you next time~! 🌸

🔖 Recent Reads: Cadaver Exquisito

Sometimes when I watch book videos I listen to people saying the have read a very disturbing book, that they had to stop reading for a while cuz it was too much, that they don't recommend reading them before bed cuz they'll give you nightmares and, I kinda wanted to find something like that. 

Two of my students recommended this one, actually, one of those students was the one who lent me the book. And I also watched 2 videos including it in their "most disturbing books" so, that was my sign, I had to read it. 

Cadaver Exquisito (Tender Is the Flesh) is a book written by the Argentinian author, Agustina Bazterrica, the story is set in Buenos Aires in a distopian world in which cannibalism became legal after this kind of pandemic affected all animals and made it dangerous for humans to eat their meat.

"The sudden appearance of a lethal virus that attacks animals irreversibly alters the world: from wild beasts to pets, all must be systematically slaughtered, and their meat can no longer be consumed. Governments confront the situation with a drastic decision: legalizing the breeding, reproduction, slaughter, and processing of human flesh.

Cannibalism is the law, and society has been divided into two groups: those who eat and those who are eaten.

Marcos Tejo, general manager of the Krieg meatpacking plant, is an obscure bureaucrat. The day he receives a woman raised for consumption as a gift, temptations transform him into a dangerous conscience with sinister undertones that will lead him to transgress the rules to limits unknown to society.

In this ruthless dystopia, as brutal as it is subtle, as allegorical as it is realistic, Bazterrica inspires, with the explosive power of fiction, highly relevant debates."

I finished this book in 2 weeks, which is really fast for me, it is not a thick book and chapters are short so, it was easy to read more and more but still, it's a record! Haha. 

It's a very raw and explicit book that talks about topics that could be triggering for many people like sex, loss, gore, animal and human abuse and, of course, cannibalism so, I'd suggest checking the trigger warnings if you feel like reading it.

Even tho it shows an imaginary reality, and how difficult it could be for some to adapt to it, it perfectly captures how humans can take advantage of any situation, no matter how bad or twisted it is to fulfill their own desires. Even Marco, the main character, gives us a big plot twist that makes you change the way you see him.

I wanna take a moment to appreciate my cool bookmark. I think I showed it in another post when I got it, but I wasn't using it as what it is until now. I got it at a Japanese event and it's 3D printed. I love it!

I don't know if I'm just very desensitized to many things now or if something is very wrong with me (lol) but, I didn't find it difficult to read and it didn't traumatize me. The only two things that got me were the animal abuse part, I can't stand it, thankfully wasn't that expicit or long and, of course, loss. I'm still very emotional when it comes to people losing a parent so, yeah. That almost made me cry.

I honestly loved this book, I think it'd make a difficult to watch, but great movie. The end felt a little incomplete tho. Personally, I wanted to know what happened later. Plus there were other things I wish had a closure somehow but, it's defo one of the best books I've read so far. It was really good in the worst way possible. 

See you next time~!💋

My Birthday pressies 2026 🎂

And just like that, I celebrated another birthday! It really is scary how fast time goes by~ But, like every year, I am going to share a bit of how I celebrated and, what I received this year. You guys know, I love making this posts, hehe.

Since my birthday was on a weekday, I started celebrating the weekend before with a yummy lunch date at Cheescake Factory on Friday and a birthday brunch on Sunday.

On my actual birthday (June 03rd) I got a surprise breakfast delivery from my mom and sister and my boss suprised me with a cake at work, later that day. Even tho it was a busy day, it was a nice one.

The next day, wine night was bday edition, we had dinner, delish matcha-chocolate cupcakes and I opened my pressies. On Friday, my friends came over with ramyeon and flowers and that weekend I continued celebrating with family and friends.

Celebrations were great, I ate and drank A LOT and I just love spending time with people I love. I'm spoiled, hehe.

Now, we are going to move to the pressies, they are in no particular order but, I did try to separate them into groups to make this post a little shorter. 

We'll start with the clothes, they are all winkly tho, cuz of course, I couldn't be bothered to iron them for the pics. Plus, I had already worn some of them before.

I know I say these often but, I'm really bad at taking clothes pics. With that being said, let's do this!

My Geto outfit! Haha.
These pieces came in a set and, I love them! It's the most comfortable outfit ever. 

I've been obsessed with the jeans! I always thought that cut wouldn't look good on me cuz I'm pretty short but, I was wrong. They are my favs atm.

Next, we have alcohol! I really love it when people give me alcohol, they just know. Hehe.

Last year, I decided to start reading more and, I've been recieving books and things to read ever since. I haven't had to buy many books really. And, I recieved some for my birthday too! I think I'm covered for a while, hehe.

I've been wanting a Derpy plushie for a while cuz he's my favorite ever and, I got him as a gift. He's the cutest and I love him so much.

I guess these were more like... celebration favors but I'm including them here cuz, they were super thoughtful and special considering this girl loves Halloween.

Does it make sense to put these goodies together? Idk

Cuz yeah, I'm still obsessed with everything sakura~

Love me some skincare!

And, with that, we close this pressies posts. June is still a bit of an emotional month cuz my dad's birthday was only a couple of days after mine, and I just miss him. But, it felt really good to be surrounded by people I love, it made it easier. 

Thanks to everyone who made my bday a special one, I'm very lucky to have you all ♡

As I usually do, I might write separate posts about some of the things in here, especially the books and products as I start using them.

See you next time~!💋