Reader Said ...

1.  At which age you started reading?

Pretty early - with picture and vocab books. But the most serious ones then were 'Journey to the West' series that come with black and white illustrations and detailed captions. With around thin 33 vols? Or 40-50? Too pity I can’t find any tracks of them all since they were borrowed and never returned T_T I should be around 4-5?

That would include the Little Prince too. Got it from my father around that time too and I only grabbed basic concept and element of a child story before learning about the philosophy behind it much, much later.

But then, with abundance of books around the house, it’s rather obvious that I started reading anything and everything early.

2.  That first novel

Perhaps a full-length Thai novel from the shelf which comes into mini books with one chapter one book as parts of a complimentary for some magazines. However, I was fooled by the lightness of the cover (such a beautiful art!) and the thinness of the mini book when I started reading. Well, the novel contains love and politics, and no wonder it lose me in the later chapters and it made sense to me only a decade later. At age 6-7 then.

If not novels, I think I started with Greek mythology around that age too since mother used to tell me the stories bits and pieces in the car, and when I asked her to keep telling, she finally handed me the book to read myself.

Still, although I read high fantasy, the very first one to do in English would start with Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan before my hell runs loose.


3.  Favourite novel

Oh, that’s quite awfully lot! The order is by thinking order rather than ranking by favouritism then.

-Western-
Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
Angel fall & World After by Susan Ee
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Kinked by Thea Harrison
Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews (novella)

-Korean-
Trash of the Count's Family
Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint
Overgeared

-Chinese-
Cultivation Chat Group
Female Teacher
Dominion's End
Thrive in Catastrophe
The Reborn Otaku's Code of practice for the Apocalypse

-Japanese-
The Last Boss Witch Will Keep Her Past Self's Crush Until Her Dying Day
Redemption of the Blue Rose Princess

Oh, since Thai novels are hardly translated in English and hence hard to refer I omit them then.

I feel everything with simple yet smooth plots, elaborate language, practical and capable protagonists, symbolic meanings and touching scenes can hook me anytime!!


4.  Ever Written one? What’s the title?


Definitely! Hahaha, I think I’ve completed only one. A short story it is instead of a full novel. Also, attempted to write several but they are normally in the process. I think I enjoy having actual plots in my head and play them in my head more than writing them out. Still, for some scenes in the head, I will just write pieces and bits about them. For these tiny pieces, some are in Thai and some in English. Though, strangely, I feel I can express in English much more easily.

What’s more there are usually slow builds when love occurs after learning more about each other, symbolic meanings and cooking. Ooops!


5.  Your recommendations to others

Oh, I feel it’s not just me, but them. So I would normally rec the novels of their types. But since I settle with those of my interest, it’s kinda typically to have them enjoy my types too, so the recs are flowing and flowing, spreading the evil cultsss!

I'd tried to sell woops rec Trash of the Count's Family to several people, and then since we are screaming it together to the lunatic level, I stop harassing people (bar you!) then.

Haha, lately I have sold ‘The Reborn Otaku's Code of practice for the Apocalypse’ and ‘Death Progress Bar’, and I’m just happy when some returned with positive feedbacks.


6.  Genre to read

FANTASYYYYYY! Especially in western settings (I know, I know, but I grew up reading fantasy in western contexts! Don’t blame me!) and maybe non-contemporary times.

Hmmm, practical and capable yet likable protagonists should be my first priority!!! Then properly followed by not only ironic bites/ humors but also human touch/ touching feels.

7.  Genre to avoid

Hmmm, contemporary with no magics and paranormals – too bad, my world orbits around them!

I don’t know why, but Omegaverse has been popular here, and I just hate it. Like you are in heat, and you reluctantly/ unwillingly/ or even are forced to mate with someone who contempts you. Then you get pregnant, and you two start to care and love each other. Damn. I feel it forced and unnatural.

Any Chinese with handsome CEOs and seemingly bad/ villainous girls is a no-no for me too. Read plenty before and they are just the same – with the stoic formula and bland characters. Some even come with a mountain of loopholes! 99% of them are too dull not to mention too long!

In terms of elements, weak-willed and selfish characters and too-many loopholes rile me up too!

Oh, don’t read anything with bad and bleak tones too. Life is way too sad already I don’t want to add melodramatic to my well-beings. Rather, why make it sad when we can go happyy!!


 8.  Most hurtful read

Oh,’My Sister’s Keeper’ by Jodi Picoult. And I will never ever read anything like this ever again!


9.  Most hilarious read 

Hmmm, hilarious for me means dark, ironic and crazy humours, so I can only think of ‘Trash of the Count's Family’, ‘Overgeared’ and ‘Cultivation Chat Group’ (this one mostly contains crazy, wacky and out-of-the-context twists) but then I think ‘Dominion's End’ is great in terms of self-biting too! Haha!


10.  Most heart-warming read

Hmm, anything with touching moments I guess I will have a certain pattern of screaming “I can’t bear it any more!” before my tears start falling haha. But I’m the type who cries with such any way.

So far, ‘Trash of the Count's Family’ adds this side from time to time – love it when the characters strive to help others while becoming better.

Also, enjoy a Thai m/m webnovel called ‘Suddenly I Get Married to the So-called 10,000-Kill God’ (kind of my tran) too. Hmm, it’s more like future world where parasites can rule the host bodies, and a tech soldier is getting married to another field soldier by accident (?). Personally, I feel it’s a slow-build of relationships where two lonely souls get to spend time with each other and learn to warm up. This is especially so when the field soldier is thawing and feeling once more.

11.  Wow plot

Hmm, unexpected good twists and out-of-the-box solutions.

I enjoy the way Kim Dokja thinks of the third possibilities in 'Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint' and how the situations evolves in ‘Dominion’s End’ too.

But sucker plots for me hmm anything with practical and capable (or lately OP too! haha!) protags and sensible circumstances.

Still, for romantic ends, mentors-and-apprentices and enemies-turn-lovers are good tooo!


12.  Stun plot

Stun as good is anything with above-mentioned elements! So damn ready to dive in!

Stun as bad is excellent-then-deteriorating ones esp. in terms of plot derailing. The more we read, the more we get frustrated!
Oh, don’t like too melodrama too. Esp. with those who starts good but then declines to melodrama routes.


13.  Favourite protag? Why?

Oh CALE-NIM! Hahaha, and we know why!

Another I can think of is Miryem from Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik.
She’s the girl who is just practical and capable who will fight feisty for her family herself. And her never-give-up and there-is-a-will-so-there-is-a-way attitude is refreshing for me too.

Hmm,  Liyana in Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst is also exactly just that – though she’s more visceral than the former a bit.


14.  Favourite supporting character? why?

Oh, let’s list those from Trash!
Choi Han – for his devotion and willingness to follow Cale’s orders without faults.
Beacrox – for his obsession with cleanliness and precision
Eruhaben and Raon – for their biting words that so extremely contrast with their behaviors
Alberu – for his calculating and scheming self combined with his lunatic way of laughing and caring for those around him

Outside Trash
Venerable White (Cultivation Chat Group) – while he seems perfectly perfect in every sense, be it appearance, knowledge, and skills, he possesses many idiotic natures like

1. falling into trances when distracted and thus causing gigantic holes on the ground
2. obsessing with new technologies and ending up de-assembling fridges, microwaves, air cons, tvs yet without the ability to assemble them back. So he just creates illusions to cover his faults and sending those failed experiments outside space using his magic wooden swords
etc
just think of him makes me laugh continuously already

Krungel (Overgeared) – the guy first appears as unapproachable sword man with the title Sky Above Sky, and I love to see how he’s becoming more multidimensional as he learns to have friends.


15.  Most memorable quote from a character

Oh, too many! The quotes are usually tweeted here and there!

16.  A character you want as a boyfriend

Staryk King from Spinning Silver

A lofty and cold-blooded bastard fae who simply falls in love too easily with just a tiny turn of event. But then when he loves, he loves just sincerely and wholeheartedly.

At first, he has Miryem (from #13) as his mortal bride by accident and he treats her awfully. Then, when he loves, he even asks her parent’s consent just to court her! Oh! That’s the right sweet for me!

This is both hilarious and sweet for me :)

17.  A character you want as a sibling

Ice Emperor from Dominion’s King
Told you I want a big brother whose existence is as reassuring as a big mountain, and he’s just that! Also, he’s way too handsome and too capable too!


19.  An author you want to know

Hmm, a couple of Thai webnovel writers – mostly in terms of their inner thoughts tho.


20.  A novel you still wait for 
     (tho the author stops writing)

One Thai webnovel with otome theme called “Really Otome?” It’s so good as the writer puts a lot of politics and power struggle in the play. Too bad, she’s gone T_T

Maybe Domion’s End too?


22.  Which novel you want to transmigrate into?

Trash of the Count's Family, definitely! Hahha! But oh, on the condition I can go OP and be in Cale’s entourage too! Must be entertaining to see the event from my own eyes and touching to be part of the gang!


23.  Things you don't want to hear from authors

They would stop writing/ reposition themselves/ re-genre (esp. go YA! Or Urban Fantasy)


24.  A plot that you want to read now

Anything with my elements mentioned before. I don’t mind reading classics as long as the plot is well-laid. For me, the best things are simple plots with care!


25.  Sneak-to-read experiences in various places

Oh, not any more! I will just read grandly! Haha! But then now I will read at home for I want serious read time tho!


26.  Reading-fuck-me-up experiences

When I forget the flow of times and spend my supposedly-sleeping-time on reading!

Also, in large scale, if I’m into some hundred and more chapters I will go obsessed with reading till I catch up/ the story finishes. That ruins my sleep and probably my routine a lot!


27.  So far, has your favourite genre changed?

Not really. Fantasy is the best for me. But now sometimes it’s changed from pure high fantasy like magic and sorcery and the chosen ones to transmigration and reincarnation a bit – but then it’s from supply available not from demand side.

Oh, also, perhaps I change from western books to more Asian books (first with Chinese to Japanese and now to Korean) in these 2-4 years now. And oh, more Thai fantasy novels too.


Maybe need to be noted that there are more yaoi novels in my read for the last 10 months – simply due to supply as more and more sublime novel fantasies, especially in Chinese and Thai, are yaoi. So, let’s go with what is available and good! Me no discriminating! Haha!