Hey, guys! I’m sorry for the late post, but I’ve been swamped with midterms and papers. I love blogging, but academics have to come first. I have a rule that if I didn’t have a blog, would I spend this time studying or doing something else? If it’s something else, like watching Netflix, I spend that time blogging, but if I would otherwise be studying, I choose to put this blog on the backburner.
Anyway, here’s a quick post documenting my February Favorites. I hope you enjoy. (Sorry for pushing the Bangladesh Recap forward again. The goals and favorites posts have a timestamp)
Last Month’s Favorites – January 2019 Favorites (Books, Movies, Music, Etc.)
//Books
The Lunar Chronicles (Cress, Fairest, Winter) by Marissa Meyer – I finished the whole series this month and I’m kind of sad that it’s over. I read the last two books and the prequel (Book 3.5) in between them because that was the publication order. If you don’t know, the Lunar Chronicles is a series of fairytale retellings with a Sci-Fi twist. Cress is a Rapunzel retelling and Winter is a Snow White retelling. (The prequel is the villain’s story, which made the fourth book even more entertaining) I think retelling is the wrong word because the series does build upon previous books. The series takes place hundreds of years after World War IV, the Earth is at peace, but are in negotiation with the colony on the moon. After hundreds of years, the humans on the moon have evolved into something else (Lunars). I think that’s all I can tell you about the worldbuilding itself. I enjoyed the series a lot and recommend it. (I started the first book a few years ago but ended up putting it down. I’m glad I picked it up again).
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – This book was so good! I know the movie for it came out last year, but I haven’t seen it yet. It takes place in the future when the Earth is in complete disrepair and people use virtual reality to escape from it. The explanation from how things got to where they were was phenomenal. It explained both the environmental and economic factors that led to the Oasis being created. The creator of this virtual reality world set a challenge after he died, and the winner would win his entire fortune and control of the virtual reality world itself. The story follows Wade Watts, the protagonist of the novel, who is competing in this competition. I really enjoyed the book and it’s my favorite stand alone novel I read last month.
And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer by Fredrik Backman – This was a very short and sad novella. It follows a boy, his father, and his grandfather, who has Alzheimer’s. It follows the three of them processing everything as the grandfather slowly forgets everything. I finished it in a day and some of the quotes have stuck with me still.
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus – I read this because I loved the movie so much. The book was a much more detailed account written by two former nannies in Manhattan. The book follows a college student working as a nanny to a four-year-old boy and his rich family. It was a fun light book to read. I very much enjoyed it, but I would recommend the movie more. The reason I liked the book so much was that it added so much to the movie. It was also interesting to read about some of the true stories the authors went through described in the book.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri – I read a few short stories in this book for my Asian-American Lit class. I enjoyed them so much that I read the entire book. Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of short stories about the lives of Bengalis from Kolkata, India immigrating to America. Honestly, almost all the stories had sad endings. It made it seem like all arranged marriages end badly and the spouses have affairs with American people. The stories were still interesting to read.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid – This is the other book I read for class. It follows a Muslim man after graduating from Princeton. He lands a prestigious job in New York and we see his life prior to and after 9/11. After the attack, we see how his life drastically changes in America and the differences in the way people treat him.
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? [Blade Runner] by Phillip K. Dick – This is the last book I started last month and should be finished by the time this post goes live. I didn’t know that Blade Runner was based on a book, but I understand why they changed the title. (Because no one would watch a movie called “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”) The novel follows Rick Deckard, who is a bounty hunter paid to kill androids. The points of view alter between him and the androids he is sent to destroy. The beginning was a bit slow but has picked up a lot. I think it’s a solid book and is an interesting to contrast to how androids are portrayed in The Lunar Chronicles)
(Here’s a link to my Goodreads account if you want to follow along with the books I’m reading)
//Movies
How To Train Your Dragon 3 – This is my youngest brother’s favorite movie franchise, so the three of us (me and both brothers) watched the movie the day after it came out. I personally love the series too and think the ending was perfect. I hope they don’t make a fourth movie because that would drag the series on too much.
//T.V. Shows
One Day At A Time – Season 3 came out last month and I finished it a week after it came out. It follows a Cuban American family after the mom and dad separate. It’s a fun comedy that will also make you cry.
Sex Education – I was going to watch this anyway during the break because the guy from Ender’s Game (Asa Butterfield) plays the main character, but after two friends recommended it to me and told me it wasn’t a show I would binge-watch, I started watching it last week. I have a rule to not start any new shows during the school year, but I’ve noticed I have a bit more self-control now. I watched one or two episodes per day over the course of the week and really enjoyed it. It’s about the son of a sex therapist, who ends up making money giving sex therapy to other students at his school. The show gets away with a lot of the crass things they talk about because it takes place in the UK. If the characters had American accents, their lines wouldn’t come across the same way.
The Bachelor – I’ve been going to a Bachelor viewing party every Monday night for the past few weeks and it has been a lot of fun. I’ve never been able to watch a full season of the Bachelor because it’s a bit much, but it’s been so fun to watch with a group of girls, scrutinizing it together. There are also a million advertisements, so we mute the T.V and talk a lot in between. Next week is Spring Break, so I probably won’t watch the finale, but I’ll check social media to see how it ends. It’s been a fun way to spend Monday nights, though.
//Music
I honestly haven’t listened to much music in the last few months. I’ve mostly just listened to audiobooks. Whenever people ask me what music I’ve been listening to, I feel a bit pretentious when answering, “I listen to audiobooks mostly” because that’s honestly all I listen to throughout the day.
- “You Matter To Me” from Waitress – I watched Waitress on Broadway with my friend Shounima and this is the song that I’ve relistened to the most.
- “I’ll Always Remember Us This Way” from A Star Is Born – There was a free screening of the movie at my school, so I went to watch it. I’ve heard all the songs before, but after watching the movie, this is the song that got stuck in my head.
//Priceless
Taking My Friend To Her First Broadway Show – I took my friend Shounima to her first Broadway show in February (I bought her tickets for her birthday). I was on the fence about spending so much money, but seeing how excited and happy she was made it all worth it.
Making More Time To Read – I’ve finished at least 22 books so far this year, not including Wattpad/Fanfiction that I read practically every day. Even though I still have a lot of school work, I’ve made significantly more time for reading and listen to audiobooks every chance I get. It’s true that if you love doing something, you make time for it. I’ve spent significantly less time watching T.V. scrolling through my phone because books have filled that time.
Seeing Friends More Often – I’ve been going out a lot more lately. I’ve been making time in the evenings and weekends to spend with friends and going to events. This semester is shaping up to be a great one.
That’s it for now. Wish me luck on midterms!
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What good books did you read last month? Movies? T.V Shows? Music?