Monthly Rewind: June 2024

L I F E

Aside from settling into my new job (still new two months in?), I haven’t been doing much aside from trying to find a nice schedule to keep streaming while also working full-time. I began streaming on Twitch in 2022, just as I left my previous job – so my schedule was pretty much open to stream whenever I wanted. Now I stream usually in the evening and I’m still live most evenings as it’s a fun de-stressor for me since I like to yap about anything while playing anything on stream. Funny enough, the audience between this blog and Twitch is as different as day and night. Sometimes, people find it a surprise that most of my internet history has been well documented here before I showed up on Twitch. But I still love being able to talk about my recent reads on stream, so feel free to drop by! Shameless twitch plug here.

B O O K S

For transparency, books marked with an asterisk (*) signify books I received through work at PRH.

Also, hey, guess who finally emerged from the shadows of Booktok and has decided to post my monthly reviews over there as well. For now, they’ll be just short summaries of what I’ve read alongside ratings, but I want to play around with the content as I’m not super confident enough to make TikTok videos with voiceovers.

• Northern Boy — From my review: “Northern Boy is heartfelt and poignant. Hussain’s ability to vividly portray the struggles and triumphs of Rafi’s youth was fantastic to read. Despite my shortcomings with the dual perspective and the adult chapters, the story is still rich in character development, and poignant storytelling shines through. Rafi’s journey and quest for identity resonate deeply, making Northern Boy still a worthwhile read.”
• *A Short Walk Through A Wide World — Perks of working in a publishing house – you really pick up books that can be found anywhere and look super interesting. This one was super fun, as I wasn’t expecting much at first, but in the end, Aubry’s growth as a character was super satisfying, even if the fantasy realism part of this book didn’t match up to my taste.
• *The Negotiator — This one had SUCH high potential that I was so sad when I finished it. A group of survivors from a hostage situation find themselves being harassed a few years after the incident, which also coincides with the prison release of one of their captors. Tia is an ex-cop who is one of the hostages and decides to investigate who is sending these threatening messages. The dual perspective also follows Asher, who always maintained his innocence for the part he played in the incident. The chapters alternate between past and present for both protagonists. Robinson is a compelling writer who creates these three-dimensional characters, but the pacing is a bit too slow, and I felt like the same issue also popped up in Northern Boy, where because of the alternating chapters, you find yourself having to wait for certain chapters to catch up and align themselves which hinders the thriller aspect of the book.
• The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi — I requested this book on Netgalley back in Feb 2023 and even preordered a signed copy from Waterstones because I really enjoyed The Daevabad Trilogy. Because of my terrible book slump, I couldn’t get to read this until now, and WOW, I’m so glad I read this now instead of forcing myself to read it through a book slump back in 2023 because I know my mindset back then would not have given this book the flowers it deserves. This was SO much fun, and I loved seeing how much Chakraborty had improved since her first trilogy. There was a slight bump in the road for me towards the end of this book where it was clear the story was trying to set up a plot for future books, but it felt like taking away from the current plot. I am currently writing a full review, which should be done in July, but regardless, I really enjoyed Amina’s story.
• Blood Over Bright Haven—A shoutout to everyone who was there when I was streaming while reading The Sword of Kaigen last year. Thank God those VODs aren’t available online anymore. I can’t believe Blood Over Bright Haven is a standalone. M.L. WANG? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CREATE THIS INTERESTING MAGIC SYSTEM AND DEEP LORE AND HISTORY FOR IT ONLY TO BE IN ONE BOOK? A more detailed and in-depth review is to come because it deserves it.
• The Rainfall Market—A young girl receives a ticket to a magical market where she can find happiness, but only during the rainy season. It is times like these that I wish I hadn’t abandoned learning Korean a few years back because I think the translation of this book really hindered the experience. The book is marketed towards an adult audience, but the translation makes it feel like I’m reading a children’s novel. All I could think when I was reading was – damn, this must be much better in the original language because the English felt like it was losing a lot of nuance.
• A Lady for a Duke—I found this book through TikTok, and the speed at which I read it was a new record for me. Viola is a trans woman in Regency England who fakes her death during the battle of Waterloo. Two years on, she reunites with her best friend who thought she was dead this entire time and they have to face their unresolved feelings. Great cast of characters, super sweet and Gracewood definitely took the Anthony Bridgerton masterclass in how to be a pathetic yearning man in the best way possible.

A R T

A pretty slow month for art this time around. I am currently working on the Discord Viewer art at the moment, but after completing Clorinde’s story quest in Genshin Impact, which was basically one big love letter to DnD, I was inspired to make my own version of the art from that quest. Nothing completed this month, but I hope to actually design my own stickers this month. Or at least make a start on them. I bought a Kindle not long after starting my new job, and I’m very inspired by Kindle TikToks, where people have cute stickers on theirs. And instead of using the many, many stickers I have, I decided to make my own instead.

That’s it for this month! Tell me what went on in YOUR life this month! What sort of things was important for you this month? New obsessions? New TV shows? Or book? Any new song recs (I’m always open to new music!)? Best books you read this month?