It feels so nice to be writing a Monthly Rewind post and actually having stuff to talk about. So hey, a little life update, I finally left my current job after almost six years of waitressing. While my new job is temporary, I’m enjoying it a lot. I’ll be honest, it feels great to not be a waitress anymore. My co-workers were great, but it was a very demanding role where I felt I was going nowhere in my life being there. I initially got this job during my gap year and only planned to stay for as long as my degree but 2020 obviously said otherwise. I ended up being stuck there for much longer and my job search was… very frustrating to say the least. My temp job is less demanding and I’ve really settled in well after only two weeks! At least I have a break from job-searching after two years though I am not looking forward to doing it all over again in August. OTL
Oh, hello! I’m introducing a new segment to the monthly rewind where I showcase any art + sketches I’ve made in the month. I find myself drawing a lot before my shift at work while having my coffee. (I basically rinse that £20 monthly sub from Pret) So there’s a lot of art. Some good, most bad. But I want to share the ones I liked the most.
I read 2 books this month! I’m still slowly making my way out of that reading slump that was caused by pandemic blues and general dissatisfaction with my life. I’ve slowly begun to make more time now to read and hopefully, I can stick to a routine that won’t cause me to burn out again.
Sisters of the Snake – I requested this arc last year and I’m glad I finally got to read it! It was a fun pick-me-up to get me back to reading. A great fun start to a fantasy series. Very quick to read as well. Read my review here!
Our Violent Ends – Another ARC that I sadly reglected. It was fun to see the conclusion of the duology. My thoughts on this are the same as it was with TVD. I was never really compelled to finished this story for Juliette or Roma because I actually found them rather boring. The side characters and background plot really carry the story. Chloe Gong writes in a way that makes the story digestable and quick to read. I’m actually very excited to read the spin-off because it follows one of the better (in my opinion) characters.
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?
I managed to read 7 books this month! I’m slowly getting out of my reading slump and finally pushing through my TBR and ARC list! This month was so-so but looking at my upcoming TBR has me so excited!
I was not a fan of Jaigirdar’s debut, The Henna Wars, so I wasn’t expecting too much when I went into Hani and Ishu. But I was thoroughly surprised. Adiba Jaigirdar has improved a lot in her writing and story-telling! It was so sweet and fun! I even drew some fanart of Hani and Ishu!
June Hur’s newest book was released in April! I’ve been following her on twitter for quite some time now so I decided to finally get down and read her debut book! Korean period dramas have always been fascinating to me because the history is really interesting, and Bones was really thrilling! It reminded me of a K-drama I watched a few years back because of Cha Eunwoo. (Rookie Historian Goo Haeryung) The drama was rooted more in fantasy, but the plot elements were similar which I really enjoyed.
I managed to read 5 books this month! But this might be my most disappointing reading month yet. March is always a weird month for me. Celebrating another birthday in lockdown doesn’t help either, but my sister and brother-in-law bought me an iPad so I’ve started drawing again! I’m really excited to practise and improve so I can draw all the head canons my heart desires. My current loves right now are Jujutsu Kaisen and SK8 the infinity so they were my obvious first drawings. (Sorry, Miwa but I want a selfie with gojo too…) I’ll be posting more art stuff on twitter to show progress!
During February, I managed to read 5 books! This month has basically been revolved around looking for a new job, which has damped my reading mood. My current TBR is mainly fantasy books which has sort of pushed me into a reading slump right now because I feel like I’m not in the mindset to properly appreciate the details in them. Plus, I’ve slowly fallen into the JJK (jujutsu kaisen) fandom so that’s my current brain rot right now. And SK8 the Infinity.
Jujutsu Kaisen (volume 0 -> current chapter) by Gege Akutami – I started watching the anime earlier this year because of a Tik Tok, and when I tell you, I’ve never been so obsessed with something so quickly. Even my cousin was shocked to see that I had read all the chapter so quickly. I absolutely adored this manga, from the art to the fight scenes, and the story is just so well-done!
Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan – Look out for this one when it’s released! I’m trying to get myself back into reading contemporary novels and CDWY was a great one. So, so sweet!
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé – From my upcoming review: “Gossip Girl meets Get Out in this dangerous debut that highlights everyday and institutional racism. It is intriguing and well written. It takes you on one hell of a ride as it challenges white supremacy embedded in academia.”
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan – A standout debut! Quite possibly the best book I will read this year! A fantastic reimagining of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo – As I mentioned, my onslaught of fantasy books I’m reading right now ended up causing me to feel really overwhelmed. So I randomly went through my contemporary TBR and picked this one out at random! I absolutely loved The Poet X, so it was no surprised that I enjoyed Clap When You Land as well!
Check out Saniya’s first discussion post about re-reading books! Personally, I would love to re-read some of my favourite books but time is never on my side. Plus, like Saniya, part of me fears that the magic from the first read just isn’t there anymore.
I don’t read Middle Grade often unless it’s from an author I’m familiar with but The Quiet Pond never fails when it comes to recommendations! I’m really interested in Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston!
I’m obsessed with the Brown sisters trilogy so I just wanted to share Riza’s review of the second book in the series!
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?
I actually surprised myself by reading 15 books this month. I have never read this much in a month, but I chalk it up to the UK being on its third lockdown. And now that I’ve graduated, all I can do it look for graduate jobs and read. It feel weird having this much time to read, but I quite enjoyed most of the books I read this month!
Six of Crows – I have finally read Six of Crows! I had bought a copy back when it was released but I hadn’t finished the Grisha Trilogy yet. So this book slowly fell down my TBR list because I had taken so long to read the first series. I didn’t like the trilogy that much, but I can definitely see the improvement in SOC. Pray I don’t take four years to read its sequel.
Loveboat, Taipei – I have really surprised myself this year with reading more contemporary novels and actually enjoying them for once! Loveboat was so good!
The Chosen – Eh, a little disappointing considering I have enjoyed reading Matharu’s previous series with my cousin.
Remnants of the Atonement – First DNF of the year 😦 I requested an arc because of a reddit post, but now I feel like I’ve been bamboozled.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown – “Yours, Red.” Two damn words and I was a MESS. Damn, who is this person I’ve become that suddenly enjoys contemporary.
The Song of Achilles (RE-READ) – I have been playing too much of Supergiant’s Hades. I’ve been desperately trying to reunite Patroclus and Achilles in-game, but it’s hard because I can never seem to find the room where Patroclus can be found.
as told by zaheerah 