Lashaan’s Monthly Wrap-Up | July 2019

Posted on by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Hello ladies & gentlemen,

The month has come to an end and it’s time to do a quick wrap-up of what’s been done. 

Reading Breakdown.

Novels read: 4.
Comic books read: 4.
Manga volumes read: 12.

BOOK REVIEWS

Dragonslayer by Duncan M. Hamilton
Crowfall by Ed McDonald
The Toll by Cherie Priest
Jade War by Fonda Lee

COMIC BOOK REVIEWS

Lowlifes by Brian Buccellato
Umbrella Academy (Vol. 1): The Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way
Polar: Came from the Cold by Víctor Santos
Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander by Frank Miller
Death Orb by Ryan Ferrier
Umbrella Academy (Vol. 2): Dallas by Gerard Way
Superman Unchained by Scott Snyder
American Gods (Vol. 2): My Ainsel by Neil Gaiman
Justice League (Vol. 3): Hawkworld by Scott Snyder

MISCELLANEOUS POSTS

How Do You Remember What You Read?
My Europe Trip 2019

TOP BOOK

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The conclusion to Ed McDonald’s trilogy was my coup de coeur! Check out my review to find out why it’s one of my favourite trilogies of all time!

LEAST FAVOURITE BOOK

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My reread of this manga continues and this volume disappointed me a little. There was a lot of potential but it felt rushed. It still got 3 stars though.

TOP MOVIE/SHOW

How could I not? Tarantino’s 9th film came out in theaters and I had to check it out.

An homage to Golden Age Hollywood, its movies, and its actors. Tarantino does a successful job in interweaving multiple plot lines together and offers an insightful look at the business and the real-life historical events (think Sharon Tate and Charles Mason but with a twist) that encompasses that time period.

Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio also deliver another exciting and fantastic bromance movie with perfect chemistry.

4 ½ stars outta 5.

CURRENTLY READING

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Finally reading this! I waited too long for this bad boy! 😀

PERSONAL LIFE

This was a helluva month! During the first half of the month, I was on vacation, off on a tour of some fantastic cities in Europe with my girlfriend. It proved to be some much-needed time off from work and University and I’m really glad that I did so. There was just so much to learn and discover… And especially to realize that sometimes you can be stuck in a routine without knowing it and at the rhythm you’re going, you can cause more harm to yourself than anything.

While returning from vacation and leaving behind all the freedom of going off on an adventure is painful, returning to your daily responsibilities was even more of a kick in the butt. I was still glad to see my family and friends again and even more to find solace in all my precious books at home, offering me a helping hand as I come running to them to escape from life every day!

What July thought me was that happiness is to be earned and that sometimes you got to work hard for it before you can enjoy it. And so, I’m back to the grind!

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Thank you all for checking out my monthly wrap-up and don’t forget to check out any posts that might interest you or that you might have missed out on!

So what’s going on with y’all? What have you discovered this month? What are your thoughts on the books/TV shows/movies I’ve checked out?

Yours truly,

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Published by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Reader. Reviewer. Researcher. Criminology Ph.D. Candidate. Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Want to know more? Connect with him!

34 thoughts on “Lashaan’s Monthly Wrap-Up | July 2019”

  1. Whoa! That cover for The Gutter Prayer looks so awesome! 😮😮 Loved that one, can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it! 😊
    Well, I’m glad to hear though you had a busy month, it was also a good one! Loved your post on your visit to Europe! As for me…I’m just very happy to be back to blogging! It’s been a bumpy few months, which is why I’m just greatful that things are at least better healthwise! Looking forward to the next month, and all the new stuff you will be showcasing here (and probably adding more stuff to my to read list 😂).

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    1. Right? It instantly grabbed my attention when it was first announced. And then I skimmed through the blurb and fell in love. I’m a bit surprised that I’m only getting around to reading it now but better late than never!
      I too am super glad to see you back and super active nowadays. By the way, I remember you explaining that you were going to work somewhere far from home or something. Are you still doing that or is that done and gone? I do hope you’ve been taking care of yourself, good sir. Then again, I know that you’ll take care of your health and family before anything else!
      I too look forward to adding things to your list. 😀 It’s not like I swore to do it… Or did I? 😀

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      1. Lol…well, my list is probably never going to be completed in my lifetime anyway (unless I take a year of or something like that)so there is that😂😂
        You have a good memory, but yes unfortunately that is still happening. In early November to be exact. I’m really not looking forward to that, and it will probably mean that I won’t be able to keep up as good blogwise as I’m doing now. But we’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
        For now I’m still having fun, and I hope that my health will continue to stay as it is, so I can continue with that fun 😊 As for that book: yes it really is so cool! 😊😊 Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it!

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  3. Hey Lashaan I saw that Ed McDonald was your fav LOL Thanks again for your post about your trip as I never would have discovered The Forbidden Planet without you!!!

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    1. Hahahah I won’t stop repeating it, Sophie! It was fantastic!!! 😀 I’m also glad that you got to visit The Forbidden Planet there. It was unique! I’ve seen one of them in the United States before but it was way smaller and so much less impressive. 😮

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    1. I swear… I read “good McDonald” and cringed. I absolutely despise the fast-food chain hahaha But yes, long live Ed McDonald!!! I look forward to reading your review soon too. 😛
      And yes, I’m very optimistic about The Gutter Prayer. 😀 We’ll see how that goes.

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      1. Stick out your tongue as much you like, the review’s already there! 😛

        Better good McDonald than old McDonald… And now I have the farm song playing in my mind… 😉

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    1. Sure am! Oh yes, after all, I haven’t completed that many trilogies too, so my expectations are now pretty high regarding trilogies hahah You should try Dragonslayer out soon. The author already has all his books written (I think) and queued up throughout the year hahah

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  9. It’s so important to take a break from our daily responsibilities and routine! I’m so happy you did it, even more that I could be with you during this time 😇 I truly think that adventures wouldn’t be so great if they weren’t breaks from work! 😄 Good luck for going back to your daily routine 😘

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  10. I really, really need to read an Ed McDonald book! Actually I tried to get the first of that series because I knew I would probably love it and that I wouldn’t get to it for a long time if I waited til it came out… but it was a no. And now seeing you’ve read the entire series and say you love it so much I’m so upset. 😀 Anyways I enjoyed your trip post so much!! And I’m glad that a break from your typical routine helped clarify things for you. That is always a great thing.

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    1. I can only highly recommend Ed McDonald’s trilogy. It’s character-centric and the world is dark and beautiful. The plot is multi-level and it’s hard for me to say that there was anything bad about it. Maybe just the fact that it had to all end with book 3! 😛 Thank you so much, Dani! I hope you’ve been having a blast so far this summer! 😉

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  11. Quite an eventful and rewarding month for you my friend, glad your Euro-trip went well and hope the return to the grind (which is never pleasurable) is becoming less demanding! Good to hear Tarantino’s latest lives up to the hype, I hope to check it out eventually myself…did you know he’s been developing a Star Trek film? Now I’m a fan of his films but ‘Pulp Fiction’ in space is the antithesis of the Star Trek franchise so I have deep concerns!

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    1. Yep, the return was not so pleasurable but the people around me made it less hard to get back to the grind. Ohh, I do hope you’ll get the chance to check Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. DiCaprio and Pitt together is just too much fun. Hahahaha I am definitely looking forward to what crazy ideas he’ll have for Star Trek. It’s going to create a rift in the fandom, that’s for sure! I wonder who he’ll cast in it too. If he keeps his usual crew, it’ll be one of the weirdest movies ever hahah

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