Hello ladies & gentlemen,
The month has come to an end and it’s time to do a quick wrap-up of what has been done.
Reading Breakdown.
Novels read: 3 (−).
Comic books read: 10 (−).
Manga volumes read: 14 (↑).
BOOK REVIEWS
The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Hi Five by Joe Ide
COMIC BOOK REVIEWS
DCeased by Tom Taylor
The Flash: Year One by Joshua Williamson
Road of Bones by Rich Douek
Batman (Vol. 11): The Fall and the Fallen by Tom King
Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows by Jeff Lemire
Aliens: Dead Orbit by James Stokoe
Spider-Man, Peter Parker: Back in Black by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
TV SERIES/MOVIE REVIEW
MISCELLANEOUS POSTS
Goodbye 2019 – Hello 2020
My Monthly Anticipation | January 2020
Blogging: Quality, Quantity or Something Else?
TOP BOOK
The third book in the Lightbringer series was another fantastic story arc that confirmed one thing for me: this is one of my all-time favourite fantasy series out there!
Check out my review for more on my thoughts!
LEAST FAVOURITE BOOK
While it wasn’t bad, James Stokoe had some pretty good artwork to showcase, but the story was lackluster and unoriginal.
Check out my review for more on my thoughts!
TOP TV SERIES/MOVIE
A metaphorical examination of social stratification, between the poor and the rich, portrayed through a masterfully-plotted thriller, carried by an indisputably perfect cast, and tinted in black humour.
4 ½ stars outta 5.
CURRENTLY READING
The sequel to one of my favourite reads of 2019 is now out and, so far, it is as epic as I remember this world to be! My thoughts on this one will be coming soon.
Check out my thoughts on the first book, The Gutter Prayer, for now!
PERSONAL LIFE
Following the Christmas and New Year holidays, it’s always a bit disconcerting to return to your professional routine, whether it’s work or school. We always wish the downtime lasted longer, that life was a lot easier on us, and that everything we want to achieve will have magically been achieved the next day. But sometimes the reward is only satisfying when you put in the time, sweat, and blood to achieve it.
January went by so fast but I felt like it was an excellent month to get used to the game once again and to put myself in a mentality that will sharpen my senses and have me rolling through the following month without letting little obstacles get in the way. By putting all my deadlines in perspective, I was quickly able to find that groove again but it was also a tragedy over the weekend that woke up something deeper in me.
Many might have heard of the tragic accident that the legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant suffered on the 26th of January, 2020. His death shook many of us across the world for various reasons. Whether it was his friends, his family or his fans, anyone who has followed his career knows that his passion for the game was unmatched, that his mindset was always focused, that he made his dreams into goals, and nothing could ever stop him.
Although his death was premature, his legacy was never going to be forgotten. If there’s one thing I’m going to remember him for, it’s not that life’s too short but that perseverance is quintessential to happiness, that we should always remember why we do the things we do in the first place and keep our heads up at all times as we aim for the stars and always try and become better versions of ourselves. #ripkobe24
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!
Stayed tuned for my Monthly Anticipation post coming out soon. 😉
So what’s going on with y’all? What have you discovered this month? What are your thoughts on the books/TV series/movies I’ve checked out?
Yours truly,
Roars and Echoes 
Kobe’s crash was only about 30 miles away from me and I’m still in shock, not just for him but for all the members of other families that were also lost. Like you, I want to try to make every second count now😊 Hope you have a lovely month ahead.
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That is absolutely insane! 😮 I can’t imagine the death of a superstar so close to home… We just have to keep moving forward now. Have an awesome month of February as well, Tammy! 😀
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I have to see Parasite! And I really enjoyed The Shadow Saint.
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I definitely recommend the movie to you, I think you’ll enjoy it. 😉 And yes, I remember you enjoying The Shadow Saint! So far, I’m really enjoying it too! 😀
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Cool!
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January zoomed by SO quickly. I think I found a new routine. I hope.
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I’m glad to hear that! I too hope it works out for you to. 😀
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Awesome month in review. Sounds like you have found your groove!
Happy Reading in February 🙂
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Thanks, Scarlett! Hope you have a fantastic month of reading, running, and traveling in February too! 😉
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But sometimes the reward is only satisfying when you put in the time, sweat, and blood to achieve it.
Man, isn’t that the truth? I never enjoy a weekend as much if I’d had the previous 2 days off. But come Monday morning, no matter how long my weekend was, I feel like it was never long enough 😉 I gotta learn to be content with what I get!
I have seen reviews for the movie The Parasite on several places. I have to admit though, nothing about it makes me want to watch it though. Especially considering little I watch movies.
Kobe’s death didn’t affect me at all. Call me callous, but famous people dying has as much affect on me as the kids in China. I get that it affects other people (not trying to belittle anyone else who IS affected) beyond the intellectual exercise, well, it doesn’t hit me. Maybe I’m an undiagnosed stone cold killer just waiting to go on a spree? What’s your professional opinion, doc? 😉
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Absolutely correct. I learned to GREATLY appreciate weekends as I grew up. It just doesn’t have the same importance as it did younger when you’re working your butt off during the week.
Ahhh, I don’t think Parasite would actually be something you’d enjoy as much as others actually hahah But if you got nothing else to do and somehow find yourself with an opportunity to see it, I’d say to try it out just to see what you’d think of it or to expand your horizons! 😛
Hahahahaha I sort of had a feeling you’d be unaffected too. I’m not as affected as others but since basket-ball is my favourite sport of all time and I still play it today, the NBA became a part of my life to as I grew up and Kobe was pretty much everywhere hahaha
Well.. I can tell you that my social circle is only composed of law enforcement and potential criminals, sooooo… Since you probably aren’t the former… 😀 😀 😀
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I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I’m a criminal mastermind genius!!!!! Watch out world! 😀
The sports world is something I’m tangentially aware of, just enough to be conversant in the broadest sense, but it has no lure for me. Never has either. Do you play pickup or on a league?
Yes, in my copious spare time for movie watching I might just check this out 😉 Hahahahaa.
Thank goodness it is the weekend now….
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Hahahhahaa
I mostly play indoor and outdoor pickup games but all my friends who play them are in a league throughout the year. I just decided not to tag along because of how limited my time is (to train/practice and play games would’ve took A LOT of my time). I had to cut on other hobbies for it (like reading, blogging or gaming) and unfortunately couldn’t hahah
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So glad to see your high rating of Parasite, I really want to see it! And you are so right about getting started again after the holidays, it is super tough, but also rewarding and you enjoy the holidays so much more, when it’s a (well-deserved) break after having worked (or studied) hard.
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I can only recommend it highly. It’s a great movie with loads of discrete symbolism that makes it worth checking out.
Absolutely! It’s even more shocking when you didn’t realize how amazing those breaks are until you’ve went through hell first too hahaha
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Death always puts everything on perspective, doesn’t it. Especially unexpected, or premature.
I’m currently having the last day of holidays, out here it’s summer and sun! 😊 That explains my reticence on the blog, I guess… 😁
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It sure does. The one thing that we can’t do anything about for now. 😮
Oh man, comparing that to my cold, snowy days sure does make me envious! 😛 I can’t say you’ve shown any form of reticence on your blog though. We hear from you at least once a week. I feel like Piotrek is the one whose the most absent of you too though hahah
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Life has a habit of ruining even the best-laid plans 😉
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Great stuff Lashaan, can’t believe it’s February already (and Brexit has actually happened)…I’m not a sports fan and wasn’t aware of Kobe Bryant but I certainly heard the tragic news, it seems as though he was a good guy and well admired.
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Oh yeh, the Brexit stuff alongside the impeachment hell in States sure does make that day quite eventful… I wonder what the future will be like with this move.
Yep. He fused talent and hardwork with passion and made quite an impact on the game. It’s quite sad that we won’t get to see him do even more post-retirement like many other legends do nowadays.
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Parasite is at the top of the list of movies I’d like to watch when I get access to it. I’ve loved other movies by the director and starring the main actor. Great stuff.
I love your perspective on the death of Kobe Bryant. I will admit it didn’t impact me much as I don’t really follow most sports, so I only knew the name, not the personality. But any loss like that is a terrible thing. So being able to create a positive message from it and use it to guide your own life, that’s a great thing.
Here’s to a fantastic February!
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If you’ve seen his other movies then I believe you’ll highly enjoy Parasite. Trainpiercer was another favourite of mine by him too. Okja was less impressive to me although it was definitely original!
Exactly. Sometimes we just don’t need to relate to every person’s death but when it’s people who have changed things within our society, then understanding it can relativize a lot of things for us.
Have a fantastic month of photography and reading, Todd! 😀
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Always impressed with the amount of reading you manage to squeeze into your schedule Lashaan! 😂 It is always hard to get back to a normal working schedule after the holiday seasons and since I have made significant adjustments to it for the new year I feel like this month has been pretty weird. However, I did read a lot more this month, and I also kicked my ass a bit to publish some posts on my blog as well. Yay! Hope you’ll enjoy the month to come, February always feels so long so I’m not very excited 😅
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Hahaaha it ain’t as much as you think! I envy those who can squeeze in fives times what I’m reading! 😛
I can only imagine how it must be for you, especially when you have to adapt to a whole new environment and almost transform it into a home that makes you happy! I do hope that you’ll get around to doing all the things you want to achieve this month, Juliette! I’m sure you’ll know how to make the most of your free time without overdoing it. 😉
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Ahah I hope that too, not really worried about overdoing though, usually it’s the opposite that happens 😂
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Glad to hear you’re back on track after the holidays. I feel like I totally derailed but a new month has come and I’ve started out decently. I was sad to hear about Kobe and his daughter. At least I knew who he was. 😅 14 manga on top of your books and comics is a ton! I hope all your plans for February go well.
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I’m glad to hear that, Dani! Ever since what happened to your self-hosted website, I feel like it shook your blogging ways hahah I hope you’re still enjoying what you’re doing! 😀 And yes, quite sad and it’s impressive how his death caught everyone’s attention too. And yes! I’ve been re-binging Bleach nowadays and I’ve been having a lot of fun! 😀 I see you’ve been enjoying Attack on Titans too. 😉
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Yeah it’s quite fascinating what we’ve learned in just the first 4 volumes. Though the pacing is odd making some volumes very underwheling.
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Wow you’ve read a lot! I wish I could read as half as much as you do! Great job!
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That’s so funny hahahah I say the same thing to other bloggers who’ve read twice as much hahahah Thank you! 😉
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Omg twice as much as you! I’m not even thinking about that!
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I’m so happy you had a good start of 2020 🥰 I was so sorry to hear about Kobe, even if I had no idea who he was before you told me about this tragedy 😞 Sending you all my love for this and for just you being you 🥰
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Hahaah no worries, I’m not that affected by it all. I just see it all as an opportunity to see it as a wake up call. 😀 Your love will always be welcome and treasured, no matter if it’s a happy or tragic day! 😉
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