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: 4 (↑1).
Comic books read: 15 (↓8).
Manga volumes read: 12 (↑4).
BOOK REVIEWS.
We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson.
The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.
The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.
COMIC BOOK REVIEWS.
Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince (Vol. 3): The Rebel Army by V.E. Schwab.
The Art of the Last of Us Part II.
Nightwing: Year One by Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty.
Digital Mini Reviews | Here Comes Miles Morales!
Batman (Vol. 13): City of Bane Part 2 by Tom King.
The Green Lantern (Vol. 2): The Day the Stars Fell by Grant Morrison.
Berserker Unbound by Jeff Lemire.
TV SERIES/MOVIE REVIEWS.
VIDEO GAME REVIEWS.
The Last of Us Part II (2020).
MISCELLANEOUS POSTS.
5 Things I’ve Learned in 5 Years of Blogging.
TOP BOOK.
This one needs no introduction. It has changed literature for the better and remains one of the best reading experiences that I’ve ever had!
Check out my review for more on my thoughts!
LEAST FAVOURITE BOOK.
Anytime Batman isn’t treated right, it’s a bad one for me. Writer Tom King’s final chapter in his comic book run with Batman ends with this second part and it fails to crawl towards the light after having dug itself deep into the shadows.
Check out my review for more on my thoughts!
TOP TV SERIES/MOVIES.
Mid-July was the weekend where I re-watched once again Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy but, this time around, my girlfriend saw these for the first time too (yeh… shame on her! 😉). This one stands the test of time. It is a tightly-knit masterpiece highlighted by the unforgettable performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. A full review for this one will be out next month! 😁
5 stars outta 5.
Special mention to Dark (2017-2020). This Netflix TV series is a German science-fiction thriller that explores a twisted family genealogy. It is often referred as an adult version of Stranger Things and it’s not that wrong to say so. I finished up the second season during this month just in time for the third season that was released on June 27th, 2020 (coincidentally, also the day of the apocalypse within the show)! The twists in this one are unpredictable. Believe me.
4 stars outta 5.
CURRENTLY READING.
Currently reading the third book in the Empires of Dust trilogy and I’m looking forward to seeing how Anna Smith Spark looks to conclude Marith’s reign over his ever-growing empire.
PERSONAL LIFE.
I guess the concept time has taken on new forms these last few months. Every week flies by like there’s no tomorrow, months disappear without any goodbyes, you just can’t help but wonder if 2021 is already here. Despite that, I feel like I’ve taken July very lightly, that I’ve tried to maintain some kind of routine without troubling myself with anything more than necessary.
On the 21st, I made a post to sort of celebrate the 5th year of blogging and reviewing on my blog and, when I think about it, five years is pretty insane… I remember once telling myself in some random tags during Year One that I saw myself becoming a serious reviewer in five years and, damn, I think I’ve achieved that and have been able to dish out a gazillion of reviews while still ENJOYING it. Honestly, this couldn’t have been possible without your support, guys. I’ve grown so much over the years and sharpened my way of thinking in ways that I didn’t think possible in five years but I’m happy that blogging allowed me this kind of growth. Thank YOU again for everything. ❤
This month also saw the beginning of basket-ball season with friends of mine and I am so happy to finally be able to get back on the court and sweat all that quarantine off me. I missed the sport and I’m glad to still be able to practice it! Although, I have to say, playing with a mask on is no easy feat. I think I’m going to continue to prefer playing between my friends for the time being.
A friend of mine also ended up moving into a new place with his girlfriend and it made me realize even more that we’re getting old… In four more years, I’ll have hit the good ol’ 30s and that’s not something I ever imagined reaching so quickly! It did, however, make me happy to see my friends get more serious and commit to big things. Even if 2020 has been pretty shit lately, you can always find something positive when you want to.
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!
Stay 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 
This is such a cool post! I love it! Keep up the amazing work. I can’t wait to read all of the wonderful things that are going to happen in August.
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Yay! Thank you so much for reading. Hope you have a wonderful month of August! 😀
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Thank you! You too. 😊
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What an amazing post! And I can’t wait for your Monthly Anticipation post!
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Thanks! Hope you have an excellent month of August! 😉
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I watched the first season of Dark in July and while I love the eerie atmosphere, the amount of characters got me confused that I have to consult a cheat sheet to know who’s who and which year it was 😂 It was intriguing and definitely made you concentrate because if I miss something, I get lost easily 😂
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Hahahaha I totally understand, Tasya! It’s one of those shows that you have to always focus if you don’t want to miss anything, especially with the “who-is-who” thing! 😛 I feel like now is the perfect time for anyone to get into it and binge through all three seasons without risking to forget things too though. 😛
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Looks and sounds like a great month Lashaan, especially being able to play basketball with your friends! Here’s to an excellent August! 😀
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Absolutely! Needed a way to shake off the excess energy I’ve been accumulating these past months of quarantine hahah Hope you have an excellent month of August too, Nicki! 😀
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Looking forward to your review of the Dark Knight.
As for getting older, if I may be so bold, when are you going to propose to your gf?
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Hahahah I wish the answer was simple. 😉 It won’t be long though. I’d safely say that it should occur before we hit our 30s. 😀 Shhh…
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Glad to hear that 🙂
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Sounds like July was a great month for you with blogging anniversary and basketball! Where I live, the gyms have just reopened, but I must shamefully admit, I’ve gotten so used to working out on my own at home, so I haven’t been there yet.
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It indeed was pretty cool! Oh no, there’s no shame in that. In fact, my gym closed down (bankruptcy) and I can’t get myself to pick any of the remaining gyms nearby out of fear that I’d expose myself to COVID. I don’t know when I’d get the chance to be in a gym again now hahah Working out from home is definitely the way to go for now. 😀
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I’m glad you had a great experience with Fellowship of the Ring 🙂 I’m re-reading The Hobbit now, for the first time since the films came out!
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Hell yes! I’m happy to hear about your re-read and I hope you have a fantastic time with it again! 😉
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My key takeaway from this post: “Even if 2020 has been pretty shit lately, you can always find something positive when you want to.” I fully support that. I haven’t had a whole lot happen this month, mostly more of the same. I did, however, have an old urge resurface with a vengeance which caused me to purchase my first acoustic guitar. I haven’t played an instrument since grade school, but lately I’ve wanted to learn a new one, so guitar it is. My fingers are a bit sore, but I’m really enjoying the process, and it’s great to be learning something new. I’m looking forward to seeing what August brings you. Hopefully some great reading and opportunities to spend some fantastic time with friends!
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For some reason, hearing about your journey to master guitarist puts a smile on my face. I have also had an itch to properly learn a new instrument (e.g. violin, piano, or guitar) and haven’t played anything since grade school too (we were “forced” to learn the recorder back then). I do hope you’ll continue to enjoy it though. Maybe someday you could share some of your skills with us too. 😀 Have an excellent August, Todd!
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Heath Ledger’s joker is my fav. That’s one of my fav movies. I had a DVD of it, but a friend borrowed it and I never got it back.
On Dark — I’m gonna give that show another try. I watched the first 2 episodes, I think, but it was a bad decision to listen to the English dub. I’ll just read the subtitles.
Playing basketball in a mask… Damn! I know that’s not easy. Hopefully it’s not very humid there. It’s humid af in DC. It’s a struggle to walk through the thick wall of air with a mask on.
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Wow. No wonder you hate the idea of borrowing books, anything really. You’ve had the worse of friends when it comes to giving it back in the condition they were!!! 😛
Oh man, I highly recommend listening to it in German with English subs. That’s the way to go. The show also requires so much of our attention just so you don’t miss out on some key information and get lost in the process haha Hope your 2nd attempt will prove to be better though!
Oh man, there were days were it was extra humid and we still went to play because every other day, it was raining. Boy was that a helluva experience. 😮
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I’m starting to itch for more action. Basketball sounds great. Now, to get some people off their butts…
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Hahahah you got this! 😀
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Weirdly, July went by super quickly, though it was also a “slow” month on some aspects! For me the fact that it was summer definitely made me happy, despite the November-ish weather we had in Belgium 😒 I can’t wait to check out “Dark”, I’m pretty sure I will love it, but I feel like I haven’t watched anything on Netflix the whole month (good or bad thing, I don’t know)! 😊
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I’m getting closer and closer to wanting winter weather just so I can say warm with plenty of layers and drink hot stuff without sweating like crazzzy hahaha
I definitely recommend Dark but you’ll have to make sure to pay attention throughout each season. It can get confusing quite quickly. 😛
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Nooo I’m not ready for winter yet 😭 We started Dark yesterday actually ahah, only watched the first 2 episodes but loved it! 😁
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I’m so happy you started the LotR trilogy and I can’t wait to read your review of the first book aaand see you finish the other books 😍 I hope the new season of Dark will be good! I started it a long time ago and started it again yesterday with my family! I like how hard it is to understand 😂
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I can’t wait to talk about it all with you too, especially once you get your butt back here. 😉 Hahahah I like how you like the complexity of it. The following seasons make it all the more complicated too. 😉 Enjoy! 😀
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The theme since March is Groundhog day — there is a sameness in our daily lives against a backdrop of disasters, pandemonium, and suffering. And I’m not even being negative. Those are the facts. Of course, for every individual, this is where dissimilarities may come in. There will be varying degrees of hope and gratitude. 2020 life, ya’ll.
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Tell me about it. It really does feel like Groundhog Day. Always trying to make the most of it, but once you go to bed and wake up, you need to do it again or find another way to stay sane and happy. Here’s hoping this last quarter of 2020 won’t get any worse for everyone…
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