My Monthly Wrap-Up | October 2020

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 has been done.

Reading Breakdown.

Novels read: 6 (↓2).
Comic books read: 28 (↑12).
Manga volumes read: 8 (↑2).

BOOK REVIEWS.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
The Trials of Koli by M.R. Carey.
Digital Mini Reviews | You Say Poetry, But I Say Misery!
The Seventh Perfection by Daniel Polansky.
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman.
Machine by Elizabeth Bear.
The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

COMIC BOOK REVIEWS.

Batman: Universe by Brian Michael Bendis.
King of Eden (Vol. 1) by Takashi Nagasaki.
Green Lantern: 80 Years of the Emerald Crusader.
Batman: Knight Out by Chuck Dixon.
Kabuki Omnibus Vol. 3 by David Mack.
Batman: The Man Who Laughs by Ed Brubaker.
Naomi: Season One by Brian Michael Bendis.
Tales from the DC Dark Multiverse.

TV SERIES/MOVIE REVIEWS.

The Boys (2019—) Season 2 TV Series.

MISCELLANEOUS POSTS.

Blogging: How Do You Blog Hop?

TOP BOOK.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.

This really turned out to be a wonderful surprise coming from writer V.E. Schwab. I’m putting high up there alongside The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

Check out my review for more on my thoughts!

LEAST FAVOURITE BOOK.

23472391
Captain Marvel (Vol. 1): Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick.

More on this in the near future but let’s just leave it here as it turned out to be my least favourite read of the month. I think me and Captain Marvel just don’t click in general…

TOP MOVIE.

Amazon.com: Rosemary's Baby Poster Movie (27 x 40 Inches - 69cm x 102cm) (1968): Posters & Prints
Click on the image to be redirected to my review on Letterboxd.

Director Roman Polansky’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968) is a terrifyingly brilliant movie that perfectly masters the art of gaslighting through an examination of horror without visual gore in a story centered around an impending baby and enigmatic neighbours. 

The movie also does a phenomenal job of questioning gender roles and intergenerational relationships through Mia Farrow’s incredible performance as a submissive woman desperately trying to escape this mental prison.

It was my first Polansky movie and it will probably not be my last!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

CURRENTLY READING.

48717387

Although I’ve been meaning to dive into his The Witcher series for a while, I caved in and I’m currently going through this English translation of his Hussite Trilogy. A review for this one is just around the corner! 😀

PERSONAL LIFE.

This was an absolutely fantastic reading month for me! Last month saw me include digital novels into my reading habits and this month allowed me to fully appropriate it in my daily life. And it worked like a charm! I love how much I’m able to sneak into my schedule and how well I’ve been able to read more than usual. Obviously, it helps that it’s a lot harder to be occupied socially with the pandemic but it was nice to finally explore this lifestyle for a month.

This month was also the beginning of the pandemic’s second wave as our government issued a 28 day quarantine that was further extended by four weeks (ongoing). While the shock of having to once again slow down outdoor activities hurt much less than it did the first time, it’s a bit unfortunate that we are where we are when it comes to staying safe and practicing safe habits. I don’t know anything will change anytime soon but I’ve already made up my mind that things will remain as it is for at least until March 2021.

The upside of having less time outside of your home is that you can fully embrace a couple of hobbies you have with even more fashion than ever before. I think it’s often something that many forget when they’re sucked in by responsibilities. You sometimes need to remind yourself that life has so much to offer and that it’s up to you to make the most of it despite the conditions in which you’re in.

Speaking of circumstances, I imagine that Halloween is probably not lived the same by everyone out there, especially kids who were used to going out trick-or-treating. I hope everyone out there got the chance to celebrate this holiday in their own way during these tough times!

200+ Best HALLOWEEN GIF'S images in 2020 | halloween gif, halloween, halloween pictures

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,

Banner1

INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK – GOODREADS – TWITTER – OUTLOOK

Published by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

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

57 thoughts on “My Monthly Wrap-Up | October 2020”

  1. Looks like you had another amazing month! That’s for sure! 😀😀The amount of books you’ve read are truly amazing! Too bad about Captain Marvel, but I honestly don’t find it surprising. That book really didn’t receive too many favorable reviews. Not that something like that can’t be wrong, but well when so many people dislike it, there must be something to it I guess😊
    Rosemary’s Baby huh? Definitely a classic..and a timeless one at that! Glad you enjoyed it so much!😊
    You are not wrong about things not changing anytime soon: we have to stay working from home at least until april 2021, so go figure😅😅 We’ll see how things go, but as you say the upside is there’s more time to focus on hobbies. So I guess there is always a silver lining😊
    Stay safe my friend, and I hope you will have a great November!😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m impressed as well! The number of comics read is definitely a record for me and I’d be impressed if I can actually beat it in the near future now! 😛

      Ah yes, it is indeed one of those hit or miss characters but there are a lot of writers who have given a shot at her character. I’ll probably keep on trying just for the sake of knowing more about her and what she goes through but I’m pretty much not a fan of the character in general hahah

      A fantastic movie, it was! I’ll hopefully check out the book too sometime soon just to compare them both but man… The ending of Rosemary’s Baby was truly unforgettable! 😛

      I hope you have a fantastic month of November too, Michel, and that your health will only get better so that you may also focus on all your gazillion of hobbies as much as you want and can! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I agree about Captain Marvel. She isn’t one of my favorite characters either. More of a Black Widow and Spiderwoman fan myself, when it comes to female Marvel characters😊
        Thanks! I have to work one more week, and then have a week off, so looking forward to the upcoming spare time!😊😊

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Wow! You had a great month! And I am glad you managed to find a new “routine” that helps you read more. Whatever help is to read more is good (well, with the exception of the pandemic!). And I’ll look forward to your review, because I am quite curious about the new Sapkowski series!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Susy! It’s indeed quite nice to be able to sneak in more reads each month! Ahhh.. as for his newly-translated trilogy… I fear that fans of the Witcher series won’t find the same quality in this one, unfortunate. :/ I’m almost done with it and will definitely be sharing my thoughts on it soon! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. Can’t wait to see what you think about the tower of fools. I was going to skip the comment on this post, but then you ruined that plan. Ha ha. I’m reading the last wish, I want to say it’s the first witcher book, the reading is quite nice!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. I actually started The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue last month too, but somehow wasn’t feeling it as much as I had hoped. It’s really a shame, because it was super high up on my list of anticipated reads. Anyway, we are starting our second lockdown too, but I now have a job to go to. It’s gonna be very interesting …

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. Yep, Second Wave (and its attending lockdown) is incoming. Thankfully, Mrs B has switched to nights at her job so she doesn’t have to deal with the public and I’m outdoors, so we’re looking good. And even lifestyle wise, covid hasn’t changed how and what we do. Mainly because we sat on our couch and read, hahahahahahaa 😀

    Looking forward to your post tomorrow. I always like those.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. I had a tough time appreciating Brie Larson’s acting, her character’s personality was a tough sale and it didn’t help that they were trying really hard to push a feminist agenda on viewers (Wonder Woman does it much more tactfully), the story left me unimpressed, and if I remember correctly, I hated how she approached several of her fights 😂 there’s probably more that didn’t work for me but I’ll save it for when I take the time to revisit all the Marvel movies for a proper review on my blog hahaha 😂 I envy those who adored the movie though and I’m glad there’s a fanbase since a sequel is in the works! 😂

        Liked by 1 person

  12. A good month, indeed – and this despite the dark clouds on the horizon that are getting nearer with every passing hour…
    Thankfully the possibility of finding a form of escape in books is the bright, shining light we can enjoy in these difficult times!
    Here’s to continued good health and an inexhaustible supply of good books 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. “life has so much to offer and it’s up to you to make the most of it despite the conditions in which you’re in”. That is so true and I will have to remind myself of that in the coming period. England is going into a second lockdown from Thursday. 😒 Great post – and impressive list of reading and reviewing! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. You’ve really been consuming those comics lately! Of everything you’ve reviewed this month I’m most looking forward to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Rosemary’s Baby, classic that it is. I would recommend Polanski’s The Pianist, I really enjoyed that one. And I see Frantic as kind of a classic, though I’m not sure it’s as good as The Pianist. There’s still many of his movies I’ve yet to see. Keep positive, pandemic or not. As you said, there’s so much worthwhile out there, it’s up to us to find and embrace it. Have a great month, Lashaan!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I was able to make the most of all the different ways I can read them and it worked wonderfully! I’m glad to hear your continued interest in The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue! I do hope it’ll be a journey that’ll impress you in one way or another. I definitely have The Pianist high on my life. I think the fact that I discovered Polanski’s catalog in October has led me to look mostly towards his horror movies but I’m very excited to finally check out Chinatown and The Pianist in the near future! I saw The Ninth Gate with Johnny Depp this weekend (not his best movie but still a fun one). Thanks, Todd! I hope you’ll also remain positive and safe during this coming month! Keep up the amazing photography work and posts too! 😉

      Like

      Reply

  15. I’m ashamed to admit that I completely forgot about the release of Addie LaRue, but to know that it’s up there with the Night Circus is defintiely encouraging. We found ourself in a “firebreak” lockdown this month, which continues into November, but who knows what’ll happen beyond that. It was expected and while the lockdown doesn’t change much for me from a work perspective, I am itching for a change of scenery. Nevertheless, I’m happy to do my part and stay safe, but I too have resigned myself to the fact that this will continue into 2021. So, I’m celebrating little victories and channelling my inner old lady by cross-stitching haha. Take care and I hope November is kind to you. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. You’ll only have to NOT let your expectations get the best of you with Addie LaRue though! 😉 I think many will have really high expectations and let that ruin it for them. Hopefully, you’ll fall in love with it like I did. 😀

      I feel you with the desire for a change in scenery. I do feel like we’re missing out on a chunk of our lives by being so isolated and secluded… Imagine all the trips, activities, interactions, we might have done over the past months! Yikes… And to think that this is our life for a couple more months if not another year! 😮 Here’s to staying positive and safe, rather than sorry! 😮

      Like

      Reply

  18. What a great month, Lashaan! Hope your next one will be just as good or even better! Just let me tell you before I read your review, Witcher series is much, much better that the Hussite trilogy :P\
    Any new hobbies you want to tell us about? 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. Rosemary’s Baby is such a classic Lashaan. I can’t believe you just watched it, but I am glad you did. Our second wave is not too bad in Southern Ontario. I am glad I don’t live near Toronto or Ottawa. Stay safe. 😷😷

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m stunned that I haven’t seen it till now too! It’s among my favourite horror movies for sure now.

      I’m glad to hear how safe you are there. It would have definitely been a whole other story if you were in Toronto/Ottawa! Montreal isn’t so bad but we’re already in the middle of our second quarantine. Stay safe as well, Carla! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  22. WoaAaah what a brilliant month you have!!! I’d be thankful if I can read 7 books in a month lol and you review them at lightning speed! Well there’s no lockdown here but my lil fam and I are staying put at home and staying safe. I’m just thankful that we can stay together under one roof and that we can spend quality time with each other especially when my kids are still little 😀 Great post, Lashaan! Stay safe and well!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Haahaha I usually envy those who can blitz through 10 books a month too. Ohhh, I’m glad to hear that you’re keeping yourself and your kids safe throughout these trying times though. Just keep on staying clear from heavily populated places. Hope you have a fantastic month of November, Jee! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  23. I am very impressed by how you managed to sneak more reading into your days thanks to digital books! I’d love to hear how you manage all of this and maybe it can inspire me to read a bit more! After a few month of “intense” reading (by my standards definitely not yours 😂), I have been very slow lately! Hopefully next month will be better. It’s true that as you said the good thing about the lockdown is having more time at home for different hobbies! I wish you a great month of November, may it be as productive and book-filled as this one! 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Hahahah I’ll definitely remember to share my reading habits in the near future! It sounds like a good idea and one that will likely get many others to share their own as well. 😀 I’m glad that you’re still able to find some time for reading and that you’re enjoying it when you’re at it! That’s the most important part of it all. 😉 Have a fantastic month of November as well, Juliette! Hoping to hear more about the things you read/do over on your blog too. 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Once again, I don’t want to skyrocket your expectations for it though! Careful, Zezee! That’s dangerous! 😉 But man, I had a blast getting such a “modern” low-fantasy romance story written by Schwab hahah

      I just know I’m glad to have finally seen it. I’ll probably end up reading the book a bit later when my memory will slightly fade (although the ending of that movie was really unforgettable hahaha). 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s