My Monthly Anticipation | February 2021

Posted on by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Hello ladies & gentlemen,

Who doesn’t love the anticipation of new releases and things that they plan on doing? Every month there seems to be something new and exciting ready to hit the market for our consumption.

Being ready to embrace them with open arms is all we can really do.

To showcase this, I’ll be sharing my top 3 for each category of things that I look forward to this month right here, right now!

TO BE READ.

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Chaos by Iris Johansen;
Release Date: September 1st 2020.

It’s time to play a little bit of catch-up. I was supposed to read this back in 2020 but life got in the way. Who would’ve thought? 😀

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Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler;
Release Date: July 21st 2020.

Another one that I was supposed to read but couldn’t squeeze into my rotation. I better get around to it this time!

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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan;
Release Date: June 28th 2005.

This month’s priority is going to be this YA classic. I have never tried anything by Riordan so this will be the ultimate test. 😉

BOOK RELEASES.

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The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah;
Release Date: February 2nd 2021.

I read both The Nightingale and The Great Alone so far and I’m curious about her latest novel set during the Great Depression. While I doubt I’ll get around to it soon, I do wonder what others will think of it.

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The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor;
Release Date: February 9th, 2021.

I have to say that there aren’t any real must-buy/must-read books that are coming out this month (bet you can see how I’m struggling to find books to put up here). I’ve seen this author’s The Chalk Man around a lot so I wonder if this new novel will be just as big of a hit for fans.

COMIC BOOK RELEASES.

Issue #1 of The Immortal Hulk: Flatline comes out on February 17th 2021 over at Marvel.

This new series Declan Shalvey write and draw it all. I find that such a task is quite insane but the rare people who have succeeded have given us some really outstanding stories in the past! Why not one that finally features The Hulk?

Issue #1 of Young Hellboy comes out on February 17th 2021 over at Dark Horse Comics.

This was inevitable. Creator Mike Mignola now revisits the young demon’s life in this new four-part story. While it probably won’t have the philosophical and mythological weight of the original series, it will surely be fun to visit for shits and giggles.

Issue #1 of BRZKRK on February 24th 2021 over at BOOM! Studios.

Did you spot it? Yep. Keanu Reeves is writing (co-writing with Matt Kindt actually) a comic book series and it features a deadly and immortal warrior who looks like a beefier version of himself! Who could say no to this little journey? 😀

TV SHOW RELEASES.

Out on February 11, 2021 on CBS.

I want to remain skeptical, especially when the show doesn’t have the rights to even mention Hannibal, but a sequel series set a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs is quite enticing!

Out on February 23, 2021 on The CW.

I gave up on all the CW superhero shows since a while now but I’ll always hope that they’ll have something to offer to the loyal fans who stick around, especially when Superman and Lois Lane got the spotlight this time!

Out on February 23, 2020 on AMC.

As the show finally comes closer to its end, it was only a matter of time before it came out of hiatus! I know I gave up around season 9 but if my comic book journey continues to stay positive, I might go back to the show just to see how it all comes to and. 😛

MOVIE RELEASES.

In theaters on February 12th, 2021.

Shaka King’s directorial debut looks hella promising and thought-provoking. Instantly added to my watchlist!

Out on February 21st, 2021.

Always on the lookout for Depp’s next movie and this one looks quite intriguing and somehow unusual!

Out on February 26th 2021 on Apple TV+.

The Russo Brothers are at it again and this time with rising star Tom Holland (kid is everywhere nowadays). Hopefully it turns out better than their last project.

PERSONAL LIFE.

With February being the shortest month of the year, it’s going to be hard not to expect it to fly by as if it was nobody’s business. I do want to make the most out of it though and maintain a certain consistency in my routine. I’m also anticipating a rougher week or two in this month where I’ll have some of my sanity to get some solid writing done but I do believe that mental visualization is excellent preparation for it, for now. 😀

This month (halfway into it) will also mark the beginning of some lectures I’ll be giving and I’m quite excited to see how that’s going to pan out. I don’t think it’ll be as stressful as a live audience but it surely won’t be as exciting as a live one. I wonder what the education system is going to be like once the pandemic will be taken care of. I feel like many institutions will look into incorporating more options to take classes online.

Work has a couple of surprise in store for my coworkers and I too as we fear another shuffling of personals and structure, sending our crime prevention team to places we just didn’t expect it to be. Sometimes you have to feel sad that money (funds) is the only factor that determines if an organization can support something that can make a difference in the medium to long term. Too many people only see the short-term gains and don’t dare take risks that can change the world!

All that being said, I do hope that this second month of 2021 won’t have any crazy bad surprises for all of us though!

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Thank you all for checking out my monthly anticipation post!

Now tell me what you’re looking forward to this month! Any new releases? Anything exciting you plan on doing?

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!

47 thoughts on “My Monthly Anticipation | February 2021”

  1. I’m curious how you’ll see Riordan… I listened to this series, quite recently, and definitely felt I’m too old… but I will recommend it to my nieces, at some point, as a way of getting to know mythology better 🙂

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  4. Riordan isn’t really for me (yet I do want to finish the Percy Jackson series this year). Would be interested to see what you think of it.
    I hadnt heard of Minamata but now I Really want to watch it. So sad cinemas won’t be opening anytime soon over here 😔

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    1. Is there anything, in particular, you would warn a reader of when picking up the Percy Jackson series? 😮 And yes… I’m sad about theaters too… I miss that big-screen experience. I look forward to checking out Minamata as it comes out, hopefully, it’ll be a quiet success, seeing that it isn’t a huge blockbuster movie.

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      1. The humour just didn’t work for me personally. I don’t know if that’s because I’m too old or maybe a culture thing, or maybe just me (I do find American teenager quite insufferable in general for some reason). Most people really like it though 🙆🏼‍♀️
        Yeah, I do hope for Depp it does well. But your post is all I have heard of it so don’t think it will get huge. Oh well, still looks like something I’d love

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  5. I think you’re right, February is going to fly by! I’m hesitant to watch Clarice but oh so tempted. And I’ve been seeing some good reviews of The Burning Girls. Hope you have a great month, and good luck with your lectures😁

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  7. Interesting that you’ll be reading The Lightning Thief. I just recently bought the ebooks of the beginning of the series. No clue if I’ll enjoy it or when I’ll get to it, but maybe your review will push me one way or the other. I’ve felt a bit of a pull lately to try more YA or middle-grade reads, though YA has been very hit or miss for me. But I guess I’m wanting to weave in some simpler reading amongst whatever else I choose to read. Looking forward to reading your reviews on any of these things you make it through this month. You’ll rock those lectures!

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    1. I can see that you’re taking big steps into embracing MG/YA this year and I hope some of the stories you check out work for the better! I do tend to steer clear of most YA unless they’re proclaimed classics or undisputed favourites by many but a couple throughout the year is the healthiest dose I can have hahah Thanks for the kind words, Todd! Stay awesome and keep on doing the things you love as well. 😀

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  12. I agree that short-term gains drive a lot of folks these days. It takes a lot of patience to do something now that may not pay off until much later in the future.
    These days, I’m trying to savor each day to prevent months from passing by too quickly. I almost managed it in January.

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    2. Exactly. When money’s involved too, they tend to prioritize actions that have immediate observable results but such a way of thinking won’t change the world for the better!

      I’m glad to hear that. I hope February will prove to be a reinvigorating month for you, my friend. 🙂

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  13. I enjoyed the Percy Jackson series. The first one was really good and then I enjoyed each successive book less and less until I stopped bothering with him altogether.

    And is that Kong I see in the young Hellboy cover?

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    1. What happened as you progressed? Unoriginal? Belief-contrary elements? Redundant? Boring? 😮

      I doubt it hahah It’s probably going to be more along the lines of an Ape-God than textually King Kong (some could argue it’s the same thing though). We got a Godzilla vs. King Kong trailer the other day if you need a dose of kaiju fighting awesomeness though! 😀

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      1. It became almost a retread and there were moral issues, the usual. But considering he was hitting it pretty hard, in a Middle Grade book, as an “issue”, I would have been livid if I’d been a parent.

        I haven’t even seen Kong: Skull Island yet, so it will be quite a while before I can shovel in a new movie.

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  14. Oooh little Hellboy! I want one now!!! 😀
    I think you’ll enjoy Percy Jackson, especially if you’re less attached to the original portrayal of Greek gods than I am 😉
    Good luck with your lectures, Lashaan!

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  15. Hey, while you’re at it could you read all the things I missed in 2020? Much obliged! And I hope you like Ashes of the Sun! It was probably the best thing I read last year 😁

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  18. I am curious to hear what you think about both The Lightning Thief and The Four Winds. Fingers crossed for you and your colleagues that you won’t get any unwanted surprises i February. Unfortunately, short-term optimisation is a well-known feature in our society, since politicians and company directors risk losing their position if they don’t show results quickly. So I don’t think it’s their fault entirely, it’s partly a consequence of the structural / democratic process of letting voters and shareholders decide.

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    1. Wow. You couldn’t have said it better. That’s pretty much it and it’s unfortunate that those who truly believe in the vision of the organization/team don’t try a way to balance both short- and long-term objectives. Their race for quick wins is quite killer on those who put in the hard work too!

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  19. I’m very late with my catching up Lashaan, so I just hope your month of February is going as planned and that the lectures you gave went well – though I’m sure they did! As always at the start of each month, week and day I hope that I will read more… let’s see how it goes in the second half of the mont… 😊

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    1. No worries at all. 😉 February has been super hectic for me and I too haven’t been very active in the blogging end of things but I’m remaining hopeful that I can pick up the pace again soon hahah! I do look forward to sharing my thoughts about giving classes online nowadays in my upcoming monthly wrap-up though. Hope your month of February has been going well so far though! Take care! 😀

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  21. I read a book in December titled “Minamata: The Story of the Poisoning of a City, and of the People Who Choose to Carry the Burden of Courage” by Eugene and Aileen Smith and it really opened my eyes to the shocking corporate negligence in Japan at that time, so I recommend it and it is with photographs.

    “The Burning Girls” by C.J. Tudor also sounds good. I wonder now, though. I recently put into my TBR a new book coming out titled “Burning Girls and Other Stories” by Schanoes, Veronica. Obviously, I am intrigued and also a bit confused now 🙂 We will have a year of burning girls, it seems.

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    1. The book sounds quite fascinating, especially with a title like that. I’ll have to look into it now.

      So fascinating that Burning Girls is suddenly a trend (maybe 2 cases is really a trend but it’s already a lot in my books)! Hopefully, both books turn out good reads though. 😀

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