My Monthly Wrap-Up | November 2022

Posted on by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Hi guys,

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 (-).
Comic books read: 6 (↑4).
Manga volumes read: 15 (↑11).

Viewing Breakdown.

Movies Watched: 17 (↑8).
TV Series’ Seasons Watched and completed: 0 (-).

Gaming Breakdown.

The Last of Us Part 1 on PS5 (Currently Playing).

BOOK REVIEWS.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling.
Dracula by Bram Stocker.

COMIC BOOK REVIEWS.

Gotham Central: Jokers and Madmen by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka.

MANGA REVIEWS.

Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama.

MOVIE REVIEWS.

Black Adam (2022).

TV SERIES REVIEWS.

The Legend of Korra Season 2 (2012-2014).

MISCELLANEOUS POSTS.

United States of America 2022: Los Angeles.

TOP BOOK.

My Hero Academia Vol. 36 by Kohei Horikoshi.

This is the latest volume in the series and it is beautiful and tragic at the same time. No disappointments whatsoever in sight or so far into this series. I really look forward to seeing how he’ll finish the series in late 2022/early 2023.

LEAST FAVOURITE BOOK.

The Twilight Children by Gilbert Hernández.

The last comic book I read this month and a real bummer. As much as I have plenty of respect for Darwyn Cooke’s artwork, this one has one of the most incomprehensible and inexistent stories in recent years…

TOP MOVIE.

Out of the 17 movies I watched in November 2022, three of them were my favourite, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2021), Son of Saul (2015), and Paths of Glory (1957).

What is Marcel the Shell with Show On (2021) about? Feature adaptation of the animated short film interviewing a mollusk named Marcel.

What is Son of Saul (2021) about? A Jewish-Hungarian concentration camp prisoner sets out to give a child he mistook for his son a proper burial.

What is Paths of Glory (1957) about? After refusing to attack an enemy position, a general accuses the soldiers of cowardice and their commanding officer must defend them.

My thoughts:

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) was an endearing and candid tale introducing a little fella’s search for a loving community in a big, big world, while reflecting on the beauty of the little things in life, the precious nature of family, the transformative power of friendship, the inevitability of loss, and the reinvigorating qualities of change.

Son of Saul (2015) was a mind-numbing and unsettling journey into the suffocating machinery of WWII concentration camps whilst shadowing a faithful Hungarian man’s quest to save a boy’s body from the flames of hopelessness, war, and despair.

Paths of Glory (1957) was a thought-provoking anti-war cinematic study exposing the absurdity of conflict through complex yet disgraceful human behaviour, the undignifying and ruthless nature of the war paradigm, a superficial hierarchy of power and authority, as well as the vanity of patriotism, glory, and self-admiration.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

CURRENTLY READING.

Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom.

Currently finishing up this book that has been on my shelves for way too long. I thought I’d dive into something that would mark the beginning of the festive holiday season. I couldn’t have picked a better option! 🙂

PERSONAL LIFE.

November went by quite quickly but I’m relieved that it turned out to be a much quieter month overall, especially after my trip to the States back in October. I was able to get my groove back with my usual routine and am ready for what December has to offer as we approach 2023. The last half of the month was highlighted by the release of one of the most anticipated video games and you bet that it obliterated my time management skills but now I can confirm that it is indeed one of the best story-driven games to have released in recent years!

This month was also a month dedicated to discovering Hungary as part of our little One Country Per Month project and I got around to reading Darkness at Noon by Hungarian author Arthur Koestler (more thoughts on that soon) and watching the International Feature Oscar winner Son of Saul (2015) by a Hungarian director. While the overall mood I was able to take away from it was similar to what Poland had to offer, I’m quite glad for the discoveries/history lessons (mostly through YouTube videos) made throughout the month. Below, you’ll also see pictures of the food we got to eat in a little family-owned Hungarian restaurant in our city. Their paprika chicken was quite delicious!

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,

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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!

35 thoughts on “My Monthly Wrap-Up | November 2022”

  2. I have been avoiding Marcel the Shell because I know it will make me tear up. Have heard great things about it. Krampus is certainly the family-friendly fun we didn’t know we needed at this time of year. One always has to be careful to make sure they summon Santa at Christmas, and not bring forth a demon instead.😁The mention of paprika chicken has created a hunger to have some of my own in the near future – glad you enjoyed discovering Hungary, Lashaan.

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    1. You’re right about Marcel. Adorable yet such a tear-jerker. I hope you get the chance to try it out! I definitely had fun with Krampus. I’ve wanted to see him in action and this one sure does deliver hahah! Glad to share my gastronomical discoveries with y’all, Bruce. Thanks for reading, as always! 😀

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  3. Oh, I wanted to watch Marcel the Shell with Shoes On too, good to know that it was a nice and heartwarming story! For Son of Saul, you already know my thoughts, but I do understand why it won the Oscar ahah! It’s so cool that you managed to have a nice Hungarian meal too! November was also quiet for me and I was really happy especially after a very hectic October! Have a nice month, Lashaan!

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  6. I’m excited to see your thoughts on Darkness at Noon. My great grandfather immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1911. I really need to learn more about Hungary in general but if you enjoy that Hungarian author, I will be sure to add it to my TBR.

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  7. Oh, right, Koestler was Hungarian-born, I always considered him a sort of international communist writer, and read Darkness at Noon that moved me less than many such stories, as I’m not easily moved by the troubles of old Bolsheviks… they’d done enough evil in their youth. But it certainly was well-written.
    When it comes to Hungarian writers, I much prefer Imre Kertész, a Holocaust survivor also writing about totalitarianism, or Sandor Marai, who made me think I understand a bit of Hungarian soul. All three are quite complicated figures, Hungarian history might be even more complex then Polish.

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    1. I like how you always have an author-before-story perspective with what you read and enjoy. I quickly chose Darkness at Noon for the month without looking for anything else because it was the only one that I already owned. I’ll have to take some notes for those that you recommend though. Those will surely allow me to have a more nuanced reflection on the subject. Thanks for sharing, Pio.

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  10. Glad to see you reading Krampus. I was very pleasantly surprised by that one, thoroughly enjoyed it. And it has me wanting to try more by Brom, whom I’d previously only known for his incredible artwork. I’m very curious about Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and Son of Saul, two movies that sound so very different and yet worth watching.

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  11. (Apologies if this is a duplicate comment… WordPress appears to have eaten my first attempt…)
    Glad to see you reading Krampus. I was very pleasantly surprised by that one, thoroughly enjoyed it. And it has me wanting to try more by Brom, whom I’d previously only known for his incredible artwork. I’m very curious about Marcel the Shell With Shoes On and Son of Saul, two movies that sound so very different and yet worth watching.

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  16. Wait so which video game are you best story-driven games because I need it hahaha. I spent the last couple of months replaying AC Origins and Odyssey (and trying again to enjoy Valahalla to no avail). I have been CRAVING a new video game that makes me feel like DA:I did and I can’t wait for Dread Wolf to come out.

    I’m glad you had a quiet November – mine flew by so fast. Hope December is treating you well.

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      2. The game is massive and does a great job of making it accessible to newcomers and familiar to veterans. You don’t need to play the previous two to start the 3rd one. Similarly, you don’t need to read the books to enjoy the 3rd game, it’s also set years after the books!

        Like

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