September-October 2018 Wrap-Up & Favorites

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Hello fellow readers! I know it's already in the middle of November and I post this wrap-up just now. Honestly though, it's been difficult for me to find time to write which sadden me. I started this blog as my place holder to practice my English writing skill and I've grown to love it. Anyway, in September and October I finally started watching Game of Thrones. I used to plan to read the book first then watch the series. Considering that I barely have time to read at all, I decided to watch the series instead. Also, one of my colleagues convinced me to start the series and I finally succumbed. As for my reading, here are the books I read in September and October.

Books read in September

	Only Ever Yours - Louise O'Neill (★★★★)
	Only Ever Yours is a dystopian young adult that often marketed as the young adult version of the Handmaid's Tale meets Mean Girls. I can't say much about the Handmaid's Tale part as I haven't read that book but it is Mean Girls alright. The main theme of this book is the objectification of woman and what if it's so common it became a rule. The result? terrifying and disgusting at the same time. I must say though, Only Ever Yours is not an easy book to read so if you're triggered by rape, abuse, substance abuse, or eating disorder then this book might not be for you. I've already written a full review of this book which will be up in this blog.
	Vintage Minis: Summer - Laurie Lee (★★★)
	I love the vintage minis collection from Penguin. After reading two books from the series (Desire and Psychedelics), I decided to pick up Summer because it fits the atmosphere. It was Summer after all. If the other two books from this series that I read are basically short stories, it's different with this one. Summer is a collection of passages taken from Laurie Lee's book titled Cider with Rosie. The passages are still revolved around Summer. If seen as a narrative, this book won't deliver the expectation since it's only an extract of a whole another book. But, the writing did give me the nostalgic summer vibe. It was descriptive and vivid, which I believe is not to everyone's taste. Still, if you're looking for a relaxing read while enjoying the sun then I suggest reading this book.

Books read in October

	Matilda - Mary Shelley (★★★)
	Most of you probably haven't heard of this book but heard of Frankenstein. Somehow in my mind Frankenstein is all that Mary Shelley is known for. Anyway, Frankenstein is the reason why I decided to pick this book because I know nothing about this book. Matilda is actually the name of the protagonist, a girl whose mother died in childbirth. Grieving, her father left her to her aunt to travel. Years later her father's back and they bonded. A little too strongly I might say. If you didn't get it, this book implies an incestuous relationship. It's implied, so it's subtle, like no physical relationship subtle. But enough to make this book banned at its time. This book is full with Gothic nuances. It's dark and depressing, especially because it deals with the theme of death and loss. Matilda's emotional turmoil really set the tone throughout the book, for when she longed for her father and when she was supposed to avoid him while missing him terribly. This book might not be for everyone. Still, I enjoyed reading another one of Shelley's work.
	The Good Luck of Right Now - Matthew Quick (★★★★)
	The Good Luck of Right Now is a story about Bartholomew Neil, a late thirty years old man whose mother has just died recently. His life was dedicated to take care of his mother. Now that his mother is gone, he has to find a new goal in life and new friends to share it with. As with other Quick's books, this one is full of quirky characters that will make you sympathize towards them. It's a touching story of a man finding his own way in a life that hasn't been so kind to him. This book moved me and I recommend this book to read. If you want to know more about this book, you can read my full review of it on this blog.
	Revival - Stephen King (★★★★)
	Revival follows James Morton and his complicated relationship with a minister who's obsessed with electricity named Charlie Jacobs. This book spans decades of Morton's life. We see through Morton's eyes how the minister's obsession affects Morton's and other people's life in an unexpectedly terrifying way. I won't say much about this book in this wrap up because I've already written a full review of this book which will be up in this blog. However, as expected from Stephen King, he is a good story teller. Even though this book spans decades, it doesn't feel rushed nor too slow and boring. I recommend this book especially if you're looking more than just a horror story because this book is much more than a horror story.

Review Posts in September
Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures - Aaron Mahnke

Review Posts in October
The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje
The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells

September-October Favorites

Books

The Good Luck of Right Now

Revival

TV Shows

These past two months, I've watched a lot of shows. The newest season of Grey's Anatomy is on air and so is Criminal Minds. Then Netflix released season 2 of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Those are just some of the shows I watched in September and October. But my favorites come from HBO, which are Sharp Objects, Westworld, and Game of Thrones. I'm sure most of you have known these shows but boy did I enjoy watching them.

So there you have it. It was satisfying to finally read those books that's been sitting on my shelves for months and watch those series that I said I wanted to watch but didn't. Overall It was fun. I'm still going to continue watch Game of Thrones until the latest season. I also have many anime titles waiting for me to watch. On top of that, I have books that I still want to read. We'll see how it goes. What about you? Any shows or books that you enjoy watching/ reading lately?