July 2022 Wrap-Up & Favorites

Source: personal collection

Hi fellow readers! I didn't read as much as the previous month. However, I watched a good amount of quality films. I'm crossing off titles from my Academy Award Best Picture watchlist. Though I only read two books in July, I'm pretty satisfied with what I read. Because these are the books that I wanted to read for a long time. Without further ado, here's the books I read in July.

Books read in July

	The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to be Calm in a Busy World - Haemin Sunim (★★★)
	This book is quite popular back then when the English translation was first released. I don't usually read nonfiction books unless the topic interests me. That's why I didn't pick this book when it was hyped. Lately, I feel exhausted by life so the title speaks to me. Apparently this book is a book about mindfulness. I'm not surprised though, because everytime I feel the same way and I picked up a book which seems like it would relieve me, it ended up being a book about mindfulness. I've said it before whenever I review books about mindfulness and I'm going to say it again. Mindfulness is something that's so easy to talk or write about but difficult to apply in our daily lives. Reading books about mindfulness don't immediately make a person become mindful. It takes a strong will and practice. However, what I like about this book is, it has quotes for every chapter which may sound trivial but it's a nice reminder for the reader to take a step back and practice being mindful. I even put some of my favorite quotes on my notes as a reminder for me to slow down when life starts to overwhelm me. For that, I recommend The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down to read if you look for books about mindfulness.
	Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories - Ryunosuke Akutagawa (★★★★)
	This book is a collection of Akutagawa's 18 short stories. This edition includes an introduction by Haruki Murakami. The short stories are divided into four parts with specific themes. I truly enjoyed reading this short stories collection. There's no short story that I don't like. However, since his writing tends to be dark and cynical, I recommend to try reading one of his stories first such as In a Bamboo Grove, Rashomon, or The Life of A Stupid Man. See if you like it. If you do, I think you'll also like this short stories collection.

Review Posts in July
The Elephant Vanishes - Haruki Murakami
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
The Chimes - Anna Smaill

July Favorites

Book

Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories

TV shows

The Boys

Season 3 of this show has just been released. I watched the first two seasons, love it. So of course I have to watch the continuation. I don't want to spoil anything. All I want to say is this show is even crazier and graphic. I watched the first and second season and I was fine. This season I almost threw up. Like the previous season, this one also ends in a cliffhanger. I'm even more excited to watch the next season.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

This series is an adaptation of young adult book series by Jenny Han. I've read the series and liking it. The series is so wholesome. What I like the most from the series is how it's not only about romance. It's truly a coming-of-age show which include friendship and family. I'm hoping that the series will have a second season.

The Office

It's a rewatch. Still funny. It's even funnier now that I'm watching the show as one of them, an office worker.

Movies

The Departed

This film is why I challenge myself to watch all of the Academy Award Best Picture nominated films from the 2000s. If it wasn't for the challenge, I wouldn't pick up this film. It's thrilling and put me on the edge of my seat. Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing at always and so is Matt Damon. All I can say is this film is a game of cat and mouse. I recommend this film to watch if you haven't already.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Say what you want about this film, I still like it very much. When the trailer was first released, I knew that I had to watch this film because of the comedy. I don't care if it's a filler and doesn't contribute to the multiverse story arc. I just don't. After what Thor's been through in the MCU, I'm glad they give comedic tone to his character and solo films. I imagine it would be dark and depressing if they didn't. I also love what they do with Jane although some of her lines can be cringey. I adore Natalie Portman. I just love this film. I can't wait to rewatch it when it's released on Disney+.

There you have it! I'm excited for August because there will be Magical Readathon Autumn Equinox. Magical Readathon has helped motivating me to read more. Although I'm not sure if I will pass this round since it will be harder than the previous round. Are you going to participate in the Magical Readathon too? Hope you'll have a wonderful month ahead!