January 2019 Wrap-Up & Favorites

Source

Hello fellow readers and happy new year! I know I've been bad at keeping up with my blog post, especially last year. I want to fix that. I want to be better at updating this blog. So in the spirit of that, here I am posting 2019 January favorites and wrap-up.

Books read in January

	Circe - Madeline Miller (★★★★★)
	It was a cover buy for me. At least it started out as a cover buy. Then I read it and it was quite an adventure. It's been a while since I read a fantasy book and it's good. No wonder it's got good reviews. Good thing I'm also interested in Greek myth so this book is definitely right up my alley. Anyway, I've written a full review of this book which will be up on this blog if you want to check it out.
	The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn (★★★)
	The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily is the sequel of Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. If the previous book chronicles how Dash and Lily met which ends as the start of their relationship, this one follows what happens after a year gone by. Though I honestly forget about what happens in the first book, I thoroughly enjoy this book. Since Dash & Lily's relationship has been going for a year, of course it wouldn't be as all sweet and cute as the first book. This one is gloomier and less fun than Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. But it still have cute moments which I enjoy a lot. Even though the Twelve Days of Dash & Lily has less Christmas spirit and festivities than the previous book, it's still an enjoyable book to read during the holiday time.

January Favorites

Book

Circe

Series

Fresh Off the Boat

Source

I didn't post December 2018 wrap-up but in December I binge-watched Black Mirror. You see, Black Mirror is an excellent series to watch but it's depressing. That's why I need something light and funny to watch afterwards. My choice fell to Fresh Off the Boat and boy I'm glad I watched it. I don't live in America but I'm an Asian. So although I don't know how it feels to live as minority, I can totally relate to the Huang's experience. For example, what Jessica does is what my mother usually does. Heck I used to be Evan when I was in grade school. The Huang is the highlight of my January which is why I can't get enough of this series.

Fargo

Source

I'm quite surprised that I didn't hear enough about this series before because it's brilliant. It's a black comedy crime series inspired by the 1996 movie called Fargo. It's an anthology which means each season tells different story with different cast of characters. I've only watched two seasons and I love it. The whole series is amazing. The writing, the music, and the visuals, you can tell that they put a lot of thought and work into it. It's so good that it's a shame that not a lot of people (at least in my circle) know about this show. If you haven't heard about this show, then I highly recommend you to check it out.

Movie

A Star is Born

Source

A Star is Born was on my to-watch list since last year. The songs are everywhere and it's nominated for this year's best picture in the Academy Award. So I finally watched it and I love it. A Star is Born has actually been remade for four times. This one is the 2018 remake with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga starring in it. I must say, Lady Gaga is amazing in this movie. Her acting and her voice are incredible. I love the songs in this movie, especially Shallow. It's a sad movie though. I recommend this movie but if you're thinking about watching it, prepare your tissues.

Miscellaneous

Bokksu

Source

Bokksu is a Japanese snacks subscription box that I discovered back in October 2018 but my first box is the November 2018 'Tea Time' box. Each month the box has a special theme and the snacks are curated based on theme. I first signed up for it just because I was curious. But now I'm staying because the snacks are delicious and unique. I'd like to think of Bokksu as a treat to myself; delicacies for me to enjoy while relaxing and reading books on my time off from work. So is this worth it? yes it is. I mean the snacks are amazing. They never cease to amaze me. My favorites so far are the Hojicha latte mochi chocolate and iced coffee chocolate sandwich from November 2018 box, white strawberry and Tomoriko corn sticks from December 2018 box, Garitto cheese and seaweed tempura with blue cheese from January 2019 box. In addition to the snacks, they also include a specialized tea to accompany the snacks curated according to the monthly theme. If it wasn't for bokksu, I wouldn't know how delicious genmaicha tea (brown rice green tea) actually is. My favorite so far is (of course) the genmaicha tea and the hoshino hojicha latte (roasted green tea latte). You can try this box at $39.00 a month for a classic box or $25.00 a month for a tasting box. For more detail on this subscription box you can visit the website or you can use my referral link so you'll get 5% off for your first box. 

There you have it fellow readers! It's a good month and a good start of the year for me. I'll try to post consistently on this blog this year. In fact, I'm gonna make it my resolution for 2019. We'll see how it turns out. Well, what about you? How's 2019 been treating you so far?