June-July 2021 Wrap-Up & Favorites

Source: personal collection

Hi fellow readers! How are you? I haven't been posting for a while but I still want to share the books I read (even though I only read three in total for two months) and films I watched so I decided to merge the wrap up post for June and July. July was not kind to me. I lost a member of family and a close friend at work a week later. It felt like my life was put on hold and I couldn't function at all. I chose to distract myself with work and guess what? Because of the worsen pandemic situation, my job was so hectic that when I look back on it, I don't think I had time to care for myself. The truth is, I miss reading. I miss losing myself in these fictional worlds because reality is not looking good at all. So in an attempt to light up my desire to read, I'm writing this post.

Books read in June

	Sputnik Sweetheart - Haruki Murakami (★★★★)
	Sputnik Sweetheart tells an unusual story of an aspiring female writer through the eyes of her best friend, K. It explores the theme of longing, lost, and loneliness. It might sound like a bummer but with Murakami's writing, it turns to be such a poignant story. It still has Murakami's surrealism but not too dominant that it will scare first Murakami reader (I think). Overall, Sputnik Sweetheart is one of my favorite books and I highly recommend it.
	Fates and Furies - Lauren Groff (★★★★)
	I had a bit of a trouble while writing a review for this book. Don't get me wrong, I like the book. I have many things to say about it that I didn't know where to start. I must say though, I like this book more than I anticipated. I started Fates & Furies without knowing what it's about except that it's a book about marriage. Anyway, I wrote a full review of this book if you want to check it out. In short, I love this book and I highly recommend it.

Books read in July

Unearthly - Cynthia Hand (★★★)

Unearthly is the first book in a young adult supernatural trilogy about angels. It follows Clara Gardner, a high school student who is also an angel-blood. As an angel-blood, Clara has a purpose that supposedly has to be fulfilled. After trying to decipher what her purpose is through vague visions, Clara and her family move to Jackson, Wyoming, where she meets Christian, the boy who appears in her vision. The first book basically sets up how the angel-blood works in the series, introduces the characters, and focuses on Clara's growth and her discovering the truth about her heritage as an angel-blood. It's easy to read, unexpectedly relatable, and overall fun. After reading a literary fiction (which reads like a Greek tragedy), Unearthly is such a refreshing read. I wrote a full review of this book which will be posted on this blog.

June Favorites

Book

Sputnik Sweetheart

TV shows

Schitt's Creek

I heard a lot about this series since last year when it's wrapped up for the finale. I was interested but not too much that I'd look for where to stream this because I already have a ton of stuffs on my watchlist. To put in context, I currently have no subscription on Netflix. But then, Mola TV, one of the streaming services available in my country gave coupon code for one month free subscription so I decided to give it a try. Apparently, this show is available to stream there. After watching the pilot, I must say the Roses kind of grow on me. The humor fits my taste, though some characters can be so annoying. By the time I write this post, I'm already on season 3.

Movies

Zenin, Kataomoi

I found this film while absentmindedly browsing the Asian film catalogue on HBOGo. I was interested in the premise of the film. It's a collection of short films about unrequited love. The stories are presented as a segment in a radio show.It's like stories within a story. These are not stories with happy ending which is fine for me. Sometimes love doesn't end the way we want it to be. It's bittersweet. Unfortunately though, the film is no longer available on HBOGo.

The High Note

Ever since the trailer of this film came out, I wanted to watch this film. I love the overall vibe this film gives off. The High Note is like one of those feel-good films. Tracee Ellis Ross is amazing, so is Dakota Johnson. The soundtrack is so good too. I also watch this one on HBOGo.

This Means War

There were times when all I want to do on weekends is watching fluffy romcom or family films. So I turned to Disney+, I still do whenever I'm in need of those kinds of films. This film has what I needed. Fun romcom with incredibly good-looking actors. It's a love triangle between a civilian woman and two spies. Regardless of the plot holes and the low realistic factor, it's such a fun film. It definitely brightened up my Sunday.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

This film is another good find on Disney+. It is a book-to-movie adaptation and I remember back then when the book was just released. Most people I follow in the book community seem to read it. The Art of Racing in the Rain is a heartfelt film. Also, the main lead of this film (besides the dog) is Milo Ventimiglia whom I adore because of his role as the family patriarch Jack Pearson in This Is Us. I cried when I watched this film but it's one of those happy-relieved cry. I'm glad I watched this film. I highly recommend The Art of Racing in the Rain.

So, it's actually October already when I post this. I originally wrote the opening back then in August but never really got around to continue finishing this post. This post, except for the closing part, was written back in August 2021. As I mentioned earlier, July was not kind to me and I can say that I'm not the only one who feel that way (especially people in the country where I live). After that, I guess I feel like I'm just floating through life. I was busy with work (still am) because I have to. I have responsibilities at work so I do it. Other than that, I do things because they keep me alive. I think I'm barely living, I'm just trying to survive. I'm exhausted. Now, months later and I'm still easing back to life, aiming to be in a place considered as 'normal'. At least my normal. Slowly and carefully, I hope I'll be where I want to be.