September Wrap-Up - From Summer to Studies

 Hi, all! 

I realize I've become very (very) sporadic when it comes to actually posting here. But on days like today, I just want to write all the things! I was looking through this blog and realized there's a lot of 'everything goes' here, so guess what I'm writing today.... 

That's right more not-specifically book reviews! I decided to try out a monthly wrap-up because why not.
 

Image credit to One More Chaptr. My photoshop is frozen, I'll do my best to fix it! Leah has a super cute blog and I would love for you to check it out!

September, to me, felt like a surprisingly long month. I turned 24 on the 18th, yet most of the month passed in a blur of studies and 'other stuff'. It's weird to have such a steady rhythm of life, when you are staying home daily. I'm still in France, my friends and university is still in the Netherlands, so I don't have much more to do than to stay home. I sometimes go to the city, but with the rising Coronavirus infections around Paris, I feel like it is more responsible to stay home, so that's what I've been doing. But it certainly makes time feel infinite. 

 

 

What I read

I didn't have the chance to read a whole lot, but both books I read were absolute hits for me! I finished Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, the end of a duology (soon to be trilogy!!) that I can't believe I didn't read sooner! Fun group banter surrounding a complicated heist is everything I love in fiction, and this duology absolutely hit the nail on the head! The only thing that sort of fell flat for me was the ending, but this didn't surprise me too much, as the ending of the Grisha trilogy left me with the same, underwhelmed feeling. 

 

More than Crooked Kingdom, I absolutely adored The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, by the legendary Suzanne Collins. Despite the backlash received for writing from the point of view of the villain, I feel like Collins did this masterfully, never making the reader feel any positive regard toward Coriolanus snow. This amazed me to no end, and I entered a week-long reading slump after finishing it :'). 

 

I also ended up reading Tunnel of Bones by VE Schwab. It was really unique and fun to read a book based on the city I currently live in, it was interesting to be able to really envision every setting, every street mentioned and every place visited. I really enjoyed reading this little spooky middle-grade read, and I can't wait to read something similar soon! 

 

 

What I played

I have a confession: I never actually ended up finishing Final Fantasy X - some things I needed to obtain to finish the game were just too tedious to obtain (It would have required running around for a long, long time, completing so many side-quests just to get into an unfailable battle... I ended up watching the end of it on Youtube, which resulted in many tears and in the understanding of just why this game is so popular. I still preferred XV, but I guess it's a personal thing. 

 

Once I 'finished' Final Fantasy X, I moved on to VII. I feel like I'm currently moving towards the conclusion of it, and I must say, I adore it.  Even though the game is largely comprised of polygons  (it was released in 1997), there's something about the story, combined to the music, that is absolutely enchanting. It's full of real emotions, beautiful settings and plot twists that leave you shook. I'm not quite done yet, but I do know one thing: that this is going to join my top games list. 

 

I've also been just playing a lot of Smash Bros Ultimate (with Cloud as my fighter) and Mario Kart with my friends online. However I have also re-fueled my love for Tetris with Tetris 99 and, naturally, have been continuing playing D&D about twice a week. Games are becoming a bigger part of my life, which I am not at all minding! My brother and I are looking for a 2nd hand PS4 and have a whole list of games we want to play, it's a hobby I'm really enjoying falling into! 

 

 

 

What I listened to

  With the release of Folklore (which I must say I really didn't like so much), I was reminded of Taylor Swift, and how much I enjoyed her music as a teen. So naturally, I headed to Spotify, pressed shuffle on her music, and basked in nostalgia. That is, until it hit the Reputation album - the album of hers I ignored the most for some unknown reason. And I'm amazed by how awesome the album is?! I love most of the songs, and the album has been on repeat in the background of my daily life. This is not at all something I expected, but I'm enjoying it. 

 

On the total other side of the music coin, I've also... started listening to instrumental music. (Its a shock for me too, I never really liked instrumental!). A while ago, I discovered Ludovico Einaudi and I cannot express how lovely his compositions are to listen to while reading or working! It's so, so beautiful. I've also been loving to listen to works by Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of many of the Final Fantasy games. His works are amazing to study with - there's something about it, especially the boss music, that makes you feel so productive! 

 

 Other Shenanigans

 - Classes started, some of which I love (Science and Media, for instance) and others which I can't stand. But, it helps to know that I have less than a year before graduating! 

 

- I found several places that sell English second-hand books and I've been on a personal rescue mission to save as many as possible - my shelf is a good home. However, I've also been unhauling some books - I've DNFed quite a few, and I don't think I'll ever finish them. 

 

-  I've been getting back into baking and trying fun baking techniques! My favorite so far is sugar work, I hope to make a mirror icing sometime this week! 

 

- I've been exploring Paris, accompanied by only my camera. There are so many beautiful angles, and with the lack of people, I've been taking many, many photos! 

 

- I started re-watching Once Upon a Time! Such a guilty pleasure show! 

 

- I watched YALFU 2020 from afar, where Leigh Bardugo spoke through Skype. It was such a strange situation, especially considering that I usually go every year with some blogger friends, but I hope we will all be able to go next year! 

 

- I've been trying to draw more, so decided to participate in Inktober 2020! 

 

October Anticipation

Why is everything happening in October? The release of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Tower of Nero, and God Storm has been keeping me on my toes, I cannot wait to read each and every one of these, and I might become broke to order them, but my goodness I'm excited! 

 

I'll also be receiving a huge haul of both books and games and every bit of me needs to constantly hold back from checking shipping progress every 5 minutes. The book haul is substantial, making me think that I may need a new shelf... 

 

Right before exams, I'm going to take a baking class with my cousin... hopefully. The virus is being weird right now, and nobody really knows what to expect, so we are all just rolling with it. 

 

Exams and US elections oh gods help

 I sent in my vote a few weeks ago, and I urge you to do the same. Every vote counts! 

 

 

Stay bookish!