Anyone else feels like January just went by in a blur?
So, 2021. What’s new with you? Honestly, nothing much. Sadly, my early blogging motivation and organisational intentions went flying out the window the minute I got back to work. The intention was there, but I need to work on the execution. Nevertheless, I am happy with the content that I produced, just need to get better at the blog-hopping/engagement side of things. If you want to know what I got up to in January, here’s a quick summary below, and please share with me your blogging/life highlights.

Book Review
Jade War by Fonda Lee

Opening up the world allows Fonda to dive into the socio-political tensions on a global and communal scale, creating a rich and nuanced world thatβs vivid and relatable. No action is taken without consequence, explored through heartbreaking personal losses, territorial influences, and international interest. Jade, is no longer confined to the streets of Kekon, and Lee masterfully crafts an intricate relationship between the nature of cause and effect.
Books
- Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors Read in 2020
TV/Film
- Midnight Movies – Best Films Watched in 2020
- TV Talk – Best of 2020
- TV Talk – Reasons to Watch Alice in Borderland
January Highlights
Books: Despite finishing the year with a renewed energy to read, that mood quickly diminished once I got back to the daily grind. However, I did make an effort to start reading The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty and what I’ve read so far is impressive. I have a soft spot for djinn lore and will be making a conscious effort to dive deeper into this world in February.
Music: I’m still riding my Japanese Rock wave, and with good reason since January treated me to 3 LIVE VIRTUAL CONCERTS! I was buzzing. On top of that, I’ve got a slew of new albums to get hyped for in the next couple of month.
Now, I gotta ask, would anyone be interested in an artist of the month feature on this blog?
TV & Film: Alice in Borderland was my TV highlight of January. It was tense, unpredictable, but had room for improvements. It forced the characters to consider the limits they’d go to in order to ensure their survival and face the consequences of such choices. With a second season already in the works, I am curious to see how our characters react to the higher stakes and get some answers behind the masterminds of this game.
I also finished Attack on Titan Season 3, which was a rollercoaster. This season saw some lingering questions answered, but then opened us up to the world beyond the walls and a greater understanding of the Titan’s origins and the conflicts emerging going forward. Of course, there were some crushing losses, but I will say that Captain Levi once again proved to be the MVP of the show.
Looking ahead, I’ve got so many shows I need to catch up on, but I am feeling the pull towards Crash Landing Onto You so maybe I’ll give that a shot.
Life: Admittedly, January felt like a bit of blur. January was a busy month at work, with a couple of snow days sprinkled in to liven things up. Beyond, that there’s nothing much to report. One small achievement is that I’m currently riding a 38 day learning streak on the Duolingo Japanese course. February is shaping up to be a bit more chaotic and I’m never 100% sure I know what I’m doing. π We’re still in lockdown, but at least I can get out and walk. What’s been happening in your life? Let me know.

Favourite Posts in January
- Charvi @ Its Not Just Fiction shares her insight on how she decides which books to buy and discard.
- Stephen @ Stephen Writes looks at how we hear about upcoming releases.
- Krysta @ Pages Unbound spotlights 6 Publishing Trends to bring back.
- Katja @ Life and Other Disasters spotlights the book to screen adaptations coming in 2021.
- The Orangutan Librarian talks about all the positives with negative reviews.
- Tracy @ Truffle Reads looks at how she’s grown as a reader.
- Jenna @ Bookmark Your Thoughts shares her StoryGraph Reading stats for 2020.
- Lashaan @ Bookidote wonders what your reading Modi Operandi is like.
- Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books shares an incredibly relatable post on blogging insecurities.
- Nick @ The Infinite Limits of Love shares over 200 romance books to look forward to in the first half of 2021
February Plans
Nothing definitive. I’ve got a couple of webinars/presentations to attend (virtually) with work and a lot of research to do. Some exciting opportunities have risen and, I’m fortunate enough to take part in them.
Regarding the blog, the biggest goal is to BLOG HOP. I always intend to, but then something comes up, or my energy levels crash and, those brilliant posts slip by. So if you have a blog post you’re proud of, drop a link below and, I’ll be sure to check them out. I also want to get back to posting twice a week, with my usual variety of books, TV, film, and music. Hopefully, this upcoming week will give me a chance to get a schedule in place.
Reading plans – Finish City of Brass. It’s a slow process, but I’m enjoying what I’ve read so far. Hopefully, I can finish the book by the end of the month. What are you reading?
If you’re still with me, I’m going to finish this wrap up with my most played song in January courtesy of SPYAIR, who released their new single ‘Wadachi‘ and, it’s been stuck in my head ever since. Be sure to give the song a listen.
*raises hand enthusiastically* I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN AN ARTIST OF THE MONTH FEATURE! Gotta spotlight those talents.
I am sure you are gonna rock that blogging webinar for work and whatever else they throw your way! I believe in your capabilities in this field. Also, thanks for featuring one of my posts β€ much appreciated!!
January suuuuucked, but my personal highlight was and is and probably will be for a while – WandaVision
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I do hope you realise that you’ve just signed yourself to a slew of posts on Japanese bands since they seem to be the only artists on my latest playlist haha.
Thank you so much. You are literally the best champion!
WandaVision is legit the best thing on the screen right now. Nothing can top it!
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Hey, it never hurts to learn something new. I was never caught in the kpop frenzy, maybe you’ll persuade me to the side of jrock? π
We cheer each other on, as we should π
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Jrock >>>>> Kpop. It’s no contest tbh haha.
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I really feel you on the goal of blog hopping! I have been so bad about that lately and I feel terrible about it. Lovely post!! π
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Right? I know logically speaking I can only do so much, between everything else, but my level of interaction has well and truly dropped to a new low.
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I also would be interested in an artist of the month feature! I think that sounds like an amazing idea! And thank you for the shout out! I’m really glad people seemed to really enjoy that post π
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Aaaah that settles it. Gotta go raid the playlist now haha.
That post is awesome and I’m pretty sure it got Storygraph a slew of new users.
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Oooh City of Brass is on my TBR too, glad to know you’re liking it! Thank you for including my post, I’m so happy that you found it interesting π
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Admittedly, my reading is slow going, but it’s definitely a very immersive book when you get into it. π
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Great wrap-up! I agree, January passed by so quickly and it is a bit of a blur. Thank you so much for featuring my post! I hope you are having a lovely February so far π
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Thank you so much. π
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Thank you so, so much for sharing my post Lois, so happy you enjoyed it β€ I'm right here with you on blog hopping, I have been so slow and slacking, but I feel like I can't handle it all anymore the way I used to. It's frustrating, but well… we're taking it day by day and doing our best π
Sending you lots of love β€
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Glad to know I’m not the only one in this boat. Taking it day by day is probably the best approach. I hope February has been kind to you so far. β€
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I feel you so much on the needing to carve out space for blogging among all the other stuff going on. I’ve been a little better with blog hopping this year but the bar is so darn low from 2020 that it’s tough to beat lol. Take solace in the fact we all are in the same boat for the most part!
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Glad to know I’m not the only one feeling this way. I was trying to do more this month, but then things got hectic again. I think for my sanity I just need to take it day by day.
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