lately with lila september 2022 | getting back my reading groove?
Hello again, friends! We’re finally entering the fall season here in the northern hemisphere and I, for one, am so excited! Temperatures have finally begun to cool down and are in that perfect 55ºF to 75ºF range and after summer heat from Hell, I’m surprisingly glad. And I also managed to read another book, plus a webcomic—can you believe it?! But enough of my ramblings, let’s take a look at my September 2022!
what i posted
- Lately With Lila August 2022
- The Goddess Book Tag (Original)
- Let’s Talk Bookish | Tips For New Book Bloggers
- Explore My Autumn 2022 Bucket List
what i read
books/audiobooks
This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) Okay, fine, technically I finished the last hour of this audiobook on October 1st, but I’m counting it anyway! Anyhoo, I loved this book so much! It was so much fun and the representation of a girl with ADHD made me cry! And I love that the main message was such a quintessential disability community message: that there is so much strength and power in community and that we don’t have to face our battles alone! Plus, Alessa was such an endearing main character and the romance was so good! Definitely add this book to your TBR if it’s not already there!!
webtoons
🦇 Lucy’s Endless Night by Angelaanimates (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) I randomly came across Angelaanimates on Tumblr and decided to check out her webcomic on Webtoon and boy oh boy was that a good decision! I absoutely devoured all of this webcomic that’s currently available in under two hours! Lucy’s Endless Night is about Lucy, a young artist who enjoys drawing vampires and her soon-to-be husband, Silas, who is a vampire hunter. It’s so much fun and is set in a super neat steampunk Victorian-esque world. Definitely check it out!
what i plan on reading
I’m planning on reading a book or two for Gothtober. You can find out all about the readathon here.
- A Gothic Mood Read ⇒ Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
- I’ve been waiting a good while for the perfect moment to read this YA gothic fantasy and I just feel like autumn is the time!
- A Book Which Completes You ⇒ Babel by R.F. Kuang
- I don’t really understand what this prompt means, so I just chose a book that I think will be a new favorite.
- A Beautiful Book ⇒ Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
- The cover for this book is so gorgeous!
- A Book By A BIPOC Author ⇒ The Witchery by S. Isabelle
- This is a book by Black author about Black girls who attend a boarding school for witches and I’m so excited to have it on my list!
- An LGBT+ Book ⇒ Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyemide
- This is another #OwnVoices Black book, but the main characters are also queer.
- A Book With Disability Representation ⇒ A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
- I don’t know if this book is #OwnVoices, but the main character has cerebral palsy and I’ve heard great things about it!
- A Book You Forgot You Had ⇒ Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
- I own the physical book and the audiobook of this novel and yet I always forget that I have copies of it (despite really wanting to read it).
- A Murder Mystery ⇒ The Agathas by Liz Lawson and Kathleen Glasgow
- I’ve been slowly making my way through this book, but I am enjoying it.
- A Book With A Portrait Of Victorian Aesthetic ⇒ House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
- I’m a tad uncertain about this one because y’all know I don’t do horror, so we’ll see.
- A Book With A Plot Twist ⇒ Vicious by V.E. Schwab
- I’m finally ready to get to this one!
what i watched
🕷️ Black Widow (⭐⭐⭐) I’m not an MCU super fan and I have yet to watch that majority of the The Avengers franchise, including Avengers: Endgame, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. My honest take, though? I was bored. I found it hard to get invested in Natasha Romanov (a.k.a. “Black Widow”) as a main character and because of that, I also found myself a tad disinterested in the plot. I did enjoy Yelena’s character and Alexei was great as the comic relief. But all in all, Black Widow was a bit of a dud.
🖥️ The Matrix (⭐⭐) This film is so iconic and practically a classic, so I was excited to find out if it lived up to the hype. Sadly, for me, it didn’t. I feel like The Matrix is a good study of what happens when your themes are so heavy-handed that it starts to water down your plot and characters.
🔪 Do Revenge (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) I freaking loved this movie!! A giant homage to the teen comedy genre and a brilliant exploration of female rage, Do Revenge is wildly entertaining. I actually did a whole ass analysis of this movie for my Film Appreciation I course, but basically I love how this movie subverts the visuals and tropes it uses all to show off unapologetic female anger! And the fact that it’s all wrapped in the package of this pastel teen comedy is so funny! Absolutely a must-watch movie!!!
what i listened to
🎶 Yessie by Jessie Reyez Reyez dropped her second full album, Yessie, this past month and literally every song on it is a hit for me! I think some highlights for me are “MOOD,” “QUEEN ST. W,” and “MUTUAL FRIEND,” but honestly I love every song on this album. I can always hear in her voice how Reyez really throws her heart and soul into her art and this time is no different.
high notes
🎶 “Mi Gna (feat Hayko) – Maitre Gims Remix” by GIMS, Super Sako, and Hayko GIMS is a ridiculously talented singer and this song is so much fun!
🎶 “Juicy” by Doja Cat I give up! I’m a Doja fan now!!
🎶 “Ojitos Lindos” by Bad Bunny and Bomba Estereos Bad Bunny is quickly becoming a favorite of mine!
🎶 “Pressure” by Ari Lennox It’s been a while since I’ve checked out Ari Lennox, but I’m glad this song reminded me to!
🎶 “feelings” by CLAY CLAY is my new discovery of the month and I’m so glad I found them!
what i bookmarked
around the bookternet
- Cari rounded out her series recap of the initial ACOTAR trilogy by Sarah J. Maas with a recap of A Court of Wings and Ruin (Video)
- Mint posted a fantastic examination of what it means for a book to be political and also shared about reading with aphantasia
- Nicole told us what to do if a book is banned
- Krysta created a quick guide to the second age of Middle Earth for before you watch Rings of Power
- Erin interviewed Lillie Vale, author of The Decoy Girlfriend
- Cande spotlighted over 40 2023 Latine releases to add to your TBR
- Fanna interviewed Romi Moondi, author of 24 Hours in Paris
- Elli shared what they love about Taylor Jenkins Reid books and also shared books they wanted to recommend for their YA lit class
- Krysta talked about how she doesn’t see the phrase “as seen on booktok” to be meaningful
- Ellyn read eight 2022 releases in a week
- Emily wondered, “are tropes replacing plot?” (Video)
- Lauren suggested trying ingratitude journaling
- Megan showed off 22 autumnal fantasy books to cozy up with this fall
- Kristin gushed about vampire books
- Jacquie explained how she found her fashion style and her reading style
- Jo interviewed Aden Polydoros, author of the recent release, Bone Weaver
- Siena documented her month of not using Goodreads
- Nicole shined a light on mysteries and thrillers she recommends
- Chris shouted out books he’s read this year with bi male characters
- Lori shared 5 queer enemies-to-lovers books to read
- Saima recommended sapphic thriller and horror novels
- Caro highlighted cozy and atmospheric books for fall
- Felicia interviewed Natasha Bowen, author of Skin of the Sea
- Ashley suggested even more great Webtoon comics
- Cherry showed off her favorite books from different genres
- Sophie advised on how to write a good villain
- Michelle made a playlist for Chloe Gong’s Foul Lady Fortune
- Marie let us pick a fall aesthetic and get a YA book recommendations
- Min gave us book recommendations based on K-pop girl group songs
- Rio talked about the enemies-to-lovers trope
bookish news
- The teaser trailer for Shadow and Bone Season 2 dropped
- And so did the teaser trailer for Disney+’s upcoming Percy Jackson adaptation
- Heartstopper Season 2 is in production
- The School for Good and Evil got an official trailer
- Cait from Paper Fury is releasing a new book!
what (other things) i’ve loved lately
I’ve really been enjoying Emma’s booktube channel, * e m m i e *, lately. Though she and I have vastly different taste in books, I still manage to find her content both interesting and calming. I love her videoos (like this one) where she solves Agatha Christie mysteries and her vlogs are so serene!
I’ve also been loving Maddie Dragsbaek’s channel where she talks about dating, sex, and self love from the perspective of a young woman in her 20s. Watching Maddie’s channel is like sitting down to gab with your best friend or sister! I also feel like watching her content has really helped me deconstruct some internalized misogyny I have regarding the subjects she discusses.
what i did in september
September consisted mostly of schoolwork 😭 Although, I did manage to go on a nice date to the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, which was very fun! As for school, it’s been a bit bumpy so far. My Calculus II professor has been out for three and a half weeks now due to an emergency circumstance and it’s made taking the class really difficult, as any type of math is really difficult to learn online/remotely and my professor has minimal office hours now. Aside from that, though, my Film Appreciation I class has been alright and my Choir course has been a bright spot. Fingers crossed October will be a bit more fun.
what i plan on doing in october
So far, I have a few fun plans for this October. One of my best friends and I are planning on going apple picking and also going on a trip to this cool autumnal town full of fall activities. I also have a choral concert in mid October, which I’m looking forward to performing in. My mom’s birthday is in early October and, of course, there’s also Halloween at the end of the month. Between all those events, I’m hoping it’ll be a fun month!
spill the beans, friends!
- What are some of your favorite things from September?
- What have you been reading lately?
- What are you looking forward to in this upcoming October?
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I’m thinking of reading House of Hunger soon (I mean it’s an arc so I have to read it soon 😄). I love horror movies so I’m trying to branch out into books and find those horror books that feel like movies.
Yeah, unfortunately, most Marvel content require you to watch at least 5 movies before and know some of the comic backstory before you can watch it. It’s sad – means you can’t just casually pick up a superhero movie (because they dominate them) and watch.
My birthday as well as my mom’s is in October so I’ll tell you what my mom tells everyone whose birthday is in October: “All the best people are born in October!” (And of course exceptions if your birthday is in another month 😄).
I’m waiting for my library to get This Vicious Grace so I can read it because everyone’s liking it!
Oooo, I am fascinated by your opinion of ‘The Matrix’ because this is something I think about all the time! I love the ‘Matrix’ movies but I’ve always presumed a big piece of that relationship was my experience of them. I was in high school and college when the original trilogy came out and I’d never seen anything like it. But it wasn’t just the effects, I’d also never seen a film that was packed so densely with it’s references and allusions. Like I’d never seen a film which made passing references to things like Jean Baudrillard’s ‘Simulacra and Simulation’ and expected me to dialogue with it. As a kid who always loved deconstructing movies and had done so for fun (and for class with a teacher who taught us the Hero’s Journey using King Arthur, Odysseus, and Star Wars), I’d never seen a film I had to WORK to pull apart. So it became a big part of my life in that way and I always presuming that relationship is a major reason for why I love those movies. I’ve also often wondered what it would be like to watch them for the first time now. Would they still blow me away? Or would the 20+ years from release until now make them seem tame or boring by comparison? So I really appreciate your take! And now I’ll be thinking about it all afternoon.
As to your September questions, I finally decided to jump on the Colleen Hoover train. I read ‘Verity’ and I’m about 150 pages away from the end of ‘It Ends With Us.’ I’m looking forward to Jodie Whittaker’s final ‘Doctor Who’ special to come out next month (though I’ll be crying ALL THE TEARS when it happens and I am not ready for it) so I’ve been enjoying a rewatch of all her episodes which I began last month! Oh, I guess I can also cite beginning to find some sort of work/life balance this new school year as something I loved from September, too :).
I’m sure This Vicious Grace has it’s good side, but I just can’t get over the goofy use of my language I saw just in the blurb, such as calling the mc a freaking Window 😂 But I hope you will have a nice October and also a very nice apple picking. I wonder if they do something like that in Italy too.
And wow, thank you for linking all of these great posts! I’ll check them out
You have so many exciting reads coming up! (Or exciting reads that already came up? WordPress is still not notifying me of your posts, so I think I’m just gonna try resubscribing at this point… 😅) I’m actually going to start Babel today, though, because my curiosity is killing me! Everything about it sounds excellent, so I really hope we both end up liking it!
And lol, I can imagine how difficult Calculus II must be without your professor actually present – taking Mori Theory (= part of advanced Algebraic Geometry) online during COVID was one of the most confusing math experiences of my life! Although I’m still not sure whether that was because we had it online or because of the subject itself 😁
Anyway, I hope you’ve been having a great October!