lately with lila december 2022 + january 2023 | the season finale of 2022 and the start of something new
Hello, dear readers and dear friends, it’s your friendly neighborhood Lila, running late once again! How’s everyone doing? I hope you’re happy, healthy, and safe and, if not, I hope brighter days head your way soon!
I’m so happy and excited to say that all of my previous followers from WordPress have finally been migrated over to my self-hosted site! I began self-hosting Hardcover Haven last summer, but I didn’t realize that my followers hadn’t been migrated over, so I’d been writing posts and they only reached about 15 people 😭😭😭 But I just figured out how to migrate my followers myself and so (supposedly) you’re all here now and I’m so glad!!
Anyhoo! I had so many plans for December and January, but in the end, December and January ran me over with their plans for me, hahaha! But both were ultimately for the most part good months, so I can’t complain. I’m surprised to say that I even managed to finish a book (if you missed it, I’ve been in a raging reading slump that’s lasted a year a half!)! So let’s dive right in and check out what I’ve been up for for these past two months!
what i posted
what i read
🌟 Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) I loved this book!! I know a lot of reviewers say this one is too slow and political, but I found this book to be really interesting! Roanhorse expands the world and digs deeper into how the different characters and their factions are connected and it’s so incredibly fascinating!! If you enjoyed Black Sun, I definitely say continue on to Fevered Star.
what i’m currently reading
🧚🏼♀️ Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett This is my first real dip into the “cozy fantasy” subgenre and so far I’m loving it! This book somehow manages to be both “cozy” and mysterious (a combination I had never even thought to consider previously!) and it’s so much fun! The main character is adorably awkward and grumbly, while the love interest is the “sunshine” part of this “grumpy x sunshine” duo, and I love that the author reversed the stereotypical genders that go with that trope.
what i watched
⚽ Ted Lasso (⭐⭐⭐⭐) I ended up watching the first couple of episodes of this show because a friend said I remind him of the main character and I’m happy to say that I’ve fallen in love with it (which is weird since I don’t typically enjoy comedy shows, nor do I typically enjoy watching sports). Honestly, I can see why people love this show—it’s so heartwarming and heartfelt! I quickly fell in love with the characters and I can’t wait to see where season one takes them!
✊🏼 Persepolis (⭐⭐⭐⭐) I was pleasantly surprised when we were assigned to watch Persepolis for my Film Appreciation I course, because I’d heard so many great things about the graphic novel it was adapted from. Fortunately, the film did not disappoint! I loved learning about Iranian history from the perspective of a native, especially since Americans have a very biased view of Iran. I’d definitely recommend this one!
🏛️ Knock Down The House (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) This was another documentary I chose to watch for my film class and I really enjoyed it. Fun fact about yours truly: I’d like to run for office someday. Given that fact, I found Knock Down The House to be a really inspiring documentary about running a grassroots campaign.
🪙 National Treasure: Edge of History (⭐⭐⭐) I absolutely ADORE both National Treasure movies, so I was incredibly excited to hear there was a show in the making. I’ve only seen the first two episodes, but unfortunately it’s been a bit of a let down. The show feels like it’s missing the heart and humor that the movies had. I also feel like the show dodges discussing the real nuances of the ancient Latin American treasure the main characters are “hunting” and one of the main characters’ situation as a Latina immigrant who wants to join the FBI. I’m going to keep watching for now to see where the show goes, but I don’t have high hopes.
⚔️ Willow (⭐⭐⭐) I’ve never seen the original film that this show serves as a sequel to, but my attention was captured by the idea of Disney and LucasFilm making a fantasy. So far…eh, it’s alright. I’ve only watched the first couple of episodes and there’s been some set-up for several interesting plotlines, so I’m going to keep watching to see how everything plays out.
🕷️ Wednesday (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) Of course, I’ve continued to watch Wednesday, which is still the current darling of the internet! I’m still totally in love with this show, I just think it does The Addams Family so well!
🐺 The Witcher: Blood Origin (⭐⭐⭐.5) I’m still in the middle of watching season two of The Witcher, but I decided to watch this miniseries anyway. And it was okay. There were some interesting people/things I’ve heard/seen referenced in the main show, so that was neat. It was also interesting to find out more of the history of the world of The Witcher. At the same time, I felt like the characters seemed slightly hollow? Also the romance seemed rushed. But I digress. Overall, it was an alright show and I’m interested to see exactly how it ties directly to the main story.
what i listened to
Birds of Empire (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) I came across this immersive audiodrama podcast recently and I’ve fallen completely in love with it! It’s about a distant future in a post-apocalyptic world where society has severely regressed. We follow four tribes that govern the Dakotas (think like the grounders in The 100) and their struggles for power. There’s so much political drama and the audio production is FANTASTIC! If you listen to anything, definitely listen to this show!!
CW: Violence & gore, death of a loved one, ableism
december 2022 playlist
january 2023 playlist
what i bookmarked
- Amanda shared her diverse reads spreadsheet
- Ellyn shared her 2023 Notion pages plus templates
- Lay highlighted nine weirdly specific nonfiction books on her TBR
- Maddie interviewed Kyla Zhao, the 2023 debut author of The Fraud Squad
- Rosina talked about how to be kind to yourself about reading
- Charlotte gabbed about her most anticipated 2023 releases
- Sofia created a TBR based on reading other people’s favorite books
- Christina shared blogging resources
- Rio advised on when to get rid of books
- Stephanie spotlighted books with rabbits on the cover in celebration of the 2023 Lunar New Year
- Laurel announced her reread of the Tortall series and talked about the history of YA fantasy
- Jess listed 2023 film and TV adaptations
- Krysta answered common questions new book bloggers might have
- Rowan analyzed the tedious repetition of coming out movies (Video)
- Sophie highlighted books about actresses for fans of Evelyn Hugo
- Rachel discussed what it means for a book to be queer (Video)
- Briana explained why it’s important to clearly indicate books’ age category
- Cari recapped the entire plot of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas and also hilariously suffered through reading the Zodiac Academy series for content (Video)
- The official trailer for Amazon Prime’s adaptation of Daisy Jones & The Six dropped
- So did the trailer for the adaptation of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
- And also the trailer for Netflix adaptation of Lockwood & Co.
- 24hryabookblog shared their thoughts on Goodreads’ “36 Cozy and Feel-Good Fantasy and Sci Fi Books” list
what i did in december 2022
Between finals and the holiday season and getting together with friends trying to make the most of our semester break, December was a busy month. At the beginning of the month, I took my finals which included performing in my college choir’s winter concert. I got A’s in both my Film Appreciation I course and my Choir course, so I was very satisfied with that. Once the semester ended, I spent a lot of time with friends. We went ice skating (which I always love) and I tried rock climbing for the first time since I was a kid (which I had a great time doing too) and we also just spent time chillin’ together, having fun. It was so nice to have some down time to just spend time with friends having a grand ol’ time together! Christmas and New Year’s Eve were pretty quiet, as per usual in my household. All in all, it was a good month that left me feeling warm and fuzzy.
what i did in january 2023
January was another busy month. First, my best friend Josh visited me, which was such a lovely event! Despite being certified besties for life, Josh and I haven’t seen each other in person since I left Northwestern University seven years ago. So, it’s a bit of an understatement to say I was ecstatic to see him. And the best thing is we’re already planning another possible visit for him this spring! I also spent time with several other friends before my semester started, which was so nice! Speaking of which, my 15 week semester started on January 17th and my 13 week semester started on January 31st. This semester I’m taking African History, Choir, and University Physics I, all of which I’m so excited for!
what i plan on doing in february 2023
Honestly, I don’t really know what February holds beyond schoolwork. I don’t have any plans, so it’s really just wait and see how it pans out for me.
spill the beans, friends!
- How was your December and January?
- Did you read any memorable books?
- What are you looking forward to in February?
LILA it’s so so good to read your posts again BECAUSE I HAD NO IDEA UNTIL READING THIS ONE HOW MUCH I MISSED THEM?? but also HA that’s partly on me too because APPARENTLY I WAS NOT ONE OF THOSE AFOREMENTIONED 15 WHO STILL GOT NOTIFICATIONS AND THE LAST POST OF YOURS I EVER READ WAS THE JUNE WRAP UP and that’s the last post of yours that the reader shows whenever I click on your site (and I kind of just assumed you went on a hiatus after that?? AHAHAHAHA IM SO SORRY) MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE ALSO COME ONTO THE ACTUAL SITE. you know, INSTEAD OF JUST PUTTING ALL MY TRUST ON THE READER (because betraying people is it’s habit WHY DO I NEVER LEARN THIS) but also it’s kind of exciting knowing I have all these posts of yours to catch up on BECAUSE THAT MEANS MORE OF YOUR CONTENT TO READ AND I SHALL ALWAYS LOVE THAT. I’m so so glad december was such a fun time for you, despite being busy AND YAY TO MEETING YOUR BEST FRIEND AFTER SO LONG IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!!! yay on the book too AND ALL THE GREAT TELEVISION AND THE AUDIO SHOW THEY ALL SOUND PHENOMENAL I MUST CHECK THEM OUT ASAP?? I hope the new semester is good to you AND HAVE THE BEST EVER 2023!!!!! I LOVE THIS POST SO SO MUCH.
AAAAHHH THANK YOU ANOUSHKA, IT IS SO GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!! i kept feeling like i was shouting into the void and worried people would forget about my blog, so i’m really glad i figured out how to fix the issue! definitely check out the tv series and the podcast and keep me updated on how you like them! thanks for dropping by <3
It sounds like you had a very eventful past few months – congratulations on all those academic achievements and on finally figuring out how to migrate your followers! Although I’m also kind of relieved to hear it wasn’t just me who didn’t notice for ages that your posts were no longer showing up in their feed – I felt like such an incompetent follower! 😂
And ooooh, you’ve got me thoroughly intrigued with that review of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries! I’ve loved almost all of the cozy fantasy I’ve read so far, and an adorably awkward and grumpy main character sounds right up my alley 🤩 I’ll have to see if I can find a copy somewhere!
aaahhh naemi, i’m so happy to hear from you once again! i hope you get a chance to check out Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, because so far it’s a great book (i didn’t know “cozy” and “intrigue” mixed so well until now? lol). also—i haven’t been getting pingbacks, but i discovered the other day that you tagged me in your “functions book tag” and i’m so excited to get to it because yay for fellow book loving girlies in STEM!!!
AHHHH, I’m so excited you like my tag!!! 🤗 I can’t wait to read your answers!!! Especially since I feel like most people who have done it so far didn’t appreciate the math-side to it quite as much as the literary one… 🤣
And everything you’re saying about Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries just makes me more and more intrigued, so I’ll definitely be keeping a look out for a copy!