quarter year check in | sharing my first quarter favorites of 2023
Hey there, friends! It’s me, your local Lila, back again with another post! Today we’re gonna be talking about my favorites of the first quarter of 2023. Can you believe we’re already a quarter of the way through the year?! It seems like time has moved so quickly—like we’re hurtling towards 2024 at lightning speed!
This first quarter of the year has been a mixed bag for me. I’ve been struggling a lot with my mental health and feeling completely burnt out, so I haven’t been keeping too much on top of reading, watching series and movies, listening to podcasts, and finding other cool things to enjoy. Nevertheless, I have managed to still find a good handful of favorites to share with y’all, so let’s talk about what those are!
books
I’ve only finished two books so far this year (and one was a required text for my African History course) but already I’ve found a new all time favorite—how lucky is that?! The new favorite in question is Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim! I truly cannot describe how much I love this book. It’s an Arab-inspired fantasy by a Lebanese author and as someone who is part Lebanese myself, I loved seeing pieces of my cultural heritage sprinkled throughout the story—it made me so happy and so proud! Beyond representation, though, Spice Road is just a fantastic story! From the plot to the characters to the worldbuilding and themes—every element was on point!
Spice Road is about Imani, who must go in search of her missing brother, who is accused of stealing large portions of the magical misra spice that fuels their people. Joining Imani is Taha, the arrogant son of the kingdom’s general, and Qayn, a sly and secretive djinnni—both of whom Imani is determined to distrust. But when Imani discovers that her brother’s alleged theft and subsequent disappearance may be covering up a world-changing secret, she’s forced to rethink her loyalties.
movies & series
Most of y’all probably know that I’m a big fan of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, but I also love what I’ve read of Daisy Jones & The Six (I read about 50% of the book a few years ago but set it down because my reading slump was affecting my pace)! So, naturally, I was super excited to watch the Amazon Prime adaptation of Daisy Jones & The Six. And I’m happy to say that I haven’t been disappointed! I’m currently about halfway through the show, but everything that I’ve seen so far is *chef’s kiss* perfection! Funnily enough, I’ve always headcannoned Riley Keough as Daisy even before she was cast and I’m happy to say she fit the role perfectly! And Sam Claflin as Billy? Spot on. Honestly the whole production has immaculate vibes and I just love it so much!!
Daisy Jones & The Six is an Amazon Prime miniseries adaptation of the novel by the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The story follows the titular Daisy Jones, as well as members of the band, The Six, on their meteoric rise to fame and subsequent implosion.
music
🎶 “on the street” by j-hope ft. J. Cole This song is probably my most favorite song of the first quarter of 2023. It makes me feel so hopeful and helps me remember my purpose.
🎶 “What You Wanna Try” by Masego I love the dreamy piano in this song and I also love how Masego mixed and matched samples from two different songs that fit together surprisingly well! The result is a really subtle and flowing groove that’s simultaneously calming and energizing.
🎶 “Impurities” by Arlo Parks Another inspirational tune that I’ve fallen in love with!
🎶 “Eat Your Young” by Hozier Does anyone not like Hozier’s music???
🎶 “labour” by Paris Paloma Ah, yes, the feminist anthem of the year, and here I am, your local feminist, loving the song as much as the others do, lol!
🎶 “SAFE” by Jidenna ft. Bootsy Collins The slow, funky groove of this song is surprisingly great to get down to!
🎶 “Nayda” by Alaa Al Hendi ft. Flipperachi I discovered Alaa Al Hendi last year and this past quarter I also discovered this song by her, which I now love to turn up and dance to!
🎶 “Hawanawa” by Gutu Abera This is such a fun, jazzy song that is like instant “good mood juice” for my soul!
🎶 “Farasha فراشة” by Alsarah This song is a fun and funky tribute to the strength of Sudani women that I immediately fell in love with!
podcasts
I’m a big fan of Maddie Draegbaeck’s YouTube channel, so it’s no surprise I’m also a huge fan of her podcast, Emotionally Online. The podcast is described as “a weekly slumber party,” and, honestly, that’s exactly the vibe! I’ve said before that taking in Maddie’s content feels like gabbing with a best friend, and her podcast is no different! I love the advice Maddie gives and the stories that she and her friends share—they’re always so fun, yet also surprisingly wise! If you’re looking for a great feminist podcast all about dating, sex, romance, and self love, then check this podcast out for sure!
youtube
Since I haven’t really had the time and energy to read or watch movies or series, I’ve found myself taking comfort in watching YouTube. I’ve been enjoying quite a few channels, so brace yourself for a good, long rave about several of them here!
First up is dobochobo! If I’m remembering correctly, I think I first found Deborah’s channel through Linh Truong (another YouTuber I absolutely adore!) and I quickly fell in love with her content! Her videos are so aesthetic and soothing, but in an enchantingly colorful way!!
Next up is jasmine le! When I say Jasmine’s content is ✨premium big sis content✨…and I’m pretty sure I’m older than her, lmao! If you’re looking for fun and down-to-earth lifestyle content with a funky y2k aesthetic, then Jasmine is ya girl!
Then there’s Cozy K! Kennedy’s channel is dedicated to all things cozy, from games to hobbies and more! I’ve discovered so many fun things and activities through the channel, so it’s definitely a go-to now!
As someone with CFS/ME myself, I’ve also found a ton of comfort in Shannon Emilia‘s content. Shannon is a UK lifestyle vlogger who chronicles her life with CFS/ME. Her videos are not only helpful to me as someone with the same disabling chronic illness, but I also think they could be useful for able-bodied people who are trying to get a better understanding of people with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities.
Speaking of which, Ellie Dashwood is another chronic illness vlogger who, like me, has POTS, and whose content is another comfort to me! I love Ellie’s cheerful and compassionate attitude, as well as her comfy content!
In terms of booktubers, I’ve been loving Jordaline Reads, I’m Rosa, and CarolynMarieReads, although their taste in books is relatively different from each other. Rosa tends to focus on more recent YA and Adult fantasy books, while Carolyn focuses on classics and some Middle Grade fiction, and Jordaline is mostly a thriller and horror booktuber. I love Rosa’s videos for the recommendations I get from them, since she and I have a fairly similar taste in books. When it comes to Carolyn, despite having a vastly different taste in books from her, I find her content to be so cozy, calming, and comforting! As for Jordaline, although I also have wildly different taste in books from her, it’s all about the ✨aesthetic vibes✨, along with her ✨sparkling personality✨!
moodboard
spill the beans, friends!
- How was the first quarter of 2023 for you?
- What are some of your favorites of the quarter?
- What are you looking forward to in the second quarter of 2023?
Sorry for the super late response – I must confess I read this right when you posted but then got a tad overwhelmed with work and forgot to come back here to comment 🙈🙃 Whoops!
But I just had to say something because of course I have to join in on any Daisy Jones gushing out there! I’m so thrilled you also liked the adaptation because yes, it was perfection! 🥰 Who would’ve guessed that Sam Claflin would be so iconic as a rock star? Consider me even more star-struck than I already was! 🤩
I’m sorry to hear your mental health hasn’t really been the best lately, though. I’m sending all the positive vibes your way and really hope this next quarter is looking better! 💙💛💚
Thank you so much for the positive vibes, Naemi <3 <3 <3 And don't worry about any late response---I clearly am the QUEEN of responding late lol!
I really was surprised by how well Sam Claflin played Billy cause for some reason before the show I couldn't picture him as Billy AT ALL and was kinda worried about it. I think I was just picturing him looking the same as he did in The Hunger Games but OF COURSE he looks different now, lmao!