midyear media mayhem! | 2nd quarter check in

Hello again, friends! How’s it going? Well, it’s that time of year again where we take stock of all the media we’ve been consuming and decide what was fresh and what was a flop!

This year, I again have a goal of reading 10 books (including webcomics), and, having currently completed 4.5/10, I’d say I’m making pretty decent progress on that goal! In regards to the quality of my reads, I’m pretty satisfied, as I’ve loved nearly all of the books I’ve read. I’ve also seen some pretty cool shows, watched some interesting YouTube, and listened to some great music! So let’s take a look at my 2nd quarter recap of those things!

* P.S. Thank you to Eleanor, who tagged me in the “Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag”! I haven’t yet read enough books to completely do the tag, but hopefully this suffices!

books

favorite book of the 2nd quarter of 2023

Okay, in fairness, I haven’t yet completed this book, but I’m over halfway through it so I’m counting it because I’m a menace and you can’t stop me! Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros has been all the rage lately, and honestly? I couldn’t agree with the hype more! This book was so freaking fun!! Is it the most intellectual or complexly written book? No. But there’s still value in books that are just a plain ol’ good time and that give readers joy! Fourth Wing had me hooked from the minute I started reading. There’s an #ownvoices chronically ill/disabled heroine (we love to see it!), there are dragons, there’s a war college, there’s a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance—I mean, come on!!! How could you not get caught up in the story?!

Fourth Wing is a New Adult fantasy romance about Violet Sorrengail, the disabled daughter of the kingdom’s top general. Though Violet has trained her whole life to be a scribe, she ends up being forced to become a dragon rider by her mother (the general) and must attend the kingdom’s infamous and deadly war college. At said war college, Violet must use all she’s got to survive the dragons—and the other students gunning for her life!

most disappointing of the 2nd quarter of 2023

Unfortunately Clara and the Devil (Part III) by Olivie Blake and Little Chmura was kind of a bit of a let down. I love the vibes of this webcomic, but I feel like the plot has yet to really tighten enough to fully come together, and at this point it should at least be beginning to. Also, the constant introduction of new characters seems to have meant that we get less time to dig into and connect with the existing characters. I’m still going to read the next part when it releases, but I’m not sure I can continue on if it doesn’t really focus in on something sooner or later…

Clara and the Devil is a slice-of-life Faustian fantasy webcomic that follows the titular Clara and several other characters as they battle the temptations of the mysterious and alluring figure of The Devil.

biggest surprise of the 2nd quarter of 2023

I’m not the biggest fan of contemporary fiction, so it’s a little surprising that I loved Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman so freaking much! Obviously I liked the first volume in this series, but I found the second installment equally as enjoyable! In particular, I feel like it’s suprising for me to feel like the plot is so engaging, because I usually find contemporary plots to be such a snore. And the fact that it’s YA contemporary and I still love it at age 28? Amazing! I just find the characters so incredibly endearing and, to be honest, the coming-of-age and self-discovery themes are still relevant and relatable even at my big age of 28! The minute I finished up this volume, I immediately started on volume three and I’m so excited to see where Charlie, Nick, and the gang go next!

Heartstopper is a YA contemporary romance that is a webcomic turned graphic novel series. It follows Charlie and Nick as they fall in love, figure out their sexualities, and have real life ups and downs and adventures with their friends.

most anticipated release of the 3rd quarter of 2023

Y’all know I love Middle Eastern fantasy, so obviously The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem was an auto-addition to my TBR. It’s an Egyptian inspired political fantasy involving a fugitive queen—and that’s all I need to know, you don’t need to tell me twice!

Okay, The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter just sounds flat out like pure fun!! I’ve been craving a good ol’ cheesy spy story and the fact that this is a spy thriller/rom com mashup has me practically drooling!

I’m certain I’m not the only one eagerly anticipating Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong, seeing as it’s Chloe Gong’s adult debut. Beyond that, though, the premise sounds incredibly unique and so intriguing.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner actually was released in physical format in the first quarter of 2023, but the audiobook releases in the third quarter so I’m counting it. Anyhoo, Godkiller not only has recieved stellar reviews, but also looks extremely interesting! I’m a sucker for SFF involving deities, so this audiobook was pretty much an auto-preorder, haha!

I only recently heard about The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis when it was featured in a big name book box, and it sounded super interesting so I decided to preorder an audiobook copy. I don’t know much about it other than it’s an Adult fantasy romance, but it seems interesting enough.

I’ve been hearing about The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma (a.k.a. The Boy with Fire) since when it was first self published, but now that it’s being traditionally pubbed and there’s an audiobook, I can’t wait to finally see what people have been talking about!

movies

most disappointing of the 2nd quarter of 2023

The only movie I watched in the second quarter of this year was Netflix’s adaptation of Noelle Stevenson’s graphic novel Nimona, and unfortunately it wasn’t my favorite. I thought there were some good elements—the voice acting was decent and the story was pretty alright too—but those were outweighted by the things I wasn’t a massive fan of. First off, I wasn’t a big fan of the animation style. It seemed way too simplistic and glossy for Stevenson’s messy and colorful universe. I also felt like the film couldn’t decide on which age demographic it was catering to, children or teens. The original graphic novel is marketed as YA, but it felt like the film simplified most of the story down for kids. Until the ending, that is, which felt surprisingly dark for a kids film? It was strange. Overall, I found Nimona to be cute but forgettable, so, sadly, it’s landing in my “most disappointing of the 2nd quarter” category.

most anticipated release of the3rd quarter of 2023

I absolutely ADORED the first Spider-Verse film, so you KNOW I’m also beyond excited for when I can finally watch Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse!! I somehow haven’t yet managed to see this film yet, despite my best efforts, so I’m adding it to this list despite the fact that it released earlier in June. Anyhoo, I loved everything about the first Spider-Verse film—the accurate representation, the characters, the story, the animation—so despite my best efforts, I have pretty high expectations for this sequel.

I’m a simple anthropology girly, I see that there’s gonna be a fifth Indiana Jones installment and I am required to stan. I say this regardless of the fact that given the travesty that was the fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (the upcoming fifth film) will likely also be an utter disaster. Part of me hopes that if I try my best to go into the theater with ridiculously low expectations, I won’t be disappointed, but let’s be real: if it’s bad, I will definitely be disappointed!

I don’t think there’s anyone who isn’t totally hyped for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie! Every single fucking girl, guy, gay, and they that I know (myself included) is positively vibrating with anticipation for this film. Do I know exactly what it’s about? No. Will I stan our lord and savior, Barbie, no matter what?… Abso-fucking-lutely! The sheer amount of vibrance and pink in the trailers already has me sold, hands down, no questions need be asked.

Even though I’ve still yet to read the book, I’m still rather excited to see how Amazon Prime’s film adaptation of Red, White, & Royal Blue goes, especially after they did such a good job with their Daisy Jones adaptation!

tv series

favorite tv series of the 2nd quarter of 2023

Is it really any surprise that I loved XO, Kitty? After all, I absolutely ADORE the books of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, as well as their adaptations. Kitty is also a character who I’ve also wanted to see have her own adventures as a teenager, so I was excited to finally see that wish come true! Now, if you know anything about me, you’ll know two things: I’m not typically a fan of contemporary stories and I also happen to have a difficult time maintaining attention. So the fact that I finished XO, Kitty in 10 days and totally loved every second of it? Nothing short of miraculous, if you ask me! All of the characters were so incredibly endearing and the plot was super engaging. Plus, I really liked the direction the show went in regards to Kitty’s love life. Personally, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a second season because I honestly can’t wait to see where it would take Kitty and the crew!

most anticipated release of the3rd quarter of 2023

I can’t really think of many series releases coming out in the 3rd quarter, so I’ll just talk about two that are supposed to be releasing later this year that I’m excited about.

The first one is Marvel’s new series Echo, which is set to release of Disney+ in late November. I’ll be real here: I don’t know much about Echo, but I’m ridiculously excited to see a Marvel superhero who’s Indigenous American, like me (and being palyed by an Indigenous American actress too!!)!

The second series I’m excited for is Agatha: Coven of Chaos which is still supposed to be released on Disney+ sometime this year, despite there being no real news about the series beyond that vague date. I’m definitely keeping my fingers crossed, though! I loved Agatha in WandaVision so much—I thought she was a really interesting and dynamic character with an intriguing backstory. I also love the element of, well, chaos that she brought to the series and I think it’ll be interesting to see her as the focus of a story.

Of course, honorable mention goes to The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2, The Witcher Season 3, and Only Murders in the Building Seaon 3, because I love these shows but for each of them I have to finish up the previous season.

music

favorite songs of the 2nd quarter of 2023

🎶“Loretta” by Aoife O’Donovan & Taylor Ashton I’ve always enjoyed bluegrass, but I don’t tend to listen to it as often as I like, so I’m really glad I found this song.

🎶“Tlhuiliz/Light” by Xiuhtezcatl I love everything about this song, from the musical elements to the message!

🎶“Terms and Conditions” by Mahalia I’m a longtime fan of Mahalia, so I was glad I came across this absolute bop about boundaries from her.

🎶“TMO” by Issam Alnajjar ft. Mohamed Ramadan & GIMS This is an Afro Arab song that features a snippet of a song which was popular when I was a teen, so of course I love it!

🎶“Mra ou Mermora” by Mr. ID & Sonia Noor This is such a fun and empowering song!

🎶“Bazardee” by KeBlack I found this song from a random podcast that was clipped for IG reels, where the hosts were recommending songs for summer. I can confirm that this recommendation definitely hit as intended!

favorite newly discovered artist of the 2nd quarter of 2023

I recently discovered Qiyah Abdul and I’ve absolutely fallen for her music! She’s got this really smooth, jazzy flow that I love!!

biggest surprise of the 2nd quarter of 2023

Okay, this is embarassing. Y’all remember how in one of my previous check-ins, I mentioned that I wasn’t a big fan of Midnights by Taylor Swift? Weeeeellllllll…I…might’ve…changed my mind? HEY!! Hey! I’m just as shocked as you are, okay?! I just listened to the remix of “Karma” that features Ice Spice and decided to relisten to Midnights and now…I like it? *facepalm*

miscellaineous

favotrite games of the 2nd quarter of 2023

As I mentioned in my May 2023 monthly wrap up, I decided to try my hand at gaming and as a result purchased an Xbox Ultimate Pass. I’m still just getting the hang of things, but I’m enjoying what I’ve tried out so far and that includes two games.

Homestead Arcana is an enchanting cozy game involving playing as a farming witch who becomes a homesteader in a magical land where a dark magic is spreading. So far it’s been sweet and fun and very calming to play, but I imagine it goes on to add some more mysterious elements as you play through.

I also tried out The Last Case of Benedict Fox and I really like it—especially as I love games involving puzzle elements. It’s a semi noir, semi gothic mystery game involving action and horror elements, and it’s been a very intriguing play so far!

favorite youtubers of the 2nd quarter of 2023

I discovered the authortube channel Lynn D. Jung and, even as a fledgeling writer, I’ve been loving Lynn’s videos! Her content ranges from writing advice to book reviews to vlogs, but all of it is so aesthetic and interesting and helpful. If you’re interested in those sorts of videos, definitely check out Lynn’s channel!

Another relatively recent YouTube discovery of mine is Alivia Brown! Alivia makes very fun and casual videos all about anthropology, which she recently graduated with a bachelors degree in (she also just started a booktube channel, so go check that out too). Her videos are so educational and entertaining, and even if you’re not in anthropology as a professional/as a student (like me), I think her videos are a great watch!

I’ve found myself greatly enjoying the content of Morgan Long lately as well. Her videos are just so cozy and calming! Morgan makes these really charming booktube and lifestyle videos, and watching them is just the most relaxing experience.

I’ve also recently found Rosie Crawford and I just adore her content! She’s a “studytube” creator who’s a student Cambridge archeological researcher—how cool is that?! Her videos mainly focus on her life as a student and tips for students, and they’re not only useful but also interesting.

blogs & social media

favorite blog post of mine

I really enjoyed writing and sharing my post all about songs I think should be turned into fantasy novels. I’m a singer and I also really enjoy creative writing, so it was really fun to combine those two interests for the post.

favorite new or new-to-me book blogger & booktuber

book blogger

I recentlly discovered Liesl’s blog Quote, Unquote and I’ve really been enjoying it! Liesl’s posts are always so thoughtful and they always manage to get my ol’ mind machine going. Plus, her blog design is amazing—classy with a pinch of fun and sunshine! Go give her blog a look!

booktuber

Okay, technichally I suppose this is bending the “new/new-to-me” rule since I’ve been watching Whitney’s booktube channel WhittyNovels since around 2015, but in late December of 2020 she announced she was quitting YouTube. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when she made her grand return to booktube this year! Whitney’s content is so fun and down-to-earth, which is why she’s always been one of my favorite booktubers. Definitely check her out if you’re looking for some good ol’ booktube fun!

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Well, friends, that’s all I got for you today! I hope you enjoyed hearing about my favorites (and a few not-so-favorites) and maybe got a good recommendation or two! I’m looking forward to hearing all about your recent favorites in the comments!

spill the beans, friends!

• What are some of your 2nd quarter 2023 favorites?
• Any disappointments?
• What are you looking forward to in the 3rd quarter of 2023?