lately with lila december 2024 | an enchanting ending

Hello, dear friends, it’s me again! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!! I hope all is well for you all, and if it’s not, then I hope brighter days head your way soon!

What a month it’s been for me! I had quite a wonderful, yet packed month and it all seemed to just zoom right by. Yet somehow, I still managed to consume some really outstanding entertainment media on the side too? As a matter of fact, I feel like the entertainment media I consumed was so good that it gave me back my motivation to consume entertainment media in general?? It’s basically a Christmas miracle, friends! But enough of me blabbering, let’s check out said entertainment media and the rest of what went down in December 2024…

what i posted

what i read

If you’d have told me that I’d read my favorite book of 2024 in December, of all months…I probably would’ve laughed at how ridiculous that seemed. And yet, here I am, having read my favorite book of 2024 this past month! What book am I talking about? Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang. Now, just cause this book is a new favorite of mine doesn’t mean it’s an easy read, in any sense of the phrase. The story deals very tangibly and viscerally with the themes of sexism and racism, and in many ways, it’s a tragic tale, as one might expect. As a matter of fact, it’s so tragic that it’s unusual that I liked it so much, as I usually steer clear of stories like this, stories that make me so anxious and/or sad. But I also believe that Blood Over Bright Haven has an incredibly important story to tell, and it does so with astonishing clarity. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

what i plan on reading

Honestly after the astounding finale to 2024 that was Blood Over Bright Haven, I’m curious to see what the hullabaloo over The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang is all about. I see so many rave reviews for this book that I’m thoroughly intrigued and may just pick it up next!

I’m also in a bit of a wintery fantasy mood and I think I found the perfect book to satisfy that craving: North is the Night by Emily Rath! I recently discovered this fantasy and was drawn in by the fact that it’s inspired by Finnish mythology, which I’m not very familiar with. It looks really interesting, so I’m hoping for the best.

what i watched

I watched Judas and the Black Messiah this past month, which was quite an emotional experience for me as a Black American and as a communist. The film tells the story of Chairman Fred Hampton of the Chicago Chapter of the Black Panther Party and his bodyguard, William O’Neal, who was an FBI informant whose info led to the assassination of Hampton. I was impressed with how honest the portrayal of Hampton and the Panthers was, considering they are typically demonized by US history despite their overwhelmingly positive and unifying legacies. Of course, the film showed the necessary and very real nuance, but it was also very honest about what a hero Hampton was, not only to Black people, but to all demographics striving to make a better life for themselves and their communities. Ultimately, Judas and the Black Messiah was a very moving film and I recommend all people watch it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

At the very end of the month, some of my friends from my Choir class and I went to see Wicked in theaters, and, friends, it was AMAZING!! I’ve seen Wicked onstage before, so I went in already knowing the story and the songs, but it was amazing how the production team, director, and actors managed to put their unique spin on all of it. I mean, I knew everyone was raving about it, but the film really was breathtaking to watch—from the sets to the costumes to the cinematography to the acting—and, of course, the singing! It was all so incredible!!! Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo really managed to fully embody the characters of Galinda and Elphaba, and their voices were both perfect fits for the parts! Everything about this film was just flawless, and I highly recommend watching it if you get the chance! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

what i listened to

high notes

My favorite song of the month was undoubtedly “Asli Ana” by Zeyne! It is a song which is a love letter to being Arab and Palestinian and which reminded me of how proud I am to be Arab myself. The song put words to so many of my feelings where I couldn’t and I love it so much for that. Plus, it helps that it’s catchy!

I knew Doechii from her song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” which I have always loved, but I didn’t know much more of her music. Yet when I heard everyone absolutely raving about her NPR Tiny Desk Concert, I knew I had to check it out! Turns out that was the correct decision cause now you can call me a full-fledged Doechii STAN!! I love the way she mixes jazz and rap and her colorful and creative flow. If you’ve yet to listen to Doechii and/or to watch her Tiny Desk performance, please, I beg of you, fix that ASAP!

what i bookmarked

for the bookworms

Nathan talked about the politics of booktok

Problematic FMC reported on their research into the question, “are female authors taking over the bestseller lists?” (Podcast + Transcript)

Shelby Ann shared the stories behind the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards winners

Julia Chiappe wrote for Berkeley Fiction Review about soundracking your reading

Roisin talked over “the Sally Rooney phenomenon” of Marxism and millennial romance (Video)

Clo finished up her astrology recommendations series with books for Sagittarius placements

Alex highlighted fantasy books featuring enchanted woods

Line recounted her experiment to tell how good Goodreads recommendations actually are

Sophie shared her reading journey from childhood to adulthood

Leonie analyzed age gaps in romantasies involving “shadow daddies” and also gave us a beginner’s guide to nonfiction literature (Video)

Liv recommended twelve books to read if you’re a fan of Squid Game

Amelia talked about bookishness and the moralization of reading in the digital age (Video)

Alina discussed booktok and anti-intellectualism (Video)

Jared explained why everyone stopped reading (Video)

Shelly responded to Jared’s video re: why everyone stopped reading (Video)

Becky spotlighted fifty fantasy books releasing from January, 2025 through June 2025

T.K. announced her two year-long readathons for 2025

Delaney gave us recommendations for books for fans of The Great British Bake Off

Ellie explored the complicated question of if dystopian books are making a comeback (Video)

Johan wondered “are fantasy books losing their identity?” (Video)

Krysta pondered over being an author completionist

Briana discussed how many people don’t realize English Literature is a field with actual content

Chiara curated a playlist for Only for the Holidays by Abiola Bello, as well as a playlist for Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Manda asked us to help her pick which book series to finish

Nicole explained how stories save us

Lou shined a light on books for winter

for fun

Vanya shared her knowledge about microclimates and restoration

Sophie shared more songs she listened to and loved in 2024

Kat gabbed about five movies she’d make her future boyfriend watch

what i did in december 2024

December was a busy month, and it didn’t help that I got sick halfway through! Nevertheless, despite my brief bout of illness, I managed to charge on through the month and make it out the other end with my sanity intact.

The month kicked off with my choir’s Winter 2024 concert. I had fun, as always, but to be honest I felt like it definitely wasn’t my best performance. I missed several rehearsals for this concert this past semester, so I just felt like I wasn’t adequately prepared (which was no fault but my own). Regardless, overall, the concert went decently, and I had fun, so it’s not really a big deal!

Right before Christmas I was part of a group of choirs that performed Handel’s Messiah at The Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, and it was an absolutely magical experience!! It was such an honor to perform at such a prestigious institution for a packed house and in such a gorgeous space and with such incredible fellow musicians and singers. The music was honestly a tad difficult owing to its repetitiveness, but in the end, I managed to do a good job and I’m proud of myself for that!

Of course, there was also Christmas and New Year’s Eve, both of which went smoothly. Both holidays were pretty quiet for me and my family, but I didn’t mind since I was pretty exhausted from the whole month.

As I mentioned above, at the tail end of December, my Choir friends and I went to see Wicked as a treat for finishing up the semester. It was great to see my friends again, and we all loved the movie so much and had a fun time together!

spill the beans, friends!

How was your December 2024? Did you read any memorable books? How were your holidays (if you celebrated them)? Are you making any resolutions/goals/plans for the new year? Is there anything you’re look forward to coming up in January 2025?