As much as I want to keep most things to myself, I have to admit that doing a monthly summary of what I enjoy is fun. It forces me to be conscious because that's not always the case. hehehe
MOVIES/ TV SERIES/ DOCUMENTARIES
2. Frankenstein- I saw this on youtube during the first week of the month. Watched this because it's Benedict Cumberbatch, and I want to see his other works aside from Sherlock. There are 2 versions of the play, and I obviously went for Benedict as The Creature version.
3. Adventures from Moominvalley- The MoominsatBedtime continues on Louise Brealey's instagram, and she's currently reading The Finn Family Moomintroll. The anime features several stories from some Moomin books, and the first episode was actually taken from the first chapter of The Finn Family Moomintroll. Sadly, Comet in Moominland and Moominvalley in November weren't included in series.
4. Working Girls- Watched this because I want to know what Makati looked like during the 1980s. Although a lot has changed, some of the conflicts presented in the film are still evident today.
5. Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata- I saw this as one of recommended Pilipino comedy shows on reddit. The show satirises the society by presenting stereotypical characters.
6. Himala- This movie gives me that "Desolation Row' aura, which is the reason why I found it scary but in a very interesting way. This movie is a visual feast and Nora Aunor's eyes are so expressive, she didn't have to speak to convey what she had to say.
7. Remastered on Netflix- I got to continue the remaining episodes of this musical documentary. The first episode is about the death of Chilean folk singer named Victor Jara. He suffered torture and died during a turbulent period in Chile's history. The second episode is about Solomon Linda and his family's quest to fight for their rights over his song called "Mbube" more popularly known as "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
MUSIC
1. Francoise by Francoise Hardy- This compilation album features some of Hardy's post-yeye songs. Aside from "The Vogue Years" , I consider this as one of her essential compilation albums.
2. The Best of Cutting Edge by Bob Dylan- Another of Bob Dylan's bootleg series, which compiles his works during the release of his 3 electric albums. It was actually a bootleg version of Just Like Woman that made me a Dylan fan.
3. I Think It's Gonna Rain Today by Dusty Springfield- Her version is my favorite because it captures the emptiness of a rainy day.
4. Top of the World by Carpenters- One of the songs used during the first episode of After Life season 2. A weird choice of song for struggling characters, maybe it's a joke to make fun of the characters even more. HAHAHA
5. Hey, That's no Way to Say Goodbye by Leonard Cohen- I listen to Leonard Cohen the same way I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I don't force myself to listen to his songs all at once because with Leonard, I know i have to take things slow and let it grow.
6. El Paso City by Marty Robbins- The song is the continuation of Marty Robbins' story of a cowboy and his lover from El Paso. I'm amazed that he was able to connect his songs and make a beautiful story about people from the wild west.
BOOKS
1. Dekada '70- This month, I was inspired to try a reading challenge I saw on youtube. The mechanics of the challenge is to have a protected time everyday dedicated to reading. I did not reach my goal, so it was an unsuccessful challenge, but I managed to finish 1 of the books on my list- Lualhati Bautista's Dekada '70. As much as I want to express how much I like this book, I might end up spoiling the interesting stuff. If there's one thing I'd say about this book sans the spoilers, it's that the book reignited my curiosity for everything 1970s Philippines.
2. The Rosie Effect- This is the first book i bought for 2020. It was the second day of the year when I saw this on a second-hand shop. Bought it because i was expecting it to be as good, or better, than The Rosie Project. It's a nice sequel, but I'd rather stick with the first book. (another case of "don't put too much expectation on things, you might end up feeling frustrated")
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes- One of the things I realised while reading this book is to read one Sherlock Holmes case at a time. In other words, take your time. I don't know about you, but whenever I see people reading lots of books, I feel really pressured and frustrated to do the same. I know no one's forcing me to read, but it's something that really frustrates me. Reading this, I realised I shouldn't put too much pressure on myself. Sherlock's too occupied with his cases, he won't mind if it'll take me x years before i finish this book.
4. Modern Love- I've read several love essays already, and I'm surprised to discover how love is manifested in many different ways/forms. I've been told many times already of love's many mysteries, but it's good to be reminded, every now and then, that love comes in many different forms. It's both humbling and comforting, especially if you're surrounded with things that see love in a specific form. By the way, there are many ways to access the essays presented in this book- there's a podcast, a book, TV series, and column on The New York Times.
4. Modern Love- I've read several love essays already, and I'm surprised to discover how love is manifested in many different ways/forms. I've been told many times already of love's many mysteries, but it's good to be reminded, every now and then, that love comes in many different forms. It's both humbling and comforting, especially if you're surrounded with things that see love in a specific form. By the way, there are many ways to access the essays presented in this book- there's a podcast, a book, TV series, and column on The New York Times.