Let’s Rewind: February 2023

And another month has come and gone, this time the short one, and it really just flew by. But here we are, in my favorite month of the year. 😄

Let’s Rewind is my version of a monthly wrap up but instead of talking about only books, I include all types of other stuff, like articles… bookish news… commercials… random-ass links… movies… art… podcasts… cartoons… and whatever else happened to me in the month. You know, the usual stuff that people talk about in monthly wrap ups. So read on to see what I did and read this month. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

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My plan in January to visit a museum each month took a nosedive in February. I made it to a total of 0 museums, but that’s OK. I more than made up for it this month (March, ‘cause I’m posting this late).

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Let’s Rewind: January 2023

It’s been such a long time since I’ve done one of these posts (not since mid 2021, I think) that I feel much out of practice. But I’d like to bring it back this year. These posts then to be long (heh, heh), but they let me chat about books I wouldn’t otherwise review (those I reread) and share thoughts on things I wouldn’t do a separate post for.

Let’s Rewind is my version of a monthly wrap up but instead of talking about only books, I include all types of other stuff, like articles… bookish news… commercials… random-ass links… movies… art… podcasts… cartoons… and whatever else happened to me in the month. You know, the usual stuff that people talk about in monthly wrap ups. So read on to see what I did and read this month. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

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2021 and 2022 were such stressful, busy, trying years for me that I was surprised when I felt light and unburdened when January 2023 rolled around. I hope it’s a sign for how the rest of the year will be.

Reflecting on 2022: Reading

2022 was quite a year. I suffered through several bouts of reading and blogging slumps that greatly affected my reading, resulting in me reading less books than I’d intended — even though my goal was to read 30 books (my intention is always to read much more than my intended my goal).

Having read a combination of 35 books, comics, and picture books in a year isn’t bad, but (ugh!) in some ways I feel a little dejected, especially since most of the things read were short, quick reads. I just want to one year read a whole bunch and have most of what I read be novels, preferably from my own shelves. Who knows, maybe 2023 will be that year.

Well, one of the great things about 2022 is that my reading slump lifted by the end of the year, so now I am in prime reading mode and have already completed a book! 😊 So since the reading excitement is still coursing through me, let’s quickly (sike, it won’t be quick) look back on my reading in the past year.

ALSO SEE

ZeZee’s Favorite Reads of 2022
ZeZee’s Most Memorable Reads of 2022
ZeZee’s Most Disappointing Reads of 2022

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag: 2022

It’s that time of year when we check in on our reading progress with these types of tags. Last week, I did the Half-Year Book Tag, and now it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag, which was created by Chami and Ely Jayne.

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BEST BOOK I’VE READ SO FAR

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

It’s a scifi novella about a lonely scientist at a secluded outpost on another planet who gets caught up in the affairs of the planet’s inhabitants, although he’s supposed to just observe them. I really enjoyed reading this, which I didn’t expect, and loved the way it’s written.

Reflecting on 2021: Reading

Although 2020 was a great reading year for me, I was hoping 2021 would be an even better one. But it wasn’t. Sure, I managed to pass my Goodreads reading goal of 50 books, but I only did so by reading 16 books over my goal. I was secretly hoping for much more than that.

It’s not that I was pressuring myself to read much more than 50 books. I try not to pressure myself about reading because otherwise the hobby won’t be fun anymore. It’s just that I was expecting (hoping) for a reading year that was similar to 2020, when I read 90+ things. But while I used reading to cope with 2020’s reality, I guess the stress and worries of 2021 were too much (especially when added to those carried over from 2020); so instead of reading helping me to cope, I slowly began to lose interest in the activity as a reading slump took over. The more stressful things became for me, the less I read until I wasn’t reading much at all in December. I’m just now turning back to books.

So 2021 wasn’t at all the reading year I was hoping for, but I’m still curious to see what my reading stats were for it. If you are interested in such stuff too, read on.

ALSO SEE

ZeZee’s Favorite Reads of 2021
ZeZee’s Most Memorable Reads of 2021
ZeZee’s Most Disappointing Reads of 2021

Let’s Rewind: October 2021

October was quite a month. Overall it was a good one, but it was filled with some high ups and some low downs, which has exhausted me. I haven’t been in the mood to do much, which is why this monthly wrap up post is so late.

Let’s Rewind is a monthly wrap up but instead of talking about only books, I include all types of other stuff, like articles… bookish news… commercials… random-ass links… movies… art… podcasts… cartoons… and whatever else happened to me in the month. You know, the usual stuff that people talk about in monthly wrap ups. So read on to see what I did and read this month. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

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Y’all, I love fall. I don’t like the cold weather, but I do love dressing for fall months, and I love the colors associate with it. I love the leaves turning and hearing the fallen ones crunch under my boots. I love the scents of fall — apples, cinnamon, pumpkin — and the outdoor activities that it brings — hay rides, corn mazes, haunted houses and fields, apple picking, — although I’ve only been to a few of these things. But it seems that I’ll always be stressed in the fall. I can’t remember a time when I rode out the entire season unstressed.

Let’s Rewind: September 2021

After such a good August, I spiraled into September. It was such a bumpy month filled with emotional highs and lows. I’m glad October is here.

Let’s Rewind is a monthly wrap up but instead of talking about only books, I include all types of other stuff, like articles… bookish news… commercials… random-ass links… movies… art… podcasts… cartoons… and whatever else happened to me in the month. You know, the usual stuff that people talk about in monthly wrap ups. So read on to see what I did and read this month. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

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End of August and the entire month of September was an emotional wild ride, one I haven’t experienced in some time and never want to experience again. The great parts of the month were wonderful. Friends and family celebrated birthdays, I attended a Caribbean music festival with a friend and went to another where I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen in years. I ran back to NYC again for a bit because I love traveling on trains and to spend time with family there again (I really missed them through the shut down last year) and meet up with more friends for a little party. I also spent time hanging out with bookish friends and shopping.

Let’s Rewind: August 2021

Hmm… I wonder if last year’s August was as good as this one for me… probably not.

Let’s Rewind is a monthly wrap up but instead of talking about only books, I include all types of other stuff, like articles… bookish news… commercials… random-ass links… movies… art… podcasts… cartoons… and whatever else happened to me in the month. You know, the usual stuff that people talk about in monthly wrap ups. So read on to see what I did and read this month. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

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August was such a rejuvenating month for me. What can I say? I had fun and I enjoyed it. I mean, yea, I had some really low moments and even a health scare, but it ended on a high note and the health scare turned out to be an unnecessary worry, so great month! 😀

Let’s Rewind: July 2021

2021 is just chugging along. I see that it’s trying to be a better year than 2020 was, but the hiccups along the way are unavoidable since people are VERY intent on being asses. Anyway, let’s talk about July.

Let’s Rewind is a monthly wrap up but instead of talking about only books, I include all types of other stuff, like articles… bookish news… commercials… random-ass links… movies… art… podcasts… cartoons… and whatever else happened to me in the month. You know, the usual stuff that people talk about in monthly wrap ups. So read on to see what I did and read this month. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

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July was a fun month for me, although that wasn’t reflected on my blog. I got into a blogging slump in July and was not motivated to post much (which is why I’m VERY behind on review posts) or to even visit other blogs. I was just tired of it all, so I took a break from blogging toward the end of the month and now feel refreshed, thankfully. Expect several posts in the upcoming weeks and for me to catch up on other blogs as well.

Let’s Rewind: June 2021

We’re already halfway through the year. I won’t express surprise at how quickly time is passing since it insists on maintaining a galloping pace when I’m not paying attention. It’s a tricksy thing, time. It loves to sneak past us, faster than light, and leave us bewildered about where it’s going and what we’ll be doing when we get there.

Let’s Rewind is a monthly wrap up but instead of talking about only books, I include all types of other stuff, like articles… bookish news… commercials… random-ass links… movies… art… podcasts… cartoons… and whatever else happened to me in the month. You know, the usual stuff that people talk about in monthly wrap ups. So read on to see what I did and read this month. You might stumble upon something that interests you.

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June. It was fun. I did things, saw people, and felt exhausted by the end of it. There was lots to celebrate since it was Pride month and Juneteenth became a federal holiday, but… I don’t know. I guess I was exhausted or something because I only celebrated these things in very minor ways.

A break was needed, so I was happy for the few outings I went on — visiting a different town with friends to hang out and shop books and visiting Las Vegas with family to… basically look around, walk until tired, and then give in to the time difference and sleep.