December Wrap-Up: Books, K-Dramas, and Films.
As winter blusters on, Christmas has come and gone, and now New Year’s has suddenly arrived at last.
Where did the time go? I’ve heard this exclamation a lot this week, and I’m sure many of you have too. Time seems to slip past so quickly, as if the year were only a short nap, followed by the realization that the evening of the year is already upon us.
This month, I completed six reviews and wrote two essays, making it a very productive one for me. I haven’t mentioned this on my blog before, but I am recovering from a
traumatic brain injury. Blogging, especially at this pace, can be a real challenge. At the same time, it has also been deeply rewarding, as most challenging things tend to be, so I am quite satisfied with how December went.
Throughout the month, I found myself gravitating toward stories about redemption and connection, similarly to November. Books like Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn’t Evil and A Christmas Carol were five-star reads that really shaped my reading and viewing. I also focused on finishing a series I’ve been working through, High Court of the Coffee Bean by Jennifer Kropf, and I think I may have discovered a new favourite, one I know I’ll want to reread in the future.
This is something my lovely readers may not know about me yet: I am a chronic rereader.
It may be obvious that I am someone who deeply appreciates depth and loves to engage analytically with art, as that is the main focus of my blog. Less obviously, I have a strong tendency to chronically reread series. Some of the series I plan to review in the future are ones I’ve already read six or seven times but have not introduced on my blog yet. As I write this month’s entry, I worry that by sharing this, I may be setting myself up for the expectation to write something incredibly detailed and analytical. I suppose we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
This month has still been a bit of a struggle, particularly with rumination, but it has also been an opportunity for growth and for becoming more like the person I hope to be. Knowing this, there is a strong possibility that I will continue to explore literature and films that align with this part of my personal growth. If you are interested in what those may be, stay tuned by using my email subscription so you can be notified whenever I post next.
As always, I will be ranking this month’s films and books from least recommended to most. Before we begin, I just want to say thank you all again, truly, to my readers and supporters. Your kindness and support mean more than you know.
Monthly Wrap-Up Contents
In Esio Trot, an older single man named Mr. Hoppy lives downstairs in an apartment building, while an older single woman named Mrs. Silver lives just above him. Mr. Hoppy is lonely and secretly in love with his upstairs neighbour, admiring her from afar, but he’s also terribly jealous of the affection she gives her pet tortoise. So he devises a plan to deceive Mrs. Silver to gain her affection and, hopefully, secure a relationship with her.
I have many thoughts about Esio Trot. While many readers approach it as a harmless, lighthearted story, I am reading it through a moral and character-based lens, particularly because it is written for young children. From that perspective, I found the book not only dull and oddly paced, but also troubling in the messages it conveys about affection, honesty, and manipulation.
Still, Dahl’s work raises interesting questions about how we view classic literature today. Can we appreciate the art while recognizing the flaws in the artist and in the stories themselves? Can we separate the work from the creator? Overall, in my opinion, this book is one star.
Beowulf, a mighty warrior from another land who crosses surging seas, comes to the assistance of a distressed community being attacked by a ghastly monster. This is the beginning of the premise for one of the most epic poems in literary history.
Beowulf is a story set in a world of warriors, dragons, monsters, and ancient Germanic gods such as Thor, Odin, and Freya. At first glance, it appears to be a pagan text. Yet, despite these overt pagan influences, a closer reading of the poem reveals unmistakable Christian elements, including references to God, Cain, and the biblical Flood.
Overall, reading Beowulf was a unique experience, and I appreciate having had the opportunity to engage with such an ancient piece of literature. Although I value the experience of reading Beowulf, it was not as engaging as I had hoped.
Based purely on personal enjoyment, I would give Beowulf three stars.
If you were fired from your job and told that you were mediocre at the craft you tried your best to perfect, would your first instinct be to go find work at a haunted-looking abandoned cathedral?
Violet Miller is a twenty-something writer who has been obsessing over a case of kidnapped girls found in the woods with everything intact except their memories. Violet has this in common with them: when she was thirteen, she woke up in the woods without her memories. For the past year, she’s been trying to track down whoever has been harming these young women and taking away their memories somehow. But she needs a job first, so she applies for a secretary position at the Fairy Post. When she tumbles into the cathedral through a broken window and finds herself trapped in the eerie, cavernous structure, she wanders until she reaches the bell tower, where she encounters what she can only describe as the Master of Doom.
Overall, even though the book was slow at the beginning and some of the humour and character voices didn’t quite hit the mark, I really did like the novel, especially toward the end. I wouldn’t rate it as highly as the first book in the series, Welcome to the Fae Café, but it’s still a solid read.
In the fast-paced world of K-pop, who would imagine that a girl group spends their nights slaying demons? Yet, this is the reality for Rumi, Mira, and Zoe, the three members of Huntrix, who dominate the Korean entertainment industry. To the public, they are performers; in private, they are demon hunters protecting their fans from Gwi-Ma and his soul-devouring forces. Through the Honmoon, their music becomes a shield that guards humanity from spiritual corruption. Meanwhile, a group of demons plots to create a rival boy group in an attempt not only to surpass Huntrix but also to destroy the Honmoon entirely.
Overall, K-Pop Demon Hunters portrayal of truth encourages viewers to seek a deeper understanding, which is one of the essential functions of art. The film is balanced, thoughtful, beautifully crafted, and, so long as viewers understand the type of story they are entering, highly enjoyable. Overall, I give this film four and a half stars out of five.
What would you say are the requirements for a potential roommate? Cleanliness, paying rent on time, perhaps it's being considerate and kind. In Dranian’s case, the requirements would be civility and not being evil. You might think the latter is extreme, but for Dranian, it would have been helpful to specify this to his obscenely pushy landlord, who has taken it upon herself to find him a roommate. So when a former nemesis of one of his closest friends, and the very person he has sworn revenge on for taking his left arm, shows up at his door, he cannot believe his luck could be this catastrophically bad. He convinces himself it must be a dream. Unfortunately for Dranian, he has already signed a contract for the next month, which binds him to live with his new roommate.
Luc is running away from his past. He is running from his father. He is running from the time he spent in the Army. He is running from a broken friendship. Overall, he is simply trying to survive. So when he finally makes enough money for a down payment on an apartment after calling a local park bench his bed, he does not think much of signing the lease before meeting his future roommate. This is especially true when the apartment owner assures him that the person he will be living with is a very good guy. It turns out the goodness in question is subjective. When he discovers that Dranian is his new roommate, he vows to be the last one standing between them.
Jennifer Kropf’s Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn’t Evil sets off comedic chains of events that gradually unfold into something heartwarming and sincere.
This is my favourite book in the High Court of a Coffee Bean series so far. It is an easy five out of five stars from me.
On a dark winter’s night, while damned spirits wail in an empty cobbled street, a lamenting chorus about their wasted lives, Ebenezer Scrooge looks into the eyes of his previous business partner, coming to the realization that death may be at his doorstep in a chain that wraps his hanging jaw to his head. All fleeting hopes of his mind playing illusions to the shadows of the night or some crafty trick fade, and fear replaces them, like the creeping ticking of the cold, stiff clock on his wall. As his friend departs by leaving through the open window, Scrooge tries to consider that three other spirits will be visiting him soon as he watches the ghost fade into whatever pit they remorsefully clawed themselves out of. The haunting notion that he will join the same fate as his gruesome, dead partner scares him, but he is also thankful that he is being given one more chance by three spirits that he has yet to meet.
As Ebenezer Scrooge looks into his past, present, and future with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future, he realizes just how damnable he truly is and how he wants to change.
Overall, I loved reading A Christmas Carol, and I hope to re-read it in the future. I would highly recommend this book for the Christmas season, giving it a rating of five out of five stars.
That's all folks! If you’re planning to read or watch anything from my December wrap-up list, feel free to comment below!❤❤❤
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