November Wrap Up & December TBR // 1 month to go!

This is it, folks, we’re finally at the final month of 2020!

2020 seems to be going very slowly and quickly at the same time, especially due to the pandemic. It feels like March is only yesterday, where the quarantine began and everyone was making dalgona coffee 😂 Now we’re already in December 😶😲 While I’m excited for the holiday season, it does make me nervous as people just can’t seem to stay at home 😡 It’s just ridiculous with how close we are to the end of the pandemic (with the vaccines showing promising result) and yet the death toll keep rising because people just can’t stay at home.

Enough ranting, let’s get to the recap!

1. DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS by Jennifer Lynn Barnes // ✰✰✰✰.5
2. A NEON DARKNESS by Lauren Shippen {eARC} // ✰✰✰✰
3. MUSE OF NIGHTMARES by Laini Taylor // ✰✰✰✰.5

November is probably my lowest reading month of 2020, with only 3 books read. Even though I only read 3 books (I was hoping to squeeze in another one but couldn’t make it), I was really happy since I enjoyed all three of them. Plus, I finished another 2 series with Deadly Little Scandals and Muse of Nightmares so I feel really accomplished despite the low number.

1. THE TOWER OF NERO by Rick Riordan
2. DEAD VOICES by Katherine Arden
3. 10 BLIND DATES by Ashley Elston
4. BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD by Toshikazu Kawaguchi {eARC}

December would hopefully be less intense, but I also want to make space to explore other things so I only plan 4 books for the month. I hope to finish another series by reading Tower of Nero this month and get to my final eARC of this year with Before the Coffee Gets Cold!

• Vicky @ Vicky Again wrote a really fun post matching East Asian snacks with books
• Simone @ Simone and Her Books shared how she made time to read
• Erin @ Rin’s Read talked about book categories
• Vicky @ What Vicky Reads announced end of year readathon 2020
• Lauren @ Love Yo Shelf wrote about the pros and many cons of comparative titles
• Fanna @ Fanna For Books dissected her first ARC review to analyze her past reading and reviewing style
• My favorite post of the month, Tiffany @ Read by Tiffany wrote an in-depth explanation on the Asian historical context and cultural significance of The Poppy War series
• Kal @ Reader Voracious compiled ways to support typhoon relief in the Phillipines
• Simone @ Simone and Her Books shared 7 Dark Academia books to take us back to school
• Maha @ Sunshine and Books gave tips on how to ace the goodreads reading challenge with one month left
• Lila @ Hardcover Haven celebrated her birthday by sharing the library of her life

November was flying really quickly, I honestly feel like it was over in a blink of an eye 😶

November was not hectic per se, but it was unexpectedly intense. With the deadlines for grad schools application approaching, I decided to sign up for IELTS and GRE so the month was spent with studying. I think I focused too much on IELTS and cram GRE only for 2 weeks 😅 It was definitely a mistake 💀 I got satisfying grades on IELTS but my GRE was meh. We’ll see for the final results though, which will be released in the next 2 weeks. Hopefully it would be enough.

In terms of media, to my own surprise, I became an NCTzen 🤣 I’ve listened to their music in the past but just couldn’t get hooked, but then I found WayV’s LOVE TALK, TURN BACK TIME, and their princess video and I’m instantly converted 🤣 I am also enjoying MAKE A WISH and 90’S LOVE so it’s been a lot of NCT this month 💛

Stray Kids definitely has an amazing 2020, their comebacks this year have always been 🔥🔥🔥 They had an online concert in November and while I didn’t watch it (sigh), from the clips I’ve watched and tumblr gifs, it was amazing!!!! Plus I also love their AAA performance, which was also 🔥 I swear they spare no funds in their costume and stage production, plus the dances are so energetic! I’m looking forward for their performance in the award season this month.

https://ughvaldez.tumblr.com/post/635732640011632640/stray-kids-side-effects-vampire-ver

Of course I couldn’t not mention that GOT7 was having a comeback! Honestly, the name of the album worried me (last piece what???) but I was also super excited hehe. I think the two title tracks were catchy as hell, especially the whistling and chorus in BREATH and beat drop in LAST PIECE 💚 For the B-side, I love SPECIAL and WAVE. The whole album as a whole is just really good and I can’t wait to see their interviews and performances!

And finally, I got into Versailles last month! I would talk more about it in Screen Rambles, but I love love LOVE the opulent setting and costumes, and of course, Phillipe! I think the first season was the better; the second season was still fun but the whole William of Orange and war plot was boring 😬 Also more Phillipe wouldn’t hurt! 🤣 I’m going to start the third season today and I hope I will enjoy it.

https://ughvaldez.tumblr.com/post/635496107086168064/if-you-choose-to-betray-the-dream-you-will-end

• October Wrap Up & November TBR // I’m closing a chapter of my life 👩‍🎓
• September & October 2020 Screen Rambles
• Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes // The Debutantes Strike Again
• Top 5 Wednesday #55: Non-Fiction Books on my TBR
• How I Use Trello for Organization and Planning
• A Neon Darkness by Lauren Shippen
• Baby It’s Cold Outside Book Tag
• Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor // A satisfying ending to a magical story

How was November? Is there any last-minute, 2020 goal you want to reach in December?