January 2021 Monthly Round Up

Well hello there! January is done and dusted and the month simultaneously dragged and flew by but here we all are at the end of it. Ireland remains in lockdown but the vaccine is being rolled out so we’re getting there gradually. This January saw us enjoy lots of new music and TV and we’re doing our best to get back into the swing of things after our Christmas break. This month the world watched as the new President and Vice-president of the United States did more in one week than others have done in their entire time in office. Congratulations Mr. President (of Irish descent, don’t you know) and Madam Vice-president on your new offices! We’ve seen wacky, we’ve seen weird, we’ve seen stock markets go crazy because of Reddit and we’ve seen a second impeachment all in one month. It’s like 2021 saw 2020 and said “Hold my beer”.

But enough of all that, let’s have a look at the best bits of our January. 

Book of the Month

E: I’m rereading the All Souls trilogy so ‘A Discovery of Witches’ by Deborah Harkness is my choice for this month. Personally, I love how Harkness writes her characters and plotlines and it’s nice to compare it to the TV show now that I’m all caught up on that.

Movie & TV

TV Show Picks

E: I successfully binged seasons 1 and 2 of A Discovery of Witches on Sky and I’m really excited for the third season now!

N: A Discovery of Witches Season 2. I waited a year and a half since after finishing season 1 but it was worth the wait. It was exceptionally well done and I am counting down to season 3.

Good Movie Recommendation:

E: For me Over the Moon won hands down this month. It was better than the Disney movie I chose to watch (and lost interest in) and the music was so catchy plus, on top of that, it’s a visually stunning movie.

N: I watched ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ a lot this month. So, it has to be my pick. I adore that film. Studio Ghibli’s best work in my opinion.

Cheesy Bad Movie Recommendation:

E: ‘Two Night Stand’ is so cheesy, a little cringey and just so bad it’s kinda good. It deserved a mention in this spot.

Gaming Picks 

E: Animal Crossing: New Horizon is possibly the chillest game I’ve played in a long time. You sit back and do a little bit every day, chat to your villagers and plant money trees. Just like the real world XD

N: Sega Mega Drive Classics. I finally tracked it down and got this one. I am loving playing the games that made my childhood. It was my first gaming experience as a child. 

Music

Single of the Month

E: I actually have a list of singles released each week of January and it was a hard choice this month. I’m going to go with the song I listened to most, ‘Champagne Butterflies’ by Wild Youth but Ryan Mack, Róisín O and Tom Grennan were close seconds this month.

N: The bae that is Róisín O is back on the scene with her new single ‘Heart + Bones’. It’s stunningly beautiful, written well and will make you just stop and listen. The only song that all of my main friend group agreed on loving this month.

Album/EP of the Month

E: I did not have a list of albums and EPs though and, though it’s not ‘new’ new, I finally got the opportunity to sit down and listen to “Wonder” by Shawn Mendes. Did I mention I love Shawn Mendes? Because I do.

N: For EPs this month I am in awe at Ms. Taylor Swift’s EP breakdown of her two latest albums. She is dividing the songs up into stories! The “forever the sweetest con” chapter is out now!

Favourite Things

Favourite Thing About January

E: Because I’m working on a long-term project since the start of the month, every little step forward is a small

N: Books. One of my aims for 2021 was to fall back majorly in love with reading. Books have always been an enjoyable escape for me. I have always enjoyed reading but my speed of reading has shown down in recent years. I am currently on book 13 of the year since starting the counter on January 1st.

Favourite Item of the Month

E: My new BIC multi-colour pen. It’s blue, red, black and a mechanical pencil all at the same time. I love it and it fascinates me on a daily basis. I’m easily amused.

N: My parents got me a cool gadget to help with pain and I am in love with it. It works and is helping greatly.

Event of the Month

E: Events are nothing more than a distant memory to me now (sobs)

N: Moncrieff’s online gig from the INEC! By gosh was that amazing! Online gigs seem to be slowing down after this month and that makes me incredibly sad.

Moment of the Month

E: The moment of the month for me was an odd one; it was when I first heard the studio version of Champagne Butterflies because I knew I’d gotten the Wild Youth I knew from 2019 back in a big way. I was so proud to hear something from them that really sounded like their sound and their lyrics. It was a “Finally!” moment.

N: Honestly, it was Emma’s reaction to “Champagne Butterflies”. Great to see such a reaction from someone who adores that song more than any of the other songs out by Wild Youth. I was so happy and excited for her when it got announced as dropping this month!

Your Quote of the Month

E: “Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re not good enough, smart enough or cool enough. Do your own thing.”

N: “Fairytales can come true, You gotta make ’em happen, It all depends on you” – Princess and the Frog.

Three things you are most excited about for February?

E: I’m hoping for a little less inertia and a little more action next month. My aim is to get more stuff done for me. Another thing I’m looking forward to is more sleep. Lockdown has made a mess of my sleeping pattern so I’m hoping I can fix it and not end up awake all night, that’d be nice. And, lastly, hopefully the weather for February will be nice and let me bust out the runners and get some exercise!

N: We have a number of family and friends birthdays to celebrate virtually this month! Hopefully get a few bits on my to do list completed and going on walks to find the snowdrops and daffodils.

Three things you are most excited about for February?

E: I’m hoping for a little less inertia and a little more action next month. My aim is to get more stuff done for me. Another thing I’m looking forward to is more sleep. Lockdown has made a mess of my sleeping pattern so I’m hoping I can fix it and not end up awake all night, that’d be nice. And, lastly, hopefully the weather for February will be nice and let me bust out the runners and get some exercise!

N: We have a number of family and friends birthdays to celebrate virtually this month! Hopefully get a few bits on my to do list completed and going on walks to find the snowdrops and daffodils.